"FROM THE HOTEL WINDOW" in "SHORTS"

You could see a lot from that hotel window. Sixth floor is high enough to cover the scenery in front of you.

How was it? It was beautiful. But I wish I hadn’t woken up that night.

It was still 3:00 am. I just could hardly wait for our next morning at six. Probably that was why I’d woken up too early.

I didn’t want to wake my friends up by turning on the light, so I slowly crawled to a walk in the dark. Thank God one of them had left the bathroom door open and its light on. I could reach the window without the risk of bumping into things and making a lot of noise.

I drew the curtains aside and looked outside. It was dark and deadly quiet. No one seemed to be around down there. There were only a couple of street lights on. Other than that, nothing.

My eyes strayed to the other hotel building across from mine. Dark windows reminded me of holes - or eyeless sockets. My friends say I watch too many horror movies.

Except that one window on the fifth floor. The light was on, the curtains open. I saw two people - a man and a woman - standing there, facing each other. They seemed to be arguing about something. They glared angrily and pointed at each other.

Probably just a couple on a spat during their honeymoon, I guessed. Just when I was about to go back to bed, the man suddenly grabbed the woman by the neck and tightening his grip around it. She was struggling and wincing.

He was choking her.

OH, NO!

Without thinking, I automatically grabbed my cellphone and dialed the local emergency hotline. Thankfully, an operator on-duty answered.

“I think I’ve just witnessed a murder,” I quickly half-whispered, standing by the window with my phone pressed against my ear. Thankfully, the operator took me seriously, because I watched that poor woman stop struggling and finally still, before he dropped her on the floor. I saw him heaving, his broad shoulders shaking.

After I described what I’d just witnessed - including the man and the woman’s descriptions - the operator asked for my name and location. After telling him, I heard him say:”Stay right where you are, Miss. Stay calm. Don’t do anything dangerous. The police will be there shortly.”

“Okay, please hurry.” Then I hung up. I nervously kept watch. The man was still standing there by the window. I didn’t dare wake my friends up.

About five minutes later, I looked down and saw a police patrol car cruising into the hotel car park. Then I looked back at the window, making sure the man hadn’t run away yet.

He was still there, obviously looking down at his victim. He was smiling.

Then something happened, which I just couldn’t believe my eyes.

The woman got up, with the help of the man. They both stood grinning at each other when another person turned up in my view, carrying a video camera and aiming it at them.

Oh,no. What have I just done?

R.

(Jakarta, 11/9/2014 - from The Couchsurfing Writers’ Club Meeting @Anomali Cafe, Setiabudi One, from 8:00 - 11:00 pm. Theme: “Hotel”.)

(This is a “Rear Window” parody.)