Lunea's P.O.V.
We walk into the hotel, and the pleasant aroma of gingerbread fills the air. Kerra's still holding onto my hand, and I don't mind at all when she squeezes it and walks forward with me towards the front desk. "Hello, we were wondering if there are any rooms available without reservation?" The woman sitting behind the desk eyes us, and a knowing smirk grows on her face. "Of course we do! I'll put you guys on the fourth floor; we don't have many people around," she says, then winks at us. Instantly, Kerra drops my hand. "N-no. It's not like-"
"Thank you," I cut in. This may be the only way to get a reservation; I don't want to risk it. The woman hands us a key and gives us directions to our room. We thank her then begin our ascent up the stairs.
"Sorry for embarrassing you down there," I mumble. I feel really bad for acting like that's how our relationship is; she's probably super mad at me.
"It's all good. I'm glad that you thought fast; otherwise we might not have gotten this room," she says calmly. I breathe a quiet sigh of relief, and continue to walk up the steps in silence. It's not an awkward silence though; it feels natural and relaxed.
By the time we reach the 3rd floor, I'm exhausted. I'm not used to walking this far for this long. For a second I dream of the underworld; the peaceful sound of fire crackling, the blankets of smoke filling the air. I then trip and land on my palms, and am brought back to reality. "You good?" I nod my head, slightly embarrassed. "The lady said to turn here," Kerra points to her right. I follow her down a well-lit hallway, and she slides the key across a weird box attached to the wall. It beeps loudly, then turns green. "Ladies first," Kerra bows. I laugh and twist the doorknob.
As soon as I open the door, I run to the queen-sized bed. I snuggle up tight in the soft bedding, wrapping it around my freezing arms.. It's so warm and cozy in the room, and it smells like lavender. I inhale the scent, trying to identify the source with my nose, and eventually give up. Wherever it's coming from, I'm grateful for it.
I hear a miserable sigh from behind me, and I turn over.
"Wassup?" Kerra just shrugs and looks at the ground. Huh. I guess that's how she says she's sad? I get up from the bed and hug her.
"I don't know what's wrong, but let me know how I can help you," I say. Kerra just gives me a sad smile and sits down. "I just feel guilty about not visiting my sister," she confesses. I don't know how to respond to this; I was an only child.
"Well...do you want to go visit her? As long as she lives within 5 miles, we could probably walk there," I suggest. Kerra just gives me a sad glance and a half-hearted laugh. "She lives in New Orleans. There's no way that we could walk there. And...I'm not sure if she would be happy to see me. We got into a fight 3 years ago and still haven't made up."
New Orleans?
My heart thumps with joy. If I can convince Kerra to go visit her sister, I'll be able to find my family! I can see if they're still alive, and if they still remember me. They have to remember me. Right? I mean, how could they forget?
"Kerra, family is important. I know that if I could see mine again, I would take any chance I get. And you have a chance! We just need to find a train that will take us there!" Kerra looks up at me with hope in her eyes.
"You really think she'll want to see me?"
"I know she'll want to," I say confidently.
YOU ARE READING
Heads or Tails
Short StoryDeath is determined by the flip of a coin. If you guess correctly, you can keep on living. If you don't, welcome to the underworld. This is a curse to Kerra; she's has been living for 3 centuries; and she wants nothing more than to die. Now that she...
