Hall 17

53 : Continue

Trophy didn't know how to feel. About any of this, really. He tried to block out the sound of everyone talking around him, but their voices didn't fade easily. It all felt like it was mocking him, trying to get him to break. And he hated to admit it, but it felt like it was doing an awfully good job based on how badly he wanted to lash out at everybody around him. But he didn't, he walked along and tried his best to pretend he wasn't bothered. To pretend he was part of the crowd, something he never would've dreamed of doing just a month or two ago.

The walk felt like it took ages, yet once it was over, it felt like a minute. Just five steps from the hotel door, and the crowd would disperse and maybe he could go up to his room and do whatever it was his mind was begging to do. If he remembered where his room was, which of course he couldn't. He'd just ask OJ if he needed to.

Speaking of which, OJ walked up to the front of the building, keys in hand. "Well, it's been a while since we've had all of our residents here, hasn't it?" He said, and it took Trophy a second to realize he was speaking to the crowd.

"Yeah, it really has been." Paper said bittersweetly. "It's nice to have you all back. Would you like to do the honors?"

"It's just unlocking the front door, it's not that big of a deal." OJ said, but he slid the key into the hole regardless. "Well, welcome back everybody!"

He twisted his hand, and the door unlocked with a click, gently opening. The rest of the residents began to enter, some rushing in while others casually walked through the doorway while talking with one another.

So many high spirits, and each one felt like it mocked Trophy more than the last. He tried his best to shake it off. It would all be over soon, he'd just head back up to his room and lay down. Maybe he could get some extra sleep in, like Tissues would all the time. It's not like he got any sleep last night anyways, maybe it's just what he needed.

He forced himself into the hotel, trying to pay little attention to everything. However, that became awfully hard once he noticed the saturated yellow tones that spread from corner to corner on the hotel walls. Yellow, orange, he didn't care about the specifics. It felt like being pushed back into the room and hearing the door lock behind him all over again. He didn't dare to move forward, or anywhere for that matter. For a moment, he was standing in utter shock because he found his way back to that godforsaken room again.

"Uh, Trophy? Do you need help with anything?" OJ asked, closing the door behind him as he and Paper entered at last. Trophy didn't say anything, he didn't know if he could say anything. After a couple tries, he finally forced the words out.

"Where's my room?" He said, his voice surprisingly plain and steady. Maybe that was for the better that he sounded apathetic, he didn't want anyone's sympathy anyways.

"Oh, right. It should be upstairs with all the others, they should all have signs with names on them, you'll know which one is yours." OJ said. "If you need anything else, don't be afraid to ask."

Trophy nodded, not spending another second standing in the lobby. He tried to hurry himself up, just wanting to get away from it all. Strangely enough, he found himself wanting to go back to the hospital. Maybe he needed to, as his feet wouldn't move faster no matter how much he tried to push himself up the stairs.

He looked down the hallway. Even if it still had those awful yellow tones that reminded him of that room, it was at least closed off. The fact it was a hall undid the small sense of security he built from that fact though, leaving his mind in that hazy, almost panicked state it was in before.

Why did it all remind him of there? Why did it still feel like he was in the room if it was probably burned to a crisp now? He glanced over each sign as he walked past the doors.