Chapter 27: Time Is Fleeting
"Hey. Where does that go?" Amina did not even stop to look at the side path I was pointing at. She just grabbed my hand and began pulling me along with her (what's up with her?) "Oh! Nowhere special!" She answered nervously. "Lets just keep going!" Ren immediately flew off my shoulder and hovered over Amina's head. An irritated expression could be seen on her face as she scolded the lying little Goblin. "Not true! That way leads to the haunted hotel!"
I slammed by boots hard into the ground. Forcing my fleeing companion to a halt. "Nothing important, huh?" I said accusingly. I then pulled my hand away and folded up my arms like my Mother used to whenever she was angry with me. Amina spun around and placed her hands on her hips. "Don't give me that!" She shouted defensively. "We already wasted enough time at the Fairy Kingdom! You want to find your brother Shane, don't you!?" "Sherwin." I corrected bluntly. "Whatever!"
Putting that aside. I always wanted to visit a haunted house (or hotel.) Sure, ghosts and poltergeists aren't what they used to be (what is anymore?) but I'm a guy that's into spooky stuff. And a haunted hotel sounded like my kind of place! "Well, I want to check it out." I announced firmly. Amina's face turned red as she struggled to keep herself calm. "Besides," I added. Pointing a finger into the air. "I'd rather not be out here during a rainstorm."
Above us, the skies were shrouded in dark clouds that were heavy with water. And occasionally, you could hear the unmistakable rumble of thunder in the distance. It was the first day of Autumns Dew in fact. Storms are common around this time of the year. And they have been known to go on for days! Our swags could keep us safe from a little rain. But not something like this. And Amina knew it.
Amina stepped forward and poked me hard in the ribs. "If we get attacked by a bunk of spooks, I'll be blaming you!" I stepped back and gave my poor ribs a gentle rub. "Fine. Lets just go before it starts to….rain." And of course, it started to rain before I could finish (you just had to jinx it, didn't you?) By the time we had reached our destination, it was absolutely bucketing down on our heads! Lightning clashed in the skies above. And the wind was now blowing a gale that threatened to blow Ren off my shoulder! But I'll tell you something. The storm really complimented the place!
It actually looked more like a mansion than anything else. But it wasn't anything big or flashy like what I had seen back in Timber Town (those horrible colours….) It was old. Dull coloured. And seemed to be falling apart in a few places. The grey stones that kept the structure together were covered in various types of crawlers and vines that looked to be well maintained. Small, pointy battlements sat on the gutters and ridges of the roof.
And then there were the Gargoyles. Massive, stone encased monsters with a hint of femininity added to their design (of course.) Two of them sat on pedestals that were positioned at the base of the stairs leading up to the front porch. Wrapped around their wrists were golden shackles which were attached to the front of their pedestals. These prevented them from going anywhere every time the sun would go down (that's when they come to life.)
Smoke appeared to be pouring out of the chimney. And a faint light could be seen glowing from a few of the hotels windows. Indicating that the place was occupied. And hopefully, in business. On a normal day, this place would have looked pretty interesting. But the horrible weather really gave it character! Just looking at it filled me with an unfamiliar sense of….excitement? ( I see you shiver with antici….pation!)
"Do we really need to do this!?" Amina asked over the thunder and rain. "Your welcome to stay out here, if you like!" I responded sarcastically. Despite having to cling to me for dear life. Ren saw the humour in my teasing and laughed loudly so we could actually hear her. "That's fine Amina! The two of us can cuddle by the fireplace without you!" Well, that got her going.
Next thing I know, Amina has my arm and is almost dragging me up the stairs with great haste. The Goblin was in such a hurry, she failed to notice the Zombie standing by the door until they were only a few feet from each other. Amina gave out a horrible scream before hiding behind me for protection. The poor Zombie stood there for a moment. But then her friendly expression gradually turned fearful as she slowly backed off and gasped ( Someone's having a slow day.)
"I'm so sorry young lady!" She exclaimed. "I didn't mean to scare you!" It was strange. Freaky even. Her skin appeared to be torn and decayed in a few places. But her hair and maid outfit was clean and presentable. Her voice was dry and raspy. But she spoke with an elegance that could rival Amina's! I understood that all Monster Girls are part Succubus! But seeing a Zombie like this left me feeling a little weirded out (what were you expecting?)
