Infinite Loop

Chapter 2 - The Setup

The sound of footsteps grabbed his attention as he heard a steady thud of leather soles on wood. Gradually the sound got louder, causing him to put his hand over his face as he tried to forget a pounding headache enveloping him. Then, the rhythmic plodding passed outside, and Warren caught the faint aroma of bacon waft by.

His eyes still closed; the man shifted his thoughts back to his new film performance. He could smell perfume, but it differed from the fragrance that was worn by the woman who killed him the night before. The scent, overpoweringly strong and cloying, struck him, and he shifted his face away.

Observing the world around him with his eyes closed, it was like the game he used to play as a kid. He took the time to take in observations about what was going on around him, his new reality. The ploy allowed him to accept his new reality.

No, I don't accept; I adapt!

Warren heard two quick raps on a door, followed by a mumbled conversation. Faint but distinct, he heard enough to know that someone delivered breakfast to a nearby room.

Apartment?

An image of a luxury apartment came to mind before the thought of food, along with the lingering smell, made his stomach rumble. While contemplating his surroundings, he slowly smelled the scent of ocean spray. Then, he felt a slow, subtle roll shifting his position in the bed.

At sea and on a ship?

Warren felt a quick panic fill him as he recalled becoming seasick on his first fishing trip with his dad. He hoped his stomach could manage this boat. He finally opened his eyes.

A tangled mess of blonde hair greeted him. He pulled away slightly and saw a certain feminine body lying next to him. A woman was on her side, her back to him. Both were facing the paneled wall, the small bed which barely held the two of them. He looked at the white pillow that cradled the woman's head, and he wondered who lay just a few inches away.

A morbid memory struck him, and he slowly lifted his head. Instantly, relief swept over him as he saw the woman's bare shoulders rise slightly when she took a breath.

That's good!

He did not need another corpse in his bed. That happened once before in his purgatory world. Framed for a murder, Warren ended up with a painful death by an electric chair. The agonizing memory quickly swept across his mind. He vowed that would never happen again, even if he had to slit his own throat.

A good hanging was better!

His mind agreed after comparing the two executions his characters went through in the past. It looked ugly but was surprisingly painless and basically instantaneous after you got past that abrupt drop. He could easily recommend such a death if one had to be executed.

The woman's slight snore brought him back to the present, and he grinned slightly. He noticed she was naked under the sheet; her dress and undergarment lay at the foot of the bed. Inspecting her from his vantage point, he could not see her face, but he noticed the blood red fingernails on her left hand on the pillow. She wore no ring, and he quickly inspected his own hand, letting out a sigh of relief.

That'll take care of the jealous husband or wife killing me scenario!

Carefully, Warren turned his body, realizing his waking libido pushing on his underwear. Awkwardly swinging his feet off the bed, he sat on the edge. Slowly, he stood up while watching the woman to avoid waking her. She grunted, then rolled over on her back, exposing her well-endowed breasts.

The stale smell of whiskey wafted from the sheets and assaulted him as he ran a thick tongue through an unpleasant tasting mouth. However, his bare feet noticed the soft fibers of the carpeted floor. He glimpsed the ocean outside the open porthole, confirming his suspicions. His head felt the pounding of tom-toms while his stomach carried the nausea of a hangover which he had no part in creating. The hangover apparently overrode the seasickness that initially concerned him.