Strangers And Colleagues
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“I’m sorry, sir,” the woman said. “We’re closed.” She looked at him with a mixture of pity and disgust in her eyes. He felt like she was judging his character based on what he’d done to himself. It made sense; there were plenty of people who would have been disgusted by it. But that didn’t mean they had to be rude about it.
He sighed as he stepped back from the door. The last thing he needed right now was some kind of confrontation with this woman over something so trivial. There wasn’t anything else for him here anyway. If he wanted to get any answers out of anyone, he knew where he could go.
The man turned and walked away without saying another word. He headed down the street toward the alleyway behind the building. As soon as he got inside, he found a place to sit against one wall and waited. After several minutes, he heard footsteps approaching. They stopped just outside the entrance before continuing into the darkness beyond. A moment later, a figure emerged from the shadows and moved quickly across the floor until it reached him.
“You shouldn’t do things like that,” the man said quietly. His voice was low but carried easily through the air. The stranger’s face remained hidden in the dark. For all he knew, the person standing next to him might not even be human. “It makes you look weak.”
The other man chuckled slightly before speaking again. “I don’t know how many times I’ve told myself that very same thing over the years. You can never tell when someone is going to take offense to something.”
“That doesn’t matter anymore,” the first man replied. “No one cares about your appearance or what you say. All they care about are results. If you want them to respect you, then you need to show them that you deserve their trust. That means being strong enough to stand up for yourself.”
“And if everyone decides to ignore me?”
“Then maybe you should start thinking about changing your approach.”
The two men fell silent after that. Neither one spoke another word while they sat together in the darkness. Eventually, the second man stood up and began walking away. When he was gone, the first man rose slowly to his feet and followed suit. He left the alleyway and continued along the street until he came upon a large building that looked familiar. Once inside, he went directly to an empty room and shut the door behind him.
Then he took off his jacket and placed it carefully on top of a chair near the window. Next, he removed his shoes and socks and set them aside too. Finally, he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it onto a nearby table. He kept his pants on though. No point in taking those off unless he really needed to.
Once he was finished, he climbed up on the bed and lay flat on his stomach. With his hands resting firmly beneath his shoulders, he started pushing upward with all of his strength. Slowly at first, but faster as time passed. Soon, his arms were burning intensely, but he pushed harder still. Before long, sweat was pouring down his forehead and chest. He ignored it and pressed forward until finally, he reached the ceiling.
He let go and slid back down to the floor. He breathed heavily as he caught his breath. The pain in his muscles was almost unbearable, but he refused to give up. He couldn’t afford to lose focus now. Not if he wanted to find out what happened to his daughter.
After a few moments, the pain subsided somewhat. He tried moving around, but every part of his body screamed in protest. It hurt more than he ever remembered feeling before, yet somehow he managed to keep going. He forced himself to move slowly and deliberately. Every single movement felt like torture, but he did everything he could to avoid making mistakes.
Finally, he was able to lift himself back up to his knees. He used the edge of the mattress to pull himself upright, but once he was sitting, he collapsed backward onto the bed. His entire body ached, but he didn’t dare rest for too long. He had to stay focused.
With a deep sigh, he rolled over onto his side and stared up at the ceiling. He clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth as he fought to control his breathing. In time, the pain faded away and he was able to relax. He rested his chin on his shoulder and gazed up at the light fixture above him.
As always, it reminded him of the night he met his wife. They had been young and full of life, and neither one of them had any idea how much their lives would change.
A smile crossed his lips as he thought back to that day. How different things might have turned out if only he hadn’t made that decision. If he’d done things differently, perhaps none of this would have ever happened. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t bring himself to regret what he’d done.
After all, she was the love of his life. She was the reason why he lived each and every day. And even though he missed her terribly, he wouldn’t trade his life for anything in the world.
***
The old man woke suddenly from his sleep. He blinked several times to try and clear his vision, but nothing changed. Still, he knew exactly where he was. This wasn’t the first time he’d woken up here. Ever since his daughter disappeared, he spent most nights lying awake in this exact spot. He just hoped that today would be the day when he found some answers.
He closed his eyes and waited patiently. He didn’t think he slept for long. Maybe ten minutes or so. At least, that’s how long it seemed like. Yet somehow, he felt refreshed and alert despite having barely gotten any rest. There was a strange sense of peace surrounding him, and he wondered why it was there. Was it because he was finally getting somewhere? Or was it simply a product of his imagination? Either way, he welcomed its presence.
His mind wandered as he considered what to do next. He pictured himself standing in front of the police station and telling them everything that had happened. Surely, they would believe him. After all, who else knows what happened better than he does?
He imagined himself speaking calmly and confidently, explaining how he lost sight of his daughter and then finding her again. Of course, he would need to explain the whole thing from the beginning, including the part where she vanished into thin air. That was the hardest part for him.
But he was certain the police would take his story seriously. They would understand what he was trying to tell them and help him find the answers he desperately sought. He smiled as he pictured his daughter being reunited with him. Her face filled his thoughts, and he imagined her running toward him with tears streaming down her cheeks.
He saw her smiling brightly as she threw herself into his arms. He felt joyous as he held her close and whispered words of encouragement into her ear. Then, he kissed her softly on the cheek and told her never to leave him alone again.
As he continued to imagine such a wonderful future, he heard footsteps approaching. He sat up quickly, wondering if someone had come to check on him. When he looked around, however, he noticed that nobody was there. He frowned slightly as he listened carefully. There were no sounds coming from outside, and he couldn’t hear anyone walking around upstairs either. So, whoever it was must have been right beside him.
“Hello?” he called out quietly. “Is anybody there?”
There was still no answer, but he kept calling anyway. He needed to know whether or not he was truly alone. He waited nervously for a response, but after a few seconds, he decided that he should probably get dressed instead. He stood up and began pulling on his pants. The moment he finished, he heard the sound of a door opening.
The End