Being nothing else but a damp, the motel held no big expectations to begin with ; and yet, as it was the best Faith could do, a certain amount of peace was all she asked for. The concept was good at its core, and yet Faith’s new neighbor seemed to hold no understanding of it. He kept making a drunken karaoke right behind her wall  ——  all of which, after several knocks to the wall led Faith to his door.  ❛  Hey, asshole!  ❜  She banged loudly at the door.  ❛  Turn that down a notch, would you  ——  some people are tryin’ to watch something.  ❜

The world swayed and spun before the vampire’s eyes as he let another empty bottle tumble from his grip. The previous ones found resting places in pieces after he chucked them haphazardly across his motel room, so this latest bottle should consider itself lucky. He’d sung himself hoarse to keep his mind off why he’d gotten positively hammered in the first place, but now he was feeling despair and crushing heartbreak ready to swallow him whole again. His head fell into his hands as he sat on the edge of the bed. The banging at his door ricocheted in his skull and he groaned. What was that bitch yammering about?

“Would you like to make paper snowflakes with me? You’re going to help me clean up the mess, though!”

“You’re the worst at wrapping presents, do you want me to wrap them for you?”

“Come on, it’s Christmas! Cheer up!”

“I just want to make someone else’s Christmas special.”

“You should treat every day like it’s Christmas.”

“You can jingle my bells.”

“I made you some hot chocolate!”

“What’s your favorite Christmas movie?”

“Christmas is far too commercialized.”

“Merry Christmas!”

“Do you believe in Santa Claus?”

“You, my friend, are a Grinch. A real Scrooge.”

“I’m not kissing you, no matter how much mistletoe we pass under!”

“Look… mistletoe!”

“I love to drive by the houses at night and look at the Christmas lights; lights are something I’ve never had the patience for myself.”

“Wanna help me bake Christmas cookies?”

“I can’t afford much for Christmas.”

“I’ve had enough of Christmas songs!”

“That’s the ugliest sweater I’ve ever seen!”

“What’s your favorite Christmas song?”

“I’ve always hated Christmas. I’ve always felt the need to buy something for everyone.”

“It’s snowing!”

“What’s on your wishlist this year?”

—  I see only reflections that belong to someone else … someone’s girlfriend, someone’s daughter, someone’s student, someone’s slave, someone’s victim -