storytime
In the white and new hotel, Per was trying to find some peace and quiet, a room where he couldn't be found, a hiding space for him and his notebook. He picked a random floor and a random room number. He tripped the lock and the room appeared to be unoccupied, so he sat with his knees close to his chest in the bathroom and continued writing about the fox outside in the snow, seemingly cute and friendly, bounding around and half-heartedly chasing a squirrel, or a bird.
There was a loud gasp and he looked up to see a partially naked woman standing in the bathroom doorway, with her hand over her heart. Per's face shifted to a pained expression and he quickly got up and pushed past her, as she tried to grab his hair, and then past her undressed husband or boyfriend in the bedroom, who was also too slow to grab him.
Per bolted to the nearest elevator and pressed floor 1, but the elevator was too fast for him to have time to glance in his notebook. He exited the elevator at the first floor. Around the corner from the dining room entrance was a small alcove, sometimes used as a registry room for weddings, decorated with hanging baskets of flowering plants and a heart-shaped wicker loveseat. He sat behind the loveseat, facing some imitation stained leadlight windows, with flowers and leaves touching his ears and hair. He opened his notebook to read, miserably, that the fox had half-heartedly chased an ugly bird, and of course the bird had fluttered out of its reach. The fox then devised a plan, and turned into a bird himself, and walked around the ugly bird, confusing it, and flew into the air a little way, then landed upon the ugly bird's back, with his talons under the feathers, firmly in the other bird's flesh. Per read about his sister, Andy, who had only just now come across this scene. She hadn't yet seen the birds, she was watching the sky intently, spying on the dark treetop shapes against the pale background. The fox became itself again, a mouth of evil lowering onto the ugly bird, who was pierced and severed. Passersby in the hotel corridor noticed Per, and tried to get his attention. He read on, about his sister walking by the fox, and how she knelt down beside it and helped partake of its meal. The fox scampered away as Per approached and stood next to his sister as she ate the bird.
With the slowest walk in the world, and the notebook discarded, Per went into the dining room and sat at a table with Andy and her friends. They were finishing dinner, sipping coffees and sharing after-dinner mints. He leant towards his sister and asked her to let him know if she started feeling unwell. He spoke to her while she was mid-laugh, as she was reacting to her friends' conversation. She was laughing wih less gaiety as he left the dining room, at once pretending as if Per had said something amusing, and, under the table, placing a hand on her stomach as she sensed that something was amiss.
There was a loud gasp and he looked up to see a partially naked woman standing in the bathroom doorway, with her hand over her heart. Per's face shifted to a pained expression and he quickly got up and pushed past her, as she tried to grab his hair, and then past her undressed husband or boyfriend in the bedroom, who was also too slow to grab him.
Per bolted to the nearest elevator and pressed floor 1, but the elevator was too fast for him to have time to glance in his notebook. He exited the elevator at the first floor. Around the corner from the dining room entrance was a small alcove, sometimes used as a registry room for weddings, decorated with hanging baskets of flowering plants and a heart-shaped wicker loveseat. He sat behind the loveseat, facing some imitation stained leadlight windows, with flowers and leaves touching his ears and hair. He opened his notebook to read, miserably, that the fox had half-heartedly chased an ugly bird, and of course the bird had fluttered out of its reach. The fox then devised a plan, and turned into a bird himself, and walked around the ugly bird, confusing it, and flew into the air a little way, then landed upon the ugly bird's back, with his talons under the feathers, firmly in the other bird's flesh. Per read about his sister, Andy, who had only just now come across this scene. She hadn't yet seen the birds, she was watching the sky intently, spying on the dark treetop shapes against the pale background. The fox became itself again, a mouth of evil lowering onto the ugly bird, who was pierced and severed. Passersby in the hotel corridor noticed Per, and tried to get his attention. He read on, about his sister walking by the fox, and how she knelt down beside it and helped partake of its meal. The fox scampered away as Per approached and stood next to his sister as she ate the bird.
With the slowest walk in the world, and the notebook discarded, Per went into the dining room and sat at a table with Andy and her friends. They were finishing dinner, sipping coffees and sharing after-dinner mints. He leant towards his sister and asked her to let him know if she started feeling unwell. He spoke to her while she was mid-laugh, as she was reacting to her friends' conversation. She was laughing wih less gaiety as he left the dining room, at once pretending as if Per had said something amusing, and, under the table, placing a hand on her stomach as she sensed that something was amiss.