Prologue

The old door clicked open, disrupting the silence, and they entered. An old iron bed frame, dilapidated wooden table with chairs and a broken TV were just a few of the features that generated the ambiance of the room. The darkness outside penetrated through the mire stained windows that sat above a row of cabinets, to which other relics sat.

“Whew. Things finally look tidy in here!” Chuckled Paul, relieved.

Paul was a somewhat tall man, though he acted more of a rogue-like teenager than anything. He was also slightly portly, adorned with his buff sweater and neat denim trousers. He did look mature however and his beard made this clear, matching his short red hair.

“That should be that, is there anything else we can help you with David?” Marion followed.

“No. I’m fine. Sorry for making you guys help me move” David replied in haste.

Marion was Paul’s partner, and perhaps soon to be wife. They didn’t want to rush things they said, but their bond was strong; forged in life from countless shared experiences. Her calm attitude was further amplified by her light clothing and vibrant azure hair.

David, on the other hand, looked far from approachable. His face endured a large wound struck across his lower eye to upper lip on his right side. He was always calculating and cautious, simply because of his silent nature. Sharp brown hairs crowned his head and his tired eyes often gazed into an ethereal existence no one else could distinguish.

“And thanks for showing me the place, Paul. I-I’ll have to pay you back sometime”

“Ooh nice! The three of us could go out drinking! Haha” Paul chuckled again.

“I like the sound of that!” Marion added excitedly. “Well, we’d better be going. We’ll leave you to settle in, David”

“Alright. Be careful you two. Thanks again!” David called after the pair as they departed. Shortly, he found himself lost in a daze again before closing the door gently.

David scanned his new room progressively, absorbing every small detail. Then he noticed something on the table. It was Paul’s wallet. He glanced at the clock and swiped it from the table before dashing hastily towards the door.

“Paul! Hey, Paul!” He called. Then he paused.

A voice sounded. David stopped and concentrated his hearing. He crept to the door and listened. David couldn’t hear the voices to much clarity, and could only make out certain words.

“What’s with that place, seriously? It’s filthy! It’s practically falling apart! What were you thinking?”

“He wanted to move for a change of pace and this will NOT help him, you hear? Look, what can I do? He’s not the richest guy y’know… Can’t even afford much furniture”

“THIS isn’t what I meant!”

“You told me to look for a place that’s cheap. Don’t complain now!” The voices stopped for a brief period before restarting promptly.

“You’re right. Im sorry… I just wanted to help David out…”

The voices slowly grew distant, inaudible. Though the hotel room was affordable, it was of low quality even for a contemporary, phlegmatic man like David.

 

“The wallet can wait, I guess. I should get to bed” David thought with a shadow of unclarity and turned back to his bedroom.

Laying his worn clothes on the dresser, David clambered into bed heavily and rested his weak face on the soft pillow. The room itself was cold. Heating was expensive, especially at this time of year and David had to save every penny he could. He was never demanding with anything that resolved in daily life, he preferred to follow the course that laid itself ahead of him. He was always a passenger, or so it seemed.

David nestled his head further into the warmth of his duvet and drifted into a slumber, and the darkness from the cold outside began to dubiously seep into the room.

Some time passed before the silence was broken. Sounds of sobbing and despair emerged from the blackness.

“Huh?” David lifted his drained face and stared blankly into the abyss of night that filled the room. “Is somebody… crying?” He thought, “One of the other guests?” The weeping lingered softly.

Debating for a short time in his mind, David climbed out from the safeguard of the bed and cautiously re-equipped his clothing, frequently scanning around him. He slowly pried the front door that lead into the hall and inspected it, though not much could be determined from the dimness. Only slight details from the frail lights that decorated the corridor. Without David noticing, the voice had seized to continue the moaning. David approached the door to the right of his, and knocked anxiously. Momentarily, a short grey haired lady emerged. David couldn’t depict whether she was confused or aggravated. 

“Yes? Who’sit at this time?” The fragile voice questioned.

“Pardon me. It’s just, I can hear you from my room” David replied apologetically. “Would you stop?”

The woman gazed perplexedly. Her expression was now more reflective of her mood.

“Hm? What do you mean? I was asleep until you woke me up” She defensively snapped.

David judged the woman’s clothing and clearly innocent voice, and concluded. “I suppose, I may have been hearing things. M-my apologies, Goodbye now”

The door closed and the sonorous noise echoed throughout the hallway. David felt the paintings lining the walls staring at him, spectating him. He turned and walked back to his room. Though he did so quickly, checking the room before shutting the door behind him, and throwing his clothes rather than folding them before sheltering inside his quilt again… and after the silence resumed, he fell back into an innocuous rest.