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Alison’s memories were hazy and hard to pinpoint, making sense and completely crazy at the same time. Like in a nightmare when your reflection is that if a disfigured monster and not your own, but still feels real.
The small, or large depending on your view, closet she was in smelled horrific, that’s the first thing she noticed when she woke up, and next that her back hurt like hell.
As she chewed at her nails she recalled how last night she had been so grateful for a place to stay, the relief letting her sleep as soon as she sat down, the metallic and salty taste was stored in the back of her mind in favor of fear. She could hear the homeowner having a conversation in another room, the last thing she wanted was for him to talk to her.
“Let me see your teeth.” The homeowner requested to the other guest. Alison pushed her ear up to the wall to try to hear more. The request was met with what sounded like grumbling, then silence, then after came:
“See? Not a visitor, leave me alone” as she heard the door close Alison scrambled back to her previous position in the corner, of course she knew that at that time the homeowner didn’t know where she chose to sit in the room, but she felt it looked less suspicious. She had never been a religious person, she thinks so at least, but as she heard the door creak open she closed her eyes in a silent prayer that he would leave her alone. Only to be reminded of why she (probably) isn’t religious.
“I need to test you” as she pried open her eyes she got her first good look at the homeowner, a middle aged man with a slight pouch to him, and deep eye bags. She shakily got to her feet and approached him.
“Okay, what do you need to test” Alison replied, trying to sound as normal as she could muster, flashing a mostly awkward smile.
“Teeth” the man said expectantly, seemingly waiting for something. It took her a moment to realize she needed to open her mouth, quickly bringing two fingers to hold it open.
“I went to the dentist recently” she said a little too quickly, she sort of remembers it, which is good enough, and good enough it is as the man wordlessly leaves the room. Legs shaking as she moves to sit down once more, she can hear a beer being cracked open in the kitchen what I wouldn’t do for one of those right now she think to herself as she curls up.
She’s pretty sure she’s always been a night owl, but this is unusual, ever for her, maybe. The time on the small clock in the corner of the room reads 2:46 AM, quite the nap she must have taken. A knock on the door makes her flinch, guess I’m not the only one with that idea she can’t quite hear the conversation, something about peace and the heat maybe, the voice sounds like a man, possibly around her age.
Sooner or later the door opens and Alison watches through the slits in the door as he walks inside to the living room, dressed surprisingly in many layers, and with hair longer than hers. Not half bad looking either she thinks with a smirk, before it promptly drops because when has she ever thought like that before, it’s embarrassingly out of character. She can hear a few more people come in and get turned away as she tries to go to sleep, brain turning over the picture of the attractive man as she eventually dozed off.
The next morning she had gathered the courage to ask the homeowner, who revealed his name as Steven, if she was allowed to eat the food in the kitchen, which was thankfully met with a positive response. Which is how she found herself pushing around a pitifully amount of oatmeal in her bowl when someone else walks into the kitchen. To Alison’s simultaneous joy and terror, it’s the man from last night, she quickly nods her head in greeting, flashes a extremely awkward smile, and says:
“Good morning!”
It takes a hot minute for the man to respond, letting out a small “Morning”eventually. Okay, not ideal, but not bad either. She thinks, stepping to the side to allow him to grab some breakfast
“It’s Adam, by the way” the man, Adam, says with a small smile that almost looks like it hurts. Which makes Alison smile, both the response and the face. He told me his name! I didn’t even ask for it!
“Alison” she replies, as her own equally interesting smile widens. Once Adam makes his breakfast, a cut up banana, he moves to go back to the living room, looking back with a look that says “come with?” And of course she follows after him, internally cheering. This is going amazing!
Their conversation isn’t much to write home about, which honestly is nice for Alison, makes it feel like the stakes are lower, it was mostly small talk.
“Have any pets?”
“I don’t know”
“Me neither”
“What was your life like before?”
“I’m not sure”
“Me too”
It was nice.
There was another man sitting on the couch, periodically giving them dirty looks, but she didn’t let it get to her as she bid Adam goodbye and went back to her closet. She was practically on cloud nine, he was just as weird as she was, same strange expressions and speaking mannerisms, plus, Hes hot too, well cold fits better I guess, but still.
