7 November - KL

i have never paid so much for a taxi ride that has been that short. the arranged pick up time was 0445, and the unfriendly driver arrived at 0443. better punctual and unfriendly than friendly and late i suppose. bursting through red lights we reached kl sentral bus station one and half minutes later. this one and a half minute ride cost me 20RM.
i was awoken at 0310 by a ridiculously loud phone. i picked up and said hello, but i realised it was an automated wake up call. i put the phone down and brushed my teeth and slipped my jeans on. while standing in the toilet i realised in the vast morning silence there was a gentle yet maddening polyphonic ringtone. it was very silent but at that moment it was the only thing that played in my head. it went on and on as i stuffed my sandals into my backpack. i was starting to fear that when i opened the door the volume would jump up. when i finally opened the door, the mad polyphonic tone stopped, and was almost instantly replaced by the dry clicks of business shoes. they seemed to echo my footsteps, but the timing was way off. it could not be.
i paused, and three clicks later, it stopped too. when i started walking again the clicks resumed after i had taken a few steps. i prsesed the down button at the lift landing. the anonymous dry clicks from someones heel increased in frequency and volume. it appeared to be walking very quickly towards the lift from some unknown direction. when the lift doors opened the footsteps died off instantly. i urgently pressed the close button three rapid times.
i'm not proud to admit it but i swiped an edgar allan poe book that i had been reading the night before from the book exchange. it is really good. i just want to grab some breakfast from the airport and get to vientiane.