Free Vacation

The Lodge

It was a little over 4 hours before they reached the lodge.  The snow was falling steadily, but the lodge itself looked inviting.  Every room on the first floor glowed with a warm, yellow light and people in brightly colored parkas stood outside.  Between Dean and Sam they got the truck unloaded in 2 trips, and then they were standing in the lobby.

“Wow.”  Sam’s eyes were wide as he took in the high ceilings, the brick walls, and the giant fireplace with wraparound seating. 

“This place is snazzy.”  Dean spotted a front desk and made his way over.  A girl that looked to barely be 18 was sitting behind it.

“Hi, are you part of the Bradbury party?” she asked.

“Yes I am.  I’m Dean Winchester and that’s my brother Sam.  We’re supposed to tell you that we’re guests of Gabriel Novak,” he replied.  She smiled brightly.

“Oh, I know that. Gabe’s my uncle. I’m Claire.” She offered a hand, and he smiled as he shook it.

“Nice to meet you, Claire.”

“So, let me see where they put you guys…”  She was typing away on the computer so he took a moment to look around.  The place was nice.  Novak must be loaded, he thought.

“Ok, here you are.  Room 202 is yours.  Sam is across the hall in 205.”  She handed over 2 keys with large wooden tags that listed the name of the lodge, Wintercrest, and the room numbers.

“Thanks.”  He motioned to his brother, who walked over, and then handed him the key for 205.

“If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask.  We have round the clock concierge, a full kitchen that serves from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., but there are vending machines at the back.  Just follow the signs.  There is a hot tub, a sauna, and a variety of activities, both indoor and out for your enjoyment.  There is also a lounge at the back with another fireplace if you wish to find a quiet, out of the way place to sit and relax.  There are also massages every Tuesday and Thursday, aromatherapy, and a library for your reading pleasure.  Oh, and there is a doctor on call 24/7, my Uncle Castiel, should you need him for anything.”  She handed over a pamphlet to each of them.

“Is this a lodge or a day spa?”  Dean joked as he looked through all of the amenities.

“Well, between you and me, my uncle likes to indulge, and because he likes to indulge, he assumes his guests will too.  My other uncle, Castiel, he tried to tell Gabe he didn’t need all of that stuff but Gabe doesn’t listen to anyone,”  Claire said, laughing.

“Well, I’m pretty sure I want one of those massages.”  Sam was smiling as he leafed through the brochure.

“What, and not the aromatherapy?”  Dean teased.  Sam rolled his eyes before returning to their luggage.  A man in a uniform was already there loading their things onto a cart.

“Welcome to Wintercrest, I’m Alfie and I’ll be helping you up to your rooms.  Did Claire give you your room numbers?”  The guy asked.  He looked barely older than Claire herself, but equally as friendly.

“Oh, yeah, I’m 205.”  Sam looked to Dean, who added

“And I’m 202.”

“Fantastic!  Right this way.”  Alfie took off, pushing the cart ahead of him so they followed.  The ride up in the elevator was quick and their rooms were not far from it once they reached the second floor.  Alfie took Sam’s key first and unlocked the door. 

“Wow.”  Sam’s jaw dropped as he took in the room.  Rustic without being tacky, and windows that spanned the entire far wall.  The curtains were open, providing a glorious, snow-covered view of the mountains beyond.

“Damn, that’s a nice view, Sammy.”  Dean had to admit, this Gabe guy had taste.

Sam’s bags were deposited inside the room, and then Dean was being let into his room.  It was equally as nice, though his room had a view of the slopes as well as the mountains.  They both tipped Alfie generously, and the young man grinned and bid them a good afternoon before grabbing his cart and disappearing.

“This place is amazing.”  Dean ran his hands over the dresser that sat opposite the 4 poster oak bed.  It was real wood, solid and well-built.  Sam had joined them when they’d walked in, mostly so he could see how Dean’s room varied from his own.

“I don’t think I’ve ever stayed at a place this nice,”  Sam said as he peeked into the bathroom. 

“Me either.”  Dean moved over to the bed and pulled back the thick comforter.  There were two blankets and a flat sheet underneath it.  He was going to be toasty warm tonight.  And it was a queen size bed too, like what he had at home.  He was looking forward to stretching out tonight and getting a good night’s sleep.

“It’s already 6.  I’m hungry, so I think I’m going to go grab something to eat and then go see what kind of indoor activities they have since it’s already dark out,”  Sam said as he backed up towards the door.

“Yeah, maybe I’ll see you down there in a few.  I’m going to find Charlie and check out this place.”  Dean closed the door behind his brother and promptly dug around in his bags until he located the pair of sweatpants he’d brought and his moccasins.  Once he had changed he hung up his coat and tucked his bags in the corner by the dresser before grabbing his wallet and the room key.  Out in the hall he spotted Ash.

“Hey, man.  Good to see ya!”  Ash punched his arm playfully as they both headed for the elevator.  “Already getting comfortable, I see.”

“It’s a vacation, right?”  Dean grinned and the other man laughed.

“Hell yeah it’s a vacation!  I should have brought my slippers.  I didn’t think about it.  But I brought extra socks!”

Dean laughed as they stepped into the elevator and rode it down to the first floor.

“So, what are your plans?”  Ask asked.

“I’m going to explore a bit, then grab something to eat,”  Dean replied. 

“Yeah, I’m going to look for Jo.  She told me to meet her in the game room.  Catch you later though?”  Ash said as he started in the opposite direction.

“Sure thing.”  Dean waved and went in the other direction. 

The signs on the walls were pretty self-explanatory.  He stopped to get a good look at each room.  The massage/aromatherapy rooms were locked but had glass windows he could look through.  That was dull so he moved on to the sauna which was empty and the hot tub which was not.  He nodded to Cole and his girlfriend, Vicky, who were half asleep in it and got a lazy wave in return.  The sitting room was quiet, only one other person tucked up in the far corner on one of the couches reading, so he didn’t stick around to bother the guy.  Passing back across the lobby he went down the other wing, where he located the vending machines, the kitchen, the library, and finally, the game room.  Everyone was in there, including Charlie, and they tried to draw him into a game of foosball, but he excused himself to go get food.