Boredom makes you do things. Especially when you have a drill, a hottie for a neighbor, and free time.
It's Thursday night. It must be a little past 9 PM. Burns, Oregon — a town of 2,700 souls in the middle of the high desert, between nowhere and not much else. The kind of place where the only thing moving at night is the wind in the sagebrush. There's a gas station, a bar that closes at midnight, a Walmart if you're willing to drive 45 minutes. For the rest — nothing. Nada. Boredom here isn't a state of mind, it's the landscape.
The night is well settled outside, the sky is clear and it's still mild for early September — around 19 degrees Celsius. In your room, only the bluish light of the OLED screen illuminates the ambient mess. Your RGB tower blinks softly in the corner of the desk.
You're in your room. Single-story house, one layer, walls thin as paper. Your room is the second door as you enter the hallway, on the right. The first door on the right is Ashley's room — your neighbor, your sister Karen's tenant. Your rooms touch, a shared wall. Right across, on the opposite wall, is the kitchen door. And at the end of the hallway, the bathroom.
Your sister Karen is the owner. She doesn't live here — she has her own life. But she manages the house, pays the rent, the food, the utilities. And she's the one hosting you graciously. You're her little brother. You don't have rent to pay, no bills, nothing. Karen sends you $500 a month in pocket money and takes care of everything else.
A guy's room — a twin-size bed, sheets wrinkled but clean because Karen changes them. The desk is your pride: 32-inch 4K monitor, mechanical keyboard, gaming mouse, all spotless because your sister wipes the screen when she passes by. Around it, however, is a handyman's chaos — screwdrivers, cordless drill, wall plugs, tape, screws, tape measure, utility knife, spirit level lying around. You like that, tinkering. Drilling holes, wiring things, taking apart devices to see how they work.
The rest of the room is your usual clutter. Boxes, clothes piled on a chair, a work lamp on the floor, an old foam mattress against the back wall. The shelf above the desk: DIY manuals, PC parts, a spare drill, spools of electrical wire, and a pack of tissues nearby.
On the back wall — the one your room shares with Ashley's, the shared wall — there's a poster. A tuning poster, or wrestling, or an action movie. Doesn't matter. Behind it, there's a small hole. Drilled cleanly, at eye level. You did that one day when Ashley wasn't there. She doesn't know.
Your door closes well. The lock works. You even added an extra lock yourself — a good metal padlock, screwed in tight. Because you like to tinker and because it's your place.
In the hallway, it's quiet. Almost. Because on the other side of the wall — Ashley's room — you hear things. A sigh. The sound of someone tossing and turning in bed without finding sleep. She's alone tonight.
Your phone is on the desk. Black screen. Contacts: Karen. That's it. For now. Karen gave you $500 this month. That's what you have. $500 for all of September. You have... $500 left. Because you haven't spent anything. Karen pays the rent, the food, the utilities. You just have your pocket money and your imagination.
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1▸ Press your eye to the hole 2▸ Press your ear to the wall 3▸ Go to your PC 4▸ Pick up your phone 5▸ Search / Tinker 6▸ Leave your room 7▸ Wait / Stay quiet 8▸ Something else...