Checking In!

Roxy felt the sudden shift in the air as the bus drove off leaving her alone at the front gate of Spooky Island.

Off to the side of that gate was a guard, with his feet up resting in the small five by five building. He held in his hands a newspaper blocking off his body from the waist up. You could tell his job meant a lot to him, not.

Roxy lugged the rolling luggage behind her up to the guard. She stopped a few paces away to give him room to react towards her sudden appearance. Or at least her sudden appearance when he put down the paper.

A few moments went by and finally Roxy was starting to feel the outside heat. She didn't have any tropical clothing nor the time to buy any so she was stuck in skinny jeans and a black crop top. They felt glued to her body from the heat and she finally caved to an impatient attitude.

"Hello?" Roxy called, "I'm here to check in."

The guard was startled by Roxy's voice. He threw the paper in the air and fell right off his chair onto the hard wood flooring below. You could hear his moans as he started to get his bearings.

Roxy leaned over the building's railing and peered down at the guard.

"Are you okay?"

The guard quickly sprang up and patted himself down. He was quite spry for someone his age.

"Fine, fine. Now how might I help you? This isn't somewhere to loiter you know," the guard replied with a sharp tongue. His job description finally kicked in and he became "Rent-A-Cop"!

"I'm here to check in..." Roxy reached down into her tight sweaty jeans and pulled out the business card her parents gave her. "... to Spooky Island. Huh? Weird name."

"Ah, a new guest. My apologies. This way. Follow me," the guard beckoned as he pushed open the gate.

Roxy took a look back behind her, confused. "Won't you need to keep watch of the front? You did't even notice the bus dropping me off."

"No need. The only way to get up here by nightfall is by that bus and only that bus. Besides..." the guard slaps his knees in emphasis, "... this body needs a little exercise from time to time."

"Body... right." Roxy raised an eye at the use of the word. She quickly shook the thought out of her mind and followed the guard up the dirt road. She didn't mind the guard refraining from helping her carry her luggage, she did remain in pretty good shape at college, but neglecting his watch didn't sit right with her. She crossed her fingers, hoping the hotel was going to be less sketchy once she got there.

-

After a few minutes of walking in an uncomfortable silence, Roxy and the guard had reached the Spooky Island hotel.

Its massive structure resembled the work of an old medieval castle. Its size dwarfed any mansion Roxy had seen, internet or books alike. It was truly a marvel to behold. The only thing that looked out of place was the tiki torches that lined the entry ways. Those torches only fueled Roxy's current view on this hotel.

The guard turned to Roxy and pointed to the door a few feet away. "That right there will get you into the lobby. The concierge desk will be on your right and you'll check in there." With that the guard turns back towards the front gate walking off. "Have a nice stay!" he shouts without looking back.

Roxy watches him go and waves back. "Thanks!" And in a lower voice while no longer waving, "For raising all my alarm bells."

She enters into the hotel. Roxy expected to find a variety of guests as she entered or at least some kind of people hanging around the lobby. She didn't expect it to be a completely empty lobby. She paid it no mind shaking her head and her thoughts away.

As she was told the concierge was on her right. A fashionable women behind the counter waved Roxy over. It was uncanny how she naturally gravitated over to her without another second thought. Her alarm bells rang outside, yet in here, with the concierge, she was as calm as a fish at the end of a fishing rod. Almost as if the concierge was pulling her in.

Wait That wasn't right...

"Good afternoon! Are you checking in?" the concierge asked. Before Roxy could even put another thought together she was already at the concierge's desk enveloped in her presence.

"Yes. First name Roxy."

"Roxy, Roxy... Ah, here you are. Paid in full. All amenities included. Wow, I'm jealous."

"I'm so excited." She really was. At this point Roxy felt as if she was in heaven. Completely in bliss and ready for whatever awaited her.

"I bet you are. The only thing I need from you before I hand over the keys is to fill out some paperwork. I'll need to go over this with you step by step since our records say this is your first time staying with us," the concierge explained.

"Um, ok."

The concierge placed a few sheets of paper in front of Roxy with a pen in one hand tracing the sections she was about to summarize.

"At the Spooky Island hotel we offer a service unlike any other hotel. All this stems from being able to provide one simple service, possession."

"Possession!?" Roxy's jaw dropped. The alarm bells were back on but Roxy's inner desires kept them from dialing to an eleven. A hidden kink that all those years in college kept under wraps just begging for a chance to see the sun.