Writing Prompt

I’ve always wanted my own room. Growing up, my siblings didn’t allow me that, and sharing not just toys with them, but beds, made a bit … bitter over time. The aspect of my own world, my own room, was enticing. So, when I finally got my own, it felt like Christmas morning. Only, there were no presents. It was a subtle difference from what I had always imagined, but still my own room all the while. A bit sterile, but it had a bed, a bathroom, and food service. I wished my brothers were here to see it, so I could tell them, hey, look, I finally got my own room! But they were long gone, and I soon would be too.

I was my own executor, and would tell the nurse to disconnect the plug this evening. Maybe after that, I’ll have an even nicer room.

The way disconnecting calls to me. To drift from reality tastes so sweet, so enticing. It’s a subtle pull at first, but once you take a bite it’s forever stained your tongue.

The front of the building held a posted guide map to the featured businesses within the building, but this location Audrey and James was given wasn’t marked. They searched room after room on every floor, not finding the entrance they were searching for as they were invited to the local psychic. They ascended to the top floor, while marching down the hallway Audrey could smell something burning on the other end. Traveling along down the long straight corridor, a dim light was radiating from the last doorway on the left. The light seemed it was fading in and out slightly, but never quite fully fading out. James sighed and rolled his eyes, just finally relieved to find someone within the building to talk with as he wasn’t even quite sure how to return to the entrance to get them out of this creepy place. As they neared the doorway that incapsulated the glowing light, the couple noticed the doorway was covered in vines of plants. Specifically Audrey noticed there was a chain of pearls hoisted by a basket from the ceiling. Its stems and leaves draped over the side of the basket nestled in the top left of the doorway, across the top and down the right side. There was a small amount of smoke that rushed out from the doorway near the floor, and before walking in Audrey followed the chain of smoke to see the source. As she did this, the full room they were about to walk into finally came into view. She saw a table paced directly in the center of the room, and a lit incense stick was standing in the center of the table. Audrey watched as the smoke billowed straight up to the ceiling from the burning part of the stick, and it seemed to dissipate into the atmosphere of the room. Although it seemed like many sticks had been burned, as the whole room’s floor was clouded with too much smoke for one incense. The couple agreed in entering the room, and they heard a flicker from a lighter from across the room as James stepped inside. In the gloomy dark corner, the spark of the lighter would illuminate a figure leaning against the wall. A woman emerged from the darkness with a freshly lit joint, blowing the smoke directly into the couples’ faces. As this mysterious woman did this, all of the smoke finally made sense to Audrey as she felt like there had to have been another source for all of the smoke. As the woman emerged, James focused on the attractive features. She was wearing a black laced dress, compared to a wedding dress and mage robe combined. He watched as the woman moved around and the fabric hugged her body in different places, and while the woman slowly circled them all James could think about was getting to know the woman more. James was instanced, and Audrey broke free after noticing something off about the woman. Audrey also noticed the dress, but enjoyed the fact the wrist was attached to the excess fabric of the lower part of the dress making a webbed looking pattern. Focusing on this dress Audrey noticed something off about the dress, it seemed to be radiating heat or her vision was just super blurry. The woman signaled for the couple to sit across her as she sat at the centered table, her hand gesturing the chairs across while the other rests inside of a bag on her lap. After they sit, the woman pulled out a basket and tossed tiny trinkets into the basket and studies them intensely afterwards. James attempted to interrupt and ask what she was doing or even what was going on, but the woman had hushed him by the wave of her hand. He looked at Audrey and opened his mouth, but nothing came out. James could barley have make any noise by attempting to gasp, and this is when Audrey snapped out and felt like it was time to leave. She looked to the left of the table where a mirror was displayed on the wall. In the mirror she could see the front door perfectly, but the woman had noticed Audrey’s wandering gaze before she could determine if the door was locked or not. The dark mystical woman slammed her fists onto the table, yelling at the couple for “wasting her time with games”, then standing to dissipate back into the dark corner of the room.

Enticing you towards the handle, the tree pattern carved door stands guard to the room of which you have never seen. Your hand slips over the near deathly cold door knob. Its old mechanisms grind like chalk together while you turn it slowly to the right. It isn’t locked anymore.

You nudge the door only a hairs length, just enough to see inside. The ambiance feels disconnected from the entire building. Of the warm colors and cozy interiors, this room seems disconnected from all the rest.

Eyes spilling tears, the dryness of the room takes you back. Then your eyes adjust to the rich shadows of the room. Your throat feels thick. A skeleton comes to view on the floor, thickly covered in copper chains, stretching out like roots of a tree. You take a step back, mouth gapping breathlessly.

A warm voice addresses you from behind, “You shouldn’t be looking in there, now should we?”

Taking down my work because I don’t want to pay the subscription

The atmosphere of this inner chamber is quite enticing; subtle blue light bathes the round bed with its small, decorative and large, comfy pillows. This is where I retreat when I want to disconnect from reality.

