Departure

Chapter 9: An Intruder

Air.
I sat up, panting. My vision was a blur. My hands swung up to my chest.
Breath.
Slowly, oxygen started flowing into my body. Patches of black were left floating around my field of sight, like the bokeh of a photo that's out of focus.
Things started to fade out of blurriness. I could make out a dresser with a television set atop it. Suitcases lie across the surface of a couch. Clothes hang on the backs of chairs and on the counter.
Where am I?
I looked down at myself. My body was covered in sweat, soaking the bed sheets. My shirt was set on the floor next to the bed, along with my pants.
Then, it hit me. This was the hotel Jenn and I slept at for our honeymoon.
But... How could this be possible? Was that all a dream?
I folded over the blankets and put my clothes on.
It felt so real. It felt like I was really there.
I scanned the room, noticing how much of a wreck it was.
It felt so long. I felt real pain.
It looked as if a tornado hit the room. I couldn't remember anything about... last night? Had I gotten wasted? I couldn't wrap my mind around it.
The door to the bedroom was open.
Is someone here?
"Jenn?" I called out.
No response.
I headed towards the door. A lamp near the nightstand was smashed, leaving glass shards scattered on the floor. I tip-toed around them in my bare-feet and left the room.
The main room of the suite was left a mess too. Bottles of wine and other hard liquor lie on the counters and tables. Pillows from the couch looked as if they were thrown to each corner of the room. Hssssss.
The sound of bacon sizzling oozed from the kitchen.
"Jenn? Jenn is that you?" I said.
Silence.
I stepped into the kitchen to find an empty, filthy place. There was no bacon sizzling over the stove. There was no sign of Jenn.
Where was she? What was that noise?
Yet the sizzling noise didn't stop. It's sound waves flew around me, nipping at my ears each time I turned my eyes to the location I believed to be the source, proving me false again, and again.
The noise grew louder and louder. I stared at the door to the main room. Smoke poured through the opening, coating the ceiling of the kitchen.
I ran through the door, looking for the fire. My eyes darted to a small, but growing, flame on a rug near the window.
How the hell?
Being bare-foot, I scooped up a boot that laid on the floor near me.
With my fist gripped inside the casing, I slammed the shoe down repeatedly on the rug.
With some effort, the flame died. The smoke alarm of the room went off. I, once again with the power of my trusty boot, detached the device from the ceiling.
"Who the hell is here?" I yelled. "You think this is some kind of sick joke?"
But as I examined the burnt rug, I saw no matches, smelled no gasoline, saw no flammable substance or object that caused the fire. The rug was in the middle of two couches, but it was not touching any wires or near any outlets.
The strangest part is, I heard no one.

Someone is here with me.

Someone devious.

I rose and started checking the rest of the rooms.
"I know you're in here!" I called to the mysterious intruder. "Show yourself, you coward!"
In that moment, the room opposite of the bathroom bursted into flames. I screamed and ran into the kitchen, hoping to find a fire extinguisher. Frantically, I found one under the sink.
Quickly, I reached the hallway leading to the flaming room and sprayed the white, frosty foam at the roaring fire.

"Whoever you are I'm gonna beat your ass!" I screamed, once the flame died down.
At of the corner of my eye, I saw something flicker. The movement came from the main bedroom of the suite.
I rushed into the room, trying to catch the intruder.
"Hey!" I yelled, "Don't move!"
My eyes focused on the balcony, whose glass door was cracked opened. Behind the see-through wall was a person. A black hoodie lie protecting it's back and head, concealing it's identity. Torn jeans and dingy tennis shoes covered it's legs and feet. The person was leaned over the railing of the balcony, seemingly scanning for a place to jump.
"Stop!" I yelled.
Sunglasses and a scarf peered back at me for a moment. The person swiftly lifted one leg over the rail, working on the other. Then, before it could jump, I launched myself forward, slammed open the glass door, and grabbed it before it could escape. I lifted the surprisingly light body from the railing and slammed it to the floor. When doing so, I positioned myself atop it, pinning it down.
"Who are you!" I yelled.
"Get off me!" A feminine voice replied.
"Show your face!" I ordered.
"I would, but your hands are pining me down!" The person yelled back.
Hesitantly, I lifted my grip from its wrists, allowing it to reveal it's face.

A woman. Young too. Beautiful features framing her face. Red hair lay sprawled on the wood boards.
"You're a woman?" I thought out loud.
"Yeah, you ain't never seen one before?" She snapped.
Ignoring her remark, I went on. "Who are you? And what are you doing in my hotel room? And why are you setting fires?" I questioned.
"I didn't set those fires." She barked, sounding a little worried.
"Bullshit. Then who did?" I said.
"Look, if you just get off me, I'll explain everything." The woman pleaded.
"If I let you go, you're not gonna go running off again, are you? You're gonna hop off that balcony, possible killing yourself?"
"Heh, killing myself?" She chuckled. "Yeah, okay. You obviously don't know anything about this world. But no, I won't run or jump away." She added.
"This world? What do you mean this world" I said, while slowly freeing her from my hold.

"Allow me to properly introduce myself. I'm Amber Green, Ghast of the Second World. I'd love to stay here and chat, but I'm afraid that's not possible. You see, we're not alone. As a matter of fact, look behind you."