Pathos - A Duskwood Fanfiction

Chapter 11

"Alan told me to bring you my computer."

Jake drained the last of his coffee as Mrs. Walter said this, keeping his eyes trained on her face all the while. She extended a hand to take his empty mug, and after the briefest of pauses, he offered it to her.

"Did he say anything else?" Jake asked quietly, watching her with a neutral expression. Even though the question was issued in an almost casual way, she could feel the sudden stillness of him as he awaited her reply. It was almost like a cat, she thought. Readying itself to jump or pounce - that momentary cessation of all discernable movement as it honed in on its target before committing to action.

"Yes," she said simply, and Jake took a breath to study her briefly before wordlessly reaching out a hand to pull open the door to the back of the motel. He held the door open, indicating with a slight dip of his head that she should go inside, and he followed behind her as she did so.

Together they walked through the small hallway that connected the back entrance to the reception area, neither of them saying a word. When they got to the front desk, Mrs. Walter wordlessly lifted the hinged countertop to grant him access to the computer station and the rest of the office.

He held her gaze for a beat before moving to slip past her, an almost meditative expression on his features. Once he reached her setup, he knelt down to inspect the slim CPU tower that sat on the floor below, and then looked up at her.

"I will need to take this," he said, searching her eyes carefully.

She nodded.

"It will not take long." a pause, and then: "I am sorry."

"It's alright," she said softly, and watched as he returned his focus to the CPU tower in front of him. With swift, deft movements he unshackled the tower from its electronic moorings and lifted it to his chest as he stood.

"I will need to take it back to my room," he said quietly, disconnecting his gaze briefly from hers to glance out of the glass door that connected the motel to the outside front drive. "Would it be too much of an inconvenience for you to lock the front door until we return? I can't imagine that it should take more than fifteen minutes."

She nodded after a moment, understanding the meaning behind his words, and then lifted the countertop once more to let herself through to the front, holding it up for him as he carried the CPU behind her. Without a word, he simply leaned against the front door to open it with his back and then slipped outside, where he stood silently, waiting.

She followed him, taking a moment to flip the small sign on the door from 'Welcome' to 'Be Right Back', and then reached into her pocket for the chaotic jumble of keys that allowed her to lock the door. Once she had done so, she turned to see Jake already half way down the open walkway that connected all of the rooms, and then he had opened the door to room #6 and disappeared inside.

It felt incredibly weird, she found herself thinking awkwardly as she stood in front of his closed door, how alien room #6 suddenly felt. Like it wasn't just another motel room that she owned. It felt very private and strange, and she almost felt as though she was trespassing as she stood frozen, trying to work up the courage to follow him inside.

But such effort was not required, because in the very next moment, the door had opened, and Jake stood in the doorway, standing to the side slightly to grant her entry.

"Please," he said, with his customary formality and politeness. "Come in."

And so, she did.

Even though the sky had been dark with rain clouds that had restricted the ambient light quite significantly, she still felt momentarily blinded as she stepped inside of room #6. The only light source in the room was currently coming from the monitor screens perched on the desk by the door, and even when Jake had flicked on the small lamp beside them, it took a while for her eyes to adjust.