Emosplize City [editing]

Trouble In Black

The elevator had stopped and blacked out. Inside was silent and all that could be heard was Levin's breathing along with Esther's even though she was trying to hold her breath only to let it go after a few seconds.

"Is this normal? " She finally asked as her strained my eyes in the dark to see him.

"Um Yes, well sorta it usually lasts for about five minutes, " He said with a fake chuckle which sounded more like a cry for help to save him from an awkward situation. 

"Why does it happen? " She asked as she leaned on the cold elevator walls. Just as he was about to answer the elevator shook violently and the lights flicked back in then off. Esther lost her balance and fell to the floor. "Ouch! " She exclaimed as her body hit the floor.

"Are you okay? " He asked as he rushed to help her up. "Its the power drain. Every day, at least three to four times a day all the power goes for some minutes." He explained.

Esther pushed herself off the floor and stood up to listen to him talk. The lights suddenly came back on and the elevator started to move at its usual pace once again. The doors opened to reveal an empty hallway with white and blue wallpaper. The doors were painted in a grey colour and each had a code on them.

Levin walked out of the elevator holding her bag: while she followed him to a door which had the code V4-67-73 .

He placed the bag on the floor and leaned forward a bit before placing his eyes near to a little black pad. A soft hum coming from the pad then it beeped three times and the door unlocked. The first thing that ran through her mind was 'what the key was for?' since he didn't need it to open the door.

He smiled at the younger girl and carried the bag inside. Esther walked in and saw a kitchen on one end and then the other had a single couch, tv and a window. There was a small hallway with three doors. She continued to walk down the hallway and opened the first door, it was a bathroom: small and a bit old and dirty. There was a mirror by the sink and a light blue shower curtain which was ripped at the bottom.

The next door had a bedroom with a bed against the wall and a small table with an empty glass and some pills on it. There was a wardrobe next to the table. It was closed and a dark shade of brown. She made her way to the window and looked outside, it was almost nightfall. And there were still people working in the field across the road and the factory lights were still on.

Esther walked out of the room and then went to open the last door. She turned the doorknob but it wouldn't open. Out of curiosity she tried once more and attempted to push it since she assumed that maybe it was just stuck at the moment.  

"Looking for something? " Levin asked as he walked towards her and leaned against the door that she was trying to open. "You know usually when you go to a house that's not yours, you don't go snooping around."

"I..I am sorry, " Esther said, "I was just. ... I mean I am going to live here for the rest of my life, so.. I just though.."

"Well yes but its still my place, " He said cutting me off. He looked down at her and immediately her heart started to race and her palms started to sweat a bit, it was clear that she was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. So one could imagine the joy she felt when the whistling of the kettle interrupted them. He looked at her then left and walked into the kitchen.

She proceeded to walk into the kitchen and observed Levin as he took the kettle down and poured some water into two cups with tea bags. He placed the kettle back on the stove and then mixed some sugar and milk in the cups.  He stirred the liquid and then he walked over to where she stood before handing a cup to her. 

"Here, you can sit on the couch there," He said as he sat down.

"Sure, thanks. Umm I think I need to change first. " Esther answered back as she placed the cup on the table.

"Okay. Well Let me get you your stuff." He walked past her and into his room, after a while he came back out and threw a towel at Esther. "Here."

Esther hurried to the bathroom and showered quickly. When she was finished, she opened the bathroom door quietly and looked down the hallway before quickly running across and almost ~ yes almost sliding right into the bedroom door.   Esther turned the knob and entered in his room. She  locked the door and changed into a T-shirt and a short pants.  The nineteen year old girl sat on the bed and looked around the room.  She was supposed to be here with another female guardian and they were supposed to teach her for about two weeks before sending her out to live on her own and be paired up.  But this wasn't the life that Esther wanted, however, it was all that she knew. Every day of her life she would dread this day and finally, she did it..  after nineteen years she was sitting in her new home missing her parents.  No one told her much about the system, they only thought them the basics in school and her mother would always say 'knowledge is power.' Maybe that's why they never explained much to her about the way the government ran the vicinities.

After a few more minutes, Esther walked out of the room and over to Levin before sitting down on the couch. He glanced at her. "Is everything alright? "

"Yes..."  her voice trailed off before she spoke up again, " And I have a question, where is my other guardian? " Levin was silent for a moment. He then looked at me and back at the tv.

"She is gone. " He answered simply.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to.. "

"Its okay, " He paused and got up "I should be heading to bed now."

"Oh. But where I should sleep for tonight,"

"On the couch until I get your bed ready." He said as he walked into the kitchen and emptied his cup in the sink.

I nodded and watched as he left for his room, I heard his door slam shut and locked.  How could he know he was going to get a new trainee and not have a place ready for them to sleep? Esther rolled her eyes before laying down on the couch and looking up at the ceiling.  Levin didn't even bother to leave her with blankets or a pillow.  Not that she really needed it since it was hot right now.  The sound of the tv was soft like a hum, however, she really couldn't fall asleep yet.  Afterall she was in a new environment with a new person.  Her mother warned her to be cautious of the man she was staying with and to stick closer to the woman ~ but how could she do that when the woman was nowhere to be found?