Bob twirled a fork in his spaghetti. He could not stop thinking about the albino girl, and what Miss Rainbows had told him. He found himself creating a story for the girl. He thought Mika would be a good name for her.
What am I thinking? I hardly know her!
I don't know her, he reflected. Why was he so interested in Mika? She was...strange. Scary.
Yes. That was the perfect word. Scary. He was scared of Mika. He'd escaped from Sunnyflower Hotel and found the most cheerful place he could to eat lunch. It was called the Crazy Clown. The waiters were dressed in clown suits. He was eating a dish called Super Spectacular Spaghetti, with a side of Merrily Made Mashed Potatoes. It didn't go well together, spaghetti and mashed potatoes, but Bob wasn't eating anyway.
Mee-ka. Mee-ka. The name rang in Bob's ears, bouncing around his brain, and simply not going away. That wasn't even her real name!
"Is everything OK?" A bored looking man with a shiny bald head broke the chain of Mikas. He was the only person that wasn't cheerful in the restaurant, except for Bob. "If we don't put a smile on your face by the end of your meal, you pay nothing," the bald man recited in a monotone.
Bob shrugged. "OK, can I have the check?"
The man glared at him. "You didn't smile. Free food."
Bob strangely didn't feel glad. "Oh. Bye." He stood up from his chair and hurried to the front entrance.
The door swung open. A small, petite figure wearing sunglasses stepped inside. Bob suddenly felt his knees buckle. His innards seemed to slosh around in his stomach. The girl's skin seemed to emit a faint, silvery glow.
"B-m-m," Bob gasped, feeling weak.
The girl peered over her sunglasses.
Mika! was Bob's only thought.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
1: Sunnyflower Hotel
"Welcome to the Sunnyflower Hotel, where all of your happy dreams come true! My name is Miss Rainbows. How may I assist you?"
Bob stared in disgust at Miss Rainbows. She was a happy-looking, cheerful girl who couldn't be a day over twenty. Her skin was bright orange from all the tanning lotion; her oversized blue contacts bugged her eyes out; her bleached blonde hair stretched all the way up to their meek brown roots. She was a horrific sight indeed.
"I- I just need a room- uh- do you know of any good hotels around here?" Bob stammered.
Miss Rainbows' bleached white smile stretched even wider. "We are an excellent hotel!" She gestured one long-nailed hand around the dusty room.
Ancient couches upholstered with faded black leather leaned against the walls. Cobwebs clung to every damp corner. Heavy, ornately decorated lamps missing bulbs teetered against the walls. Outside, lightning shot against the dark night sky. Sunny, indeed.
"I- um... sure, I'll take a room." Bob felt like cursing himself the minute the words slipped out. Why did he say that?
"Sure thing!" Miss Rainbows skipped around the corner and snatched up a set of keys. "Room 2 is all yours, sir."
Bob gulped. "W-what? Room 2? Someone else is staying... here?"
Miss Rainbows' smile faltered for a second. Her overlarge eyes dimmed slightly and then looked away. "Yes. Some girl... she's staying in Room 1."
Bob nodded and walked down the creepy old hallway, mind racing. A girl? Perhaps he could talk to her. Maybe this could actually help him get a life. Maybe they would fall in love, get married, have kids, and- wait, what was he thinking? He hadn't even seen her yet!
He walked down the hallway. There it was. Room 1, sitting innocently, all by itself. Bob dug his courage out from the depths of his heart and walked up to the door. His hand hovered in front of the worn old wood. Could he bring himself to do this?
Bob chickened out. He got to his knees and peered through the keyhole. Through the crack, he could see a dirty little room. A suitcase was thrown haphazardly in one corner, clothes spilling out of it and onto the floor. His heart leaped. A girl! A small, pale girl, sitting on the bed, staring at the ground. Her face was hidden underneath her long black hair.
She looked harmless. Bob straightened and knocken once on the door. No answer. Twice. BANG BANG BANG. "Hello?" he called. "Um- my name's Bob- I'm from the room next door..."
There was a loud shuffling, shaking noise from the other side. The door rattled as if something was trying to rip it off its hinges. And then... silence. Nervous, Bob crouched down again and peered through the peephole.
Red.
All he could see was red. A deep, bloody red. What had happened? He could see through perfectly before. Red, red. A deep, deep red. What was in his way? He sighed. She had probably tried to block him out with the red room-service signs. But red? Another sigh. He got to his feet and walked away, feeling strangely unsettled.
* * *
The next morning, Bob was getting ready to leave. He was in the mouldy lobby, stuffing his last pair of socks into his backpack under the cheerful eyes of Miss Rainbow. When he was done, he walked up to her and gave her his credit card, along with the keys to Room 2.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Miss Rainbows asked merrily, sliding the card through the machine.
