"Got you!" screamed a little boy as he leapt over a mini fence trying to catch a butterfly. Drifting with the wind, it glided gracefully away from his trajectory, causing his face to twist in surprise and then in realization and panic, as he crashed face-first into the ground, giving Mother Earth a tight embrace.
"Ah, I missed..... That hurts," he said, dusting his face and pulling himself up. He stared at the butterfly ruefully while it fluttered its wings as if to mock him for his wasted efforts. "Hmph, I'll get you next time."
Rearing to make a second attempt, he crouched, ready to spring at any second. "Valyn, what are you doing? Come in, it's time to eat," he stopped in his tracks as he recognized the voice of his mother. He hurriedly turned around with excitement and anticipation, sprinting towards the old house.
"Coming, Mum. You're lucky, nasty critter."
The humble habitation was part artistic and majorly minamilist, Crafted with logs and other fine materials like the other houses in the vicinity, it gave off a cozy, comfy country style.
He bolted in through the open doors, heading straight for the dining room where a man was already seated, poised with his bulky physique reminiscent of a woodcutter.
"Good afternoon, sir," Valyn shouted as he jumped on one of the chairs, causing it to lose its balance and start toppling over. "Ah, ah, ah," he stuttered, trying to balance himself. A safe pair of hands caught the chair on reflex, and Valyn felt stability returning. The man sitting at the dining table set the chair right and chuckled at the eager 7-year-old.
"Be careful..... Dont hurt yourself, Valyn," the man said, addressing him tenderness.
"Hehehe, I'm hungry...... very hungry," he replied, earning head rubs from the gentleman.
His mother, a slender woman with long, flowy hair tied in buns, walked in and served a variety of dishes on the table, prompting them to dig in and enjoy the meal. Valyn greedily stuffed himself with food, earning a couple of reprimands from his mom.
"Valyn, eat slowly, don't choke," she said in a slightly higher tone, to which he responded and regulated his eating speed.
Not long after while stuffing himself he stared at his parents for a while. Alternating between both of them, he seemed to realize something and frowned.
"Mummy, Daddy, why can't I see your faces?" he asked, causing his dad to turn to him and his mom to tilt her head to the side.
"Oh darling, that's because you need to wake up," she replied, staring at him with a face that was nothing more than a blank canvas devoid of any facial features. "What? What did you…"
"I said," she cut him off, twirling her bangs, "YOU NEED TO WAKE UP."
*******
Gasp!!
Waking up from his slumber, Valyn raised his hand to shield his eyes from the blinding light streaming through the train window.
"Are you alright, big man? You look murked, innit?"
Turning to his left, He noticed a guy wearing a ski mask and a large leather hoodie staring at him in concern. He took a couple more seconds to regain his composure, breathing deeply and calming his wildly beating heart.
'The anxiety attacks... They're getting worse,' he thought. Quickly adjusting his sitting position, he sank his back into the leather seat.
The train car was dimly lit, with flickering fluorescent lights casting a pale glow over the worn-out seats. The rhythmic clatter of the train on the tracks was a constant background noise, occasionally interrupted by the garbled announcements over the PA system. The air was thick with the scent of metal and the faint odor of old upholstery.
"I'm alright, fam, just a little spun from all my medication," Valyn replied, enduring the annoying sound of the train engine and fighting motion sickness. He had taken the train from his apartment in South Norwood, being a cheaper and faster option than an Uber, heading to a reserve in Gunnersbury, London.
Reaching into his pocket, Valyn pulled out a small pill container. He unscrewed the cap and shook a couple of pills into his hand, swallowing them dry. The bitter taste lingered in his mouth as he tried to focus on the passing scenery outside the window, hoping the medication would kick in soon.
'caffeine flavoured pills were the worst' he thought absent mindedly
The route had multiple stops; he'd dropped off and re-boarded several times, and now he was on the last train headed to Gunnersbury station. Lacking sleep and suffering severe overdose side effects from drug abuse, that made even sitting take a heavy toll on his body.
"You good, fam.... Stay safe" the person replied.
Valyn was never one for words. Nodding at the guy, he dipped his hand into his pockets, took out the pill container, poured some more and gulped them all down.
The train was stopping in a minute or two, so he needed to stay awake. a suitable excuse indeed 'addict much ?'
