Chapter 5 - The Dark House
By the time David rushed home from work, the sun had already set over the skyline.
He stepped off the elevator and found his condominium completely plunged into absolute, pitch-black darkness.
"Claire? Why are all the lights off?" he called out, using the flashlight on his phone to navigate.
Claire was sitting on the expensive leather sofa, crying hysterically, surrounded by unlit designer candles.
"The power company shut everything off! They said our account was canceled this morning!" she sobbed.
"And the water isn't working! I can't even flush the toilets, David!"
David nervously loosened his tie, frantically scrolling through his banking application on his phone.
The hidden account that magically paid their bills every month had been completely closed and wiped clean.
"I don't understand. The money is just gone," he whispered, a deep sense of dread washing over him.
"Call your useless mother!" Claire shrieked, her perfect makeup running down her face in messy dark streaks.
"She probably screwed up the paperwork because her brain is turning to mush!"
David dialed my old number, his heart pounding against his ribs, expecting me to answer with a pathetic apology.
Instead, he was met with a cold, automated robotic voice echoing through the speaker.
"The number you have dialed is no longer in service," the machine stated blankly.
David dropped the phone onto the coffee table, the glowing screen illuminating his terrified, pale face.
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For the first time in his arrogant, selfish life, he realized he was completely and utterly alone.
His mother was gone, the money was gone, and the dark, freezing condominium felt like a prison.
