Hey guys. Since I finished Making Up For Lost Time, I thought I'd get another story out there. Welcome to Hotel Dusk: Room 219, a Hotel Dusk: Room 215/Life is Strange crossover. So, for those of you who haven't played Hotel Dusk before, I'll give you a basic overview:
It's a puzzle based point and click adventure DS game. You play as ex-detective Kyle Hyde (Chloe). 3 years ago (6 months), he shot his best friend Brian Bradley (Rachel) because he discovered that Bradley was selling confidential police information to a notorious crime syndicate, Nile. Bradley falls into the NYC docks, never to be heard of again. Kyle resigned from the police force and has been working for his dad's friend Ed (Frank) as a salesman. Kyle, certain that Bradley survived, is looking for him to find answers. Why would his friend do this? His work takes him to Hotel Dusk, a small hotel in the middle of nowhere. There, he meets an array of people, including a mysterious girl named Mila (Max). Who is this girl? Why is she here alone? What secrets does she hold? This is only one of the many mysteries of the hotel guests. The original game is set in the 70's, but this story is set in 2013.
Enjoy
Prologue: More Than I Bargained For
Monday April 23rd 2013 - Arcadia Bay – Police Department - 5:07 pm
I doze at my desk, legs propped up on the table. The high pitched shrill tone of the phone wakes me from my slumber.
"Price! Phone!" someone shouts over to me as I open my bleary eyes.
Yeah I can hear that. Damn it, I thought I'd get a chance to grab some shut eye.
"Quit yelling, I've got it," I groan as I take my feet off the desk and grab the phone, instantly silencing its impatient ringing, "This is Price," I yawn as I run my fingers through my faded blue hair. The news I hear takes me by surprise, causing my blue eyes to widen in shock and for my heart to sink.
This can't be real… can it?
I shout out into the otherwise silent room, "What the hell, Rachel?"
Lighthouse
I run up the path leading to the cliff top, my heart pounding in my ears as I pant heavily. When I reach the top, I see a figure I recognize standing on the cliff edge near the lighthouse… Rachel Amber. Her long blonde hair flows behind her, blown by the gentle warm breeze. Rage pulsates through my veins as I aim my gun at her, the hard metal cold on my fingertips.
How could she do this to us… to me?
"Rachel!" I call out to her, my face crumpled up in anger, "Why?!" she slowly turns around to face me, not saying a word. She almost doesn't look like the Rachel I know, her hazel eyes now cold and emotionless, "Don't move," I order, my grasp on the gun tightening as she takes a small step backwards, smirking at me with a look that screams 'I dare you to pull that trigger.' I falter slightly and in that moment her grin widens. She doesn't think I have it in me to shoot her.
She always fucking tests me.
Anger clouds my thought and judgement as I raise my gun and…
BANG!
…I squeeze the trigger.
I watch on as she stumbles backwards to the cliff edge, her face not even registering shock as you would expect. She just looks tired, defeated and… relieved, as if she wanted this to happen. Her hazel eyes close as she falls off the edge almost in slow motion, her hand reaching out with a familiar black and blue bracelet clinging to her wrist, "M-Max…"
My eyes open abruptly and I jerk upwards to sit up, struggling to catch my breath. Rachel and the Lighthouse have disappeared, now replaced with a bare off-white wall. I scan the area and deduce I am in my room. Cold sweat trickles down my brow as my heart erratically. I swipe at my brow, struggling to get my breathing and beating heart under control. I tiredly rub my face with my hands as the images of Rachel falling from the cliff slowly fade away, "Just a dream," I mumble into my violently shaking hands.
If only it were just a dream… Rachel…
Monday 7th October 2013 - Los Angeles – The Open Road - 10:16 am
I drive aimlessly down the street, fiddling with the radio as I go, only receiving static. It's been busted for a while, but I can't afford to fix it.
"Stupid piece of junk," I grumble as I hit it in frustration, immediately recoiling my hand when a sharp pain enters it, "Ouch," I mutter under my breath as I examine my hand. There is a small cut on my finger. I place it in my mouth to try and stem the bleeding.
Is it too much to ask to get some music? This truck is just about ready for the scrapheap. I'm surprised it's still running to be honest. It keeps holding on, like me I guess… rundown, but still kicking.
