• 5 hours.



    ----------------------------------

    rain soaked through to my skin.

    i forgot an umbrella and the weather man always seems to scheme against the public.


    i walk through the door and rush to peel off my sopping clothes.

    they reeked of cigarettes and wet dirt.

    i have been awake for 19 hours now.

    rummaging through a messy closet reveals a sweater too big for me and odd towel shorts.

    a cup of coffee and a stick of chocolate biscotti is my breakfast.

    i spent the whole night ghosting the city.

    ...exploring.

    i lean against the counter top and admire the fridge's pictures.

    smiling couple at a beach, a young woman standing next to her first car, pictures of Paris from last year are all held up by corny farm animal magnets.

    i wander through the rooms.

    toddler toys are littered everywhere and pictures of a happy wedding adorn the master bedroom.

    the house is stylishly furnished under a budget.
    a prominent blue theme.

    views from the window reveal a bustling, polluted, and noisy city on one side.

    but if you ran to the other side of the house, there would be the relaxing sound of the waves and a picturesque glimpse of the beach.

    i smile to myself while i searched through the drawers.

    bills... cards... children's artwork...

    jewelry.

    i put on the most expensive pieces and admire myself in the vanity.

    bzzzt.

    my clothes are dry.

    i put my own clothes back on and carefully replace the borrowed garments back in the closet.

    quietly washing the coffee mug and tiptoeing through the children's toys.


    i leave with one of their umbrellas.