The Old Standby

It was a dark and dimly lit hallway.
Dead light bulbs hadn't been changed in a long while, and the ones that remained were mostly older and looked like they were about to meet the same fate as their companions. 
The carpeting was flattened and pulled up in places from careless passers-by.  It had probably not been cleaned since it was first installed, and certain places were molding, matching the leaky water-spots in the ceiling above it.
The rooms that this hallway accessed were all back-doors to places that could have been anything.  Walking through a doorway might transport you across the continent.  It was always a chance he took.

The man expertly traversing the dirtier parts of the carpet looked like he didnt belong.  Much older than his well-designed clothing, he had the suave, yet ruthless way of commanding attention when he appeared on the scene.  No flashing accessories made him stand out, apart from his demeanor, yet he obviously knew exactly where he was going and what he was going to do there.

He marched over to his chosen door and knocked sharply.  It made rather little noise, considering how quiet the hallway always was.  He waited a moment and then in a smooth, practiced movement, he pulled a single key from his vest pocket and opened the door.

The girl inside the room had heard his knock.  She was waiting for him to force his way in, as he always did.  No matter how many times she tried to change the lock, or move to a different building, he would somehow find her and weasel his way into the room she tried to hide in.  Somehow, the rooms all looked the same when he came in.  Bare, colorless, and almost sharp-edged.  The color would shrink from the furnishings and the lights would fade, like he dimmed them with his sheer mind power.  A general grey hue spread from the door as he pushed it open and engulfed the room.  He didnt seem to notice as he greeted the girl with a sour smile and called her by name.

She didnt look up right away, focused sadly on the patch of floor he was standing on.  When she looked up, her eyes were sad and voice tired.
"I thought you forgot about me.  It has been a few months."
"How could I forget one of my favorites?  I am your Old Standby, after all." His voice just as syrupy as his sneer.
Her voice was quavering when she managed to whisper out her reply:
"I was hoping you wouldnt come back."

He laughed in that terrible, heart-wrenching way of his.  It struck fear into your very soul.
"There is no way you will ever be rid of me, dear," he growled as he strode across the room and glared down at her.  He bent over and gripped her chin firmly and made her look into his eyes.
"You tried last time and remember how THAT turned out?"

He let go of her and her shoulders fell and she couldnt help but cry.  It was true.  No matter what she did the lurking shadow of Depression seemed to have access to her....