Cursed
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Joanne sucked in a deep breath. She raised her right fist, her knuckles about to knock against the hard wood of the bathroom door.
“Lawrence?” she carefully asked. She timidly knocked on the door. The wood was cold against her knuckles. “You okay?”
“Yes, yes, I’m fine!” he shouted from the other side of the door. “Don’t come in. Really. I’m fine.”
“You sure?” She fidgeted with her hands as the stared at the universal bathroom sign. “Do you need to lie down or something? You seem on edge.” Coffee was a bad idea.
“I just need a minute, please!”
Joanne chewed on her bottom lip. Her hand reached for the doorknob. The metal was cold against her skin.
“Are you sure everything’s alright?” she asked. She gave the knob a slight turn, testing to see if he had bothered locking it. Her lips tugged upwards in a smile when the knob turned with her hand.
“Yes, I… I’m fine.”
Silence. Joanne pressed her ear against the door, hoping to hear what Lawrence was doing inside. She heard the sound of the tap running and water splashing on skin and marble. She looked down the hall, to see if anyone was watching her. Satisfied that she was alone, she quickly turned the knob and slipped inside the bathroom.
Lawrence turned his wild eyes to her.
“You shouldn’t be in here.”
“I was worried for you.” She leaned against the door, both of her hands gripped onto the silver knob.
“Why? We only just met,” he said. He tightly gripped the off-white basin. Joanne could see his unburnt hands. She tilted her head to the left as she looked back into his eyes.
“I was worried.” Her hands slowly loosened from the knob and she took a step forward, until the knob was out of her hand altogether.
“Why?”
“I… I don’t know. I just am.” She licked her lips as she thought. Was it that he reminded her of something, something she needed to save? Protect, even? No, it couldn’t be that.
Could it?
“Well you shouldn’t be,” he snapped. He pushed himself away from the sink and towards the door. Joanne took a quick step out of his way, running her hips into the basin. She watched his reflection disappear out the door, leaving her alone.
“What are you hiding, Lawrence?” she asked herself. “What are you hiding?”
“Lawrence?” she carefully asked. She timidly knocked on the door. The wood was cold against her knuckles. “You okay?”
“Yes, yes, I’m fine!” he shouted from the other side of the door. “Don’t come in. Really. I’m fine.”
“You sure?” She fidgeted with her hands as the stared at the universal bathroom sign. “Do you need to lie down or something? You seem on edge.” Coffee was a bad idea.
“I just need a minute, please!”
Joanne chewed on her bottom lip. Her hand reached for the doorknob. The metal was cold against her skin.
“Are you sure everything’s alright?” she asked. She gave the knob a slight turn, testing to see if he had bothered locking it. Her lips tugged upwards in a smile when the knob turned with her hand.
“Yes, I… I’m fine.”
Silence. Joanne pressed her ear against the door, hoping to hear what Lawrence was doing inside. She heard the sound of the tap running and water splashing on skin and marble. She looked down the hall, to see if anyone was watching her. Satisfied that she was alone, she quickly turned the knob and slipped inside the bathroom.
Lawrence turned his wild eyes to her.
“You shouldn’t be in here.”
“I was worried for you.” She leaned against the door, both of her hands gripped onto the silver knob.
“Why? We only just met,” he said. He tightly gripped the off-white basin. Joanne could see his unburnt hands. She tilted her head to the left as she looked back into his eyes.
“I was worried.” Her hands slowly loosened from the knob and she took a step forward, until the knob was out of her hand altogether.
“Why?”
“I… I don’t know. I just am.” She licked her lips as she thought. Was it that he reminded her of something, something she needed to save? Protect, even? No, it couldn’t be that.
Could it?
“Well you shouldn’t be,” he snapped. He pushed himself away from the sink and towards the door. Joanne took a quick step out of his way, running her hips into the basin. She watched his reflection disappear out the door, leaving her alone.
“What are you hiding, Lawrence?” she asked herself. “What are you hiding?”
♠ ♠ ♠
This took me longer than I'd like to admit to write. It's only short because I wanted to get something else out sooner rather than later.And happy Halloween everybody!