In the dark, back alleyways behind the subway exit, which led to a rather questionable residential area, a lone figure was seen walking with a cigarette in hand.
"Finally off that damn train. Felt like I was stuck in there for years," he muttered as he sighed out.
"Why the hell am I still even working there, anyway? I could probably get a better job any time... Hmm, I mean, I guess it does pay pretty well."
But before he could finish his thought, a loud screech assaulted his ears. The sound came from behind him, where he had turned into the current alleyway he was walking through.
Blinding, bright lights flared in front of him, robbing him of yet another sense in an instant. He dashed forward toward an alley he had seen up ahead before the flash.
"Shit, shit, shit."
"What the hell is even going on?"
Loud bangs started to barrage the surrounding area, causing Matthew's heart to tense up even more as he ran for his life. He ran as fast as he could and finally reached the safe space he'd been aiming for. Now, he tried to collect himself.
"That could've ended badly if I didn't think fast... I really should move to somewhere nicer. Ahh, maybe when I'm not in debt, I guess," he begrudgingly thought to himself.
Matthew continued on his way home, taking the long way back to avoid the danger. A bleak-looking, grey building with a single streetlight in front illuminated the entrance. The building looked almost abandoned, if it weren't for the few room lights shining through the windows. Just as abandoned as the building looked, so did the street—devoid of life. Only a few beggars roamed around, barely able to be called alive, whether it was because of their frail, skeletal bodies or disease-ridden faces. This was the scene Matthew was all too familiar with. It was his reality.
Matthew breathed in deeply, entering the apartment building and going straight for his apartment, ignoring all the people he encountered along the way. He had nothing but indifference for them and would rather not talk to them.
He finished going up the stairs and finally reached his floor. The corridor was cramped and dimly lit, with a stench of dampness filling the air.
"This place really is a dump, man. I wonder when they're gonna fix these damn lights..."
He continued forward toward his apartment. Along the way, he saw the only person he didn't completely disregard—in fact, the only person he would say was of interest in this dump. She stood out from the dull and bland environment, as if she radiated a warmth you couldn't find anywhere else. He felt as if she was different, not just felt it, but knew it. She was tall, a slender woman with pale porcelain skin and jet-black hair that looked like it was made of silk. Her eyes, though dark as an abyss, still carried a warmth to them. Her thin lips were a pale rose, and she carried a smile that could melt away any negative emotions inside you. Her body was petite and slender, and she dressed in modest, cute clothes that matched her passive aura.
"She moved in not too long ago, didn't she?"
"I wonder what someone like that is doing in a shit hole like this. I guess everyone goes through some shit sometimes," he thought to himself.
"I should really speak to her sometime. I mean, it's not like there's anyone else around to talk to anyway."
"Hello..."
A soft voice stunned Matthew in his tracks. It was her.
She stood in front of him with a warm, welcoming smile.
"Hey...?" he said, confused, trying to get a grip on the situation.
"I'm Mary Everton. I'm really embarrassed for not introducing myself earlier. It's so rude of me. I really do hope you can forgive me."
"What the hell...?"
"What's she even talking about...?"
Thoughts rushed through his head.
"Uh... cough no... no, you're good."
"Actually, people around here aren't really known for doing things like that."
"In all honesty, I think it's safer to keep your mouth shut," he said, stumbling on his words. "Isn't that ironic, huh?" he sighed.
"Hehehe, my mother always used to tell me to greet your neighbors and give them a little gift to get along."
"Actually, I wanted to also ask if you want to come over and have dinner."
"Just take it as part of the apology," she said, tilting her head slightly to the side with a wide smile, her eyes fixed on Matthew.
"I guess there's no way to reject then," he said in defeat.
"Yay!" she said gleefully.
"I stay at Room B467, just four rooms down. You can come around 7 PM."
