Rooms (Chapter 1)

I stared in open-mouth horror at the scene that was unfolding before me. The smell, the sight, the feeling, it was all too real. The heat was immense, I could barely breath. I reached out to touch the fire, but my hand passed right through it. My skin didn't burn. Instead, I only felt extreme heat. I retracted it quickly and held it close to me.

A slight movement to my far right caught my attention. I walked around huge wrecks to see what it was. My breath caught as I realized it was a man. He was stuck to the ground by burning debris, his face contorted from tremendous pain. My legs started moving on their own accord and I found myself running for him. I reached out my arm for his, my eyes never straying from his. He was begging for help.

Then I realized he couldn’t see me. He was shouting, screaming for someone to save him. I was sobbing when I reached him. I don’t know why, but as I kneeled beside him it felt like I know him, he seems to be someone important to me even though I’ve never met him before. I leaned in to help lift the burning wood, but before I could even touch it the ceiling of the room collapsed down on us.

"Miss?"

I jumped and blinked, looking around warily. I was standing in the same room as the one in my dream—or vision, whatever it was. Yet it wasn't really the same. This room was packed with rushing people. Elegant men and women were passing back and forth in front of me. A slim lady who was holding a clipboard was standing behind me, looking at me with concern.

"Yeah?" I asked, frowning at her.

"Your room is this way."

I nodded and stepped to the hallway she gestured for me. The lady attendant of the hotel stepped away from me. I smoothed down my hair and looked around. My stomach growled, making me blush. Before I could even ask the attendant for directions to a place where I could eat, she walked away in a hurry and entered a room. Great. I was in a new place, with new people who I don't recognize, and now I was alone. I started to walk and look for my room, hoping to find it quickly in this maze of halls and doors. Just my luck, I forgot what number my room was.

In a few minutes, I have fully accepted the known fact that I absolutely have no sense of direction. After a couple of turns, I have managed to tumble upon a conference room where a meeting is currently being held. A few more turns and I somehow ended up at the hall where I spoke to the lady attendant just a couple of moments ago.

I tried to ask for directions and for my room number from the other roaming attendants but they were either busy or pretending to be. Most of them abruptly turned their backs at me at the sight of my clothes—which were not that bad but it certainly looked like rags compared to those of the other people who passed by— as if they would humiliate themselves if someone caught them talking to someone like me.

I tried to look for a way to find my way back to the front desk to ask for my room number. No such luck.

I was getting ready to bolt my way out of this cursed building after being able to make myself lost a couple more times in the past half hour when I entered into a room filled with a bunch of disturbing-looking people.

Five heads automatically turned at the sound of their door opening. I stopped dead on my tracks. I noted three guys and two girls, all of them about my age. They were staring at me, some with curious eyes, some with just flat out blank looks. I was staring at a pair of cold green eyes of a guy from across the room when an intimidating voice of a girl hovered from behind me.

“What are you doing here?” her voice was flat yet it made goosebumps appear on my arms, a shiver ran down my back.

I turned and saw she was leaning on the wall beside the door. I didn’t notice her there when I entered though. I frowned and glanced back at the others who were sitting on the couch at the center of the room, and sure enough, there are only four now. I tried to ignore it and pretend that it was just my imagination seeing the girl in front of me sitting on the couch just a second ago.

“I-I’m sorry,” I faced the girl, apologizing quietly, still very much aware of the eyes of four other persons watching my every move. “I-I got the wrong room.”

I turned to go and caught those scary green eyes again. I stepped out of their door and walked away, almost sprinting, wanting to be away from that door as fast as possible. As I turned a corner, I bumped into someone.

“Ugh. Geez, I’m sorry,” I said as I helped pick up the guy’s things which scattered on the floor.

