It All Started With A Deal

Chapter 6

Chapter Six
Our dinner pretty much consisted of us trying to jab each other with random objects, stealing food from each other's plates, lots of talking, and even more laughing at dumb stuff that he kept seeing. His mom looked fully convinced that we were an item.

Their house was absolutely gorgeous. Bright happy colors were selected for each and every room. Every area was expertly decorated with an array of object. It was welcoming, the whole atmosphere.

Liam grabbed me a pair of his sweats and baggy t-shirt (at least baggy on me, it probably fit him perfectly) geez he's tall.

I thanked him as he showed me the guest room, "Here's the room, the bathrooms over there and if you need anything my rooms right there so you can just walk in, or knock if you feel more comfortable knocking but I don't care if you do or not," he finished looking to me to see if I understood.

I nodded giving him a thankful smile. His whole family has been kind to me all evening. And I had definitely eaten enough for a village.

"Thank you," I whispered, taking the clothes and blankets from him.

He gave me one last glance before heading his own room.

I walked into the guest room, shutting the door behind me. I had slept in countless rooms over the years. Some I called home, others I wished to forget. Some I stayed for only one night, some for days, weeks, months, even years occasionally. And no matter how many times I slept in a foreign place it would never get any easier. The fear of being alone, in a place you knew nothing about, it was overwhelming. Memories from the past haunted you, followed you with questions of what ifs.

I traced my finger along the barren dresser. There wasn't a single trace of dust even though I had been informed the room hadn't been used in quite a while. I took a deep breath, the unfamiliar sent hitting my nose. I always thought it was funny how each place had its own smell. This room smelled like Liam. The strong aroma of strawberries filling my mind, with the faintest hint of Liam's cologne. It was light and airy, refreshing.

I ran my hand along the back wall of the room. It was oddly cold in here and I was suddenly very thankful for all the blankets Liam had given me. It was lonely as well, dark. A single light hung in the center of the ceiling, it's glow dim. I had been in rooms far worse than this. Rooms with no heating or lighting. Rooms in the bottom of a basement that smelled of mold and sewage.

I unfolded one of the blankets and wrapped it around myself. My back hit the cool wall and I slid down it pulling my knees to my chest. I had no chance of sleeping. I didn't feel safe enough. Every noise, every creek of the stairs, the faint blowing of the air conditioning, all of it was enough to keep me awake for the fear that it was something dangerous.

I pulled out the small, pocket sized, sketchbook that I kept in my dress pocket. I grabbed the pencil, which had been placed beside it. I sketched the room around me. I drew every crack, diviot, imperfection in it. By the time I was done with the background, several hours later, the room went from a peaceful guest room to what I saw it as: a prison cell.

I began drawing the image of a girl, tucked away in the corner of the room. She was a child, maybe eight or so. She clutched her head, tears streaming down, a look of agony placed across her face. Her knees were pulled up to her chest as she cried out.

I wasn't quite finished with it when a drop of water hit the page. I looked up to find the placement of the water. My own tears continued to stain the page. I quickly wiped them away with the end of the shirt Liam had given me.

The room I was in seemed to have gotten smaller. The walls were closer to me, darker. Shadows spread across the room in various figures: of people, demons, animals, inanimate objects.