The Longer View

PROLOGUE

The footsteps seemed to grow closer, as she sat up, straightening her spine. The lights were dimmed enough to give away not more than her shadowy figure, as the door clicked open, and a tall, well-dressed man stepped in.
"You? What are you doing here?" Were his first words, as he turned on a brighter light, before closing the door behind him.
"What did you do to her?" She asked bluntly.
"Look who's asking?" His face twitched in anger. "You tell me, what did you do to her? Where's she, where's my-"
"Enough, fancypants! Stop acting as if you have nothing to do with whatever happened."
"Girl, you're a genius! I spent two years with her happily, and felt nothing to be missing. And it was that one fine night that you manipulated me into believing you, and made me do all that I did over the last month; and now you blame me?"
"I manipulated you? Then who came to me crying that 'one fine night', and said that he needs a partner who complements his status, not 'someone like her'?" She countered, her hands balling into fists.
"So what?! You took advantage of the fact that I was drunk, and-" He trailed off. His face was etched with a mix of conflicting emotions- anger, worry, fear, guilt. "I-... I'm sorry. Please... Please, leave me alone, I... I need time."
"You need time for what?! She's gone, to cry out loud, and neither you, nor I have any idea about what really happened!"
"I didn't deserve her. And now, I don't deserve you. Please, just leave. I can never forgive myself for what I did already, so please, don't add to my regrets. Leave!" He concluded, his voice a mix of desperation and authority, as he saw tears welling up in her eyes.
"Y-you've totally lost your mind!" And with that, she fled the room, as he collapses onto the sofa, letting out a long sigh.
"She really 'invited me' to my own room to talk?" He remarked with a confused smile, which bordered on something more- a slight relief, which did little to pacify the emotions that already suffocate him. "Only had I did that before..."
But as he was about to rise, the lights went off, leaving the room in pitch dark- where one can hardly perceive their own hands.
"Dammit!" He banged at the armrest, rising cautiously, as if reaching out for the door, but a sudden ruffle behind him got his attention. "Who's there...?"
There was no answer.
Just another subtle sound of someone stepping back.
"Hello? Security?" He called out again, his voice slightly thinning with a hint of alarm, just when a hand on his shoulder confirmed someone's presence right behind him.
"Shhh. There's nothing to fear... It's just me, brother..."