Mr. Ballin

They looked like little blurs, but she watched each one for as long as she could.

She felt jealous of these people, out walking by themselves.

Carrie desperately wanted to go somewhere on her own, where nurses and doctors weren't hovering over her every few minutes and telling her what she could and couldn't do.

She pressed her face up against the window, picturing the city she had once known so well.

The streetcar rolling down its tracks, people rushing off to work, or students yelling and laughing in the schoolyard.

And as she was having these thoughts, something else suddenly popped into her mind.

She believed there was one particular place where, if she could just get there, she could once again experience the freedom she longed for.

Just then, Carrie turned away from the window and walked over to her door.

She opened the door halfway and leaned her head out, making sure nobody was in the hallway.

Once she was sure the coast was clear, Carrie took a breath, lowered her head, and walked out of her room.

About five minutes later, that same nurse came back to Carrie's room and opened the door.

But now, Carrie's room was empty.

The nurse walked over to the closet, opened the door, and checked inside, but Carrie wasn't in there either.

The nurse wasn't alarmed.

She was annoyed.

Carrie had run away once before, and this nurse knew that if it happened again, she was going to have to explain why she left Carrie alone.

The nurse checked the porch, where she knew Carrie liked to spend time, but it was also empty.

She told herself what must have happened was a doctor came by and took Carrie somewhere.

But when this nurse tracked down all the doctors on the shift, they all said the same thing.

They hadn't seen Carrie all morning.