In That Case

The briefcase is open. But it's too crazy to just start with what's inside.

The briefcase was still there Saturday morning. There was blood on it. And on my clothes. It was still locked, but now there was something inside. Something that sloshed around.

Oh, and I was standing in this huge forest on a mountainside. So I was panicking. I started screaming. Nobody came. I don't know how I would have explained myself if they had.

I calmed myself down after a while. Decided to walk down the slope and look for a trail. I found a stream and used it to wash some of the blood from my clothes and the briefcase. It's even more slippery when wet. And still cold. Actually, that part was a relief in the heat.

I did find the trail, but by the time I reached the parking area I was exhausted. I always am when I come back, and hiking around only added to it. I don't know how I found the energy. Only one empty car was parked there. I slept on the grass.

A woman who looked about 50 woke me up, asking if I was alright. I made up some story about having been hiking with friends and getting lost and left behind. She bought it. I got a free ride to Clearfield, Pennsylvania since that's where she lives. I slept through most of the drive, but still had to do some serious lying. I felt awful.

I didn't get to eat that day. My daily wages had to be spent on new clothes. Thank god for Walmart. I should be on that People of Walmart site. A dirty, sweaty 19-year-old woman shopping for cheap clothes with a fancy briefcase.

And the briefcase had mostly stopped sloshing by that point. Then yesterday morning, it was back to being liquid inside. Heavier than Saturday. Without the hiking to worry about I was able to keep track of it. It slowly changed from liquid to solid. By the end of my day the stuff inside was hard.

This morning, it was unlocked. Inside was a laptop. A Dell Inspiron 14R.

No, I don't get it either. All I know is, He gave me a briefcase that made a laptop out of... something else. Maybe I should thank Him, but I won't. A computer doesn't make up for all that He's taken.

It's pretty nice, though.