“Here,” I said as I handed him a bundle of papers. He took it from me and muttered thanks. I was just about to go when I noticed his bluish-gray eyes were staring at me from under his black-rimmed eyeglasses and brown hair. His hair was a mess, almost as if he sticks metal forks on sockets for fun, it was long and covered his ears and the back of his neck in a messy mop. He looked out of place being around men and women in tux and dresses. Well, I guess I’m no different. I frowned at him deeply, thinking something was wrong.

“Jeanne Abernathy?”

“Um, do I know you?” How did he know my name?

His eyes bulged as if he did something wrong. For a moment, he looked panicked but I think I was wrong because he then chuckled lightly and said, “Hey, it’s me. Kyle. You don’t remember me?”

“I never heard that name,” I looked at him warily while stepping around him to go. Who is this weirdo? “I’m sorry.”

Before he could even protest and talk to me again, I left him there. Then I continued my quest in search of my damned room. I swept my eyes around the numbers embossed from the doors. Trying to remember what number mine was. I took out the keys absentmindedly from my pocket and spun it around one finger. In the process, I noticed etchings on its back. 112, it read. Upon seeing the number, I had the biggest urge to faceplant myself on the tiled floor. How stupid can I get?

When I finally reached my room, I found a note with elegant cursive writing on it taped on the door.

Jeanne,

Please stay in this hotel for the night. I already asked Oliver to bring you to your house tomorrow morning. I’ll be depositing your monthly allowance in your bank account. Sorry for leaving like this. Call me if you need anything.

Dad

I sighed before tearing the note off the door. Bags on both hands, I walked in and looked around briefly. I threw my things on the floor, flopping down headfirst on the white cushiony bed. I called it a night.

I woke up early in the morning and got dressed. I met my father’s driver, Oliver, in the lobby of the hotel. Thankfully, I didn’t get lost…not as many times as I did yesterday anyway. He led me to a black sleek car and we drove off. I kept yawning in the car. Oliver must have noticed and asked,

“Didn’t get much sleep last night, Miss Abernathy?”

“Yeah, I got lost—*yawn—a lot of times. Also, will you please stop calling me ‘Miss’? Jeanne is fine.”

“Alright Jeanne,” he smiled kindly at me.

Oliver was a middle-aged man with dark hair. I’ve known him since I was little and he was one of our few loyal and remarkable helpers at home. He would always stubbornly call me ‘Miss’ even if I’ve told him hundreds of times to call me by name. So for instance, I know that he would continue on calling me ‘Miss’ again later even if he agreed to call me Jeanne once. I don’t even know why I bothered to make him call me by name.

When we reached the subdivision and stopped in front of the house, I internally thanked Dad. The house was simple and plain. I expected it to be bigger and grander coming from him but I was happy it wasn’t like that. I thanked Oliver for bringing my bags to the front door for me. He waved goodbye before stepping back in the car. I leaned and watched by the porch as the car disappeared from my sight. I sighed. I’m all alone now.

I dug my hands to my pocket to locate the key to my new house. I stuck it in and twisted. I swung open the door just as my neighbor opened his.

I paused, staring at the open door. I couldn’t see the person behind it. “Hello?”

“Oh, so you’re my new neighbor.”

I stared at the door weirdly. He’s saying that without actually seeing me? I shrugged and walked inside mine, shutting the door behind me. I strolled around the small space. It was when I sat down a stuffy couch and stuck my fists on my pockets that I realized my phone wasn’t with me. I bit my lip and hurried to the door. When I slammed the door open, I came face-to-face with the brown-haired guy last night.

My mouth hanged open.

“Hi, neighbor,” he greeted with a wave and a wide grin. His hair, if possible, was messier than it was last night. But he was still wearing his rectangular black-framed eyeglasses today. What did he say his name was?

As soon as I got over my initial shock, I slammed the door in his face.

“Ouch, shit!” he exclaimed from outside the door. Oops. Didn’t mean to do it quite literally. “My nose!”

I spun around quickly and opened the door to look at the damage. Instead, I found him grinning stupidly at me.