Bob shrugged. "Okay, I guess." He turned slightly to the side, noticing the hallway with Room 1 in it again. "One second, please." He dashed down into the hallway and fell onto his knees on the ragged red carpet in front of Room 1. He peered through the keyhole nervously...
Red. Still red? It was still red. All he could see was red. Not the pale girl. Not the suitcase. Red. Red, red, red.
He walked back to Miss Rainbows, feeling dejected. She handed him his credit card back.
"What's up with that girl in Room 1?" he asked, trying to act casual. "I tried to knock yesterday. She didn't answer. Is she shy or something?"
Miss Rainbows shrugged. "She's really creepy, if you ask me."
A spine traveled down Bob's spine. "How so?"
Miss Rainbows hung the keys up. "Well, she's an albino. Pale, pale skin. White as the moon. And her eyes don't have pigment. They're the color of the blood underneath. Red."
Bob stared in disgust at Miss Rainbows. She was a happy-looking, cheerful girl who couldn't be a day over twenty. Her skin was bright orange from all the tanning lotion; her oversized blue contacts bugged her eyes out; her bleached blonde hair stretched all the way up to their meek brown roots. She was a horrific sight indeed.
"I- I just need a room- uh- do you know of any good hotels around here?" Bob stammered.
Miss Rainbows' bleached white smile stretched even wider. "We are an excellent hotel!" She gestured one long-nailed hand around the dusty room.
Ancient couches upholstered with faded black leather leaned against the walls. Cobwebs clung to every damp corner. Heavy, ornately decorated lamps missing bulbs teetered against the walls. Outside, lightning shot against the dark night sky. Sunny, indeed.
"I- um... sure, I'll take a room." Bob felt like cursing himself the minute the words slipped out. Why did he say that?
"Sure thing!" Miss Rainbows skipped around the corner and snatched up a set of keys. "Room 2 is all yours, sir."
Bob gulped. "W-what? Room 2? Someone else is staying... here?"
Miss Rainbows' smile faltered for a second. Her overlarge eyes dimmed slightly and then looked away. "Yes. Some girl... she's staying in Room 1."
Bob nodded and walked down the creepy old hallway, mind racing. A girl? Perhaps he could talk to her. Maybe this could actually help him get a life. Maybe they would fall in love, get married, have kids, and- wait, what was he thinking? He hadn't even seen her yet!
He walked down the hallway. There it was. Room 1, sitting innocently, all by itself. Bob dug his courage out from the depths of his heart and walked up to the door. His hand hovered in front of the worn old wood. Could he bring himself to do this?
Bob chickened out. He got to his knees and peered through the keyhole. Through the crack, he could see a dirty little room. A suitcase was thrown haphazardly in one corner, clothes spilling out of it and onto the floor. His heart leaped. A girl! A small, pale girl, sitting on the bed, staring at the ground. Her face was hidden underneath her long black hair.
She looked harmless. Bob straightened and knocken once on the door. No answer. Twice. BANG BANG BANG. "Hello?" he called. "Um- my name's Bob- I'm from the room next door..."
There was a loud shuffling, shaking noise from the other side. The door rattled as if something was trying to rip it off its hinges. And then... silence. Nervous, Bob crouched down again and peered through the peephole.
Red.
All he could see was red. A deep, bloody red. What had happened? He could see through perfectly before. Red, red. A deep, deep red. What was in his way? He sighed. She had probably tried to block him out with the red room-service signs. But red? Another sigh. He got to his feet and walked away, feeling strangely unsettled.
* * *
The next morning, Bob was getting ready to leave. He was in the mouldy lobby, stuffing his last pair of socks into his backpack under the cheerful eyes of Miss Rainbow. When he was done, he walked up to her and gave her his credit card, along with the keys to Room 2.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Miss Rainbows asked merrily, sliding the card through the machine.
Bob shrugged. "Okay, I guess." He turned slightly to the side, noticing the hallway with Room 1 in it again. "One second, please." He dashed down into the hallway and fell onto his knees on the ragged red carpet in front of Room 1. He peered through the keyhole nervously...
Red. Still red? It was still red. All he could see was red. Not the pale girl. Not the suitcase. Red. Red, red, red.
He walked back to Miss Rainbows, feeling dejected. She handed him his credit card back.
"What's up with that girl in Room 1?" he asked, trying to act casual. "I tried to knock yesterday. She didn't answer. Is she shy or something?"
Miss Rainbows shrugged. "She's really creepy, if you ask me."
A spine traveled down Bob's spine. "How so?"
Miss Rainbows hung the keys up. "Well, she's an albino. Pale, pale skin. White as the moon. And her eyes don't have pigment. They're the color of the blood underneath. Red."
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