City of Decay: The Cleaner | MxM

Chapter 28: An unexpected Visitor

Right now, I hate everything. It's not a raging hate, no... It's quiet. The one that sits in the guts and boils, slowly creeping up, trying to be seen and heard without making a sound. It's the kind of hate that isn't directed at anything particular. It just erupts once in a while, as if someone is hitting a trigger.

And I hate this hate. I hate that I can't stop feeling it, I hate that I can't control it, and I hate that I can't figure out why I feel it. It's just there... I never asked for it. If I wouldn't know better I'd assume it's because of an artifact. But this place here has no resources to spare for some artifacts.

The only person who might be in possession of one is the Shadow and I doubt he would bring anything here that could harm the sanctuary. I try to trust his words and while I struggle with it, I trust him enough to not bring anything in that could harm the doc. If nothing else.

A knock on the door. I ignore it. I just want to be left alone and find the time to heal, but at the same time I feel trapped in this little room. On my bedside table stands my cactus, a reminder of my home and past life.

It has never been an easy life, but it was easier. Sleeping with the Bear was bothersome but nothing I couldn't endure with enough alcohol and incense. I've always been on alert but I never felt really threatened. Knowing Thayer is watching my back put me at ease. I was able to do my job without overthinking.

But now, with Thayer and his protection gone, I wonder if I'll ever be able to work again. I... I appreciated my job. I was good at my job. Even if I had nothing else I had a stable daily routine, something I could rely on.

Now I've got nothing.

Another knock. I got used to people knocking on my door daily. Mostly it's the doc or Mrs. Blair checking in on me or for my training sessions. But sometimes other people will come by to see how I'm doing or to deliver some information.

I imagine some of them are curious about me while I keep my distance. There are a lot of sick and wounded people who need medical care but I guess someone with a hole in their abdomen isn't as common as one would think it is in a city like this.

I grab the book from my bed and sit down. I tried reading the past few days but my mind keeps wandering. Just like now. I try to read line by line, I try to understand the words, but my head is unable to process the information. I read without reading. I'm just getting lost in thought staring at pages instead of a wall.

Same thing, really. I don't even feel like forcing myself today, so I close the book again after the first line. Sometimes I try to focus, but today seems to be a bad day.

Another knock. I sigh, "yes?"

The door opens slowly and a young woman enters my room. I raise my eyebrows and eye her up and down.

"Do I know you?" I ask.

"No," she answers in a low voice, as if to keep a secret.

Blond, unevenly cut and tousled hair, red cheeks from the cold, tired eyes with dark circles around them, darker than the coffee I miss so dearly... I don't think I've seen her here before.

"What is it?" If she's here to deliver a message from the doc or something, I want her to spill it and leave again as fast as she had entered my room. But instead of answering me, she closes the door behind her.

For a moment we just stand here in silence and I can't make sense of it. Maybe she is another curious person living here, but there is something scratching at the back of my head. The longer she keeps the silence, the more I can feel the paranoia creeping into my mind.

Who is she? What does she want here? Who sent her?

"If you don't have anything to say, I would like you to leave." I try to keep my voice steady despite the sudden dread occupying my mind. I want her gone as fast as possible.