This energy continued well into the afternoon, so much so that Alison barely registered the gun in Steven’s pocket when he came to look at her eyes. That night when more people came in, she just hoped there was no pretty girls coming in.
Oh my god, what is that smell was the first coherent thought she had the next morning, she quietly crept out of her closet looking around. Three trash bags lay in the living room in place of the man looking at them yesterday, Adam sitting on the couch, by himself now. Alison opened her mouth to say something but then she heard Steven wake up, causing her to quietly run back to her room.
This time around, her prayers were answered, as she heard Steven walk into a different room, a minute or two later she heard a shot, chilling her to her core.
About 15 minutes later she had garnered the courage to step out of the closet, still trembling slightly, even something as simple as pouring cereal became anxiety inducing. She heard footsteps enter the kitchen, breathing a sigh of relief when she heard the rustling of jacket material. She turned around, awkward smile already plastered on her face when she greeted him.
“Morning Adam” Alison said, taking her bowl and spoon and moving to the side.
“Hi Alison” He replies, smiling, which upon closer inspection definitely looks like it hurts. Adam grabs himself a steaming bowl of oatmeal, she would point out how funny it is that hes dressed like this and eating hot food in this weather if he didn’t speak first.
“I like how red your eyes are, it makes the green really pop” he says it like it’s a statement, a fact, this comment to any other person would be quite the insult, but Alison Doesnt think shes blushed harder in her life.
“Thank you, I like how red yours are too, makes the brown warmer” she somehow manages to get out around her humongous stretched smile. Is this flirting?? This is totally flirting! Right? I’m totally going crazy. They held eye contact for a few more seconds, before the woman sitting at the table loudly interrupted them.
“I can sense your signs, Virgo and Gemini, highly compatible. I can give you two a reading if you’d like” the woman says, spreading her tarot cards on the table.
“No thanks” Adam replies dryly, looking back at Alison and lifting part of his lip in what most would interpret as a snarl but she knew was an attempt at a smirk. She had no idea why she could understand all these things about him and vice versa, but she certainly wasn’t complaining, it’s like they’re one in the same. As they walk out of the kitchen and into the hallway her hand lightly grazed his, making her heartbeat speed up significantly, she’d never noticed her heart before, but a crush will do that to you she figures, walking back to the closet.
Alison had been thinking, thinking really hard, about herself, visitors, life, the works. By now she was pretty sure of two things: 1. That shes a visitor, and 2. That Adam is one too. Which is what lead her to sneaking into the living room at midnight, it’s not technically sneaking in, Steven never set rules. As she sat down on the couch next to Adam, she slowly shook him awake, when he was conscious enough for life to be seen in his eyes she whispered, as quietly and kindly as she could.
“Are you a visitor too?” At this, a smile/grimace lit up his face
“I was wondering when you’d say something” which is probably the best response she could have gotten in this situation. She smiled back as him the best she could, the look in his bloodshot eyes showing he has an idea
“Do you want to kill this guy and get out of here? With me?” For the morbid-ness of his idea, his tone sounded awfully flirty.
“That sounds nice” Alison says, nodding along. They both rose from the couch, moving into Steven’s room to finish him off, a quick snap of the neck from Adam and he was gone, it was chilling to watch. After which Alison found his Polaroid camera, three pieces of film left.
“Wanna take a picture? I found his camera” Alison calls out to him, waving the camera in the air, Adam wordlessly walks over as she positions the camera for a selfie. One picture for him, one for her, and one to leave for the other guests, almost as a taunt. As they squish their faces together to fit in the frame, the first flash goes off, catching both of their unnatural smiles, before the second one, Adam leans over to kiss her cheek, a risky move that pays off, leaving Alison giggling, getting her revenge in the third picture, kissing his cheek back. When the photos develop both of them are blurry, but you can still see what’s happening and who they are, they each pocket their respective photos, and leave the other in the kitchen. Finally exiting the house and wandering off, together.