Prologue

Warren

I wonder if she’s awake. 

It’s 5:25. I have five minutes until I have to leave for the gym. If I leave by 5:30 I get there by 5:36 and can start my workout at 5:45. Which leaves me with an hour for cardio and an hour for weight training. I’ve had the same schedule since I was in junior high and it has stuck since then. I feel like I might go insane or even snap if I break this routine now, I need it. The only thing that's really changed since has been the location. Of course in college I used the gym on campus and now I use the gym in my building. One other thing has changed too though and that's Briar. 

She’s both consistently a part of my routine and completely random. Some mornings she’s out there, sometimes she's leaving when I’m coming back but I always see her. I don’t know what it is that I did but I always get a look. I don’t return it of course, my mom raised me to be a gentleman and gentlemen don’t give ladies rude looks. 

She’s usually a disaster. A beautiful one though. Her blonde hair is always in some type of wave or curl and her blue eyes are always wild. 

I won’t complain about her looks she gives me, they always brighten my day. It’s a great way to start my day, my favorite part of my day. I just worry sometimes about her routines. It can’t be healthy or safe for her to be showing up back at home at 5:30 in the morning. This city is dangerous enough without being a young girl alone out in the middle of the night. Jesus, I sound like a creep.

It’s 5:30 now. That means she’s either going to be sitting outside her door, since she never has her keys, or I’ll see her when I get back. I kind of hope she’s there now. As soon as I step out of my door I see her. This time she’s in a ripped black dress, her hair is a mess and she’s out cold. She’s not even propped up against the door like she usually is, instead sprawled in front of the door. I don’t take my eyes off of her as I shut my door, waiting for any kind of movement from her. She’s a light sleeper, I know this because, of the millions of times before when we’ve done this routine, she’s always woken up. She doesn’t seem to like being caught off guard. 

When she doesn’t respond to my subtle door ‘slam’ I try a harder slam. That doesn’t work either so I walk over and tap her foot with mine. Still nothing. I drop my gym bag and kneel by her head, checking her pulse. Call me a pessimist but my mind automatically goes to the worst case scenario. 

She’s a little cold but her pulse is there. She could be so blacked out drunk since she’s out cold, but then how would she have gotten all the way back here? No way could someone have just dumped her out here in the hallway like this. There can’t be that big of a******s in the world, right?

Gently I shake her shoulder, “Briar?” I repeat it a couple more times before I knock on her door. I’ve never officially met her roommate, just caught her staring at me a couple of times. When she doesn’t answer, even after my knuckles are sore, I blow out a quick breath. I can’t just leave her out in the hall like this. I walk back over to my door, unlock it and prop it open. Slowly I kneel back down next to her. “Alright Briar, listen, I’m gonna bring you into my apartment. I’m just gonna set you on my bed, make sure you’re breathing and then try and get a hold of your roommate.” After nodding to myself, I slide my arms under her knees and behind her back, standing back up and carrying her bridal style into my apartment. “This isn’t kidnapping, right?” This felt a little bit like kidnapping but I don’t know what else to do. So this is going to have to do for now. I shake my head before continuing my one sided conversation with Briar. “By the way, this isn’t kidnapping for the record. I’m leaving every single door unlocked and you’re free to leave whenever.” I use my foot to shut the door behind me before walking over to my bedroom. 

I’m glad I cleaned my room before I left this morning. 

Dumbass, she wouldn’t even see it. She’s out cold. I shake my head before gently laying her down. That dress doesn’t seem too comfy but I’m not about to add potential assault to my list of crimes this morning. Instead I grab the blanket and pull it over her, making sure she’s propped on her side before I leave the room. 

I just hope she gives me the chance to explain myself before she tries to kill me. I postpone the gym for now, it makes my skin crawl but the thought of something bad happening to someone makes me feel much more sick. Even though I can’t go to the gym I can still workout so I set up an area in my living room before getting to work on my core. 

Why the f**k not?

Briar

Oh god. My. f*****g. Head. f*****g. Hurts. Every heartbeat echoes through and makes it feel like my head bobs with every beat. I want to cry. I feel like I can breathe again so thats good but I have no f*****g idea where I am. White sheets. Dark comforter. Smells nice in here. It’s manly. I have no idea what that smell is though, it’s kinda familiar. 

My first two attempts to push myself up fail miserably but finally I’m somewhat upright. It’s dark in here, the door is cracked open. I can see through dizzy vision that there are floor to ceiling shades drawn. When I finally get my head to face to my left I see a bottle of tylenol and a bottle of water. Both are unopened so I puncture the seal, take two pills out and chug half the water. 

“I fall in love just a little bit, little more, everyday with someone new, I fall-” the lyrics pour in from outside the door. Quickly followed by a frantically whispered “s**t, s**t s**t.”

What the hell?

I push the comforter off, frowning at the loss of heat. I look down and take in my ruined dress. 

What the f**k?

There’s not a lot of options here when it comes to clothing. I settle for dragging a pillowcase off of a pillow and wrapping it around me. Staggering onto my feet I slowly make it to the wall so I can have some support. I probably look like bambi with the way I’m walking but I don’t give a f**k. 

Finally I reach the door and slowly open it the rest of the way to peek outside. I can see the first evidence of the sun rising on the floor, grunting comes from the living room. I can’t tell who it belongs to but it’s definitely male. I close my eyes and take some steadying, sobering breaths before searching for an impromptu weapon. I probably won’t win in a fight but at least I can get some damage in. The dresser to my left holds a perfect weapon, a weird sword. It’s kinda heavy but there’s no way it’s real. I flip it over and confirm when I see the ‘Made in China’ label. 

What the hell? What kinda nerd owns a toy metal sword?

Slowly opening the door again I check to make sure the coast is clear. It takes five big steps to get to the end of the hall. I stop at the end of the hall and smash myself against the wall so I won’t be seen yet. I hear gentle breathing, it's rhythmic. I shut my eyes and breathe in five times before gripping my pillowcase in my left hand and the sword in the other. What was that advice again? Act crazy and the crazies will leave you alone? I don’t know. 

I jump around the corner without a second thought and scream at the top of my lungs. The guy launches up to his feet but immediately falls back into the wall and takes a side table down with him. I don’t stick around to see who it is. Instead, I run to the door and whip it open, my smile appearing at the unlocked door. 

I’m free. I’m off running down the hall, punching the elevator button when I pause. This hall looks eerily familiar. 

I turn around to the mirror and the hole in the wall I hid with the plant confirms my suspicions. I’m in my hall. In my building. How? Am I tripping that hard right now? Did I just black out and wake up here? What the hell is happening?

I stop the questioning and walk down the hall. Watching each door number until mine appears. I wonder if this is real right now. I drop the sword and then reach up to find my hidden key is still there. Wow, my morning is turning around quickly. I eye it carefully before inserting it and opening the door. When I see that it really is my apartment I grab my new sword and go inside, shutting and locking the door behind me. 

What the f**k?

Reviews

[Essie W]

This is a very good start to a story. I would cut out some unnecessary details, especially in the Warren section, such as the I went in the gym since I was playing hockey etc. You do a good job of putting the reader into the early morning happens right there mindset, try to keep them there by not pulling them out of the moment. I love the Hozier lyrics, they contribute to the mood.