Truth in the Heart of Madness
Chapter 3
Alex went up to the main desk. No one was on duty and he quickly secured a heavy wrought iron key that matched the door. He turned and made his way back to the cat's cell. Upon entering he saw the feline huddled in a corner.
"You wanted to speak with me?" Alexander asked quietly
"You need to leave this place quickly, yes" murmured the cat "nothing good will come of you staying here" he opened one eye as wide as possible to study his visitor "your about to protest?"
"Gregory has been very kind to me, and I don't know how to get to my destination." Alexander explained. He sat on the floor next to the cat. "And as for good luck I haven't had it my whole life, so I'm not too worried."
"Gregory hasn't caused you trouble because he has not figured out why you came here." the cat sighed. "But that will change"
"Who are you anyway? And what is this place?"
"I am Neko Zombie, and as for this place it is a hotel for those their grip on reality" The cat purred "but your not as far gone as some, you can get away from here."
"But how do I?" Alex started, but Neko zombie suddenly tensed and listened.
"Gregory is coming back! If he catches you in here he will make sure you never leave this place. Take this," the kindly cat handed Alexander another key. This one was also wrought iron like the one before but in the handle was a brass disk engraved with a rose blossom centered in a heart made of moon-flower vines. "Take it, don't let anyone see it or get it from you. Go out in the courtyard from the kitchen. Follow the wall till you find the gate, which will lead you to the garden. Go through the first gate then use the key on the second. Find Faithe I heard you mention her to Gregory so you have no problems seeing her. Go now!" Alexander jumped up and started to leave the room
"But what about you?" He asked feeling bad for Neko, the poor creature did not deserve this treatment.
"Don't worry about me" was the quiet reply "I will feel better knowing you escaped" Once he heard this Alexander left.
Alexander wandered toward his room to think about what he had been told. But before he made it there a hand on his arm stopped him. Turning sharply he saw the hand belonged to the pink lizard nurse.
"Come with me dear, I have time to squeeze you in for a check up" And with that she dragged him down the hall toward her office. Once in there and seated on the exam table Alexander noticed the HUGE syringe and began to try to come up with ways to avoid giving a blood sample. "Now Gregory mentioned you looked as if you had a cold when you came here, how is that coming along?" asked Catherine.
"Umm fine ma'am a goodnights rest and some very nice food and I feel much better, so really there's no need to be concerned"
"Nonsense, I always look after our guests. I should probably take a blood sample and examine it to make sure it was nothing worse than a cold" Catherine picked up her favorite syringe and walked toward Alexander, who immediately began to look for something to distract her. Seeing the bouquet in a little brown ceramic cup he smiled.
"Someone must love you dearly ma'am" he supposed pointing to the flowers. Catherine paused and nodded. Alex continued "such an arrangement means a lot. It's so romantic when an every day token most people would take for granted hides such a deep message"
"I'm surprised, most people wouldn't have a clue to the meaning" Catherine mused aloud, putting the syringe down and pulling up a stool.
"It's my job ma'am I design flower arrangements for a T.V. studio, everything from basic pr functions, to center pieces, a couple of my designs have even made it on screen…. I don't suppose you've seen 'as the kitchen sinks'?" Catherine shook her head "oh well but I do love a good love story my self" Alex finished
"Well I am sorry to say most love stories here have a tragic ending" Catherine said as she reached for her needle. Suddenly a blue female dog with a plant growing from her head stumble in the room.
"Oh Catherine, sorry to bother you. I just felt so weak I don't think I could have possibly made it to my room" the lady dog murmured. Seeing his chance Alexander jumped to his feet.
"Not at all ma'am why don't you lay down right here" He took the dogs paw and guided her to where he sat a moment before. "Ill leave you two ladies alone. We will have to talk another time miss…."
"My name is Catherine" the nurse said. Alexander nodded and left as he did he heard her telling the lady dog what a gentlemen he was. Deciding to waste no more time, the guest made his way through the kitchen and out to the garden gate trying not to look suspicious. Thankfully that wasn't an issue as he did not run into another creature on his path.
Once he arrived at the gate Alexander stopped and took a deep breath, opened the gate and went in. immediately to his right was a well organized vegetable/ herb garden growing almost everything one could want for to cook with. To his left was the beautiful variety of rose bushes Alexander could see from his room. A worn path split these sections in half and led to a gate which matched the key he carried. He approached this gate unlocked it, and went through.
Alexander felt as if he'd fallen into his dreams of the green house. The colors, the smells, it was disorienting at first till another look around anchored him again. Flowers that grew here meant something there was white bushy Absinth; fuchsia Amaranths, yellow daffodils, bright blue Anemones, multiple colors of strange looking Asphodel and Columbine flowers, Almond trees with star shaped blossoms framed the entire area. 'Sad love? Waiting for hope?' he tried to make sense of it but his mind couldn't grasp it 'what are you trying to say?'
While He was thinking Alexander walked deeper into the garden. Suddenly the thick foliage parted revealing a small stone cottage, some freshly turned plots, and two figures leaning over another plot mid process. One was a blood-stained skeletal warrior in blue armor, and the other was the red-haired, black eyed girl Alexander had seen before. Before he could say anything the girl looked up at him, on her face was a forlorn and wistful expression.
"Care to lend a hand?" she asked in a cheerful voice that belied her facial expression. "Of course I could have those children who have nothing better to do than spy on us help" she raised the volume of her voice mentioning said children "yes, sir there is enough boring chores to do it would keep that lot busy right till bedtime"
All of a sudden a group of five young creatures, a blond rat, a wind-up clock, a red spinner like from a board game, a little bandaged dog with an axe in his head, and a female cactus leapt up from where they had been hiding and dashed back toward the hotel.
Leaning on her shovel the young woman whistled.
"Now I think they set a new land speed record with that dash" she turned to the warrior "think it was something I said?" Both of them laughed and returned to work and Alexander who was still a bit dazed picked up a shovel to help. The 3 worked the next hours in comfortable silence.