Miranda never really expected much on a boring, rainy Wednesday evening. She sat by the counter of Hotel Lynx, flicking through her magazine in boredom. She popped her pink bubble-gum in sync with turning the pages. Lightning flashed and the entrance doors swung open, a poor victim of the storm stumbling in. Wet footsteps sounded across the tiled floor and Miranda heaved a sigh.
"Can I help you?" she asked before popping her bubble-gum again.
"Please…give me a room…" the girl whispered.
Miranda looked down at the young girl and scoffed.
"Where are your parents, kid?" she asked and turned back to her magazine.
Miranda didn't see the girl leave but her attention was caught when wet hands slammed themselves on the counter desperately.
"Please!" a more mature voice sounded "I need a room."
Miranda blinked up in surprise at the young woman that now stood before her. Her ginger curls covered her eyes and she was dressed in an ice blue dress which made Miranda wonder what the woman was on, it didn't suit her.
"Sure, honey," she said and put her magazine down to grab a pen and paper "What will you be paying on? Credit or cash?"
She froze when cold wet fingertips met her chin and directed her gaze towards the woman's face. For the first time, Miranda saw the woman's blue eyes that flashed red briefly, catching her in a trance.
"I'm afraid I don't have any money at the moment but I'll be willing to work here to pay it off," she said in a soft purr and Miranda felt herself smiling in spite of the woman's creepy aura.
"Oh well that will be fine!" Miranda said and gave the woman the penthouse keys "I'll make sure to inform my boss."
"Thank you…it's Miranda, isn't it? Miranda…Swann?"
"That's right, miss," Miranda smiled warmly and sat down in her chair "Swann being my mother's maiden name you see. Better than being Miranda Smith, of course."
"My, what a pretty name," the woman simpered delicately "Oh, my name is Lucinda White by the way."
"And that's a fine name for you, Miss White," Miranda nodded and took her magazine back out "Well, I'll be seeing you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Miranda. I trust that I'll have a good night's sleep here."
"Oh, you can count on our rooms, Miss White," Miranda grinned "We didn't get our four stars for nothing, you see!"
"Good, I'm so glad to have come here."
Miranda saw her pick up a white teddy bear and walked over to the lift. And Miranda swore to herself to lay off the alcohol because she swore she saw the woman's insanely long ginger hair start to turn white once it was all inside the lift and the doors closed. Miranda shook her head, blinking in disbelief. A few minutes ticked by and she frowned when she noticed that the counter was wet.
"Now how did that happen?" she asked as she couldn't remember what had happened in the last ten minutes.