The Devil's Embrace (ONC 2024)

Chapter 3: Lazarus Morningstar

Behind the door is an extremely tall raven haired male with dark stormy eyes stare back at me with a scowl across his face. In the center of his forehead is a bright red mark. My face is hot from embarrassment as I stare at this guy.

"I'm so sorry." My voice is a squeak.

"Next time you bust through a door; make sure it's clear first." His baritone voice vibrates in my head. His voice has a hint of warning in it. He brushes past me and out of my sight as I stand in my position having no idea what to do or say to the retreating man.

"It was just an accident." I mumble under my breath as I finally catch my barring. I briskly walk while embarrassed to the elevator. Inside the elevator, I glance down at my hand to see what room I'm in.

Room 665 is in big bold lettering.

"That's just a magnificent number to have. Better than 666 I guess." I voice my opinion to myself. The elevator opens to the sixth floor. As I step out and glance around, a chill runs through my spine. The walls are dark with red lightings through out the hall.

Serial killer vibes.

Good God! I'm going to die in this hall.

There's no signs to say 601 through 698 is which way. It's like a guessing game. At the split from the elevator and the hall, I take my immediate left. I begin to look up at the black doors for numbers. In bold red lettering six hundred and ten is on the first door to my right.

It's a damn maze! This is going to take a million years!

The last door to my left is labeled 633. At the room the hall stops and you either need to take a left or right. If not, you're smacking your face into the wall in front. Looking for any rooms with a number, leads to no where. There isn't a door insight. With my horrible judgement, I take the right. It feels like I have walked down this dimly red lit hallway for five minutes before I see the first door on the right. I glance up at the first door in minutes and see the number 660.

Hallelujah! I'm almost to my dorm!

As if seeing 660, it's like has given me an energy boost. My legs walk quicker than before as I pass room 664. I stop at my door and see it's the only white door out of a floor of black doors. The lightening above my door is a lavender color and so is my bold number six hundred and sixty-five. Both don't match any of the doors or lights within this floor. With my key in my shaky hands, I unlock it. I push open my door and step inside a brightly lit dorm. I turn to close my door and see room 666 across the hall. The door is blood red instead of black. Their lighting above their door is a blacklight. Just as I'm about to close my door, the door across the hall opens and out steps the man I had bashed with the door. The red mark isn't visible anymore but his scowl when he sees me is permanent on his features. The look in his eyes sends cold chills or horror chills through my body. My arm with its own accord slams my door shut in fright. I drop my two bags onto the floor as I take in my dorm. I have a small light pink kitchen while the cabinets and appliances are white. The living room is the same shade of pink while the furniture is white. The carpet squishes between my shoes with each step. I glide through the living room and open up one of the only doors. It leads to a medium sized bathroom that's the same shade as the rest of the dorm. The floor is a white marble tile. I close the bathroom door and open up the last remaining door. Inside is a large bedroom. The walls are a darker pink shade and the floors are white carpet that feels like a soft cloud below my feet. I step out of the bedroom and open the curtains in the small living room. The view takes my breath away. Opening my balcony door, I take in the fresh air and the mountains in the backdrop. Small patio furniture is nested on the balcony.

Pink isn't my color but at least it isn't beige.

Either from my eventful day or from Charity's extra strong tea, my body is exhausted. Stepping back into my pinked out dorm, I glance back at my bags and realize.... I'm too tired to even bother with them. I face plant the white couch and darkness is all I see.