You could see a lot from that hotel window. The sixth floor is high enough to give you a complete view of the scenery outside.
How was it? It was beautiful. But I wish I hadn't woken up that night.
It was still 3:00 am. I was too restless that night. Probably that was why I'd woken up too early.
I didn't want to wake my friends up by turning on the light, so I slowly crawled to a walk in the dark. Thank God one of them had left the bathroom door open with its light switched on. I could reach the window without the risk of bumping into things and making a lot of noise.
I drew the curtains aside and looked outside. It was dark and deadly quiet. No one seemed to be around down there. A couple of street lights illuminated the empty roads. Other than that, nothing.
My eyes strayed to the other hotel building, the one across from mine. The dark windows reminded me of holes - or eyeless sockets. My friends always say that I watch too many horror movies.
Except for that one window on the fifth floor. The light was on, the curtains drawn apart. I saw two people - a man and a woman - standing there, facing each other. They seemed to be arguing about something. They were talking animatedly, pointing angrily at each other.
Probably just a couple's quarrel during their honeymoon, I guessed. Just when I was about to go back to bed, the man suddenly grabbed the woman by the neck and tightened his grip around it. She was struggling and wincing.
He was choking her.
OH, NO!
Without thinking, I automatically grabbed my cell phone and dialed the local emergency hotline. Thankfully, an operator on-duty answered.
"I think I've just witnessed a murder," I whispered urgently, standing by the window with my phone pressed against my ear. Thankfully, the operator took me seriously, because I watched that poor woman stop struggling and finally become still before he dropped her on the floor. I saw him heaving, his broad shoulders shaking.
After I described what I'd just witnessed - including the man and the woman's descriptions - the operator asked for my name and location. After telling him, I heard him say: "Stay right where you are, Miss. Stay calm. Don't do anything dangerous. The police will be there shortly."
"Okay, please hurry." Then I hung up. I nervously kept watching them. The man was still standing there by the window. I didn't dare wake my friends up.
About five minutes later, I looked down and saw a police patrol car cruising into the hotel car park. Then I looked back at the window, making sure the man hadn't run away yet.
He was still there, obviously looking down at his victim. He was smiling.
Then something happened, which I just couldn't believe my eyes.
The woman got up, with the help of the man. They both stood grinning at each other when another person entered the scene, carrying a video camera and aiming it at them.
Oh, no. What have I just done?