Red Room

Chapter 1

"I think you should rest for a while, Ellie. I know how diligent you are, but this is not good anymore. It seems to me that you've been stressing yourself too much. Maybe you should take a break first and unwind," my boss, Izzy, scolded, her eyes looking frustrated.

She's my best friend, and because of that, I couldn't be more embarrassed in front of her. I can't even look directly into her eyes. I felt like I disappointed her big time.

"I don't know what you're struggling with right now, but it shows on your work. The contents you've submitted these days sounded too sad, which is very unusual. It's so not you, Ellie. Well, I am not saying that every content should be positive. Still, there's something off about them," Izzy reasoned as traces of worry and frustration were painted all over her face.

"I don't care what topic you will go for, be it scientific, romance, or whatever. Look for your lost inspiration, okay? No pressure, Ellie. Take your time. Breathe, then come back once you are done," she added.

With that, I sighed and nodded. I left the office without saying anything. Izzy's my best friend, but I respect her as my boss. I wanted to stay, but I knew my limitations. If she thinks I lost my motivation to write, maybe she's right.

I'm a writer, by the way—a feature writer, to be exact. I work at a company that features unusual topics that could pique the readers' interest. When I say unusual, I am talking about content that is not allowed for everyone to see. Our company has been running stable for a decade, and I've been working here for five years already. I've been doing great until recently when I felt like my pen was running out of ink. After five long years of writing, I suddenly lost motivation.

I hopped in my car and drove to a place where I thought I could vent some emotions. My mind is a mess, full of empty thoughts. Pretty ironic, I know, but that was just how it was.

Lights flashed before my eyes as the deafening music entered my ears. It is pretty crowded in here. I am twenty-six, so going to bars isn't new to me anymore. Besides, I am financially independent, so I have lesser restrictions. I am nothing close to a whining child anymore.

I walked directly toward the counter and asked for cans of beer. I am not a heavy drinker. I get drunk easier than anyone could imagine, so I'm keeping an eye on what I drink. Once the bartender gave me my drink, I turned my back at the counter and faced the people instead.

Everyone was brimming with delight and excitement, and here I was— alone and frustrated. 'I wish I could laugh as much as everyone,' I muttered to myself, faking a laugh.

I leaned my back against the counter comfortably as I took a sip from my beer. The alcohol that slid down my throat gradually warmed me up a bit. Helpless, I roamed my eyes around the entire bar, not even missing a single corner. When I raised my gaze upstairs, I noticed some rooms were labeled. One was private, while the other was for the VIPs. Beside it was another room without any signs that was painted red. I wouldn't lie, though. It looks kind of scary at a glance. Since I had the faintest idea about it, I couldn't ask myself from asking the bartender what it was for.

"Hi!" I greeted lively before I pointed my index finger in the red room's direction and asked, "This might sound a bit weird and random, but is that room restricted? Is it a room meant for staff only? Or the bar's owner by any chance?"

I probably sounded too invasive when I asked that, but what can I do? When writers get curious, they won't stop until their curiosity has been tamed.

"No, ma'am. It is for every attendee. Everyone who wants to enter can enter freely," The bartender calmly said.

I didn't know what came into my mind, but I continued asking questions. This wasn't the first time I've been here, but this was the first time I noticed it. "I see. May I know what's inside?" I asked innocently.

"There are a couple of rooms inside, Ma'am," he casually added.

His response made me raise my eyebrows automatically. It couldn't be as simple as that, could it? I mean, it's there for a reason, right? "And then? That's all?" I asked in disbelief.

"Of course not, Ma'am. It's not the typical room like private and VIPs," he said, shaking his head.

"Oh, then what's the difference then?" I asked out of curiosity.

"There are a couple of rooms inside which you can enter. Then, there is staff inside each room whom you can play a game with. If you are going to ask what kind of games can be played, I have no idea as well, Ma'am. If you lose, the staff will give you a dare. If you win, your bill will be taken care of by the owner itself regardless of how much it costs. It's his way of making this place popular," the bartender explained in detail.

Come to think of it, apart from the dare, only the customer will benefit upon entering that red room. If so, then... "Will there be any fees or charge to enter?" I asked once again to be sure.

"None, Ma'am. It's all free. The only reason why customers are reluctant to enter is that they do not have an idea how bad the dare would be given the benefits they could get if they win."

"Oh, fair enough. I see..."

The bartender nodded at me and smiled before shifting his gaze to the customer next to me. After that, he faced me once more and asked, "Do you have any more questions, Ma'am?"

Embarrassed, I smiled shyly and replied, "None, sorry. Thank you for your time, and I apologize for disturbing you with your work."

"No worries, Ma'am," he said while smiling. He's pretty charming, though.

I continued drinking for a couple of minutes before going upstairs. With a clouded mind, my feet brought me in front of a strange tall door painted red. I have no idea why I am here. I glanced sideways to check if someone else was around before I knocked twice on the red door. After waiting for a minute or so, no one answered from inside. Because of that, I directly strode inside.

Just like what the bartender described, there are a couple of rooms inside. The lights were dim, so I couldn't see clearly. When I roamed my gaze everywhere, seven rooms lined up next to each other. I didn't expect that it'll be too spacious inside. After calming my amusement, I looked for instructions. However, there was none, so I could only rely on everything the bartender told me.

He said the decision was up to me, so I unhesitatingly strode to the last door unhesitatingly. The room was darkly lit. It was even darker than the corridor, but it was a typical room. There's a bed, a couch, a television, an aircon, and a bathroom. There were also shelves at the side, and there was no one inside.

"Hello?" I called as I stood outside the comfort room and knocked. The light inside was open, so I immediately knew that someone was inside. However, no one still responded. Just as I was about to leave, the door opened, revealing a man whose face wasn't quite visible due to the light. Scanning his entirety, he seems... fine.

"Hi?" I greeted.

"Too brave," he replied before he nestled on the couch. Now that I could freely see his face, I could say he is more charming than the bartender, and I am not even lying.

"The bartender said I could play games here," I said while still scanning the room.

"Yes. What do you want to play?" he asked.

"What's there to play?"

"Just the typical games. There are board games, and we can do a song association game. Anything you prefer."

"Oh. I thought it would be hard, given that the bill is on the line," I replied and nodded.

Just as I was about to lose interest, the man spoke again and said, "The games are simple, but the dares are not," he stated, flashing a flattering smile.

"Oh, then I choose board games," I suggested.

"Alright. Feel free to choose which kind you want from the shelves. And by the way, may I know your name?"

"I'm Ellie," I introduced myself and smiled. Then, I turned my back on him and continued choosing.