CHAPTER TWO ⚜ DOWN THE RUSSET CORRIDOR (PART II)

[Illustration 04 ] Four-panel sequence: (1) A sock drops from a gap in the suitcase. (2) A shadow bends down and picks it up between two “fingers.” (3) The shadow holds the sock out to Ryan. (4) Ryan accepts it with both hands and bows ninety degrees. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3xsXZXOSp

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Halfway down the corridor , Ryan noticed the portraits covering the walls. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHsNMbruiw

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A gentleman in a shallow-tailed evening coat . A lady in a feathered hat. A young girl cradling a cat. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdpI8zuff1

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Beneath each frame was a small brass plaque bearing a name and a date: 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCCcNdzluS

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Madam Dubois · 23.8.1926 — Checked in 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29eU0BMYkO

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Ms. Whitmore · 23.8.1931 — Checked in 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26p6CWLjMX

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Mr. Ashford · 23.8.1957 — Checked in 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpN8z4coC5

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Yet not a single plaque bore a check-out date. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofCbbGnugZ

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The farther he went, the more blurred the faces in the portraits became. The newest ones had been reduced to little more than outlines, like chalk drawings left out in the rain. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3msaK1vEqP

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The final frame looked brand-new, its gilt trim still gleaming. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKK37dn7Eot

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In the painting, a young man knelt beside a bed, packing a suitcase. One foot wore a shoe. The other was bare. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbEFgOUAyn 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBOyOy8K46

The brass plaque read:

Ryan Glenz · 23.8.2026 — Checked in 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRZ26sAIVs

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The face in the painting had already begun to blur. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnj9CHBYFQ

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“… No. No, ” Ryan breathed. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu54ZfWzifU

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After a pause, he added, as though arguing with the version of himself trapped inside the frame: 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HqbzhvRck

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“I have a cat waiting for me back home .” 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRu05n94h8

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The bright red date remained fixed upon the brass. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0P9bRXbRj

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“Garfield's at home waiting for me.” 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7phJUj65Ve

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He swallowed. His face turned paler still. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12RrLsDdQ6

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“And that premium steak I got on sale… --- Oh, hell. I forgot to put it in the fridge.” 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcAbfKxqa0

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A brief silence followed. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRr6j2CDNg

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“ …It’s too late. Garfield’s probably eaten it by now. He definitely won’t leave me any of the steak .” 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvGGPtVym5

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BRRRRING—! 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHII19O29T

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This time it was not only Room 626. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dSYBNm6MS

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Every telephone in every room along the corridor rang at once. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZdfYnLHqJ

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Dozens of bells shrilled behind closed doors in perfect unison.

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At the same moment, the shadows moved for the first time. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDf5AWQQhS

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They did not lunge at him. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYftjfleiwB

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Instead, they raised their arms as one and pointed past Ryan— 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJKIpBpFEM

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towards Room 626. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GRslmNefn

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Ryan understood only one thing: They had moved. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xJj3TTFWK

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He heaved up the suitcase and ran. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7ZMwIivlL

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“ Faster. Come on, faster. ” 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXwWeC1yZv

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The words hammered through his mind in time with his frantic footsteps, while he continued pretending that this did not count as running. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGi8VIWZJq

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And, of course, when he was only three doors away from the elevator, a white sock slipped through the opening of his unfastened suitcase. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdepWI76yW

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For reasons known only to himself, Ryan looked back. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWousAPoGj

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That single glance nearly made his heart leap out of his mouth. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjn7Z9PhjJG

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A shadow dressed in an old hotel uniform had stepped out from behind one of the doorways. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrNgmqZwsw

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It bent down, picked up the sock between the tips of two fingers, and held it at arm’s length—as though it smelled appalling and might very well be contagious. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6u3YMaWvNo

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Its hollow, glowing eyes moved slowly from the sock to Ryan. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CLXIs4mEl

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It had no face whatsoever, yet Ryan could read the disgust in those eyes perfectly. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2W3GD6iwKa

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Nevertheless, Ryan held out both hands and accepted the sock as though receiving a sacred blessing. Then he bowed a respectful ninety degrees to the hotel employee. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpv2RB1oBr

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“Thank you so much.” 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡguQDxsJGy7

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The shadow went rigid, visibly taken aback—as if no one had ever thanked it before. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFyMUm0DzI

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Ryan did not wait for it to recover. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5gi9t6syo

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He stuffed the sock into his pocket, grabbed his suitcase and sprinted away, his bare left foot and shod right foot landing alternately upon the carpet: 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRg1pLdeqjj

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Pff, tap. Pff, tap. Pff, tap. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLm4v6bU51

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Behind him, pair after pair of hollow, glowing eyes turned to follow him towards the elevator. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfWHYv27D9

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Ryan lunged for the call button and jabbed it hard. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UvY3rEfZL

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Ding. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZR0M71tZoL

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No waiting. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoos1aGL6m

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No slow grinding of gears. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZJ46cvmf5

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The elevator was already standing there, as though it had been waiting for him. Its iron gate slid open before his face. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEl3Vq8gI3o

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Inside his head, Ryan tore through the names of every god and holy figure he could remember, thanking them all at once: 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOjRR2yCxV

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“Oh! Dear God, Holy Mary, Buddha, Allah, Jesus, Hades—and whoever else is running this planet—you lot must have held an emergency summit today and passed a global rescue resolution just for me, didn’t you? 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94b8VSLcrq

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When I get out of here, I swear I’ll line up portraits and statues of every one of you in my living room. 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4CPVd9vdr

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I’ll even put Garfield on a vegetarian diet as a token of my gratitude.” 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDI7DjCxDWX

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88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCNplc4pCn Author’s Note: Garfield is Ryan’s cat. And yes, he was named after that Garfield—mainly because of his appetite.

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