"Can't wait to see you then," Mary said while walking away and waving goodbye to Matthew, who stood there stunned by the whole interaction. He fixed himself up and turned toward his door. A loud creaking noise bellowed through the corridor as he walked into a pitch-black room. He soon turned on the lights after leaving his shoes by the door.
The apartment was surprisingly clean. In fact, it looked as if no one had stayed there—everything in perfect place, barely any decorations. The only items present were the bare minimum essentials for living. His apartment wasn't that big either to begin with anyway—just a single bedroom and bathroom connected to a living room space with an open-style kitchen. In actuality, you couldn't call it much of a kitchen if it weren't for the dingy island slapped in the inconspicuous space between where the kitchen ended and the living room began.
Usually, a home is a mirror to someone's soul, but what if they never saw it as a home in the first place? Matthew went to get a glass of water from the kitchen and headed to his room to at least take a nap after this pretty eventful day.
A few hours passed, and Matthew began to go to Mary's.
"I wonder if I'm going to be the only person present."
"Eh, of course not. She probably invited the whole corridor as well."
"Just how nice people are, I guess."
He arrived at her door and knocked. From inside, a welcoming voice could be heard saying, "Come in, it's open." As Matthew walked in, he was welcomed by the aroma of different spices, meat, and veggies. It simply smelled too amazing, but before he could be fully entranced, he noticed how empty and bland her home looked. It almost reminded him of his own place. Mary stood near a table that was set in the living room. She stood there with an inviting smile, still wearing her apron. It was a cute purple and baby blue striped pattern. She gestured for Matthew to get closer to the table. At this point, there really wasn't anything left to lose, so he moved closer, grabbed a chair, and sat—though there weren't many options. The table was an old wooden dinner table for four seats, pretty close to each other.
"Expecting any other guests?" Matthew playfully asked.
"No, today it will be just us," she replied. "In all honesty, this one was also last minute," she let out, giving a small chuckle. They continued chatting while Mary took off her apron.
Time passed, and the two enjoyed their meal together, with some chatter in between in an attempt to get to know each other. Matthew couldn't remember the last time he had felt this well-fed off of home-cooked food. He looked toward Mary, about to give his thanks before leaving again to his own apartment. But before he could, Mary interrupted the steady silence.
"Thank you," she murmured softly.
"I really appreciate what you've done for me," she said, sounding as if there were tears in her eyes.
"No, Mary, you don't need to cry. In all honesty, I'm the one who should be moved. You're the one who made all this delicious food for us."
"Thank you, Mary, for this," Matthew said, with a blush on his cheeks, embarrassed with a little feeling of humiliation.
"No, Matthew, I think you have it all wrong. This simple feast I made was just a celebratory meal. Honestly, what I'm thankful for is you, Matthew," she said, her smile shifting from warm and welcoming to one of twisted, unnerving joy.
"What do you mean...?"
"Oh, nothing much. You're just my savior, my knight in shining armor."
"Finally, I can leave this cursed world and travel beyond the world's borders. Maybe we will be taken to a world where we can truly become strong. Wouldn't that be amazing?" Her smile had completely changed to a twisted display of sadistic joy. The woman he had imagined was gone in the blink of an eye.
"What the hell?"
"What are you even talking about? Let me out of he... r..." he said before getting cut off as his body fell to the ground, limp. "What did you do to me?" he said, his voice growing weaker by the second.
"I couldn't thank you enough, but you should thank me too, you know. I'm giving you a way out, too," she snarkily said.
"I'm giving you the opportunity to take the world and make it your own, and actually live life. It's not like this life where living can even be called living."
"Those eyes... you just aren't ready to understand yet, I guess. If you survive on the other side, maybe you'll see what I'm talking about," Mary said as she walked closer to Matthew's fallen body. With his last bit of strength, Matthew looked up at her, or at least tried to.
"Other... si.d..."
The world went black, but before it did, a single thought appeared.
"This can't be the way I die."
With that single thought, a white light appeared in the distance. Maybe this light was hope. No, it definitely was hope.