******
Exiting the station, Valyn walked into the sunlight, drawing attention from a couple of onlookers. His curly jet-black hair, deep brown eyes, and clean-looking brown skin, added to his height of 184 centimeters, naturally made him attractive to look at, if it weren't for his pale-looking expression, dull gaze, and nasty-looking eyebags.
Wearing a sweater and baggy sweatpants in the summer also wasn't something you'd usually see.
Valyn staggered slightly but quickly fixed his posture and walked towards a silver-colored car parked on the opposite side of the street.
The area was bustling with activity; the sounds of birds chirping mingled with the chatter of people walking by, creating a cacophony that made him feel slightly dizzy. The crowd added to the claustrophobic sensation, but he took a deep breath and steadied himself.
"Hello, good evening. I'm Valyn. You should be my ride?" he asked the driver, who confirmed on the app and opened the back door for him.
Not bothering to ask questions or waste time on small talk, the driver drove out.
The ride took just 5 minutes, and soon Valyn was dropped off right in front of a large building painted white. He slowly walked in through the glass doors, the sound of his footsteps echoing slightly in the quiet lobby. He could hear his driver rev the engine and depart, leaving him to his own devices.
One of the apartments had been prepared beforehand, so he stopped at the building reception, checked in and was led by the receptionist upstairs to his room.
"So, Mister Valyn, what exactly do you like about our reserve that made you visit?" the receptionist asked, walking ahead of him and swaying her hips seductively as if to hint at a small possibility.
"Nothing much. I'm just a humble photographer here to take a few pictures of the grey herons. What better place than here, where they're accustomed to human presence?" he replied, subtly sneaking glances at her from time to time.
"Mmm, I assure you there are more interesting things than birds you can take raw, unfiltered pictures of here, Mister Valyn," she said, glancing back momentarily and staring at him knowingly.
"I'll be here for a couple of days. I'm sure I can do more than just take pictures of birds with all my time." He replied with a slight smirk
They finally approached the room. The receptionist unlocked the door, letting him in and handing him the keys to the apartment before biting her lip with a smile and turning to leave.
'I guess even by classic standards I don't look so bad,' Valyn thought. He took off his clothes, went into the bathroom, and just plopped inside the tub, turning the hose on and letting it fill up with hot water with him inside.
'ah i forgot to ask what her name was'
Finally, he laid his head on the base of the tub and fell asleep.
********
Waking up hours later, still looking zombified, Valyn sighed as he dragged his body out of the tub, his skin feeling irritated from spending that long submerged. He opened his bag, grabbed some ointment, and smeared it all over himself.
He had a clear view of the building exterior and watched in amusement as a service dog kept barking at his flirty receptionist while she tried to give directions to the customers.
Chuckling, Valyn read a few articles on his phone and decided to get dressed before heading downstairs.
Minutes later, he was outside taking a leisure stroll around the vicinity. He walked around aimlessly for a while finding the area dull and quiet causing him to sigh before taking a 180, heading back towards the building.
Getting back to the entrance entrance, he walked into a little commotion right outside.
He was stunned to see the receptionist being harassed by a customer who looked like he kept trying to give her a kiss.
He'd probably had a few drinks too many. Some bystanders appeared to her aid and reprimanded him, causing a small argument to unfold.
He shrugged deciding he didn't need to intervene and headed to the gym nearby, planning on an hour workout session.
*************
The gym was sparsely occupied with just about six or seven people active at the time. So he found a spot and set himself up....
He was alone for a couple of minutes,when someone approached him. Coincidentally, it was the same guy who had just hit on the receptionist.
'so this is where he was headed, but what does he need me for' he poundered taking off his earpiece to listen.
"Hey mate, sorry to bother ya, but can you teach me the form for this exercise you're doing, I'm really struggling right now." He looked a little overweight, and Valyn could tell he was new at the gym.
"Sure, I don't mind. Here's what you do," Valyn replied. Taking his time to explain clearly, they both indulged in each other's company and ended up working out together.
Staying later than anticipated, Valyn bid his new buddy farewell and headed back to his room. As he passed the reception there were a couple customers poised near the stairs gossiping
Listening in on them as he walked by, he caught wind of a certain issue.
"I feel pity for her. She works so much, and her shifts are tripled since the other workers can never cope with the stress. They end up sick and disappear. The manager must be a horrible person."
It seemed his receptionist was having more problems than most. He decided to look into it the next day after taking a good night's rest.