My First Story

The night had taken a very long time to make its way through the day. I had spent the day double-checking and revising spreadsheets for work while flying into The Bay. The hotel room I checked into was a little different than the ones the company usually pays for. It somehow still had the same striped pattern of carpet the DoubleTree had in San Bernardino and then the pictures of Sail Boats down the hallway just like the motel 6 in North Las Vegas. It seems they might have been in the same hanging order even. All, somehow, uniquely bland and familiar.

I opened the door to my room. It felt like my body had to ooze inside exactly the same as dirty grease. A cold blast from the AC let me know at least the House had listened to my requests for my arrival. Getting further in and putting down my bag with my laptop in it, I felt my spine grow an extra three inches as it unfurled. Somehow even stretched out, it still felt crooked. I slapped at the wall to turn on the lights. Of course, as soon as I splashed my face with water in the sink, I could hear my phone vibrate on the entryway table with my keys.

I leaned over the sink and made a quiet sigh, “You should leave it.” I whispered to myself. The words slipped out and somehow still shocked me. It's one thing to know and another to say out loud. I pulled up my head and started to sloth my way over to the phone with my shoulders already slumped in defeat.

The text was pretty straight forward and utterly unnecessary at 9 pm on my first night in the city, but I had the numbers just not yet burned into my memory yet. I pulled out my laptop and sat down to get to the answers requested. The screen flickered on, and suddenly out of an instant panic, I started to feel faint. I had an overwhelming nauseous feeling. The room spun violently.

Exhaustion hit so hard that it felt like it had been building up for three years straight. It was very hard to pull myself out of it. That looming feeling of dizziness and peril that takes you. I felt my mind bubble-like right before you pass out. I had to grip the desk and grit my teeth so hard I thought my molars would shatter before I would be able to steady everything and pull through this. I felt my eyes start to strain and roll.

In an instant, I was back to normal. All I could figure was fatigue had finally caught up to me. I opened my computer and ran my finger over its keys like I had a million times already that day. I couldn't understand why when I tried to read the keys, it looked like words had already been spelled out on them. My computer opened to a program I had never used, the word processor. The blank page scared me like a dream of being back in high school on a test day without hands. But it was nowhere near as startling as the knock that came at my door from dead silence.

My heart didn't pound though I know I was just scared. Slowly, I silently crept to the door and looked through the peephole. I could see only a figure dressed in black. Their face, I couldn't see as they were turned looking away down the hallway. Their build, solid and very sharp. I was sure this undertaker looking individual had to be selling plots, or this was some kind of prank. I gently asked, “Who is it?”

“Hello? I was looking for a Mr. Soulless?” The stranger said as they continued to look to their left down the hallway. His voice was dark and gravely like an old ‘57 Studebaker thundering across an old dirt road. Strength, but somethings was rattled to add bass more to ring out ruggedly.

“That’s Solis,” I said, feeling a mile behind the door. His head snapped forward as soon the words left my mouth. I could see his slender facial-features now. With high cheekbones and a sly side smile. I swore his skin was almost translucent, showing his skull from behind his sunken dark eyes.

“Could you let me in now? I’m certain you’d not like me yelling what I have to offer through your door.” He said it as if he knew I was reaching to put the security chain on.