Young Writers Society

Great beauty lies in the places where you least expect it. Undying love lies in the people whom you don't expect it from. And, unsolved mysteries lie in the places where everything seems normal.

The room was filled with the thick, choking yet delightful aroma of ancient incense. Old paintings of the previous owners of the lodge were hung up on the walls of the corridor, their eyes following me all around. The plaster of the walls was chipped and there was a hole on the roof, from which the raindrops from the tropical storm which happened an hour ago poured down in a rhythmic manner. There was a fireplace in the heart of the room but the fire had died when a gust of wind had blown from the window. It was dusk, and would be dark very soon. The chirping of the birds had stopped and out came the various sounds of insects. Occasionally, the hoot of an owl could be heard or the grunt of a wild boar. It was a new moon night.

After cooking a simple dinner for myself, I made my bed and tried to sleep. The night was young but I was restless. There seemed to be the presence of an unwanted person in the room. I woke up and paced the room, trying to find this stranger who had disrupted my sleep. I called the watchman and together, the two of us kept searching for the body which emitted a deep, husky male voice and would sing the first couple of notes of an ancient love song but would stop immediately, as if afraid to be discovered. After two hours of tireless searching, the watchman concluded that I must have been hallucinating after my long journey and it would be better if I went to sleep.

I soon drifted into a light sleep after cursing the watchman under my breath. The wind howled throughout the night and was like a lullaby to my tired body. I had not returned home for a long time and was thinking about my family when a calloused hand brushed against my cheek. It played with my hair and soon, there was a kiss implanted on my cheek.

In the morning, I enquired the receptionist whether there was any other individual living in any other room of the lodge. With a dismissive nod, he said "No" and left me hanging in suspense.

As to this day, I have no idea who my morning kisser was.