Break-In

It would’ve been a bit too obvious to place the cell door at the end of a long hallway. Blueprints had originally called for heavy doors and extra security along the hallway - tripwires, security cameras, sensors, and more. They had been all thrown out. There was no need for such excessive force. Such measures mere enticed a breakout and added mystique. Cell Zero was hidden in plain sight. It had no label and only a simple nine-digit keypad for entry. As an alternative, an ordinary metal key would do the trick. There was no need for obscene defensive measures when the cell could’ve been mistaken for a broom closet. ...

It started with a party. That’s how it always starts isn’t it? A party, a party he never even wanted to go to. Matthew was a quiet lad, barely ever leaving the safety of his home. If there was ever a word to describe him it would be average. He was average in height, average in build, and all around average in the looks department. No one ever paid him any real mind. For the most part that’s how he liked it. Now don’t get him wrong it wasn’t that he liked being alone. It was more … he had gotten used to it. ...

Have you ever been robbed? It’s not the fact that your stuff’s gone that gets ya no it’s the knowing that someone got into your house, your home. It’s the knowing your home isn’t safe anymore that it never even was to begin with. That’s frightening. I’ll never get to know that feeling. My experience was different from the norm - very different. It began on a cold dreary night in December. I was still living at home to save on boarding costs at my college. That night was the first I had been alone in quite awhile and I intended to make the most of it. And by ‘make the most of it’ I mean watch the television living room in my underwear eating pizza. Yeah, I know, I led an exciting life. ...