The Radiobelle Anthology - Charlastor Week 2022

Chapter 3: Midnight dances (Music)

"Come on Alastor. I want to know why you have my eyes covered."

"I told you to be patient my dear. Don't worry."

11:58pm. Two minutes before midnight. Two minutes until Charlie finally turned 192 years old. At that moment, the princess was blindfolded and accompanied by Alastor, who was leading her through the hotel slowly. Almost noiselessly, without making too much disturbance in the corridors.

Everyone was sleeping after a long day of work. None of the staff or customers were up. The corridors of the hotel were very quiet, except for the few hellish crows that could be heard outside. Charlie was looking forward to resting as well; just lying in her bed and resting like an angel until tomorrow that was her special day. Just like every year.

Through the years she could remember, she had always had a typical birthday routine. Waking up at 6am with a birthday cake, getting a call from her parents and a gift with a hug from them. Then, a walk together with Razzle and Dazzle. It was a bit monotonous, but Charlie enjoyed celebrating her birthday with the few people she loved. Especially now that she had new friends with the hotel she formed. She didn't like big parties, so her birthday had always been small. She was happy to be turning another year older, but it wasn't as much of a thrill as other moments in her life.

But one particular demon seemed like he was excited for it to be her birthday.

Charlie didn't know what she was doing accompanying Alastor at that moment. She had told him that her birthday plan was simply to share a cake with all the staff members. Something small, nothing big. She had told him that she didn't want any surprises, because at every turn, she saw him being pushy about her birthday.

But he practically ignored her.

"Well my dear. You can see now."

Both demons stopped. Charlie removed the blindfold from her eyes and saw that she was in the back of the hotel. It was the room where they kept all the supplies and alcohol. It wasn't a fancy room, there were practically a bunch of boxes and the lights were very dim and low lighting.

Charlie was confused as to why she was there. She wasn't upset, but if he wanted to give her something, he had better have done it in the morning when she got up. She didn't look like she had the energy to do something that night.

"This is just the backside of the hotel, Alastor. Why are you..."

Before she could continue with her words, she saw Alastor snap his fingers. Suddenly, the boxes around them began to move in the air. At that instant, all the lighting in the place increased and made it seem as if a flashbang had exploded inside the room. Charlie felt her body rise, as she wondered what Alastor was doing.

The princess closed her eyes midair due to the sudden illumination. She felt like she was flying as she heard random sounds. At one moment a birdsong, at another the sound of air and leaves. She didn't know what Alastor was doing, it wasn't funny. But she couldn't open her eyes because of the little fear she felt.

Not the best start to her birthday, she thought.

"I knew you were going to do that. But don't worry my dear. You're in no danger."

That confident voice of Alastor's made Charlie open her eyes again. Even though he was a bit insensitive and someone he didn't understand empathy, she felt that deep down, she could trust him. As she opened her eyes, she slowly descended to the ground.

She was pleasantly surprised when the dark room she was in had turned into something... wonderful.

It wasn't an ordinary place from hell. The sky was completely blue, with clouds floating by and the field she was walking on was full of green grass, with bushes covered with flowers of different shades of colors. She was wearing the dress and hat she wore with Alastor the first time they met. There was only one place she knew that had those features. There was no doubt about it. It was the surface.