The Moon Rises

Mystery Spell

    Arriving in Mystery Spell was a trip. The hustle and bustle were much more than I had even hoped. People were chattering away on their phones or with their friends and almost crowding the busy streets. The smells coming out of each little shop were wonderful and, though I usually felt my anxiety rising in even the smallest of crowds, I couldn't be happier to be away from home. Walking briskly along, I head toward the hotel I had booked. 

    Even though the day had been quite unlucky, with several long periods of waiting for my flights and a not so pleasant experience with airplane cuisine... I had thought ahead at happenstance. It had looked like a good enough place on the website and it was close to where I needed to be. I didn't have too much time to look into it as I soon became busy putting out the ever cumbersome wildfire that is my mother. I mean, Gosh! The woman can worry and make the smallest thing her fault or her doing. But I bet most kids go through the same thing with their parents as they head off to college. Especially one so far away. 

 The Moon shone brightly in the sky above in Gibbous. Stars sprinkled lightly throughout remind me of other nights I've spent away from home. Unlike this, all of those were very well scheduled and not so much on a whim. I heave a sigh as I stop in front of a brick and mortar rinky-dink hotel. Opening the door, I do my best to greet the poor receptionist with a smile. She does her best to seem happy about her working situation as well which is, upon further investigation, a favor for family.  Funny how our family can do so much to our lives. Both Negative and Positive.

    The girl goes to fetch me my key and as she does, I look around me. The varnish of the wooden counter-top is peeling apart under my arms. The deep green wallpaper has been torn and stained quite a few times. Lighting is a problem as well, as the old yellow light coverings do nothing for the room but dim it further into the oblivion of being a thing from nightmares. This hotel must have been nice at one point in time but age definitely defies it. With a small smile and a sorry look, the young girl brings me my key and points me in the direction of my room.  The hallways are dark and some lights flicker as I pass under them. The red carpets look as though they once had a design on them but wear and staining have all but washed it away. Reaching my door, I see the aged wood and only a shadow where one of the numbers needs to be replaced. 

    "Gosh, I should have done more research before booking this place..." I mutter to myself as I put the key into the lock. I turn it and wiggle it and push on the door. It took a bit, but I got into my room fine and put the "DO NOT DISTURB" sign on the outer knob. Closing the door, I lock it and look to my right. There is a small bathroom with a closet right next to it. I pop my suitcase into the closet and choose to look past the bathroom. Moving into the larger interior of the room, it seems exactly like the front room. The only difference being that it looks like it's seen less action over the years. Dust is cropped up in a few notches and the bed lets off a soft puff of dust as I toss my carry-on on top of it. I take my carry-on off and take some time to beat the bed as clean as I can and it creaks as I do so. 

    I put my carry-on back on the bed and take out what I need for the morning. Softly laying it out, I begin to realize how tired I am. After letting out a giant yawn, I zip my case and place it at the foot of the bed. I take one last look at the peeling paper and then look out the window at Mystery Spell. The streets have quieted but I can feel something in the air. My heart aches to know more about this city and I earnestly hope that everything will go smoothly from here on out. As I watch smoke rise from the chimney-tops of old houses and into the night sky, I am reminded that when the first new moon rises after my twenty-first birthday he will come to complete the curse making me the salvation of my paternal family. 

    Trudging over to the bed and heaving a sigh, "Hopefully being in Mystery Spell will be enough to save me from this madness." I lay my head down. I, then, turn off the light and begin to wonder how much sleep one can actually get in such an old and uncomfortable bed. Even if it's just my imagination mingling with what I've seen of the place, I feel like ants are crawling all over me. I inwardly shudder and suddenly remember to set my alarm for the morning.    

   I get up, the bed creaking and moaning as I do, and grab my phone. I pull out its charger, plug it into the wall socket next to the bedside table. Twittering with it a bit, I finally sent the alarm I want.  As I set my phone to full volume I become aware that the room is rather stiff with no air moving throughout it. I move to turn on the air conditioner and it makes a small clanking noise as I do. It sputters and then is on full blast. I fail in my attempts to either turn it down or turn it off. Defeated, I turn to go back to bed, stepping in a pool of cold air conditioning water as I do. Shaking my foot off, I hop into the bed which groans beneath my weight and I pull the blankets close, trying to stay warm. 

Shivering, I look at my phone one last time. It's midnight already and I am absolutely miserable.

"Oh God, Thank you for this opportunity. Please, Lord. Help me to get through this night. In Jesus' name, amen." I pray silently as I sneezed and try my best to sleep. I have a big day tomorrow and, in all this madness happening around me, it seems only heaven can help me now.

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