4th of November 1943, I woke up from my afternoon nap. I heard the rain crinkling through the spruce trees. It felt cold and chilly. The air was damp. I got up from my sofa and saw the clock on the wall. It was almost 10 past 3. I must have slept for 2 hours.

The room filled with the sound of rain, until the phone rang. I picked up the phone, and I heard the guy say,

“Hello, is this Mr. Anderson?”

“Yes, this is he”

“Oh hello, I‘m Walter Jefferson, the CEO of Golden Apple entertainment. I saw your work, what was it called? The one with the boxer in it”

“The blood bath”

“Oh yea, yea, that’s the one. It was brilliant! Ahh ok now I’ll cut to the chase, I need you to write a script for our new movie. Will you do that for us?”

“Oh, umm I’d love to”

“Wonderful! Then I would like you to go to the dolphin hotel on the 6th of November. Can you do that? Of course, we are going to arrange you for the room”

“Ok, I can do that”

“Great, you can check in whenever you like. Call us when you get there”

He hangs up the phone before I was able to say anything.

It stopped raining outside and the sunset filled the sky with orange clouds.

2 days later.

I arrived at the dolphin hotel.

It was an old hotel. No one was in the lobby. The sun was shining through the thin rectangular window. And you can see the dust floating and swaying through the air.

I rang the bell on the front desk. A man in his early 30s came out from the back.

“Welcome to the dolphin hotel. May I help you sir?”

“I’m checking in”

He brought out a box filled with reservation papers.

“Your name sir?”

“Roger Anderson”

He started to go through the papers like he was tickling them.

“Roger Anderson, ok, your room is on the 6th floor, room 608. There is a café just around the corner here, and a bar on the third floor, call us anytime if you need something.”

“Thank you”

“Welcome to the dolphin hotel.”

I went to the elevator, and there was an old lift operator sitting on a tiny chair.

“6 please”

“Next stop 6.”

I got off and walked through a long hallway looking at the numbers written on each door.

605, 606, 607, and. 608.

I put the key in and opened the door.

As I let myself in, I could smell the cigarette, soaked up on the walls just staying there like a painting waiting for someone to admire them. The room was dark and cold.

I put my typewriter on the desk and sat down on the bed.

There was a phone on the bedside table.

I dialled the number. And Walter picked up the phone, as if he was waiting for me.

“Hello?”

“Ah, this is Anderson. I arrived just now”

“Ahh Roger! I was waiting for you to call. Now then, come to my office tomorrow at 12:30”

“Okay”

He hangs up immediately again.

I laid down on the bed and fast asleep.

I woke up with banging noise coming through the wall on top of my head.

The noise kept going. So, I got up and went to the room that the noise was coming from. And knocked the door.

A middle-aged man came out mumbling something.

“Are you okay? I’m hearing loud noises coming from your room”

“Oh, I’m so sorry I get so frustrated when I don’t go out and see the sun”

He had a low voice like he had been smoking for a long time.

His room was dark and only few small lights were on. I could only see piles of books and some moth or butterfly specimens on the wall.

“Why do you have so many books and butterfly specimens?”

“It’s moth specimens. And I’m studying about them”

“Do you live here?”

“I wasn’t planning to live here but I guess I live here now. When I got divorced with my wife I had nowhere to go, so I came here”

“Are you a professor?”

“Yes, I taught biology. But I’m also into literature. Anyways so sorry about the noise. Umm do you want coffee?”

“Umm, yea why not”

“Come in I’ll make you one, We usually don’t have anyone that stays here alone, it’s nice to have a neighbour”

I stepped into his room.

He opened the curtains. And the room seemed messier than I expected.

“Sorry it’s kind of messy here, but sit down wherever you’d like.”

I sat on a chair that was by a little round table.

He put on the kettle.

“What do you do… uhh What’s your name?”

“Roger Anderson”

“Oh wow, are you the guy who wrote The blood bath?.

“Yes I am.”

“I can’t say, it was my favourite, but it was good.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.”

“I’m Benjamin, just call me Ben. What are you doing in this hotel?”

“I was hired and was told to stay here”

“Oh really? Is it for a movie production?”

“Yes, it is”

“What are you writing about?”

“Not really sure”

“You have to be careful about them. They’ll suck your talent right out of your soul. That’s what happens when you make something just for profits. No more passion for creativity. No more enjoyment, just pain and suffering”

“I’ll be careful”

“I’m writing a book you see. Not for profits, but for passion. Passion for creatures just like us. Especially moths. Do you know how a caterpillar finds an apple?”

“No”

“They follow the light. Sunlight. Fruit grows under sunlight. So, they follow the light. Just like the people here. They follow the light in search for a good juicy apple and then gets eaten or eats all of the good things out of people”

I didn’t know what to say. So, I kept quiet.

