Red

At Boyd's question.

Everyone there noticed the floor beneath their feet was bright red.

Ryan looked down at it. "The floor looked too pale, so I used something to give it a little color."

Boyd looked puzzled. "Where did you get paint?"

"Paint isn't the only thing that adds color."

"True. Bedsheets can turn red the first time you're in love, too."

"Boyd, don't you have no wife?"

"I heard about it, all right? You're so annoying."

Called annoying, Ryan spread his hands. No one seemed inclined to leave, and it was still raining outside.

So Ryan went into the kitchen. "Want something to eat?"

Boyd raised a hand. "Keep it simple."

"There's some raw meat."

"At least cook it."

Ryan took the meat from the refrigerator and dropped it into water to thaw. He had once thought people here generally liked their food bloody.

Apparently, that wasn't the case.

There were several people to feed for breakfast, so Ryan gave them some bread. It came in bags; he only had to open them and hand it out.

As they ate, the drunk man sobered up. He said his name was Christian and that he was a rich man outside this place.

He had just sold a software company and made a lot of money.

"How much?" Ryan asked.

Christian was proud of his success. "Enough to buy a few speedboats by the sea, bring some girls along, and live out the rest of my life in style."

"Unfortunately, you'll be spending the rest of your life here."

"Are you joking?"

Ryan's expression made it clear he wasn't joking as he told Christian about the town. Between words, he bit into his bread.

Bread always seemed to turn sweet as he chewed it. Its wheaty aroma made him feel glad