Heartbreak Hotel: Concubine

Runaway Girl

February 24th

10:22 am

"You look like shit."

Elle made a note as the two of us sat in her room, sipping on the coffee she had exclusively prepared for us. I grumbled a response, looking blankly at the wall ahead of me. 

Indeed, I looked like a cow had chewed and spat me out. I was tired, sleep deprived and my feet were killing me from the heels I wore yesterday. I couldn't get any sleep. After Madeleine threw the glass at my head, Isaac went running after her. Right after he was talking crap about taking me for himself. I wanted to smash that shard of glass right into his skull and check whether he actually had a brain. Or was it half eaten by sex and alcohol.

Either way, no girl would be very happy if the guy they like goes after another girl. It stings worse than a bee. 

"So~ what's up with Isaac?"

As if I had summoned the Devil while brooding over the fact, Elle dared to ask the damned question. Frankly, I don't know. There is and there isn't anything going on with Isaac. If I could, I would avoid the subject and the person himself for the rest of my life, forget everything that happened and be finally at peace. But this, whatever it was, wasn't over. That sex beast will come back over and over again, and he'll put me through sweet torture until he gets bored.

"Who cares."

I replied finally, sipping more of my coffee and slumping against the pillows on the wall. 

More importantly than this idiotic relationship we have, the killer and the victims are more important. There was no sign of him, nor any superficial clues I could look at. The best I could do was discover who the next victim is and then we can plan from there. Unless the killer gets to them first. 
The last time, it was a sniper. Whoever it was, was incredibly skilled in killing, or they had hired somebody to do it for them. 

I was aware that Ione deals with the black market, the underworld business and the illegal branches of many mafia families. She must have pissed off some King of the underworld real good for him to seek such revenge. The criminal was making a pattern on purpose. He wanted to make us feel the drag and the suspense, the intensity of anticipation and dread clogging up our insides. Already, I had begun looking over my shoulder. As I walk down the hallways of this Hotel, I could feel the presence of the eyes just like that night. Right before the bullet hit and the glass shattered, there was a crippling sensation that crawled like a spider up the nape of my neck. I felt unsafe. I was sure that all of the people living here do too. 

The sound of Elle's chuckle caught my ears. Questioned me a couple of times, whether I was onto something. Even she felt it. She was constantly with her boyfriend, always careful and huddled up to his side, like a child. He didn't mind it. I guess that's the power of love. 

"But you know, I'm sorry for Madeleine. She still...hasn't really accepted you..."

"Has anybody."

Elle glared at me openly, clearly offended by the way I brushed her off. I know. She was probably the only person I could call a friend here. However, I didn't want to give myself the luxury of feeling the attachment. I was already overwhelmed by the feelings I had for Isaac. Even if it didn't seem like that...my chest hurt each time I thought about him.

"You really have a crappy personality."

She stood up from the bed and banged the cup against the nightstand. When the door to the bathroom slammed, I sighed and closed my eyes. 

Perhaps I do. I was always told that losing and feeling is for weaklings. The bullshit every villain or coldblooded person is told. Tears are unacceptable, fear is to be punished, feelings don't exist and losing in something, whatever it may be, is humiliation. Whether ordinary people believe it or not, some children are raised under those rules. Six feet underground we bloom and develop, deprived of the sunlight and its nutrients. We are raised to be the greatest.