I had held my own when I left the kitchen. I held everything in until I reached my room. And at that moment I let it all out. I shut my door quickly and collapsed to the floor in tears. What had come over me? She could have killed me. I know that she wouldn't have because of Grandfather. But she could have. I didn't bother to stand up, but crawled over to my bags and pulled out an old photograph of my parents. They were so wonderful. Yet sometimes they had strongly disapproved of my behavior. What would they have said tonight? I had provoked my grandfather's bodyguard into fighting with me. Mother would have said "Adrienne, dear, you must learn to control yourself. No respectable lady would pick a fight like that." What was wrong with me? I had never done something like that before. But I felt so empty. I realized that needed attention, whether it be positive or negative. I missed them. I missed them so much. Nobody and nothing could make up for my loss. I began to cry again. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Adrienne," I muttered. I forced myself to stand up. Looking in the mirror, I realized that I was a mess. As if the bruise wasn't enough, now my cheeks were tearstained. I went to wash my face. What I needed was fresh air. I checked my watch. It wasn't too late to take a walk. I drew my coat around my shoulders and left my room. I walked down the silent halls of the mansion and found myself wondering about Helga Sinclair. I was still curious about her past. I almost wanted to be friends with her. I was good at pretending to be tough, but she was the real deal. She could seriously hurt someone. I could only talk. I brushed a few more tears from my eyes and opened the front door slowly. Dusk was setting in, and I could see ominous clouds moving quickly across the sky. As a woman of science, I should have realized that another storm was coming. However, I was too lost in my misery. Before I knew it I was walking down the long driveway and away from the mansion. Just a small walk, I thought. That would make me feel better. I smiled despite the sadness in my heart. Father and I would always take walks when I was a little girl. We'd walk down to the park and spend time exploring. Or, at least, he would pretend to explore with me. Then, when I got tired, he'd carry me on his shoulders and we'd go home to mother. Then at night they'd both tuck me in and I would feel so safe and secure. My reverie was interrupted by a sharp wind. It chilled me straight to the bone and I realized that I had walked much further than I had wanted to. I heard a rumble in the distance. Thunder…just great. I began to walk back. My pace picked up as the wind picked up. Then I felt a large drop on my shoulder. And another… Suddenly the whole sky opened up in a wave of fury. I was drenched in seconds. I began to run. Lightning streaked the sky and thunder crashed. My stomach churned with fear. "It's only a storm," I repeated to myself. I ran up the driveway to the door. I pulled the doors. They were locked. "Hello!" I called. No answer. I pounded on the doors. Nobody came. I must have looked like a drowned rat by then. Great…just great. My first night at grandfather's mansion and I had already gotten into a fight and gotten locked out. At this rate, I wouldn't have been surprised if he had sent me away for being so much trouble. With a growl of frustration I left the door and began to wander around the perimeter of the mansion. The rain wasn't letting up at all. Then I saw a light in one of the windows. To my luck, there was a balcony. If I could climb up the wall I could reach that balcony and maybe get in. I stared up the wall. It would be tough, but I didn't have any other choice.