The inside went along with the theme of the door. The walls were a pale gray green. Randomly placed dark wood vines creeped from the ceiling and floor, as if they were threatening to overtake the room. The ceiling itself was a giant wood carving.
The floors were made of dark wood, with a large green rug, a few shades darker than the walls, covering part of it from its place under the bed against the far wall. There were, of course, wood dressers and whatnot that matched the floors.
It was bigger than any of the rooms he had ever stayed in, and decoration choices aside, it was pretty nice.
When Sin turned and peered at him expectantly, Cecil cleared his throat and stopped staring from the doorway and went in. Walking around Sin, he gently sat his backpack on the bed.
“I hope it is to your liking, but if not, there are plenty of other rooms for you to choose from.”
“Okay,” Cecil said, while he continued to eye his surroundings.
“I’ll leave you to settle in. Dinner is at seven. With how easy it is to get lost, I’ll come get you. Of course, you are welcome to explore. Thisisyour new home. Though, just a quick warning, the doors with silver knobs are bedrooms. I ask that you please respect the privacy of those who also live here and do not invade their space.”
Cecil nodded. Sin stood there staring at him, as if trying to figure something out. The man’s quiet observation didn’t last long and soon he nodded, set Cecil’s suitcase down, and left.
Sin disappeared down the hallway and walked through—big surprise—a door. Because Sin had mentioned it, Cecil examined the many doors in the short hall. The knobs were a mixture of gold and silver.
While he would probably still get lost, at least it would be easy to tell which doors led to another part of the house. It was better than nothing, Cecil supposed.
Shoulders sagging, he sighed and closed the door. He should be happy. If things went well, he wouldn’t have to worry about money for a long stretch of time. He wouldn’t have to fear ending up on the streets, or getting attacked by the people he robbed. Cecil should be happy, his life was finally turning around, so why wasn’t he?
Cecil snorted—oh, that’s right, no one in his short, miserable life had ever come through for him. The chances of this lasting were slim. Thoughts of what could happen had his muscles tightening.
Rubbing his thighs nervously, he paused when he felt the outline of a small square through his jeans. Sliding his hand into the tight pocket, Cecil pulled out what was left of the latest Drop. He felt awful that the poor thing had been left in such a way for so long.
Cecil hopped on the bed and grabbed his backpack. Unzipping it, he pulled out a two inch tall, nine inch by six-inch box. The wood was worn and scratched, but it held probably the only thing Cecil considered precious.
A leather belt buckled around the center of the box kept it closed. Undoing the belt, Cecil removed the lid. Inside were hundreds of small white squares, stained and speckled with splashes of reddish brown. Held in order by dividers, they were stacked in neat rows.
“Okay, Drop, it’s time for you to join the others,” Cecil said sadly.
Gently, he placed the square in one of the few rows that still had space. Cecil would have to find a new home for his many Drops soon. Maybe he could get a better box this time—one with an actual latch.
Replacing the lid, Cecil was about to wrap the belt back around it, but a thought had him hesitating. Could he leave it out? If he did, it could be a test on whether someone would go through his stuff.
Okay, Cecil would leave it out, but he would place the lid slightly off, so he’d know if anyone touched it. After setting it up on the dresser to the left of the door, he sat back down on the bed.
What should he do now? Cecil felt a bit lost as he looked around the room once more.
“Cecil,” Sin called out while he knocked on the door of the man’s room. “It’s time for dinner.”
After sounds of rustling came from behind the door, it opened. “I’m not hungry,” Cecil claimed, looking up at him.
Sin started to say that he really should eat, when his gaze zeroed in on the crumbs and what he thought was peanut butter on the young man’s face. Cecil must have noticed where Sin was looking because he hurriedly rubbed his mouth with his sleeve.
“I’m not hungry,” Cecil repeated, his cheeks slightly flushed this time.
Instead of reprimanding him for what was no doubt a habit, Sin peered past him. Peeking out behind the bed was Cecil’s suitcase. It was open, and he could just see the corner of a loaf of bread. It explained why Cecil had been so protective of it.
Gaze returning to the young man, Sin smiled. “Cecil, no one will deny you food here, or take it away. I understand your reluctance to trust us, but I would appreciate it if you would give us a chance, and in the future, have dinner with us. It is the one meal that we try to share together.”
Cecil was no longer meeting his eyes. He was staring at his feet. “I’ll think about it…” he mumbled.
“That’s all I ask. I will say, if you would, please be careful of crumbs.”
As Sin pulled on his coat, he wondered if today was the day Cecil would come out of hiding. The young man hadn’t stepped foot outside his room since arriving days ago. Sin was beginning to worry that Cecil had plans to run away.
The members that lived there had been disappointed, to say the least, when Cecil hadn’t joined them for dinner the first day, or the subsequent days after.
