[Kokopelli25]

CHAPTER 6

After sending the photos Ellie felt, not relaxed, but not quite as nervous, either. She turned the lights out in the multi-purpose room, closed the door, and started softly walking down the hallway, but not in the direction of the stairs she used to walk up there.

Ellie tip-toed down the empty hallway toward the staircase closest to the building’s main entrance. A small part of her mind was telling herself that it was true - the halls of her old high school did indeed feel smaller now that she was back visiting for the first time, three years after she had graduated from this place. That same small part marveled at how tiny the lockers were - had she really kept everything she needed in one of those? The room numbers and most of the teacher names brought back memories, some good, some not. If it had been daytime she would have stopped by a couple rooms where her favorite teachers held class. She wondered if they’d remember her, not sure if she had made a lasting impression on them or not. If they were to see her now she was sure she’d leave a lasting impression...

Approaching the stairs, Ellie’s mind screamed at her - what was she doing??? She had already satisfied Natalie’s dare and then some, there was no reason to keep going. Yet her bare feet had other plans, taking her farther away from her clothes and closer to her old haunts back when she was a student at the high school.

It wasn’t long before Ellie found herself standing outside the school’s library. Heart pounding, she reached for the door handle, almost wishing it would be locked and so keep her from continuing her naked exploration. No such luck as her fingers turned the handle and the door creaked open. It must still be the same Librarian as when she had gone to school; an elderly woman who believed that everyone should have access to books and never wanted to put a barrier up that would keep people out. She routinely left the door unlocked overnight and must have done the same when leaving for the break.

Ellie was torn - she knew she had already pushed her luck further than she should have, but when would she ever have this chance again? In many ways it was perfect - she could challenge herself, go beyond what she was comfortable with, but with very little risk of exposure, very little risk anyone would know. At least, she thought, anyone other than Natalie and Caroline.