They Are Watching

Chapter Four

He could feel a track of sweat running down from his hairline.

His focus was intent on the shattered chair, completely broken down and laying haphazardly at his feet.

The doors and the windows were still intact. Better yet, they looked as if nothing had happened to them.

Adam huffed, brain beginning to feel scrambled by the ghastly sounds screaming from the speakers and still beyond tired without a reason for why.

He turned slowly, looking around the lobby for Terrie. She was stooped in a corner, knees bent and hands over her ears as she rocked side to side. She looked pitiful.

He moved closer to her, trying to get her attention without frightening her. Though he called her name, it was too light for her to hear over the music. So he stood his distance, standing near but not too near. Eventually, he moved to sit on one of the couches in the lobby, trying to think what his next course of action should be.

How did he end up in this situation? What even was this situation?

He got to his feet again, feeling tired and restless at the same time. The front desk was still unoccupied so he hopped over and immediately tried to dial the emergency number, “The number you have dialed is invalid. Please try again.”

He could’ve ripped the phone directly from the hook and threw it at the wall in frustration, but he withheld, a connection could be reestablished and he’d regret destroying the phone.

There wasn’t anything he could hear other than the music, so he had to rely heavily on the things he saw.

Nothing looked out of place.

Everything was the same as when he arrived earlier the other day. The only thing missing was the people. Did they evacuate, perhaps without telling him or Terrie? 

The music blaring through the speakers didn’t make sense for an evacuation, nor did the waiters bringing out empty plates and telling them to enjoy.

He glanced over to Terrie again, only to see her already watching him, hands still covering her ears. She had tears in her eyes as she watched his every movement. She looked suspicious of him like she didn’t trust his presence.

He supposed that was an accurate feeling for her to have and perhaps he should feel the same way towards her. He jumped back over the counter, watching her flinch upon his landing. They were nowhere near each other yet she reacted to his movement like it was a personal affront to her. He ignored it, walking back to the couch and dropping his head into his hands.

The last thing he needed was to be worried about a stranger he didn’t even know.

Maybe he was being punished for thinking he deserved to experience something nice after everything he’d done. 

It’s been eight months since his last drink and two years since he last abused a heavier substance, but it's been twice as long since he heard from his mother or father. His siblings avoid him. He didn’t even know his nieces and nephews.

After the way he treated them when he was on drugs, the way he pushed them away, they finally got tired of coming around and trying to help. He could appreciate all they had done for him now with his sober mind, and yet, he still hasn’t reached out to them and apologized. There hasn’t been any reconciliation because they don’t even know that he’s been clean. His pride and embarrassment were holding him back from just making the phone call.

Now, more than ever, he wished he could just call them. He wanted to hear their voices. Even them yelling at him would be something better to hear than the craziness that was blaring from the speakers.

~

“You’re really here, right?” There was ringing in his ears at the absolute silence that surrounded them. Her voice was light as she leaned over him.

Dawn was showing through the glass walls of the lobby as the sun rose. But most importantly, it was quiet. 

The music that was blaring all night was finally gone.

He must have crashed on the couch sometime in the early morning though he didn’t remember doing so. His eyes searched the woman cast in shadows that was standing over him, waiting patiently for his answer.

“What?” he groaned, moving to sit up as she backed away from him.

“You’re really here? I asked you if you were real,” she repeated, desperation in her tone.

“Yes,” he nodded. “Yes, I'm real. And yes, I’m really here.”

She only watched him from the distance she created as he stretched his arms over his head before running his hands through his hair, “do you want to explore the hotel? Maybe there is another way out?”

“Why?” he challenged, watching as she backed up again once he stood. “You don’t even trust me to be near you. Why do you want to go running around a potentially empty hotel with me?”

“I don’t know you,” she answered back, her full lips getting thin when she scowled. “Do you really expect me to trust you after everything that has happened here?”

Did she expect him to willingly want to go running around with her when it was clear she preferred him not to be there?

“You say that as if I’m the cause-,”

“I don’t know you! You could very well be the cause!” She yelled, hands dragging over her scalp in distress. “I don’t know what is going on! I don’t know why I listened to Ms. Donna! I should’ve stayed home and stayed within my routine!”

He felt the same way.

If only he stayed home, stayed in his routine, and not change what was working for him.

“I don’t know what is going on either,” he calmed his tone, hoping that would also calm her. “Donna told me to fill out an application and I did, against my better judgment, might I add.”

Her shoulders relaxed slightly as she took a deep breath, “I want to get out of here. Something is really wrong with this place and I can’t put my hand on exactly what it is other than the obvious things that are out of place.” 

She took one step towards him, hands clasped together in front of her, “I’d really appreciate it if you could help me."

He didn’t have to think about whether he would, he knew he would, but there was one thing that worried him. 

Would he be able to rely on her?