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Chapter One: A Happy New Year |
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THE DATE WAS JANUARY 1ST, 12:01 AM. I spent my new year in the local bar, my fingers tapping on the hard wooden surface of the 12 foot long bar that stretched the length of just from the ‘in’ door and ‘out’ door of the pathetic excuse for a kitchen. Flanking the ‘out’ door was the unisex bathroom, for which you’d need to ask the barkeep for the key.
My empty beer glass had, still, a few splotches of froth still fizzling around. A soft sigh escaped my slightly chapped lips. My eyes were growing weary, just as they had been since December 24th, when I learned of the news that my girlfriend had just died.
“Merry Christmas.” I raised my empty glass up into the stale air that smelled like whiskey and cigars. “And a Happy New Year.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a girl of, perhaps, 18 years of age push away from the back corner whence she had been leaning on only moments ago. She walked distantly behind me, keeping her distance as she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her black overcoat.
I paid my dues as I exited through the pitiful excuse of a front entrance. As did the girl. The cold wind greeted me quickly as I tugged my jacket zipper upwards. I turned my head slightly, seeing the girl’s hair look like orange flames flickering in the brutal wind. Her ruby red lips started to twitch in the deep corners of her mouth. She stayed perfectly still as she stared straight at me. A cold, icy stare.
I turned sharply back forward, away from the girl. I couldn’t stand the chills I was getting from her cold, frozen ice pearls that were inside of her eye sockets. A slight chill ran down my spine, making my blonde hairs stand up on the back of my exposed neck. I popped the collar of my jacket, tugging the now extra material around my freezing neck. The shadows of my body danced on the black pavement of the silent street. Another shadowy figure started to creep up next to my own, getting closer…closer…
I heard her movements, and then felt a tiny, thin, cardboard rectangle slip into my left pocket. I pulled it out and there it was-her name and number. I flipped it over and it revealed what I had been looking for-a story…
I was a struggling novelist, needing some inspiration…all that had played in my mind was the death…and being morbid and writing a sob story wasn’t going to sell…well, it wouldn’t sell as a “best seller”. Not by me, at least.
My freezing feet shuffled quickly through the freezing wind. After walking five blocks I made it to my stay. The neon lights were losing their luster, the sign worn down. “EMBASSY SUITES” is what it used to say. Now, with broken lights and stolen letters, it read “ASSY SUITE”. I sighed as I entered the revolving doors. The receptionist gave a little wave and my head gave a little nod to her as I started towards the elevator.
It seemed to take forever for the shaft to open up to let me in. Annoying music buzzed softly in my ear as I leaned against the metal rail inside the space. A little ‘ding’ let me know that I had arrived to my floor destination. I let a small amount of air escape from my lips as I slowly slinked to the door marked “223” and jiggled the door knob. “Honey, I’m home…” I said to the empty single room, closing the door and falling face down onto the satin sheets-hotel version.
Which meant that they were 100% cotton. Scratchy cotton…
 master-of-snow · Sat Dec 06, 2008 @ 02:49am · 0 Comments |
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