Three

I waited for a few long seconds and then started moving towards the door. I slowly opened it and when I looked out, fearing to see those red eyes again, all I could see was the empty hallway. Suddenly, when I had almost slammed the door shut, I heard something. I reopened the door and look down, to see Elena sitting there. “E-E-Elena?! What are you doing here at this hour? Is there something wrong?” “Hey David.” is all she said when she walked in. Still scared I looked into the hallway and when I saw nothing I closed and locked the door behind her. I followed her into my small living room and asked if she wanted anything to drink. She didn’t want any. I sat down on my favourite comfy chair next to the couch on which Elena seated herself, I quickly glanced outside, but again, nothing.

A few silent moments later I heard her twitching uncomfortably, so I turned around and for a moment I thought to see those red eyes again. Scared out of my mind I almost jumped up, but it was already gone. She gave me a strange questioning look, but I decided to ignore her. Oh, hell! Why was it that she always managed to show up on these moments! Why couldn’t she just have visited during the day? What made her visit me this late at night anyway? What could have happened? The last time she visited it had been this late as well. She came to me, crying because of her ex-boyfriend who had dumped her or something like that. Why was I always the one she came running to when there was something wrong?
While I was absorbed in my thoughts, she suddenly started to say something. “David? C-Can you do me a favour?” Again!? Was all that crossed my mind, but I couldn't let her down, not now anyway. “Of course I can! You know I would go through the fires and flames for you!” I said and she started to blush. Shyly she asked me if I would lend her some money because her boss could, once again, not pay her wages. “Well I don’t have that much spare money these days either, but I think I can provide you with enough to come around for another month. You have to promise me one thing though Elena. If they cannot pay your wages next month, you must demand what you’ve earned and look for a new job. This can’t go on forever just because you like to work there. Does that sound reasonable?”

Two

I had a rough day. Seemingly happy I helped all customers with a friendly smile, but I felt like crying. Just before work, I went through the freezing cold to visit my mother. I had to ask her for a favour again. The coffee house in which I have been working since I was 18, was in deep financial trouble, but I could simply not quit the job: I would probably not be able to find a new one, and, the shop had been such an important part of my life that I could never voluntarily throw that away. The owner, Jessica, told me yesterday that the wages would be somewhat later than usual (as usual). I haven’t had any salary for three months now, but it would be too hard on me to make a fuzz over. This is why I had to ask my mother if she could borrow me some money for another month, and this is why I felt tears burning in my eyes the whole day. She told me she had difficulties to pay her own bills at the moment, due to the crisis. I felt I could not make life any harder for her at this moment, so I decided not to ask her for anything. I went to work, was nice to everyone, and tried to come up with a solution.

When I was finally home at half past 9, I lay down on my couch to watch TV, hoping some kind of solution would offer itself via the flashing screen. I fell asleep and dreamt of people in uniforms coming to my door and kicking me out of the house, without giving me time to pack my stuff. I started awake and decided that this time I would have to ask David to do something for me one last time. I had asked so much of him already, but he was my best shot at the moment. It was getting quite late already, but I decided that I would see if his lights were still on and then just ask him. When I got to his building, I was just in time to see him walk away from the window. I went to the 3^rd floor, knocked on his door and waited.

One

It was a cold and rainy night in November. I woke up with the strange feeling that I was being watched. To soothe my mind I looked out of my window, providing a view over my neighborhood. Gazing through my window I suddenly saw a man appearing out of the shadows in the alleyway under my windowpane. He was staring at me, and I stared back at him. There was something odd about him. Then I suddenly realized what it was, I was staring into glowing red eyes.  Directly backing off the window I reconsidered if what I had seen could have been real. “No this can’t be real,” I said to myself. "It must have been an illusion.”

Drawn back to the window I carefully looked outside again hoping that he was gone, and he was. I sighed deeply relieved that he was gone when all of a sudden I heard a hard knock on my door. Could it be him? No he certainly must have been an illusion. Then who else could it be at this time of night?