“Do you want sugar and milk?”

“No, it’s fine thanks”

He brought two cups of coffee and sat right across where I was sitting.

He put 2 scoops of sugar and a little bit of milk.

“Then are you writing about moths?” I asked.

“Kind of”

We were silent for a few seconds. We kept drinking our coffees. I looked around the room.

“Do you stay in this room for a long time?”

“Usually, I like to go out and walk around nature, but now because I’m writing a book, I get stuck in here. So yes, I stay here for a long time. You get how it is don’t you? As a writer yourself”

“Yes yes, I get it, I get stuck for days in my room. But now I haven’t seem to be at that point yet”

“You’ll think of something, I’m sure”

At this point I finished drinking my coffee. And thought of heading back to my room.

“I hope so, umm I’ll head back now, thank you for the invitation”

“Okay, well thank you for your company nice to meet you, neighbour”

The next day, I arrived at the office in around quarter past 12.

The lady told me to sit down by the office and wait for Mr. Jefferson.

There was a woman across me sitting with her legs crossed assuming she was an actress because of her looks and cloths.

She looked at me and said

“What are you here for?”

“Oh, I’m waiting for Mr. Jefferson”

“Oh, right, are you an actor?”

“No, I’m a writer”

“A writer, are you going to put me on it?” she said with a smile.

“I’m not sure.” I smiled back.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Roger and you?”

“I’m Sharon nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.”

“I have a good feeling about you, your talent is pouring right out of you I can smell it.”

That’s a weird thing to say I thought.

She took out a piece of paper and wrote her number on it.

“You should call me sometimes”

“Ok, I will”

A short middle-aged guy opened the door from inside the office.

“Roger Anderson? Mr. Jefferson is ready.”

I went in and at the end of the room there was a big desk and there was Mr. Jefferson.

“Isn’t it the talented top hit writer Mr. Anderson, give me a hug.”

He walked towards me and hugged me tight.

“Please sit-down sit-down, I’m grad to finally meet you”

“Me to thank you for having me”

“Do you want something to drink? Coffee? Tea? Coke?”

“Yes, Coffee thank you”

“Ted! get this man a drink”

He got up and poured me a cup of coffee.

“Ok, what kind of script can you write?”

“Umm, I was thinking of Romance maybe?”

“Romance is too boring now a days can you make it interesting? Show the real human life, the reality of human beings. Not some kind of phony love story. Can you write something good?

“I’m sure I can”

“Great! Then I would like to see something by Sunday. Thank you for seeing me, Jeff will assist you out”

We got out from the office with a cup of coffee still in my hand, and Sharon was already gone.

I went back to the hotel. And gone to my room.

The room was darker and so quiet that I can hear myself breathing.

I sat facing my typewriter.

After all of that I couldn’t think of anything. I thought about what Ben told me. Maybe I’m already lost.

Then I heard a knock on the door.

I went and opened the door and Ben was standing there looking at me like a lost puppy.

“Sorry to interrupt you may I come in?”

“Sure sure comein, what is it?”

“I was just lonely in that room, so I wanted to talk to someone. Have you decided what you’re going to write about?”

“Yea, vaguely, but can’t seem to start writing”

“ohh that happens sometimes. You have to have some kind of inspiration to start the engine.”

“How about your book? How is it going?”

“It’s almost finished. It seems a bit sad as it’s coming to an End. Like a son growing up and leaving for another world”

“You have a son?”

“No no, me and my ex-wife never thought about having a child. We both were too busy, I guess”

“If you don’t mind me asking. Why you and your ex-wife got divorced?”

“Oh it’s a long story, but the only thing I’m sure is that I still love her, but I never showed that or acted that way while we were married. That was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made. I still call her time to time, and she still would talk to me. So, maybe, that’s just enough for me.”

“I’m sorry to hear that”

A moment of silence filled the room.

“I need to start writing so…”

“Yea, yea, I would head back then, Thank you for the little chat, I feel so much better.”

“Your welcome”

After he had left, the room became silent again.

I sat by the desk, and tried to write, but nothing seemed to come out.

I took out the paper Sharon gave me and rang the number.

“Hello?” she sounded a bit scared.

“Hello, Is this Sharon?”

“This is she”

“I’m Roger”

“Oh, hello, I remember you. I’m so happy you called me”

“I’m glad you picked up, because I wanted to ask if you are free this evening?”

“I have acting lessons until 6, But after that I’m free. Why?”

“Would you like to go get some coffee or…”

“I would love that, then meet me at the John’s diner at 7. Do you know how to get there?”