"Don't mind her." I responded. "This ones a bit of a chicken!" Ren added with a chuckle. "Can we just go inside already!" Amina shouted from behind me. "I'm freezing my tits off!" (Charming….) We had to wait a few more moments before an awkward smile started to form on her face. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you like." She finally said. "We still have rooms available." She then leaned forward and flashed me a toothy grin. "And I'm sure the other guests will be….delighted to meet you."
Well, how about that! She actually managed to scare me! Just not the way I was hoping. I was actually starting to reconsider going inside a Monster Girl infested mansion during a heavy rainstorm (Your reconsidering this now!?) But as the Zombie maid began to open the door, Amina eagerly pushed me forward. There was no going back. I took a deep breath. And walked inside.
"I was expecting a haunted hotel to look a little more….rustic." That was Ren's honest opinion. And I had to agree with her. The entranceway was brightly lit with candlesticks that hung from a massive chandelier above our heads. The polished floor boards didn't creak as we walked over them. There were no cobwebs or mouseholes anywhere. On one side, there was a couch that looked to be brand new. On the opposite end, was the reception desk. Not a single speck of dust could be seen. And everything seemed to be placed in a neat, and organized fashion. It was disappointing, to say the least.
"The lower level has recently been refurbished." The Zombie maid explained, as she made her way to the counter. She then rang a small bell that was sitting on the desk, and waited. A faint, but sweet-sounding yawn could be heard coming from behind the desk. And before I had enough time to prepare myself, an adorable little Dormouse crawled up onto the counter with a very drowsy look on her face.
She was absofrackinlutely adorable! She was about the same height as Amina. But her soft, fragile features and large, round ears took her to a whole other level in cuteness! Her long, brown hair was tangled and messy. And she wore a simple nightgown that barely covered her girly parts (most of the buttons were undone for some reason.) She was having trouble keeping her eyes open. She even seemed to be snoring softly as she stepped forward to addressed us.
"Will it just be you three?" Her voice was so soft and gentle, I was sorely tempted to pick her up and cuddle her like she were a baby (keep it together, mate!) "Um, yes please." I answered nervously. "We may need to stay here a few days, depending on how long the storm holds." The little Dormouse smiled and nodded before turning around. With just a flick of her fingers, a key flew off it's hook and straight into my hands.
"Your welcome to stay in room 33 as long as you like." She announced sweetly. She then turned her attention to the maid. "Please show them to their room, Magenta." Magenta, who at the time was staring at me with a curious look on her face, tore her attention back to her friend and nodded. She then began to make her way towards the door on the opposite end of the room. "Please follow me." She instructed.
As we made our way upstairs, the scenery began to change dramatically. Very few candles were lit. Making it difficult to see much around me. The walls were lined with old portraits and statues that looked to be hundreds of years old. From above and below, I could hear creaks and groans that made me feel as though the place was going to fall apart at any moment. And the air. The cold, cold air. Ren slipped into one of my pockets. Whether it was to hide or keep warm I did not know (probably both!)
Amina decided to walk alongside me. The look on her face made it quite clear that she was not enjoying this as much I was. I was actually quite relieved to see that they at least kept half of the place looking like it was infested with Poltergeists and Ghosts. As long as I had a bed to myself, you wouldn't have heard any complaints from me (your gonna jinx it again!) Our room was quite nice actually. Not as dark and draughty as the hallway, but it still had that spooky touch I was hoping for! Too bad there was only one bed (I warned you!)
The master bedroom was actually the only room we had in out suite. But it had plenty of room for all of us to walk around in. The massive, queen sized bed sat in the centre of the room. Sitting next to it was a wooden closet for our clothes. In one corner, I could see an old arm chair. And in another was a desk and chair. Sitting on top of it was an unlit candle and a few books. But no fireplace (another big disappointment for the day.) "Not bad." I said aloud. "Yeah!" Ren remarked excitedly. "This place looks great!"
Amina shuddered before dropping her heavy pack to the ground. Which way to your washrooms?" She asked Magenta timidly. Once again, we had to wait a few moments for Magenta to take everything in(she's almost as bad as those Slimes from yesterday!) "Down the hall. Last door on the left for men. And right for the woman." Was her response. "Dinner will be served in the dining room downstairs." She added. "It will be ready in an hour." And at that, she turned around, and walked out of the room.
"I guess we should wash up before going down there." I muttered. "Did you want me to join you, big guy?" Ren asked coyly. I pulled the troublesome Fairy off my shoulder, and then handed her to a very relieved looking Amina. "Left for the Men." I responded with a playful tone. "Because Women are always right." Amina found my joke rather funny. Ren….not so much.