It was the 24th century, people weren't homeless and people didn't go hungry, rather they lived in excess; Indeed, they wanted for nothing. Nobody had any student loan debts, there were no bills to pay, there was no threat of going broke, because money was a thing of the past. If anybody needed a place to Stay, all they had to do was sign up, if they needed food all you had to do was ask and it would be given to you. Everything was delivered on a silver platter and there waa no real challenge which frustrated Maruna to no end. People would go to these themed resorts that were at the outskirts of the city. These were places that normally would be deemed unsafe but these were controlled environments, that allowed the tourists to pretend they were traveling someplace exotic when really they didn't even have to venture too far from their homes. There was one particular resort that caught Maruna's attention.
Experience the harsh swamps, the brutal icy russian like streams and the incredible backdrop of the Carpathian hills that Romania could provide you.
Enjoy a cozy cabin, snuggle up into a neat retro Yurt, or perhaps you'd like to feel that you're actually roughing it by curling into a custom made mud hut.
Don't forget to visit our spooky Halloween themed castle.
Please call for reservations, if you would like to book a room, keep in mind not all
simulated experiences are included such as professional horror actors, walk in haunted attractions and full tours of the Castle. Please make your reservations at least 6 months ahead of time.
The Advertisement was rather strange. Everything was usually included and if professional actors weren't included who was working there.
Maruna was intrigued by the advertisement, so she delved a little deeper into this so called resort.
Although she searched and she searched there was next to no information on the place.There was a few reviews accompanied with a few blurry photos and from what she read it didn't appear to be a very popular place.
Then there was a series of news articles that kept intermittently popping up while she was scrolling through the results. Most of the articles were too short to gather too much information from but she began to piece together at least a short story summary of what the place was all about.
It was a desolate place, it had been abandoned for the most part and it had been shut down multiple times due to unusual accidents, most were caused by rotting floorboards, loose cobblestones, cracked marble slabs and there were several incidents of drownings that were reported to have occurred either in the nearby bog or in the nearby river.
The place never seemed to have taken off, at least not completely, although in the beginning the simulated village experience had appealed to quite a few visitors. The village had had fortune tellers, live music, a few pagan festivals,they even had a tavern, canoe races, rock climbing classes, a few hang gliding courses, occasional frog hopping competitions and even woodland retreats That provided you with a few tips on how to survival in the wilderness.
Maruna had to scoff there was no reason to learn survival skills and it's not like anyone was actually roughing it in the wilderness anyway.
The Rivers were man made, the trees had been purposefully planted to provide a forest and the village was merely a set made of cheap plywood. Even the weather and the icy chill in the air was simulated no doubt.
However what really drew her to the resort to this Romanian themed resort, was the pure abandonment of the place, it was isolated, far more isolated than most, in fact it required the person to venture far beyond even the outskirts of the city. Besides the isolation it was mysterious, What was even better is that most likely nobody would be around; It wouldn't be crowded and it would be quiet almost to the point of exclusion. It was perfect, perfect for her, she could do her crossword puzzles in peace, she wouldn't be disturbed, when she wanted to put in some light reading and she greatly missed those days where she could write without a care in the world. There would be no distractions, Heck she might not even want to leave if it was that relaxing.
She picked up her flexi phone and dialed the number that was seen on the ad.
"Hallouu. Ataken Resorts at your service".
It was a raspy and rather phlegmy voice that was enriched with a strange Romanian accent.
"I would like to reserve a visit to...uh the Castle part".
Maruna felt awkward now that she was saying that out loud.
"Oh hoou peculiar. No one uaasually reserves the Royelle Casssal this time of year. Hou many are you?"
"Room for one I guess".
"Ahhhhhh...only Oooone. Curiouser and Curiouser. Varry well, my good Lady. There are sooo many roooms available that well...you may be able to take yur pick."
"Oh um...how many rooms are there exactly?"
"Faaaar too many too count my lady. You may want to see for yurself...ya know when you arrive to Ataken Town".
"HA so I just show up and pick a room?"
The man cackles which sounds like an asthmatic vulture that took a deep hit from a blunt, in fact it was hard to tell if he was laughing or choking on his own phlegm.
"That is the maaane idea my lady. You can just drop by, look around, get a reeeel feel for the place. Ataken is one of those places that needs to be experienced in order to be beeleeved."
"Why do I need to believe in such a place?"
"Forgeeve my eengleesh, I come from another country faaar faar from theese one. I am not always acuustomed to the native tongue of This land. What I meant was you moost be here in order to have a reeel experience. There is a saaaying that you shooold have been there, well you neeed to be here for you to absorb and soak in the culture here."
"Oh that makes sense I suppose.
Soooo...when do you think a room will be ready for me?"
"You might fiend this funny but I can get rooom ready for you in a matter of minutes".
"Oh that's unexpected. It says in your ad that you have to reserve a castle room 6 months in advance."
"Hohoho No that eees for our beezy seesons. We have not had a beezy seeeson in well ooover a decade. Sadly this resort is quite neglected by the publeek. If the cassal was beezy and boostling with customers than yes you would have to make a reservation 6 months ahead schedule but clearly that is not the case."
"So it's That easy. I just show up and sigh in?".
"Yesss...It is thaaat easy my dear lady. Just come in and sign your name on the dotted line and you may stay as long as you desire".
"Well if it's that easy, how can I say no?"
"That's the spirit my fair lady. Come, Come, you weel enjoy it, I assure you. Oh ooolmost fergot, I need a name to put in the registry so I know who to expect when you arrive".
"Well I doubt if I'll be that hard to identify as I'm probably the only visitor that will be there."
"Quite right you are my lady but you see there have been several empoosters that have shooon up at my doorstep, expecting to have a full experience and they were merely rooogues. People that Live off the city grid undetected by nooormal soociety, To put it lightly they did eeexist in the system. So I only need a name so that I can cross reference. Theenk of it as a seecurity meesure my lady".
"Well since you put it that way, yeah that's pretty understandable. Um so the name is Maruna Fipple."
The man types the name in his ancient looking computer.
Maruna had violet eyes, a naturally celestial nose, her hair a hung around her heart shaped face in joyful rivulets and her lips were tiny yet rather plump and inviting.
This kind of beauty was rare, most had cosmetic surgery to look like this but according to her records on the screen there were prior surgeries of any kind listed down.
She was the kind of beauty that would make a grown man cry.
"Ahhh yes I see you are in the system. Weel I will register you immediately and you can come whenever you are able to Miss Fipple".
"Thank you sooo much. I'll be there shortly".
"Excellent. A attendant will be in the lobby waiting for you when you arrive. I presume you have luggage weeeth you".
"Um yes...yes I will."
"Good to know. Safe Travel Miss...Fipple".