Everywhere she looked was covered in something soft. Whether it be the woolen carpets, the silky blankets, or the massive husky sprawled out over the futon, every surface was covered with something enticing her to drop her load and finally collapse.

Bar the gray and white husky snoozing away on the futon, each blanket and carpet had been dyed gentle shades of pastel; a subtle disconnect from the bustling world of dullness and monotony that lay a single door away. A quilt bleached in sunset caught her eye, and she tumbled down into blissful darkness.

She heard the knock on the door and glanced at herself in the mirror, once more, before walking toward the front of the house. She knew, of course, without any doubt, that the man waiting for her on the other side of the door was one of the most attractive men she knew, and as she reached to turn the doorknob, she smiled to herself, knowing that she was not only greeting an alluring, enticing man, but a man that had, for whatever reason, also managed to be a good friend.

“Hi,” he said, smiling shyly upon seeing her.

“Hi,” she replied, smiling back at him.

“Are you ready to go to dinner?” He asked. “I can wait, if you need more time.”

“I need one more minute,” she shared with him. “Come on in.”

She observed his discreet reaction as he stepped through the front door, into the living room of the house she rented.

“That’s some bright paint,” he shared.

“Subtle,” she sarcastically responded.

“What?” He asked, jokingly. “I only said it was bright.”

“I didn’t choose it,” she shared. “In fact, I really dislike it. It isn’t exactly my style, but the owner liked it a lot.” She replied, before silently considering the neutral and dark interiors of the properties of his that she had spent time in.

“I only said it was bright,” he jokingly replied, again.

“I’m happy we don’t have a disconnect in interior design.” She said, walking back into the living room, where he was waiting for her.

“I have excellent taste,” he said, winking at her.

“I noticed,” she said, smiling back at him. “I do too,” she replied, reaching into her purse for her keys, to lock the door behind them, as they left the house to go out to dinner.

The colorful stained glass framed by rich, dark wood gave the door a slight whimsical feel. I approached hesitantly, unsure if I should knock on the delicate glass. There didn’t seem to be a doorbell or knocker, so instead I decided to reach for the brass doorknob and as I slowly opened the door, I softly called out, “Hello? Is anyone here?”. A subtle smell of mold hit my nostrils, as my eyes adjusted to the soft, cool darkness within. I tentatively stepped foot inside, and as I closed the door behind me, I was engulfed by silence. I glanced around, taking in the grandiosity of the foyer. Tall ceilings framed by ornate roses carved into the wood moldings greeted me as I stepped forward, the clacking of my heels against the white marble floor echoing loudly throughout the still house. In the middle of the room, a sweeping staircase led up to the second floor, and beyond that, a soft light emitted from a room in the back. The small orange glow enticed and beckoned for me to investigate, and although a knot of anxiety was growing in my stomach, I couldn’t quell the urge to further explore this beautiful, mysterious home. A fleeting sense of guilt swirled inside me, but I quickly pushed it away, allowing my curiosity to disconnect my mind from my feelings of trepidation. I just had to know what lay beyond, the light from the room in the back like a beacon calling to me. My feet left footsteps on the dusty floor, it was clear no one had walked through here in a long time. As I continued waking down the hall, I passed the parlor on my left, which was still furnished but someone had covered the belongings with white sheets, making them appear like misshapen ghosts. Small cobwebs inhabited the corners, the spiders unmoving as I slowly passed. The light grew brighter as I approached, and my eyes squinted, adjusting again to the change. Long shadows danced on the walls. The dark wood door was cracked and I placed my hand on it and pushed it open gingerly. The hinges squeaked loudly in protest, and I felt a cold chill and shivered as I saw what was waiting on the other side. It had been waiting for me.

Whenever darkness crept into his mind, temptation filled the shadows. The walls that surrounded his mind suffocated common sense. The world, he perceived, had turned against him. Not far from his consciousness, the seductress stood waiting, biding her time, waiting for the right moment to unleash her allure and lead him astray. It wouldn’t take much.

The small taste she offered was the necessary distraction. A temporary escape from the persistence of voices that offered discouragement and always created more problems than they solved. He yearned for a suitable resolution. Control relinquished, he closed his eyes and hoped for the best. Desirous to experience all the promises she offered, he unplugged from the dismay and entered a new realm.

“Just once,” he thought.

It was the first time and last time for everything. Nothing would be the same, a concession he accepted without hesitation. Anything that muted the negativity within was a trip worthy of pursuit. The blanket of warmth she provided reduced the world to a soft hum. The feeling of disconnectedness was too powerful to ignore; too addictive to control. An experience, he hoped, that would be duplicated the next time they spent an afternoon together.

She complied, of course. Whetting his appetite was the first of several strategic moves she planned. Each shared moment she’d offer him more, to engage his interest until he thought of nothing but her. By then it would be too late for him to escape. He’d be ensnared by a seductiveness that few ever walked away from unscathed.

He was no different from all the others and she knew it. His voracious desires buried within would be fed until his last gasp of air. She’d then move on to the next, and another beyond, until everyone succumbed to the prowess she possessed.