The room smelled similar to the maroon conference room at the Shinra Headquarters. The bed, too, was covered in maroon. Rufus conjured up his father's presence whenever the shade of red was around him. It trapped him, even now, as it did in the mansion, and as his father did after his mother's death.

Rufus had stolen the homeless man's money twice to pay for a room he would not leave except to steal money again. In the day, he would leave the blinds closed and sleep. At night, he would stare at the window and try to remember every day of his life up until the day he should have died. The teardrops had already formed a small stain on the wooden ledge of the window.

On the third night, the homeless man was found dead behind the tavern. The statue in the center of town was missing its plaque.

Since the hotel was no longer an option, Rufus took home in front of the tavern. Assuming he was the new homeless man, townsfolk threw money at him, spit at him, and treated him like a cute, but smelly puppy. A stranger threw a cigarette to him.

"You look like you could use that. Have a light." The man tossed a metal lighter to Rufus, and sat down next to him. "What's your story?"

Silence.

"I lost my son. He died in a car accident delivering groceries to some mansion just left of nowhere. It probably happened about four years ago, but I'm too drunk to think about it." The stranger stretched out his legs, bent one knee up, and rested his elbow across it. "How 'bout you?"

Rufus hadn't looked at him and sat awkwardly, trying to restrain his coughs between puffs. "I haven't played the piano in three days. I feel like I'm dying." He lowered his head and threw his cigarette at a passerby's foot.

The stranger snickered. "Want to go somewhere and play? It's late, but I can probably find something for you. Kinda queer, though, saying the piano keeps you alive or something." Rufus smirked, but happily. It was forced. He saw camera flashes in his head, and crowds of people shouting at him. It was that kind of a smirk.

"When you have nothing, keeping your mind from something is the only way to stay alive."

Both men got up. Rufus walked one way; the stranger walked another. They never made eye contact.

The sun was rising. The papers had been delivered to their proper place. The top headline read: "Innocent dies defending town heirloom."

Rufus left town that morning.