Page 30 of Levee

Why hadn’t I told anyone about my suspicions? Lily, at least? So someone would suspect someone coming for me if I went missing?

It was too late for that now, though, as I heard another set of footsteps making their way into the bedroom.

I pulled my hand up, pressing it hard over my mouth to keep any sounds muffled as I focused on breathing slow and deep so it couldn’t be heard.

Sweat was trickling down my neck and spine, wetting through my shirt in moments as the drawers of the dresser were overturned, the contents scattering all across the floor, a pair of boxers sliding halfway under the bed with me.

“Nothing,” the man said as another set of footsteps moved into the room.

“Check the closet,” said the other as he moved over toward the bed, whipping off the sheet and tossing the pillow to the ground.

There was a moment of nothing, then a loud ripping sound.

It took me a second to place it. But when I did, the anxiety tripped into overdrive as I worried he might split the mattress down to the bottom. Which would expose my hiding spot through the slats of the bed’s platform.

The cutting stopped, though, and the bed jiggled as he, I assumed, dug around into the foam mattress.

Looking for… I don’t know what.

There was a thunk across the room. Maybe a shoe hitting the wall from the man rummaging through the closet.

“Anything?” the man directly above me asked.

“Just stinkin’ laundry,” the other guy answered.

“Fuck,” the other one snapped as he suddenly lowered down in on the side of the bed, his arm reaching around under.

I wanted to curl smaller, but I was terrified of being heard or of making the bed move.

So I just stayed as still as possible, not even daring to breathe as I seriously worried I was going to pee myself out of fear.

The man’s hand grabbed the boxers, the only thing under the bed save for dust and balls of hair.

He pulled it out and with a disgusted grunt, tossed it back to the ground.

“Let’s get the fuck outta here,” he said.

“But T said—“

“Fucking T wants to look, he can come do it himself,” he snarled before stomping out of the room and down the hall.

With a sigh, the other guy seemed to follow behind.

Footsteps moved through the living room, then there was the click of the door.

I didn’t move.

I barely breathed.

My whole body was shaking violently, hard enough to make the bed rattle with me.

But I couldn’t make myself move. Not yet.

What if they came back?

If they saw me?

If they knew I’d heard their voices? Knew they worked for some guy named T?

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