“I’ll find a way”

“Great, Bye for now”

“Bye”

It was still before 4. So, I went to the café near the lobby. I ordered coffee and a sandwich. The coffee tasted almost fake, but I kept drinking. But the sandwich wasn’t bad. I read the newspaper while finishing my coffee. The café had only 5 people including me. It was a simple old fashion café. I finished my coffee, so I paid for my meal and headed back to my room.

I came back to my room but noticed, Ben’s room door was a bit open. So, I went close and I could see the room was really dark, I knocked on the door but no one answered, then I opened the door slowly and Ben was standing in front of the window. So, I called Ben but no answer. I stepped in his room and looked more closely, and I noticed that there was a rope above Ben’s head, and he was moving in a wired way. I turned on the sidelight on the desk, and there he was, hanging from the pole of the curtains. Weirdly I wasn’t scared nor shocked, I examined his body but then felt sick so I sat down on his desk. I looked at his desk and found a stack of papers that had “Apple and the worm” written on the cover. I assumed it to be his draft for his new book, he was talking about. I took those papers unconsciously and called the front desk.

“There’s a dead man in this room.”

“Excuse me?”

There’s a man, dead in this room! You need to come here now!”

“Ok, what room are you in sir?”

“607”

“I’ll be right there.”

I went to my room and put the papers on the desk.

Then waited at the hallway. The hotel clerk from earlier came and ran towards me.

“Where is the man?”

“In there, maybe you should call an ambulance.”

The clerk went in the room and immediately came out to call the ambulance.

30minuets later there were police officers examining the place and I was asked some questions.

After an hour past I was able to go back to my room.

I went back to my room feeling empty more than ever. I sat on the bed, thinking about what just happened. Then I remembered that I brought back the papers. I got the papers on the desk and started reading them. After I finished reading them it was almost quarter past 6. I went down to the lobby and asked the clerk how to go to the John’s diner. He wrote me a handwritten map.

“We are here and John’s dinner is right up here.”

“Ok thanks.” I said.

“By the way are you okay? Seeing all of that.”

“I’m fine don’t worry”

I went out and walked, looking at the map.

And after walking for 15minutes I arrived at the John’s diner.

It was about quarter to 7 so I went in and ordered coffee.

At exactly 7 o’clock Sharon came in and found me drinking coffee.

“You were early.”

“I like to arrive early just in case.”

“In case of what?” she said smiling.

“I don’t know, I just like being prepared.”

She ordered coffee and took out a cigarette.

“Do you want one?”

“No thanks.” I said.

“What happened to you, you look so spaced out.”

“Nothing, I’m fine.”

“Hmm well I’m tired too because of the acting lesson I did.”

“How did it go?”

“It was fine, but there’s so many girls that seem to be doing better than me.”

“Comparing is usually not the right thing to do. Maybe you just need to work on yourself and forget about others.”

“Maybe you’re right. It’s just I can’t help it sometimes. Thinking that I’m not good enough or not doing a great job than others”

“That’s normal. But don’t make it control you”

We both ordered a cheeseburger and ate it without a word.

We both finished it with a clean plate.

“When was the last time I ate a cheeseburger. It was nice, wasn’t it?” she said looking satisfied.

“Yes, it was”

“By the way what are you writing about?”

“I’m going to write about human relationships, I suppose.”

“Oh, you haven’t even started? When are you suppose to finish it?”

“Mr. Jefferson said to bring it until Sunday.”

“What? Do you have any story that you have in mind?”

“Well… actually I have something in mind.”

“Then you are going to finish it?”

“I suppose so”

After that, we got the bill and we said goodbye to each other and headed back.

When I arrived back in my room it was almost 9 o’clock.

I sat down facing the typewriter, looking at Ben’s draft, something hit me, the engine started, and I wrote and wrote and wrote.

4days later, I finished the script.

I went to the office and just by the office Sharon was there sitting.

“Hi glad to see you.” She said.

“Oh, hi what a coincidence.”

“You finished the script?”

“Yes, I was just going to bring it to Mr. Jefferson”

“Hope he’ll like it.”

Ted came out and assisted me inside.

“Good luck” she said.

I went in and there he was

“We were waiting for you Mr. Anderson! Have you brought us some apples?”

“Yes, I brought the script”

“Let me see it then!”

He went through the script. While he was going through it Ted offered me a cup of coffee.

Finishing the script gave me a sense of relief but I also felt some kind of guilt.

“This is brilliant! Done it again Mr. Anderson! What’s the title of this story then?”

“I was thinking, Apple and the worm”

“Well let’s talk about the title later, I’ll take this, and I’ll call you when this will go forward. You never let me down Mr. Anderson”

I left the office and Sharon was still there.

She came up to me and said “You’ll do just fine here”

この話は学校の授業の時に作ったやつで
村上春樹のダンスダンスダンスとコーエン兄弟が監督したバートンフィンクを混ぜた感じのお話