[Illustration 04] Four-panel sequence: (1) A sock drops from a gap in the suitcase. (2) A shadow bends down and picks it up between two “fingers.” (3) The shadow holds the sock out to Ryan. (4) Ryan accepts it with both hands and bows ninety degrees.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzY0GphZ31j
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlxTccbuRU
────────────────── ⚜ ──────────────────38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZC79ky9ga
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2cXoxZcoB
Halfway down the corridor, Ryan noticed the portraits covering the walls. 38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBktOeosw2n
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsr3DzGIZ9
A gentleman in a shallow-tailed evening coat. A lady in a feathered hat. A young girl cradling a cat. 38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikcGIzp0f3
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWd6OIap23n
Beneath each frame was a small brass plaque bearing a name and a date:38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcZ2EcJkhv
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoguY3bzKN
Madam Dubois · 23.8.1926 — Checked in38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOhR4blyIx
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQMWKYNFHE
Ms. Whitmore · 23.8.1931 — Checked in38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcTWOB76Ik
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXEAQDAAml
Mr. Ashford · 23.8.1957 — Checked in38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBX90DDl0Q
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcceJJulAA7
Yet not a single plaque bore a check-out date.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5hyKzTYFM
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Mk1wyAq1V
The farther he went, the more blurred the faces in the portraits became. The newest ones had been reduced to little more than outlines, like chalk drawings left out in the rain.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmoFnMbJfib
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfoRbrAVDu
The final frame looked brand-new, its gilt trim still gleaming.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WEPQdKNxP
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYATWOGICyF
In the painting, a young man knelt beside a bed, packing a suitcase. One foot wore a shoe. The other was bare.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNbiSoCdzj
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡei0VByrcvJ
The brass plaque read:
Ryan Glenz · 23.8.2026 — Checked in38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbkPDo7vr6
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAccHYuWWm9
The face in the painting had already begun to blur.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8u9jRkffP
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieQJ5t8xLT
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gyQrehYDh
“…No. No,” Ryan breathed.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEy9pU4ONIo
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQU0gd5YqMb
After a pause, he added, as though arguing with the version of himself trapped inside the frame:38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWqp2ZaB5O
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufCJcthIiZ
“I have a cat waiting for me back home.”38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5IzPqZ17l
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJekGjjEG2
The bright red date remained fixed upon the brass.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAgtn0qNjw
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqttNkfoNWk
“Garfield's at home waiting for me.”38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UuNWTIZM0
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8uadEgVfr
He swallowed. His face turned paler still.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2SV8KUmGS
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlJ8vmM7fA
“And that premium steak I got on sale… --- Oh, hell. I forgot to put it in the fridge.”38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFe6tHrXLxt
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHg93nvPxyd
A brief silence followed.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQsa7RKe6k
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonpbhre4pw
“…It’s too late. Garfield’s probably eaten it by now. He definitely won’t leave me any of the steak.”38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqINQTtiN71
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lCYi0blL5
────────────────────── ⚜ ─────────────────────
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzH9c8DVzpr
BRRRRING—!38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqfNN0vXaI
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeolQlSrPT
This time it was not only Room 626.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsb70xqdDN
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6HprHdlRo
Every telephone in every room along the corridor rang at once.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0DXwnUaHh
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHzoTmjlln
Dozens of bells shrilled behind closed doors in perfect unison.
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvIWiXYWS0
At the same moment, the shadows moved for the first time.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5km8REYKg
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6r0DN6Kpu
They did not lunge at him.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwshItNVSr8
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfiI3sO6a5
Instead, they raised their arms as one and pointed past Ryan—38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRiSUh0Obt
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFRWmGW33L
towards Room 626.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloEnX0ylCU
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vyyASPNd9
Ryan understood only one thing: They had moved.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XCwHQF5XP
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZZwHJls0q
He heaved up the suitcase and ran.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ725RJBAfBs
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdhnAjrcDM
“Faster. Come on, faster.” 38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsySbkVVS2K
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecoxax3mcv
The words hammered through his mind in time with his frantic footsteps, while he continued pretending that this did not count as running.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqncpVnDRs
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyaYzlRoPS
And, of course, when he was only three doors away from the elevator, a white sock slipped through the opening of his unfastened suitcase.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfnhEzF22O
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpvwpuGuxE
For reasons known only to himself, Ryan looked back.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl31j762x3w
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvaQtQHIGB
That single glance nearly made his heart leap out of his mouth.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5C6zeqHIu
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Jia5v6cVd
────────────────────── ⚜ ─────────────────────
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaj5s8kEDNC
A shadow dressed in an old hotel uniform had stepped out from behind one of the doorways.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObtWnjBOVg
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGopG2KFjI
It bent down, picked up the sock between the tips of two fingers, and held it at arm’s length—as though it smelled appalling and might very well be contagious.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsCRt9aPqO
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvgVc1QzU4
Its hollow, glowing eyes moved slowly from the sock to Ryan.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBz2D16M85
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2am5SCOCa
It had no face whatsoever, yet Ryan could read the disgust in those eyes perfectly.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2loHJTpfW6
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLW8omOG74X
Nevertheless, Ryan held out both hands and accepted the sock as though receiving a sacred blessing. Then he bowed a respectful ninety degrees to the hotel employee.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbackqTx6Z5
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoclYM8MQTp
“Thank you so much.”38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23D2fxQTzC
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9JOFYcDUl
The shadow went rigid, visibly taken aback—as if no one had ever thanked it before.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIQw2bs2Gv
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1Uj2dN2iN
Ryan did not wait for it to recover.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFXdHpy2vn
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn7cLl7SQj4
He stuffed the sock into his pocket, grabbed his suitcase and sprinted away, his bare left foot and shod right foot landing alternately upon the carpet:38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTATTX2b1Hj
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTT3defBFn
Pff, tap. Pff, tap. Pff, tap.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiiTPa0V70
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bcgnkj7oh
Behind him, pair after pair of hollow, glowing eyes turned to follow him towards the elevator.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HXNPuBsuB
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pa0S8nwME
Ryan lunged for the call button and jabbed it hard.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAZQ1ypILb
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNLeLBLKom
Ding.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2X0RlX0jDP
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pyncX7Prw
No waiting.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA563uLtnUY
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUc90zwuBMq
No slow grinding of gears.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbW4Un0uPk
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jx9vGx3b9
The elevator was already standing there, as though it had been waiting for him. Its iron gate slid open before his face.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhNJ2FsKKT
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPruXxPSvgG
Inside his head, Ryan tore through the names of every god and holy figure he could remember, thanking them all at once:38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc45yfWcmsU
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW34nwZVOY1
“Oh! Dear God, Holy Mary, Buddha, Allah, Jesus, Hades—and whoever else is running this planet—you lot must have held an emergency summit today and passed a global rescue resolution just for me, didn’t you?38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2lSbFFwk5
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHD9eL2q3v9
When I get out of here, I swear I’ll line up portraits and statues of every one of you in my living room.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn29ZTYIOpF
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuE3XFbKTUx
I’ll even put Garfield on a vegetarian diet as a token of my gratitude.”38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7dOwuVRAR
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDD5If4QAdj
38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UeTIW2hLH
Author’s Note: Garfield is Ryan’s cat. And yes, he was named after that Garfield—mainly because of his appetite.
and then Add to home screen.