The B&B

1 - PROLOGUE

Raena Imbrem had moved into Klaterville about four years ago, but only for the cheap cost of living. She hated everything else. The crime rate, the drugs, the... monsters? It just seemed like she was the only real human in Klaterville. Her tan, saturated skin, her wavy, thoroughly brushed hair, her deep brown eyes, everything about her looked so alive. Everyone else in Klaterville was just... dull. Their ashy skin, their unkempt hair, their lifeless eyes... none of them were actually dead, but there were a few residents of this hellscape that Raena really wanted gone. Arlo Somberman was the first one Raena began to despise. His skin was about the same tone as Raena's, but it was always dusty and dirty, as if he did too much work outside. His black hair was always matted and tangled, and he usually had an awful, hair-raising grin on his face. He looked like an eldritch horror when you looked at him from a distance.

In order to make some money in this freak show of a town, Raena decided to use her natural hospitality to set up a B&B. It did pitifully at first, but soon, an elderly couple showed up, and they told their kids, their kids told their own kids, and soon, everyone had heard about it. Arlo usually went from place to place, but he was hesitant about the B&B. Ever since Raena had set foot in Klaterville, their hatred for each other had been mutual. For the longest time, Arlo wondered if that B&B was even safe to enter. But with so many people going in, and so many people describing its luxury, it must at least be better than being on the street.

Finally, on a cold, rainy, and windy Thursday night, Arlo entered the B&B, clearly high.
"Could you people quit with the weed?" Raena snapped angrily as she leaned forward over her desk. To any other customer, she wouldn't say this. But to Arlo? She was going to say whatever came to her mind first.
"Damn. This how you treat everyone here?"
"No, just you."
"Y'know what? Fuck you."
"Do you want a place, or are you just here to make me secondhand smoke?"
"..."
"Arlo?"
"..."
"ARLO."
"Huh-?"
"Quit zoning out while people are talking to you!" Raena barked abrasively, snapping her finders in Arlo's face. Arlo also had a problem with his attention span.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll take a space. How much?"
"Depends. Did you yell at that sweet little boy selling cookies down the road today?"
"Nah, didn't even see him."
"Alright. Follow me, I'll show you the rooms we have available." Raena began leading Arlo around the building. You learn new things every day, and Raena and Arlo were about to learn a few new things about each other. They just didn't know it yet.