The atmosphere had grown nauseatingly thick at this point. All he could hear from within the candle-lit corridor was a murmur of menacing laughter that echoed from all around at every angle. With his heart racing and adrenaline rushing, he forced his frozen body to turn into the darkness and sprint past the voices that called him back in hopes to escape. Sweat ran down the side of his face as he picked up his speed and desperately tried to remember his way out of the labyrinth of hallways he was trapped in.
'Stairs,' he remembered as he turned a corner in hopes to find what he was looking for. The whispers of cold laughter continued to grow louder and louder. He bit his lip to force himself to keep from screaming and then finally spotted his way out. Not anticipating anything else, he descended the flight of steps, spotting a dim light emitting from the lower floor at the corner. He pushed himself off the wall as he kept running as fast as he could and sped down the steps, but carelessly missed a step and tripped, landing face first on the marble floor.
It took a moment for him to gather himself. Slowly lifting his head, he saw shadows of people's feet in the corridor down to his right. Once again, fear took him over and urged him to get up and find an exit. He kept running, not looking back to answer the calls.
But it was so enticing...
After making a few turns down and around the dining hall, he finally reached the lobby. The checkout area was vacant and looked completely dusted and unattended to, almost as if no one had been there for years. He paid no further mind to it as he spotted and crashed into the exit he had been searching for.
He anxiously pushed at the doors, trying to pry them open, but the heavy doors wouldn't budge. He cursed loudly and began to push the doors with his shoulders, using all his might, but still to no avail. Desperate for escape, he began pounding at the door and calling for help as if someone from the outside world could save him.
"Sasuke..."
The laughing and menacing voices were getting closer. The oh, so mystifying sounds of what once was a world of everything he ever wanted had transformed into a realm of despair. His fearful eyes looked back at the empty lobby.
There, he saw the candle on the front desk was lit, the one that was lit when he first checked in. The flame danced around lightly. It was giving off that welcoming aura he felt when he first saw it. His eyes were drawn into the dim light, and in response it flickered. 'The damn thing is teasing me,' he thought sourly.
But then again, who wouldn't be tempted? He sure as hell was.
A shadow of a hand grabbed the candle by the handle, lifting up the light that he was drawn into. It took him a while to notice someone was there with him. His gaze shifted to meet that of the other person. He was greeted with those familiar red eyes he had been seeing in his nightmares while staying at the hotel. Oh, who was he kidding; this whole damn place was a nightmares.
The strange black markings in the red eyes began to spin idly around the pupils. Suddenly, the laughing and chattering voices once again grew soft, humble, and welcoming. Shadows of familiar people stood around the red-eyed man, who also began to take form.
He was the owner of the hotel. He was the one who served as a companion on the nights Sasuke ate alone. He tried to remember his name, but nothing could come to his mind. All the conversations they had and he couldn't remember his name. Their conversations were quite strange at first, and before he knew it, he began sharing his personal background to this strange red-eyed man. For some reason, telling him everything felt right.
'What a fucking mistake...'
The red-eyed man smirked and called his name again, this time less forcibly than before. Sasuke let out a heavy breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and slowly lifted his body away from the door he leaned against. All thoughts of escape and fear forgotten, he began walking over to the red-eyed man, drawn into the strange color. The whispers all around began to diminish, and soon, he was welcomed with silence amongst the shadows.
We are all prisoners of our own device.
His gaze momentarily shifted to the dancing flame of the candle. The familiar flickers of enticement made him feel at ease, and with a smirk and a quick glance at the red-eyed man, he began walking out of the lobby and down the dark corridor.
Welcome to the Hotel California.
A.N.: Trying something new. It's not a songfic, but it is based on the song "Hotel California" by the Eagles. Please review! (: