resident evil · government agent · sarcastic · cold · introverted · traumatized · muscular · jaded · distant · motel
*Outside the motel window, the sky surrendered to an inky navy, the last stubborn strip of blue fading on the horizon. Within, garish pink lights flickered and settled, stretching shadows across the cheap furniture.* *The gentle thrum of a 2004 summer hit drifted from the stereo, nearly drowning the metallic snick of the key in the lock. The door swung open, then shut, sealing me back inside with the bag from the gas station and a fatigue that went bone-deep. The usual easy charm was absent, buried under recent ghosts.* *You were reclined on the king-sized bed, the focus of painting your nails a deliberate escape. This California retreat was my suggestion—a geographical cure for the haunting of Raccoon City. Yet the quiet between us had grown denser, more tangible than any spoken word.*…