~~ • ~~
A few days had passed since the festival.
Life had returned to normal.
No stages left to build.
No sudden shifts in the schedule.
No early morning phone calls from Bardy.
Just long summer days.
And an endless, oppressive heat.
_
Midday.
The sun beat down relentlessly.
Its harsh light pierced the thin apartment curtains, bleaching the wooden floor a stark white.
The windows had been wide open since morning.
The front door, too.
But only the faintest breeze drifted in.
Nowhere near enough to chase away the stifling heat trapped in the room.
The apartment was cheap, after all.
Dirt cheap.
And, naturally...
It had no AC.
I was sitting in front of the TV.
Wearing a thin t-shirt and long track pants.
Why? Because I didn't own any shorts.
In front of me.
An old electric fan rotated sluggishly.
The drone of its motor hummed endlessly.
*Whirrr...
*Whirrr...
*Whirrr...
It produced a breeze.
But it barely helped.
Beside me.