“’Was kidding!” he chuckled, making the corners of his bluish-gray eyes crease beneath those eyeglasses.

“What do you want from me?” I scowled.

He smiled and stared at me for a few seconds. “I want you to move out of this house.”

“What?!” I exploded. “Look, I practically just moved in here a few minutes ago and you have no right to tell me to move out from my own house. I’m going to call the police if you don’t stop bugging me.” I turned around but paused when he talked.

“Yeah. Except you can’t do that ‘cause there’s no landline in your room yet and your phone is not with you,” he said from behind me.

My head snapped back at him and I glared, “How on earth did you know that?”

“Well, when I first moved here I was told that landline connections are—

“No. I mean about my phone. How did you know it’s lost?”

For a second he looked panicked. Then almost as fast as it appeared, the look was gone, replaced by his grin that made me want to choke him.

“That’s because your phone is with me.” He held up a sleek black device and sure enough, it was my phone.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t pickpocket you or anything,” he held up both hands. “I just saw it laying there in your lawn.” He pointed at the ground where he found it, a few feet from him.

“I don’t care where you found it, but you have to give that back to me,” I said seriously, worried he might run away with it.

“Okay, but you have to move out of this house first,” he said more seriously. “Like, right now.”

His tone was so serious I actually felt frightened for a moment then it turned into annoyance the next second I saw him lift my bags up from beside my front door, which I forgot to bring in with me to the house. “What are you doing?”

“I told you, you have to move out,” he replied as if it was the most obvious thing. “You can stay at our house for the night. Mom will be glad to have you over.” He said while walking out of my lawn casually.

I was staring at him weirdly when he stopped in front of their house with my bags. He seemed to notice I wasn’t following him. He frowned at me then left my bags in the ground to walk back to me. He stopped when he reached me and asked, “What are you doing?!” he sounded really annoyed now.

I snapped back and countered, “Well, that’s what I should be asking. Who gave you the right to bring my bags to your house without my permission?! And why would I ever have to stay with you and your family?”

He sighed. “It doesn’t matter,” he said, stepping towards me. “You need to move.” He grabbed my arm and began to tug me away from my house

.

“Hey! Let go of me!” I demanded, tugging at my arm and trying to pull it free. He managed to pull me with him until we passed by my mailbox.

“You need to get out of here!”

“Let go of me!” I cried, squeezing his arm with my other hand and digging my nails into his skin.

“Ow!” he cried, letting go of me.

I fell back a few steps, back by my mailbox and clung to its pole. When will somebody kind pass by so I could get away from this weirdo? The brown haired boy scowled at me.

“Listen-” he started and then checked his watch. Suddenly his face grew dark and his hands clenched. “It’s time.”

“Time for wha-?” I started, confused at his sudden attitude change, but before I could finish I heard the squealing of tires.

It was like a movie. Ice ran through my veins as I turned in slow motion to come face to face with a car. It was heading straight towards the place where I was standing, in front of my house, straight towards my mailbox.

I screamed and shut my eyes, preparing for impact. I was going to die. In a place I didn’t know, where no one knew me, where I had no family.

Suddenly something hard ran into my side and I fell hard, into the street, landing on my back. My head ricocheted off the side of the street and my vision blurred for a second.

“Ow!”

“Don’t move!” the brown-haired boy ordered, his body covering mine, pinning me to the street.

There was another squealing of car tires and I shut my eyes, gripping onto the boy on top of me. He half-smiled at me. There was deafening crash and I winced. The sound of glass and woods shattering filled my ears. It was then silent until the sound of a car door opening and then shutting interrupted it.

The brown-haired boy rolled off me and got to his feet. He sighed deeply and grinned at me while adjusting his glasses. “That was close!”

I stared back up at him, open-mouthed. It took me a few seconds to get my speech together. He reached down a hand and grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling me to my feet. I stared at him for another few seconds, gesturing with my hands.

“The hell?” I was finally able to force out. “H-how?”