Ecstasy

Chapter 5
“You’re back early from lunch?” She smiled as the young male face smiled at her from around the door to the kitchen. She nodded quietly and continued up the stairs to the first floor, rolling her eyes as she passed the various rude signs on her friend’s doors.

“Hey is it your stuff in the washing machine, because I need to use it?” She looked around suddenly from the bottom of the steps to the next floor. The orange haired man questioned her as he held a large basket of dirty washing in his hands. She shook her head and smiled at him as he nodded and rolled his eyes. “It’s bloody Jake’s then, arsehole.” She laughed as the young man mumbled some obscenity before walking off down the stairs. The stairs creaked as she swiftly walked up the last of them, turning around at the top and heading towards the far room. She paused in front of the two newly occupied rooms, their doors agar a little so that the sunshine streamed though the cracks onto the polished wood floors. She smiled wickedly, before checking behind her and in front of her again before pushing open the first door and walking quietly in.

The room was bright, clean and white. There was a bag half unpacked on the floor, with various personal items strewn about on the bed. She raised an eyebrow at a pair of jeans placed neatly over the chair near the desk. They we’re caked with paint, with no knees and frayed hems. Who ever owned them was the typical artist, staying loyal to their painting attire for years. She took a few steps forward scanning over the various items still packed in large travel bag on the floor. Most of it was clothes and toiletries, stuff you couldn’t live without if you were away from home for years at a time. She noted the style of the clothing in the bag. It all seemed to be modern, a personal creative flare within the whole suitcase. It was obvious that they had a personal and original way of dressing, something she herself was proud of being able to do. She sighed and moved her attention to the items on the bed. There was a small waterproof carry case, with various medications inside. She read one of the labels to herself, “Morphine”. She looked away from the carry case to a bundle of letters and post cards. They were from all over the world, America, Canada, UK, Ireland, Africa, all addressed to different people. She shrugged her shoulders and smiled as she noticed a packet of condoms under a red bandanna. She continued to scan the bed, not touching anything just taking note of everything that was there. A cute little hat, some text books and a pink fluffy pencilcase, glasses case, lighter and cigarettes, hair tie, train tickets, paint brushes and a large tin of oil paints, two bottles of JD, a large black trench coat, various leather bound writing books among some of the things on the bed. She noticed a novel with a leather bookmark in between the pages on the bedside table. She ran her finger across the title. “Alone, a novel by Grant Mayflower.” Somebody had to be a fan of horror novels, for she herself was a devoted fan of the writer. She sighed and scanned the room in general looking for anything else to catch her eye, but there was nothing on show to keep her interest.

She smiled and edged her way through the central adjoining door to the next room. It was the same as the previous one, yet totally different in the personal belonging around the room. Everything had a place, even though the person had not even begun unpacking everything yet. On the bed where neat little piles of things, clothes, toiletries, towels. This person was a perfectionist, compared to the neighbor who appeared to have no structure to the belongings. She saw various masks and costumes hanging up on the back of the chair, with a few pairs of tights and many different types of stage shoes. The clothes were quite opposite to the person’s next door. Where the first person was original and unique this person was more traditional and obviously preferred to blend in with other people. Not that that wabad bad thing to do after all if you blend in nobody can pick on you. It was still original and unique though, the hint of the persons personality sneaking through in the colors and styles. There were textbooks and writing materials as in the last room, except in leather pencil cases and plastic covers. She smiled as she noticed a photo frame on the bedside table, she walked over to it to get a better look. It was of two young men, sitting together on a seat looking out towards the ocean. They looked freezing, with large coats on and huddled together. One was tall, and thin with short brown hair and a side part. His eyes deep green, to match the ocean behind them. The other was shorter, a little smaller in build, with longish wavy brown hair and deep hazel eyes with cute dimples when he smiled. They looked pretty happy and comfortable with each other, so she assumed they must have been really good friends. She looked to the side of the photo frame and noticed a photo album, it’s cover black with beaded stars and moons all over. She hesitated before gingerly picking it up, and opening it to the first page. It was a large group photo, with various faces in that she didn’t recognise. However she spotted both males that had been in the photo frame, mixed in with the group. They all looked like they were having a great time, partners on their arms and alcohol in hand, no doubt a party. She skipped through a few more photos of var dif different parties and people’s faces. Then something made her stop and look a little longer, the picture was at night a couple sitting on a swing outside. She smiled and nodded her head as she ran her finger over the faint outline of the ghostly figure sitting next to them on the seat. Both people unaware of their company well until they saw the photo. She turned the page, to another nighttime picture, except this time of two males in a passionate embrace. It was to dark to see who they were, but hovering above them was a ghostly haze. God they were cheeky sometimes, you just had to laugh.

Her concentration was broken as she heard footsteps on the gravel outside, with laughter accompanying the sound. She quickly put the photo album back on the bedside table and peered though the net curtaining on the windows. She saw all she had to see, of who it was coming back to the house and she was quickly outside in the hallway. She made sure the doors where the same as when she’d first found them, and then quickly walked the rest of the way to her own room, closing the door behind her as she went.

TBC.............