Behind the door I heard rustling. I was expecting the sound of at least a few locks but the door instantly opened. I jumped slightly. Standing in the doorway was a tall bear nonferal. His face had white and rust orange markings like that of a mountain dog. He had a broad chest and a simple shirt along with jeans. One of his large eyebrows raised as he looked down at me with a smirk. A tinge of spite hidden in his tone, “So what’s your triggers?”
The sudden remark left me quiet for a moment while trying to gather my thoughts, “-Uh. I was- what?”
He leans in inches from my face and smiles as I take a step back, “Triggers. You know. What makes you ugly cry? Maybe you’re insecure about your height? Feel like everyone around you notices it's raining before you do?”
I only look more confused as I respond, “Uhm… I’m here for a room?”
He huffs and stands back up right as he folds his arms. He sounds a bit irritated, “Great. Not a snowflake. I’m Wendell. The rent is 200 on the first of the month. You make the mess, you clean it up or I will clean it with your pelt after I skin you alive.” He then spits on the doorstep. Wendell turns and walks back inside, leaving the door open.
Hesitating a moment I quickly followed in to catch up with him, being sure to step over the spit on the ground. I spoke up to ask a question, “Why only 200?”
They head in through a short entryway before reaching a line of numbered doors. He slams a hand on door 4 and looks down at me, “Here’s your room and no I will not add locks to any of the doors. Fuck off and sleep your pathetic life away.”
The slam on the door makes me jump slightly as the end of his smile curls a bit. He chuckles as his hand slides off the door, “Loud sounds. Got it.” He turns and walks towards the first door, “Hope I don’t see you tomorrow.”
He slams the door behind himself, rattling some picture frames on the walls. I jumped a bit again and sighed. Another door creaking open for a moment only to peek outside at the sounds and myself before closing again. I took another moment to look at the surroundings now that I had time. The inside of the cabin was just as rustic. Its walls had the same sealed wooden logs along the entryway that was connected to each of the doors. Adjacent to the entryway was a more narrow room split in half with a simple kitchen and small bar. Past that was the final room, a large spacious livingroom with the antler chandleir dangling in view. Most of the livibgroom was hard to see from the other side of the kitchen, so I went to my room.
The door opened without even a creak. The walls were covered in intricate wall paper and the back wall was part of a large glass window looking out into the treeline of pine trees and bushes, leading into the woods away from town. The room itself only had a wooden bed, a wardrobe, and an empty shelf. The only light in the room was from a nightstand with a lamp whose base was made of resin antlers.
I closed the door behind myself and went towards the bed. Its blankets were plush and well cleaned. Though with the luxury building and bedding, the cheap price only made less sense. I climbed into bed and pulled the string on the lamp to shut it off. Even the pullstring on the lamp was next to silent.
Was it the cranky owner? Surely that’s not enough alone to make a place so cheap. I had seen even expensive places back at home have the crudest landlords and still get income.
I tossed a bit in thought before I managed to sleep. My dreams were a strange veil of confusion in the air, meshes of pointless colors. A hint of something lingering and waiting behind it as if it had a purpose. The lodge around me being dead quiet, only the sound of bugs making it into my thoughts.