Rotten Secrets Part 2: The Message

CONTENT WARNING: Contains mature themes.

Sara watched the door to room 10, clicking her gel manicure against her teeth. The traffic on the roads began to swell; the sun had passed over her car, rousing the last of the afternoon workers for their start of shift. Hardly relating to this fact as she never worked a job outside of the 9-5 hours, nothing was currently of greater interest to her than who else was in room 10.

Her mind was swirling with curiosity, flicking through the memories of when Austin and his current girlfriend, Jen, were present at the last get together. Rewinding moments of their interactions, remembering his quick withdraws when Jen touched him, his absent mindedness, or his general flustered demeanour. Strangely familiar behaviour which her husband also had at the same party. Their identical air of concern had interested Sara at the time, but she heeded no concern, not knowing what was occupying their minds.

The recollection of her husband’s name suddenly brought her back to the present where her phone was ringing persistently, nestled in the folds of her purse like the cries of a swaddled child. She flipped open her bag and pulled out her device, scanning the list of messages she had missed, ignoring the current call. William’s annoyance at her silence quickly turned to frustration and rage. Listening to him scream at her over her voicemail, Sara grew numb at his violent words.

A sudden bang shook her from the onslaught of her husband’s verbal abuse. Reaching forward, she grasped her rear-view mirror looking to see if someone had backed into her, but she saw only the chain-linked fence at the other end of the parking lot. Her breathing slowed, she passed her fingers through the front locks of her hair, rolling her lips together anxiously. She drew her eyes to the street, the cars seamlessly flowing together, no evidence of an accident on the road visible from the motel.

Sara turned her head again to the door in question, contempt sneaking into her expression, jaw tightening and eyes narrowing. A known associate of her husband in the room where they were supposed to meet this stranger who had been plaguing them for weeks with possible extortion involved. Who else knew what she didn’t and how much longer was she going to be kept in the dark? Or was their stranger who had been demanding to convene them was a friend who was attempting to blackmail through anonymity?

Her phone rang again. She growl deeply, growing into a scream. Sara grabbed her phone and furiously typed in her husband's number to release an onslaught of her pent up rage and frustration, demanding a divorce among other things, but saw the new message wasn't from him. A deep anxiety trembled within her, followed by a wave of concern and finally anger and rage, causing Sara to jump from her driver side and slam the door, marching swiftly to room number 10; an intense visceral reaction sprouting from a message of 3 words:

I see you.