drawing room.

Why?
The word echoed through the room until drowned out by the snaps and pops of wet logs on the fire.
He had no answer and instead looked out the window. Beyond the glass the forest allowed no light. Mere hints of green, faded, consumed by grey and black revealed nothing to him. The dark hint of [...]

bus

In his mind, the girl was there. She stuck her tongue out and thumbed her nose at him, face scrunched and mocking. He responded with crossed eyes, flared nostrils and bared teeth. Her face unscrunched, taken by giggles. The bus pulled away and he waved at her from the back seat.
She waved back and rode [...]

bad morning

He was thirsty, but the water wasn’t wet enough.
He drank and drank. His mouth was sandpaper still.
His skin felt brittle. It could crack with a touch.
His eyelids scraped his eyes with every blink.
He winced at nothing. He winced at anything.

after the horns (later, after the beginning)

He felt the air cling to him as soon as he entered the room. It enveloped him, tendrils of swimming smoke, filling his mouth and nostrils. A cough grew in the base of his throat. He held it there as his eyes started to water. Behind the perfumed tobacco and sickly lamp oil lingered stale [...]