HAZEL
I stop chopping and listen.... Silence.
I wipe my hands on a towel and walk to the kitchen door. I try the handle. It doesn’t open. My smile fades. I go to the front door. I pull Harder. It doesn’t open. I rush to the back door, the one that leads outside.... Locked.
That’s when the thoughts hit me all at once, crashing into each other.
Where is everybody?
Why is the house empty?
And why are all the doors locked?
My stomach drops as unease finally settles in.
"Okay, calm down," I tell myself that panicking does nothing to help me.
I tell myself there’s a logical explanation, because there has to be. I’m new here. I’ve only been here for a few months. Maybe there’s a drill. Maybe Axel cleared the house for some reason. Maybe there’s some stupid security protocol I don’t know
