One Person’s Room<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o:p></o:p>
---Sha Yan
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Across the bedroom, there is a large mirror with a desk beside it. On one side of the wall close to the window, a bookshelf takes the place. Right beside it, the closet full with clothes looks messy. There are some magazines and CDs lying on the bed makes the undone bed looks messy. The sixty watts light bulb on the ceiling looks a little faint with whitish yellowish light across the small room. The desk lamp is also on. Richard is sitting in front of the desk, trying to write something. But he seems has no clue.<o:p></o:p>
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Richard is thirty. He looks handsome with his rather messy hairstyle. His eyes look dark. His mouth looks pulled down with his usual gentle smile. He is not very tall but strong in his body shape. A little fat around his belly reminds him doing some exercise sometimes. There are some dumb-bells beside his desk; and sometimes he does some exercises. He does not go to the gym. He found it is troublesome and full with people. He’d rather be alone doing exercises and write his book.<o:p></o:p>
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Richard is energetic. He writes a lot, five thousand words a day. It is very fast speed for a writer. But sometimes he does not find the staff he writes is good. So he abandons them and starts again, same thing, five thousand words a day. His total production includes some short fictions, prose fictions, poems and a mid-sized novel. Unfortunately, he has not found a publisher wants to publish his work yet. He always says to himself, someday, someday, which keeps him going and continues to produce. He nearly ran out of his money; then he has to find a job. Like today, he has already finished his work when the time approaches the end of the day. But he does not like the work he has done for the day, so he decided to rewrite the part tomorrow. After making a phone call to set up an appointment tomorrow for a temporary job. He relaxed and laid into his bed. He took a nap.<o:p></o:p>
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When Richard woke up, it is near seven. He realized he had a bad dream. It was like he was scared by a bad animal. The animal did scare him a lot. Then he woke up. It is time for dinner. The fridge is nearly empty. He reminded himself to go to the supermarket tomorrow. A friend just called him going out for drink. Richard does not want to go. He’d rather stay in him room, watching some TV and figure out what to write tomorrow. But he said yes to his friend. And he went to the pub after the dinner.<o:p></o:p>
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When Richard came back home, it is near mid-night. He went into the bathroom. He had some fun tonight, some jokes and laughter. He was happy a little. Now he is thinking of what to write tomorrow in the bath tab. Some good ideas came across his mind, he is afraid of loosing those ideas. But what can he do, he does not have pen and paper handy. Then he tried to remember them, little by little. <o:p></o:p>
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He lit up a cigarette. Started to smoke. A lonely feeling came through him. He wouldn’t mind; he is used to it already. Even though he is alone, he can find many things to do, to occupy his time and energy. He can write, he figured. He turned on his TV and started to watch it. It is not fun either. Then he turned it off and looked around his little room. His usual gentle smile pulled down his mouth again. He turned off the light and went into his bed. Said to himself, sweet dream, Richard. <o:p></o:p>
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