Link to Chasing the White Dragon #2: viewtopic.php?t=17916&highlight=
III: The Welcoming
His smile was as glacial as December in the Arctic, his face as long and pale as that frozen wasteland. In startling contrast were his eyes, coal-black, never once leaving me. They were disconcertingly acute, like searchlights sweeping over my every inch. I'd sat there for five minutes but it felt more like five hours.
He leaned over the desk that separated us, reaching for the box of cigarettes that lay in the middle. "So," he said, his voice dripping with a mixture of oil and honey, "you want to stay in my apartment complex but you ain't got the money to?"
He lifted a cigarette out and stuck it in his mouth, still looking at me. In another smooth motion he produced a lighter from his pocket and lit it. He wasn't smiling anymore, but every now and then his lips twitched.
"Yes," I replied. "I was wondering if you'd let me stay. I'll get a job and pay for it, I swear. I just need somewhere to go."
The desperation in my voice embarrassed me and I felt my cheeks flush a furious shade of red. It probably matched the lipstick that I had spread on liberally.
"So what's your name, girl?" He asked.
"Kim," I lied. I wanted a fresh start with a fresh name, not my real one. Besides, the idea of hearing my name coming from those lips would be unnerving. “My name’s Kim.
"Kim? Well, Kim, I believe we can work something out, sweetheart. My name’s Danny, by the way. Welcome to Sherwood Apartments." As he said this, he smiled again, a cold light entering his eyes. Goosebumps appeared on my arms that had nothing to do with the chilly office, and more to do with the way his gaze settled on the top button of my shirt.
"You better get a job, sweetheart" Danny repeated for the thousandth time. "You'd make a good whore, you know? Hope you don't mind me sayin'. But you'd give a man satisfaction if you was a whore, you know, that's for sure." He chuckled a little, and I could tell from the way he scooted closer to me on the couch, resting a hand on my knee, that he wanted more.
I pretended not to hear him, focusing on the room he'd lead me to. The walls were a pale yellow color and decorated with floral wallpaper, though most of it was peeling off. Dust and cobwebs collected in every corner. There was one room, one bedroom, and a cramped bathroom, and all were in the same state of disrepair.
The couch we sat on was stained and the fabric was frayed. The faucet in the bathroom leaked, penetrating the silence that spread between us every now and then.
"Well, I'd best get goin'. Make yerself comfortable, hmm? Might even visit you." He winked and then left, dropping the keys down beside me. The door slammed shut behind him, and then the silence spread again, broken by the ceaseless dripping. Maybe I'll find a plumber, as soon as I could afford one. God alone knows when that'll be.
I sat there, fiddling with a string on my jeans in thought. I could waitress somewhere, perhaps. There wasn't much else I could do. And if that failed, well, I can always be a whore, I thought bitterly, remembering the damning sound as he'd locked the office door and turned around, fiddling with his buckle.
I shivered. I had to get a shower. Maybe the filth would come off then. Murmuring a promise involving castration to myself, I crept into the bathroom. As I stood in the shower, the scalding hot water burned away the trace of Danny's hand and cleansing me of his tobacco-ish stench. In the next room, I heard the brief snippet of a song, And even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Your perfect love is casting out fear. And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life, I won't turn back I know You are near...
I went to sleep in my new home, given so graciously to me by Danny, wondering what love was, and if it was different than sex. I had an odd dream that night, where the entire apartment complex turned out dressed as clowns to a welcoming party, and everyone was carrying a flag that read, “Welcome home,” and they lead me to a bright red table, like my cheeks had been flushing, like the stains my lipstick had left on his cheeks. Danny was sitting at the head of the table, looking me up and down with a hungry look in his eyes, and my heart sunk as I realized I was naked. The last thing I remember before waking up to a dripping faucet was the cheers of my bizarre welcoming party.
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