Hotel 63

Chapter 5: An Unexpected Encounter

         My first week at hotel 63 was coming to a close and to say that working with Cameron had gotten more delightful would be a lie. We worked in silence, except for the occasional explanations he had to give me or scoff when I asked a "stupid" question. To say that I was relieved at the end of my shift on Friday was an understatement. I don't think I could have tolerated another second of that awkward silence and to be honest I was considering finding a job elsewhere.

"See you next week, Alex!" I heard Mr. Hunt call as I exited the building. One look at Mr. Hunt made me regret thinking about quitting. He was such a nice guy and I had made a commitment. I just wish I had known what I was getting myself into.

"Oh, and Alex?" 

"yea?" I replied.

"Don't take Cam to seriously." He smiled. "He has an attitude problem." He laughed. "but it really doesn't have anything to do with you."

It seems pretty personal, I thought, but I laughed anyways.

"Thanks, Mr. Hunt. See you Monday." and with that I headed home. 

As I walked up my front porch steps I felt the insistence of something that had been bothering me all week. I looked across the street and sighed. 

"Mom?" I called through the screen door.

"yes?" She answered.

"I think I'm going to go talk to Ms. Canton for a while."

Suddenly my mother appeared at the door. "That's great, Lex. I was beginning to think that I was going to have to drag you over there."

I smiled and rolled my eyes. "yea,yea. I better get going."

She laughed. "See you later."

I trudged across the street and anxiously knocked on Ms. Cantons front door. 

She was answered the door with a smirk. "She sure is intimidating for a little old woman," I thought to myself.

"Well, well," she chuckled. "Surely you of all people aren't coming to my home uninvited, Ms. Alex?" 

Ouch. That stung a bit. 

I cowered in nervousness. "Okay. You're right. I t-totally deserve that. I can go. uh..um...is there a good time for me to come see you? I just really wanted to talk." I rushed out.

Then the old wench through her head back and started cackling like I was the funniest thing she'd ever seen. "Oh, baby, I'm just kidding with you. I had to get a little payback for that sass you gave me last week. I'm a widow with no family within a two hundred miles of this town. Anytime is a good time to come see me. Come on in and have seat." 

She turned, still laughing, and led me to the living room. "Make yourself at home. I'll go get you something to drink." I didn't even get a chance to object before she disappeared from the room.

I turned around and became intrigued with the room. I hated to be one of those people that snoop around other people's things, but Ms. Canton had all kinds of old photographs and war medals plastered on the living room wall. The room was almost like a time warp. I felt as if I had been taken back to the 40s and was suddenly living in a different age. I began imagining myself as the people in these photographs. Maybe I had been the person to win these medals or maybe I was the girl laughing at the drive in theatre. It seemed like a much simpler time. I found my self longing to have lived in the past. 

I was so caught up in imagining my life as it may have been in a long ago time I was startled when Ms. Canton walked in the room to find me holding up a medal that had lied on the table beside the couch.