Permanent Resident: A Short Psychological Thriller: An Unpredictable Short, #1

By Rusty Ellis

She knows what Teena's done. She's willing to keep Teena's secret, never abandon her, and protect her to the end. They want Teena back.

Teena Pierce is enjoying her time at a hotel and spa when she notices her surroundings changing. Pieces of her world begin to unravel, one strand at a time. The more she learns about the hotel and her stay, the closer the pain of the past and what she's done returns. 

They claim to want her to "get better." 

Her closest friend and constant companion is willing to overlook what she's done. More importantly, to protect her from reentering their world and suffering from her past.  

This short story is part of An Unpredictable Short series by author Rusty Ellis. Follow the journey down the rabbit hole and try to discover the ending before it finds you!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rusty Ellis
• Release date: Oct 26, 2018
• ISBN: 9781393029250

Rusty Ellis

Rusty Ellis is the eldest of seven children born to Paul and Shari Ellis. He grew up living in a number of different cities, due to his father's career in the U.S. Air Force. Rusty has lived in California (where he was born), Utah, Florida, Alaska, Virginia, Idaho, Wyoming, and in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he now resides.  Rusty met his wife in Rexburg, Idaho, while attending college. The two were married a short time after (six months later!) and have continued to date and court to this day. Rusty and DaLea have six children, five daughters-in-law, one son-in-law, and eight grandchildren (with two more on the way).  DaLea is employed as a Realtor and Rusty retired from active law enforcement duty in 2018.  Rusty wrote his first book in 2005, The Blank Slate. He is currently working on a Crime Series around his character Ransom Walsh.  Rusty publishes short family stories and articles on his website (rustyellis.com) and on Medium.com. He enjoys spending time with his family, his two dogs, hunting deer with his friends, and riding his Victory motorcycle.

Book preview

1

Reality is that part of the imagination we all agree on.

Unknown

The colors on the walls of my room are, well, odd. Bright oranges and greens surround me. The ceiling suffers the same fate. I lay on my bed, staring at the symphony of colors—bizarre, but strangely comforting.

I can’t remember who recommended this hotel—or how long I’ve been here. I wonder if they found the same comfort in the decor. I need to take the time to thank them, if and when I remember who recommended this place.

I can’t help but smile at the thought of this small act of kindness. Kindness seems flighty in our world. Too many times supplanted by ridicule and judgement.

I draw the covers up to my chin and watch the colors on the ceiling as they dance for me. A loud voice echoes through the wall behind the headboard; yelling. For all the loveliness of my room, the walls are paper thin. I wish the owner would have spent a little less money on paint and put a little more money toward insulating the walls of the rooms.

The people on either side of my room are boisterous. I can almost see my colored walls rattle and vibrate when they argue (they don’t always argue, though). You can hear them commenting on their rooms, relationships, the food at the hotel restaurant, and the hotel staff; which doesn’t make sense to me. The hotel staff seem to go above and beyond their duties in assuring my comfort from morning to night.

My stomach growls. The glowing clock on the nightstand reads—7 a.m. I should get up and go to the restaurant to eat, but the comfort of the covers keeps me from venturing. The onset of winter has suppressed the morning light from flooding my room too early. Though I prefer to be woken up by the sunlight filling my room, summertime seems to push the boundaries of first-morning light a little too much for my taste.

Shadows pass from the hallway under the gap of my door. I can hear the shuffling of feet in the corridor just outside my room.

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