A high-pitched beeping from my pocket fills the silence. I shove my hand in my pocket and take out a pager, seeing that Frank is trying to get hold of me.
I guess I'd better stop and ring Frank up before he explodes. I've had to deal with his rage one to many times for my liking. I do push him to the edge. He's not so bad, all bark and no bite.
Nevada - 4:09 pm
I turn into the nearest gas station and ring Frank before he explodes. I punch in his number and wait around for him to pick up. An angry voice booms into my ear, causing my head to pound, "Price! Why the hell haven't you checked in?"
That's the last time I try to drink Kate under the table. She may not look it, but she certainly can hold her liquor. I on the other hand may talk a big game, but I'm such a lightweight. Rachel always used to laugh at me. Now, Rachel was something else when it came to booze. I don't know where she put it all.
I clutch on to my head with my hand in a vain attempt to stop the throbbing, "Get off my crack, Frank and stop yelling. My head feels like it's going to explode."
I really need to reconsider how much I drink.
As I rub my temples I hear a deep sigh from the other end of the line, "Figures you'd be hungover. Well, no sympathy here. You should have thought of that before. At least you're not high I guess. You don't sound it anyway."
I expected nothing more from Frank. I'm not even surprised. Then again, why should he give a damn about some deadbeat drunk? He puts up with a lot from me. Most people would have canned me way before now. I guess it helps that he was friends with my dad when he was alive. It's my only lifeline.
"Listen, I've got a job for you," he growls, "It's a place called Hotel Dusk. There is a package on its way and the order sheet's inside. Don't lose it. I know what you're like."
I'm not going to turn down a chance to make some money. God knows I need it.
"Got it," I confirm as I hang up and enter my beat up truck. I continue my journey down the dusty abandoned dirt road to my destination. This place is a complete wasteland with no trees or greenery to speak of, just scraggly brown bushes dotted around the sandy planes.
Where are you sending me, Frank? Maybe he's finally decided he can't put up with anymore of my bullshit and is trying to get me lost in the desert forever. Fuck, I would if I were him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a girl standing on the side of the road. She has shoulder length brown hair and is wearing a grey hoodie, blue jeans and black converses with a small bag slung over her shoulder. As I drive past, we briefly make eye contact for a second. Her eyes are a deep vibrant blue and almost seem to be staring into my soul. I glimpse them only for a second before I speed off down the road.
Who the hell wanders around in this place? Each to their own I guess.
After a few minute, I finally see my destination, an unassuming brick building with a huge red neon sign above it reading Hotel Dusk.
This place looks like it's seen better days. Why can't Frank ever send me to any five star hotels? I wonder if he is punishing me for sleeping on the job so much. I wouldn't blame him to be honest.
I sigh as I drive up to the entrance, pulling up just outside the front door. I reach back onto the back seat and grab my battered suitcase, getting out of the truck and standing in front of the building.
The name's Chloe Price. It's been six months since I quit the force and left Arcadia Bay. Now I'm a saleswoman for this outfit called Red Crown. On the surface, Red Crown's a door-to-door sales firm dealing in household goods. But Frank, the boss, has himself a little business on the side. How do I put this? He "finds" things that don't always want to be found. Keeps it quiet, too. I lend a hand sometimes. It ain't the greatest gig in town… but hey, anything to pay the bills. Hell, I got nowhere else to be and nothing better to do.'
I glance up at the flickering red neon sign Hotel Dusk and I take a deep breath.
You hear me, Rachel? This is it. This is what I'll be doing until I find you…
I stroll of to the wooden double doors and place my hand on the door handle.
What adventures are awaiting me behind this door?
I could never have guessed what secrets I was to discover and the dangers I was to face in this small rundown hotel in the middle of nowhere. It was more than I bargained for.
So roles so far:
Chloe is Kyle Hyde (ex-detective who shots his friend and fellow cop Brian Bradley. Now working as a salesman). Rachel is Brian Bradley (detective who was on the take and gets shot by Kyle). Kate is Rachel (she is Ed's secretary and Kyle's friend. So many Rachels). Frank is Ed (Kyle's boss and a friend of his dads, who died when Kyle was young). Max is Mila (the girl on the side of the road)
I hope you enjoyed the prologue of the story and I'll see you next time where the story will officially start.
