Stifling Afternoon

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaah, so hot, when will summer go away," Eric grumbled as he rolled over in his sweat-soaked bed, the stifling heat of another scorching afternoon seeping through the cracks in his blinds. His hand found the familiar comfort of a half-empty bottle of soda, the first sip a sharp, warm fizz against his dry throat. He followed it with lukewarm water from a half-filled bottle, trying to rid his mouth of the lingering sweetness.

"This one's no good. I need a fresh one," Eric muttered, regretting the attempt to quench his thirst but desperate for relief. He added the half-empty bottle to the collection of discarded wrappers, plastic bags, and chip packets that formed mountains on his cluttered floor. Navigating the maze of crumpled energy drink cans scattered about required careful steps to avoid the noisy crunch underfoot.

The air felt stagnant and suffocating, trapped by closed windows and blinds that Eric hadn't opened in what seemed like forever.

"I hope the landlord isn't out there, lurking and doing unnecessary things," Eric muttered, cautiously approaching the blinds to peer through the cracks. He scanned the outside world, assessing if it was safe to venture out. The thought of encountering his landlord sent a shiver down his spine, discomfort spreading through his core.

"Just pay the bills and rent, right? What's it to him what I do?" Eric tried to reassure himself, but each sweep of the landlord's broom outside intensified his unease. The rhythmic sound echoed through the cluttered apartment, a constant reminder of his precarious existence. His resolve wavered as he retreated slowly through the maze of wrappers and cans that littered his path, symbols of his isolation and neglect.

Sitting at his laptop, Eric stared at the screen, slipping on headphones to drown out any outside noise. The stifling heat of the afternoon pressed in on him, suffocating in its intensity. "It's almost 30 degrees. I'll go out later; maybe he'll be gone by then," Eric reasoned, minutes passing as he considered his next move. The digital world beckoned, offering escape from his stifling reality. "I'll play a game or two. That should keep him occupied enough for me to sneak out. And I'm getting hungry, too. I should get something to eat."

Eric weighed his options, torn between escaping his room's suffocating confines and the anxiety of a potential encounter with his landlord. The thought of a shower crossed his mind briefly, but the landlord's proximity made it risky. "I should shower, too, but not now. The landlord might notice. I'll play a couple of ARAM games first," he decided finally, fingers hovering over the keyboard as he prepared to lose himself in the virtual battlefield.