Assigned Rooms

Rooms were assigned. The bags were packed and the car loaded so full it was almost bursting at the seams. Our playlist was already blaring from the speakers. Sunnies on, coffee in hand and we were ready to go.

Two hours and two empty Starbucks cups later, we pulled onto University Drive. Emma bounced in her seat a little but gripped the steering wheel a little tighter.

The lobby buzzed with nervous energy as staff directed parents and students to different lines. The early check in lines were growing longer by the minute, as we slid into the freshman section behind a blubbering woman and her son.

“Mom, please don’t cry, you’ll embarrass me,” she stage whispered, giving the blubbering woman a wide berth, while blinking back tears of her own. The freshman looked over his shoulder and glared at her before trying to console his mom. My daughter flushed and hid behind her long violet bangs. I knew she hadn't meant it, but he didn't.

We drifted through the maze of ropes in a blur. Each new table brought on new faces and new packets of information. Each table took us one step closer to a goodbye neither of us was quite ready for. Our bags loaded down with fun freshman freebies and info for every club imaginable, we made our way to the final stop. The keys.

An advisor we hadn’t met before handed her and ID badge and a large brass key. Room 207 dangled from the paper tag. Her new room came with a new beginning and a bright future. One I had no idea how we’d afford. I bit my lip but refused to cry or worry today. Today wasn’t about me. It was about her and this dream of hers. A bachelor's in engineering is what she wanted and a bachelor's in engineering is what she'd get, even if it was the last thing I did.

“Any of the clubs look interesting?” I asked as we got back into the car, headed for Reiners Hall, her last destination of the day.

“Cheer and Acro and Tumbling will take up most of my time. But maybe robotics, if I can fit it in. I miss my old team already.” she said.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep you posted on all things SlicerTech while you’re gone, and you can visit the team on breaks.” I reminded her.

“Actually, do you mind if we go eat before unloading? I’m starving,” she asked.

“Sure, wherever you want.” I said.

She buckled her seat belt and pulled out her phone.

“Chinese?” she asked.

“Always.” I answered.

A few minutes later we pulled into Golden Dragon. The giant gold dragon had paint chipping in large gold flakes all over its body.

I grimaced, “Are you sure?”

“Sure, let’s go on one more adventure.” She said.

I nodded, still suspicious of the health code violations this weird restaurant might hide.

We ate lunch while she caught me up on her friends and their college plans. For an hour, we managed to pretend this was just another meal.

When the waitress slid the fortune cookies and check across the table, we knew.

We knew there was nothing left to distract us from the task at hand.

College move-in day.

Reiners Hall, the five story, red brick, freshman dorm, loomed above us. She backed into a spot by the door and took a deep breath.

"You'll do great," I said.

She smiled weakly.

“Thank the ducks, I got to check in before everyone else. Can you imagine how packed this place will be next week?” she asked, glancing around the half empty parking lot made up of freshman athletes.

She grabbed her favorite stuffy Mr. Moo and a vase of purple lego roses, a present from her boyfriend, then headed for the doors. I grabbed two of her multi-colored duffel bags and followed her. No reason to rush hauling everything up when we still needed to arrange her side of the room. She scanned her school ID to get into the building and held the door for me.

“Will your roommate be here today too?” I asked, walking to the elevator.

“No, not till Monday. I’ll have the room to myself for a week,” she said, shrugging and frowning slightly.

Ding

We stepped out of the elevator to a silent hall.

"Are you going to be okay by yourself for a week?" I asked.

"Mom, I'm an adult. It'll be great to have some me time. Plus other kids will be in the dorm too so I'm not really alone," the weak smile reappeared.

We walked through the second floor common room, oohing and ahhing over the pool tables and private gym to the left. All things we'd seen on the tour.

Then we wandered down the hall to the right, until we found room 207. I made her take a picture in front of the door. She rolled her eyes but obliged sticking her fingers out in a peace sign. Four pictures and one thoroughly exasperated daughter later, she slid her brass key into the door handle, turned the knob, and swung open the door.

She stepped inside.

Something crashed.

Glass and legos shattered across the floor.

A blood-curdling scream followed.

I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back out of the room and that’s when I saw it, the reason for the scream.

A large woman with long red hair lay slumped against the wall, and for one foolish second I thought she was asleep.

Then I saw the blood.

The puddle seeped into the carpet beneath her, creeping slowly toward us.

“Get back to the car! Now!” I yelled, turning and pushing her toward the stairs.

As we rounded the corner to the stairwell, I stopped long enough to yank the fire alarm. The shrill scream flooded the hallway as we fled.

"I thought your roommate wouldn’t be here until Monday?" I yelled, breathless as we barreled down the stairs.

The color drained from her face.

“That wasn’t my roommate,” she shouted.