Afraid of the Dark

Chapter Eight

Mark woke up to the sound of an alarm which he didn't remember setting, the blaring siren blasting through the room excessively. Last night, he had forgotten to close the curtains in his room, so bright golden rays of the morning sun were beaming in through the window and straight into the American's bleary eyes. He huffed as he lifted his arm above his face to block out the light, before rolling out of bed with heavy movements. It didn't feel like he had slept at all, being between a state of consciousness and unconsciousness for the duration of the night, almost as if he was living in a dream. That thought suddenly sparked memories of what had happened last night, between himself and the Irish man. Instantly, Mark was surrounded in feelings of regret and sadness. He felt like he was the one who had caused that outburst, thanks to the stupid things which he had said. After getting into bed last night, he had spent a lot of time trying to work out how he would approach Seán, and what he would say when he did so.

After briefly checking his phone, he began his morning routine so that he could get ready for the day. In the bathroom, he once again looked at himself in the mirror, seeing subtle signs of tiredness in his face, specifically his eyes which seem slightly glassy as they were filled with sleep. He rubbed them slightly, quickly realising that the action didn't help, before moving on to the other things he needed to do. He unscrewed the lid from the foundation which had been loaned to him, before beginning the careful process of covering his neck in a fine layer of the foundation to hide the bruises once again. After spending longer than he needed to trying to make sure his attempt had worked, he exited the bathroom and sat on his bed for a while, scrolling through various news stories which had been sent to his phone. He would be coming back to this room tonight, so there was no need to pack his belongings. Eventually, at just before eight o'clock, he put on his shoes and stood by his door, ready to leave.

Last night, before the group had departed from Bob's room, they had decided that they would meet in the hotel's lobby so that they could all head to breakfast together at the same time. Mark could hear doors opening and people walking down the hall from where he stood. Part of him did not want to leave. But a bigger part of him knew that he couldn't avoid this problem.

He took a deep breath and held it for a moment before he exhaled somewhat shakily, touching his key card to its censor then pushing down on his door handle. He poked his head from out of the room and looked up and down the hallway, before stepping out and closing his door softly behind him. Somewhat nervously, he made his way towards where his friends had decided to meet.

He walked into the lobby to see everyone already there, in the middle of a conversation. As he entered, they all turned to look at him and smiled in a greeting, saying good morning. He said good morning back to them in turn, however he was clearly paying attention to one person in particular. Everyone was wearing almost the same things as they had been yesterday, except from the fact they now had different shirts on.

The group of six began to make their way to the hotel's dining area where a wide range breakfast options were being served. Baked pastries and breads lay on one table, next to a large industrial toaster, with a small basket of butters and jams beside it. A serving area had been created containing various different hot food options such as bacon, sausages, baked beans, fried eggs and more. Close by, a vending machine lay inactive, waiting for someone to request a tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Next to that were juice dispensers, and beside that there was a table containing multiple different cereals. The group found a table, which Seán agreed to wait at while everyone else got their food, so that their places were not taken. The five Americans headed to find plates to have their breakfast.

Tyler and Bob watched as Mark split off from the group and made his way back to the table with nothing but a half-filled bowl of bran flakes. Tyler glanced at Bob, as if to ask what to do, but Bob simply shook his head.