Adam C. Prince

Transcript:

Girl in Control. Episode 5. Girl in Shadows.

I pressed my back against the wall of the abandoned warehouse, trying to stay in the shadows, trying not to hyperventilate. Justine had gone inside, and now I had to get her out.

No pressure, right? The place was perfect if you wanted to hide something. Boarded windows. Broken doors.

The smell of stale beer and something way worse hanging in the air. I kept tripping on broken floor tiles. Because apparently, I'm graceful like that.

Aaron and his friends didn't seem like hardened criminals. Not really. But still, what were they doing here? And why bring my little sister? I crept around, staying low and silent, like some kind of budget spy movie.

Most of the place was empty. Rooms full of broken furniture and smashed glass. Your typical abandoned warehouse aesthetic.

But one door caught my eye. It was locked. And dark inside.

I tried the handle. Nothing. It wouldn't budge.

I needed to get inside. I patted my pockets. Nothing useful.

Just lint and old receipts. Then I remembered. Hairpins.

I pulled two pins from my hair and knelt at the door. I'd seen people pick locks in movies. How hard could it be? Turns out, pretty hard.

But after what felt like forever. The door swung open. Inside, it was.

Weird. Green plants. Rows and rows of them.

Grow lights buzzing overhead like angry wasps. I didn't need a degree to know what I was looking at. A marijuana farm.

My heart sank faster than my grades in chemistry. Aaron, what had you gotten yourself into? I backed out quickly. Locking the door behind me.

Whatever this was. I didn't want any part of it. I needed to find Jussie.

Now more than ever. Then I heard it. Laughter.

Not inside. Above. I spotted a narrow staircase leading up to the roof.

Bingo. I was just about to climb it when. A hand grabbed my shoulder.

I whipped around. It was the older looking guy with the scruffy beard. The one who definitely didn't belong with a bunch of teenagers.

Where do you think you're going? He sneered. Great. Busted by a drug dealer.

I'm just looking for my sister, I said. But he grabbed my wrists. Tight.

Too tight. I kicked him in the shins. Nothing.

Then I aimed higher. He doubled over. Groaning.

But didn't let go. He shoved me to the ground. I reached for the remote.

But in the scuffle. It fell out and skidded across the room. Of course it did.

Because nothing ever goes right when you actually need it to. He reached into his jacket. Pulled out a knife.

A big one. Serrated. The kind that meant business.

My blood turned to ice. I scrambled back. Hands scrabbling for anything I could use as a weapon.

A stick. A rock. A strongly worded letter.

He raised the knife. Ready to strike. I closed my eyes.

Braced for the worst. This was it. This was how I died.

In a sketchy warehouse. Looking for my sister. Mum was going to be so mad.

My hand hit something heavy. A piece of a broken floor tile. Perfect.

I swung it with everything I had. The guy crumpled to the ground like a deflated balloon. Gasping.

I staggered to my feet. No time to waste. No time to think about what I'd just done.

I sprinted for the stairs. Taking them two at a time. Jussie was close.

I could feel it. And I was not leaving without her. The girl in control was done being controlled.

Time to take charge. Time to get answers. And maybe.

Just maybe. Time to finally be the big sister Justine deserved.