Chapter 4: The Masked Cleaner

Putting down my pencil, I looked out my window again. Just like yesterday, the sunrise is beautiful. As it's slowly coming up hues of reds, oranges, and yellows cascade through the sky. Constantly shifting as the minutes crawl. As pretty of a sight it is, I need to go to the gym again. I can't afford to get lax with my training. If Nichdtie couldn't be strong enough, then I'll need to get stronger. Maybe someday I can catch up to him.

'Though I guess because of me it'll be all the easier to match him.' Memories of home flood my brain. The sight of my old, rickety dresser in the corner of my room. The living room furnished with just a single couch and chair. Nights of sitting with mom and dad, sharing stories of our day and of their past. Nights of watching Nichdtie stare at the sky. Him never really seeing anything.

I was told he was very lively as a child. He never let the fact that he was a newt bother him. Since he couldn't fly, he ran. I heard the stories of how he ran faster than anyone in the village. He made the ground his freedom since the sky couldn't be. He made good of his life.

'Until I ruined it. Until I was born. If I wasn't born, he could still be happy. '

Knock knock knock.

'He could still be home with our parents. He would be living in ignorant bliss.'

Knock knock knock

'Never knowing that his wings were robbed from him. If it weren't for me-'

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

That is when I noticed the knocking at my door. 'Well that confirms that I still spiral. I need to remember to do the breathing exercises the chief showed me.'

That was what I thought as I went to the door to answer the knocking. The door opened with a slight creak to reveal a figure standing there. I couldn't tell if it was male or female because of the mask and robe it wore. The mask was a simple design, but confusing at the same time. The right half of the mask had the markings of a happy expression, but the left half showed sadness. The mouth looked weird as it curled up like a smile, but then curved down like a frown. The robe was more normal looking. It was a plain purple robe that made pulled over the top of the mask to cover their hair and shadow their face. Because of it I couldn't see any facial features behind the holes of the mask. I couldn't see any body shape either as the robe had no real form. It shifted constantly with any slight movement. A raspy voice came from the mask.

"Good morning, valued rider. I am here to see if you would like any room service." Going based on the voice, I'd guess that he was male.

I decided to respond. "I didn't realize room service was offered to the lower rooms."

The masked man nodded his head in agreement. "You are correct in that conclusion." Some creepy laughter interrupted his speaking. But as soon as it started it ended as he continued, "Ah, you are a special case. Your friends in the larger room paid some extra for me to come give you a hand if you required it." That explains it. They noticed I left and sent someone to at least check on me. That's nice of them.

"Well if they paid extra for your help, I don't see why not," I told him. I stepped to the side to let him in. As he entered I couldn't help but notice that he had a slight limp to his walk. 'Maybe that's why he works as a cleaning person.' Once he made it inside he swept his gaze around the room to find the areas that could use his assistance. He shuffled over to my desk and started wiping down the ink stains I left from my letter writing.

As he worked, he spoke, "So what brings you to riding the Merchant City Air Line?"

"I want to explore the world a little to share with my brother back home," came my answer. The man chuckled at that.

"Interesting, interesting indeed. I don't get the opportunity to meet someone not blinded by stories of wealth and success in the big city too often. It's a refreshing sight, I tell you."

"Thank you… I think. What about you? How long have you been working here?" I asked the man. By now the desk was sparkling from his efforts, so he moved on to picking up the trash off my floor. 'I know there isn't a lot, but I feel bad that he has to pick up any at all.'

"Ah, I've only worked here a few weeks. I actually just got out of training and can work shifts on my own." Despite talking he never stopped his work.

"I can see already that you are very good at your job," I praised him, but I just noticed how his hands and arms that come out of his robe are also covered by clothes. Not a spot of skin exposed anywhere. Curiously I asked, "I'm sorry if I intrude here, but why do you completely hide yourself beneath your clothes?"

After I asked my question, the man froze. He slowly turned to me and I could tell the eyes hidden behind the mask were staring at me. Before I could say anything else, however, he spoke. "Well that would be because I am horribly scarred." The raspiness of his voice disappeared for a little as he continued speaking, "There isn't a spot of my body that was left untouched. Marks up and down, side to side. I'm hideous. And I'd rather people not know what I really look like. I don't want to be pointed out in the future because people know what I look like."

Whatever answer I expected, I didn't expect that. I figured that it was that he was really shy. 'I feel sorry for bringing it up.'

"Huh," was all I could think to say. Thankfully he was the one to change the subject.

"So how do you know the young lady in room 54?" He asked.

"Oh, we met yesterday. I was working out when the younger sister asked me to run with her," I replied. The man seemed to shift a little when he heard that, but I could be wrong. The robe he's wearing is good at it's job of hiding movement.

He spoke up, "I didn't realize she had a sister here. I just knew the one guest with the pretty wings."

"So Cuuswin really did pay for this?"

"Is that the young lady's name? It has a nice ring to it," he commented. "Though I wonder what kind of job she has to have so much money."

Without thinking, I responded, "Oh, it's her father that makes the money. She's just making a delivery for him."

"That's interesting." After all this talking he finished his cleaning, but asked if he could sit for a little bit longer.

"Of course sir, you just take a minute to relax," was my answer.

"Thank you very much, young man." He moved to my bed and sat down. Although his shoulders didn't seem to relax at all. "What kind of delivery is she making?"

I hesitated here to make sure I didn't say too much. "Just a short one to a place in Merchant City, nothing extraordinary," was what I thought to say.

"Ah, I see." He takes a look out the window. It was one of the times the smog blocked the view. He then turns to me, "Well I should probably get going to my next spot. The sun is already so high up."

"How are you able to see the sun?" I asked.

"Through the window of course," came his reply.

I decided to walk to where he was and look at the window. 'Nope, still completely blocked from view. How in the world did he see it?' I thought. I reached out my hand to help him up as to not be too obvious with my window peek. He grasped it, and he had a very strong grip. Pulling him up was easy, however. He felt extremely light.

"I don't mean to get too personal, but when you mentioned your scarred skin, how did it become like that?" I asked him. Just like the last time, except in the middle of a step, he seemed to freeze. Slowly he turned to me.

His response, "I was unlucky to be born like this. You probably understand since you're trying to hide those extra wings of yours."

'What. What? What!'

I stare at him as he turns around again to leave once more. His raspy voice calls out to me as he makes it through my door.

"If we don't meet again before the ship lands, thank you very much for the conversation. I, for one, found it informative." And he left with that remark in the air. I just stood there transfixed on what he said. 'How did he know, how could he see?' The entire time he was here I had Nichdtie's wings pinned down so that no one could see them.

'But he saw them despite that.'

Judging from his words he also seemed pretty absorbed in his deformity. The only thing I said that affected him was when we talked about what was underneath his robe. Whatever his story is, it seems to be a pretty bad one for him. 'But at least he didn't steal it from someone. At least he wasn't born with a curse like me.'

I hope to meet with him again. I feel like he left a lot more questions than answers. First and foremost, how can he see past a wall of smog and clothes to see what's behind them? I look out the window again to find the smog almost gone. The parts that I could see show the bright sky shining under the blaze of the sun. It only took a couple of seconds before the last of the smog to disappear. Finally seeing the full picture, I saw that the sun was, in fact, straight up in the sky directly at noon. He was right. 'I don't want to think about it anymore. It's hurting my brain. '

Is what I'd like to say, but the question wouldn't leave my mind. No matter, now that he left I can finally hit the gym and get Nichdtie's wings a good stretch. Finally coming to a consensus, I started to leave for the gym. Once again I needed the map to find my way. This place is way too confusing.

End of Chapter 4

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