The Gods Below

Chapter Three: The Room of Pink Roses

The first thing he thought was that he had to piss. The second thing he thought was that he was really fucking thirsty. Leeran groaned and cracked his eyes open. Ugh. Too much light. He squinted them shut again and rubbed them. Did I drink too much? Leeran rolled onto his side and sat up. He tried to open his eyes again. It was a little easier this time. Where the Hell am I?

He’d been laid out on a large canopy bed. He was on top of the quilt, which was pastel pink and matched the pillows. The frame was a gray metal and the canopy above him was white gossamer. That wasn’t the most shocking detail, however. Someone had changed his clothes. 

His t-shirt and jeans were gone and in their place he wore a long white gown, so thin that he could see the color of his skin through the fabric. Cautiously, he lifted up the hem. His boxer briefs were gone also. He laid the hem back into place then paused to stare at his hands. Whomever had changed him had cleaned him up also. The dust and dirt from the cave-in were gone. He ran his hand through his hair and found it to be smooth and not nearly as filthy as it should have been. Was I rescued? 

There was a bedside table with an empty glass and a jug of what appeared to be water. His tongue seemed glued to the roof of his mouth, but he didn’t think he could handle putting more fluid into his body until he’d emptied what was already in his bladder. He reached out and parted the canopy. 

The room was small and bright. The walls were wallpapered with a pattern of pink roses. He stood and walked toward an archway that he hoped would lead to a bathroom. The floor was made of hard, gray tiles. His legs were sore and the muscles twitched in protest but he forced himself forward. He wasn’t disappointed. There was no bath or shower in the room, but there was a toilet and a sink, which was all he needed at the moment anyway. The soap, in keeping with the apparent theme, was pink and was both shaped and scented to resemble a rose. There was a pink hand towel on a gray towel rack beside the sink and a mirror above the sink. When he finished with the toilet and sink, Leeran made a face at himself in the mirror then stepped back out into the room. There was no bathroom door to open or close, which was… odd. 

Well, this isn’t a hospital. They aren’t this… decorative, Leeran thought. A hotel? Someone’s house? Did someone find me somehow and take me to their home to recover? How did they find me? 

He made his way across the cold, hard floor to the bedside table and poured himself a glass of water. He choked on the first couple of sips but then proceeded to swallow down the rest of the glass. He poured himself a second glass and sat back down on the edge of the bed to drink this one more slowly. There was no other furniture in the room. His pack and his clothes were nowhere in sight. There were no windows and no other doorways or arches other than the one that had led to the toilet. Wait, he thought. If there are no other doorways, then how did I get in here? And, more importantly, how do I get out? 

Leeran jumped back up and retraced his way to the toilet, thinking surely he had missed a door. He examined the walls around the bathroom, but could find nothing. He went back out into the main room and ran his hands along the walls looking for a seam or a crack, anything that might indicate a hidden doorway. He found nothing.

Suddenly, Leeran noticed something else, too. There were no light fixtures. None on the walls, none on the ceiling. No floor lamps, no tabletop lamps. How is it so brightly lit if there are no light fixtures? 

Leeran had begun to panic. Was he still underground, hallucinating? Was he in a coma, stuck in his head? Was he dead? 

In shock, Leeran turned and walked dazedly back to the bed to sit down. As he sat, he was startled by a wet patch beneath him and realized that he had spilled his glass of water on the bed when he’d gone to check the walls. Leeran lifted the now empty glass from the mattress and replaced it on the table. He moved himself to the center of the bed, where it was still dry, and sat staring at the room through the half closed canopy. His mind was blank.

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Leeran startled awake and looked around the room for whatever had frightened him. It was dark now. He didn’t know when that had happened; he didn't remember falling asleep, although apparently he had. He took a deep breath and listened. There was a rustling at the foot of the bed. Leeran’s heartbeat skyrocketed. His throat felt like it was closing up and his stomach rolled in distress. He was silent as he heard footsteps, moving from the foot of the bed to the side. He felt the side of the mattress give as someone or something settled onto it. 

“Umph.” Leeran heard. He wanted to get up and run but he could barely even breathe. “The bed’s wet.” Said a low, grumbly voice. 

“I… spilled the water.” Leeran whispered then covered his mouth with his hands, eyes widening. 

“Hmm.” Came the reply. “Well, get under the quilt. The sheets are still dry.” 

Leeran felt the edge of the quilt beneath him lifted up. It was just the catalyst he needed. Leeran jumped from the bed and ran until he hit the wall. He froze. 

“Where are you going?” Asked the voice. Leeran didn’t answer. He was trapped. For several moments it was silent. 

“Well, come back here and lay down. Unless you want to sleep on the floor.” 

Suddenly, Leeran felt overwhelmingly tired. Numbly, unable to think straight and unsure of what else to do, Leeran walked back in the direction of the bed. He stumbled against it and sat back down in the spot he had just vacated, opposite whoever it was that was already laying down. The quilt was drawn back now. The sheets felt soft beneath his fingers. It was too dark to see and Leeran wondered if they were pink. Or maybe they were gray.

“Lay down.” Commanded the voice. Leeran did. He felt the quilt pulled over him. The bed squeaked as whoever-it-was rolled away. Leeran starred up into the darkness. All he could hear was steady breathing, and his own gasping. 

“Where am I?” Leeran asked. “Who are you?” There was no answer, only silence. 

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A/N: Thank you so much for the positive reviews, peeps! <3