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– The Inn

The inn was old and the wood around it was stained yellow from so many years of smoke. Despite being old, its exterior was painted bright green, though it wasn't quite green enough to hide the blackened marks on every surface that it had passed through over the years of neglect and abuse.

As soon as I stepped into it for what would hopefully be my last time, however long it may take, I found myself wondering if I'd really made the right choice – going back there after everything that had happened between me and the woman who now slept on the other side of those walls. But at the same time, the desire to see her again outweighed all the pain she might cause me, so I kept walking, through the rooms and up and down the stairs, until I finally reached room number four.

It was dark inside when I knocked gently on the door, but the light didn' come out immediately. I stood there waiting patiently for my eyes to adjust. There were a few books on top of the dresser beside the bed, most of them written by someone else but one with a bookmarked page, and I could make out that there was also a small table next to the bed where a candle burned. As I turned towards the window to look outside, the light flickered once and died. For a moment I thought about turning away, but I knew I couldn't. Not yet.

She came into the bedroom wearing only her shift.