Over the next few days, Shane shuffled around his tiny room, drank too much, and left his phone open to drain the battery. He had no one to talk to. It was just him and the TV. For some reason, Christmas seemed to be the only topic on the channels. News programs, talk shows, Christmas specials, sitcoms. It was all the same, everywhere he looked.
The cabin fever really got to Shane on Christmas Eve. He’d eaten only Ramen noodles and hadn’t showered in days. He sat by his window, the blinds pulled a few inches up, and watched the nearly empty parking lot below. The few cars spread out under the streetlamps were covered in a thick, white blanket.
He had cursed out carolers the night before, and was ready to do it again at a moment’s notice, should any be foolish enough to come back. He’d ha
