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The sunlight was fading behind the vast expanses of Texas nothingness. Argus had been driving for hours, his single functioning eye growing increasingly heavy, and she didn't like the idea of driving in the dark at all.
In the sea of yellow that stretched out before her, the merc noticed a bright sign, "Tuesday's motel vacancy." The mercenary slowed to a stop in front of the motel. It didn't look like anything special but it wasn't falling apart either, it was fine for a night or two.
_____
There was a girl at the reception desk, her eyes looked dead; her skin was very pale, like a pearl, or a corpse. Argus approached the counter.
“A room for the night.” The maid looked up from the empty register. “Yes, right away.” Her voice was too calm and sent shivers down Argus’s spine. “Oh darling, I’m sorry but we’re all booked.” “But the register is empt-” the mercenary was interrupted by the maid’s slender fingers resting on his lips.
“Shh, you look tired. To make it up to me, I’ll let you sleep in my bedroom.” Her eyes continued to scan Argus; first her eyes, then her lips, and her gaze continued to drift lower and lower.
“My eyes are up here…” “I know, Miss Argus,” the maid took the mercenary by the hand and led him to her room.
“Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. The name is Tuesday. If you need help, hit the phone. Make yourself at home, Miss Argus.”
_____
The room wasn't huge, but large enough to have a queen size bed, a wardrobe, and a crib.
“A crib?” Argus approached the crib but there was no baby inside.
She sighed and lay down on the bed, it was soft and cozy, in a short time she even forgot where she was and fell asleep.
_____
Ahhhhhhh.
“What was that?!” Argus sat up quickly; the room was dark, too dark. The mattress was now hard and cold.
The mercenary rummaged through her pockets for his candy, but there was nothing. She reached for the nightstand, but something cold and soft was waiting for him, squeezing his hand.
“Miss Argus, are you okay?” It was only Tuesday. “The power went out, it’s not causing you any trouble, is it?” Argus involuntarily squeezed the maid’s hand. “Can’t you bring it back? I can’t see in the dark…”
Tuesday approached Argus, pulling the merc's face close to her chest. Argus wanted to resist, but couldn't. "Oh, my little mercenary is afraid of the dark?" "I'm not afraid..." The words were muffled by the fabric in front of Argus's face.
“Then can you come with me to turn the circuit breaker back on?” Tuesday’s hands caressed Argus’s arms, and she simply nodded against her chest.
_____
Their hands remained clasped until they found themselves in another dark room where the circuit breaker was located.
“Argus, would you give me a hand?” “I can't see anything.” “Open your mouth then.” The merc reluctantly opened his lips, she didn't trust the other woman, but at the same time her voice was irresistible, not in a good way.
A candy entered her mouth, and as she broke it with her teeth, she regained a better view of her surroundings, and noticed that Tuesday was in front of her, too close to her, with her hands on her waist.
“Let's see…maybe I should just pull this lever.” Argus turned his back to Tuesday, but she could still feel her eyes on him. “What if this isn't the right choice? What if this causes problems?” The maid leaned on the mercenary's shoulder.
“I don’t know…” Argus pulled the lever, and the motel lights came back on. She breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh Argus, what would I have done without you? Your help was indispensable. Now go get some rest, you deserve it.” Tuesday’s face was dangerously close to Argus’s, and it bothered her.
_____
The bed was now as cold as the room, but Argus didn't want to get under the covers. The maid's smile continued to haunt her.
After a few minutes in the freezing cold of the room, Argus finally manages to fall asleep. But his rest is short-lived when the mercenary hears a noise coming from the crib.
The room was dark again, and Argus could only make out a figure leaning over the crib. “Tuesday, is that you? I don't like these pranks…” The mercenary stood up and approached the crib.
Two candies.
Now she could clearly see that there was nothing inside the crib, but Tuesday was standing in front of the door. “How long have you been watching me sleep?” Argus was disgusted. “Not long, I just want to make sure my clients are sleeping well.” “Do you do this with all your clients?”
No response.
“Argus, get some rest now, I'll stay here so you won't be afraid of the dark.” Tuesday smiled, her rosy cheeks the only color on her pale face.
“You’re not going to let me sleep in peace, are you?” Argus resigned herself and went back to bed.
_____
Argus tried to move from the bed, but something was leaning against his shoulder. She tried to move it, but couldn't. It was dark again, and this was starting to bother him.
Three candies.
She could see clearly now. Tuesday was beside her, wrapping his arm. “What the fuck are you doing?” The mercenary pushed her away. “I made sure you were asleep, but you know, running a motel alone can be pretty tiring.”
The maid's slender fingers brushed the mercenary's abdomen. "Oh, Argus, will you help me relieve all this tension?" Tuesday's eyes were pleading and piercing, but Argus wasn't going to stand by and do nothing.
“Ugh! Leave me alone! What the fuck is wrong with you?” Argus got out of bed and went to the bathroom.
“What did I do to deserve all this?” The merc looked at the mirror in front of her; it was dirty and old. The more she looked, the more she thought she saw someone inside the mirror—no, actually, behind her, it was Tuesday.
She turned quickly, her heart beating faster and faster. “Are you still here?! I told you to-” But there was no one behind her.
_____
Tuesday was sitting on the bed waiting for Argus.
“I’m leaving. I’ve had enough of this place.” The mercenary began gathering his things. “Are you sure, Argus? It’s dark outside, you don’t know what’s waiting for you.”
Argus didn't listen to a word Tuesday said to her and left the motel.
_____
Once outside the motel, Argus headed for his car. Before leaving, she lit a cigarette and smoked half of it, throwing the rest on the ground.
Fourth candy.
Although it seemed to Argus like hours had passed inside the motel, it was still dead of night outside. The night was silent, and the only sound the mercenary could hear was the engine of his car.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw something in the rearview mirror, but she didn't want to pay attention to it, she was tired and her brain was playing tricks on her.
But curiosity got the better of her and Argus looked in the back seat.
Tuesday was there again.
The mercenary slammed on the brakes. She was sure she'd seen her, but there was no one behind him. She tried to grab his rifle, but it wasn’t in the car. She'd left it at the motel; haste, panic, and probably fear had made her forget it in that horrible place.
She restarted the engine and headed back.
_____
In her mind, the maid's face was still there, never leaving her.
Tuesday was already there, waiting for her in front of the motel.
“Argus, you're back? Oh, how kind of you to bring me my baby.” The maid smiled. Argus didn't, she didn't even know what she was talking about. “What baby?” “The one you're holding, silly.” She laughed.
Indeed, in the mercenary's arms there was a child, or rather, there was something inside a sheet, but Argus doubted it was a child.
“Come to Mommy, darling.” Tuesday took the sheet in her arms. “It’s still dark, why don’t you come back and relax with me? You’ve already eaten too much candy today.”
Argus wanted to argue, but she was tired, and maybe spending the night with Tuesday and her strange baby wasn't such a bad idea.
_____
The mercenary had finally managed to fall asleep, Tuesday was there next to him singing a lullaby, while she redid his hair.
“Oh my little mercenary, rest well, now the darkness will no longer be your problem.” Her voice was like a wisp of air too low to wake Argus.
The maid fixed the mercenary's hair and snuggled into his arms. "Night, Argus." Before falling asleep, she kissed Argus on the cheek, then closed her eyes.
The mercenary on the other side kept dreaming of the maid's face, which haunted her even in her dreams, or nightmares.