There were murmurs behind me, the guard and the janitor having a brief word about something, or someone, passing through. 

The sound of pounding feet reached my ears, and then I was running, flat out - blurring as I moved - running. 

This was breaking and entering - well not the breaking part. But still. If Mom found out, there would be hell to pay.

That was a whole new motivation for evasion, and escape. 

~Raffin

I saw the guard and slid into my natural speed as a tiny pang of panic gripped me.


Then, I did the worst thing I could have done. I waited for the flickering overhead light to go dark in the the open doorway, and slipped past the janitor into the school.


I knew he felt the fabric of the cloak as I went, and then I was around the corner and into the hallway, classroom doors on either side. 


The place looked like any other school, white tiles and walls, handmade banners and announcements taped up to them, or locker doors.


It was pandemonium in my brain for a fraction of a second, because the halls were lit. I could read the announcements on the bulletin board loud and clear.


And that meant one thing - they would see me.


~Raffin

Lurking in the shadows of a building only works well when no one has a flashlight. When they do, all bets are off.


Mr. 'Happy Security Guard' had two flashlights, one larger, one smaller, and a can of pepper spray. Not to mention a radio.


This was going to make my night interesting. 


~Raffin

It was early evening, after dinner, when I decided to sneak down to the high school.


I thought dusk would allow me to blend in better. That all the students and teachers, and everyone else would be gone for the day.


Wrong.


I reached the school just fine, and there were no peers or faculty to hinder my exploration. There was, however, a janitor, and one very nosey security guard.


~Raffin

My venture out and about into the neighborhood had gone unnoticed by Mom, so I decided to go check out the high school.


Might as well see when I would be getting my 'education'.


~Raffin

Another day, and a visit to the store, got me my stars - and a new bedspread.


The spread didn't come cheap though. There was a sharp look from Mom, and the threat of this being the last one for a year. 


Not this year, a year.


~Raffin

Back in the shadowed safety of my room for the evening. Laying on my shredded bedspread, staring up, the ceiling seems kind of bare.


It's stark and white. I want to see some stars, but that is kind of hard with a roof overhead.


I think about it for a moment, and then make a mental note to get some 'stars' for my new night sky, up there on my ceiling.


~Raffin