Hotel Selten

Welcome to Hotel Selten

"Hotel Selten...?"

Ophelia asked herself, a hotel, in the middle of the forest. She was visibly confused, "A hotel in the middle of the forest?" She muttered under her breath, "Is this one of those tourist hotels?" She looks around, there's not much sounds and noises. There's nothing really that screams that this is inhabited by someone. Although, it looks welcoming. It's not that old. In its exterior, there's no overgrown ivies and moss in the ground and the building. It doesn't looked abandoned in anyway. It's pretty big for just one person to live in. She can't say if someone lives here like a hunter, a castaway, or just someone who fantasizes living in mystical forest. The hotel was surrounded by some wooden and spiky fences, but in contrast, it doesn't have any gates. The fortification of the hotel seems insecure. She walked on the stoned path that continues inside the front yard of the hotel. There are some hanging seats on the edges of the hotel, which is kind of cool. The place was rather simple but cozy. With the beautiful plant life inside the premises, it creates a heartwarming vibe. Some of the dimmed-lit light posts guide her pretty dark way. She looked at her broken watch, it's already 5:45.

In the welcoming side of the things, the place looks a bit scruffy in some ways. Even if it doesn't looked abandoned, the structure looks pretty old. There are a lot of rust in the metals, the walls in some angles are broken. There are some mess that scream that the place was just got attacked. The roof above has some damage on its trims. She's having a lot of second guess what could be this place is. With the mystical vibe she's having, it seems pretty normal, for now. She looked ahead to see more. There's an entrance just in front of her. It was an elevated and roofed door, probably for shading purposes. It's kind of fancy, the wooden door has a hole that is shaped like a weird curly fire.

She looked around to gaze around from the elevation, she can't honestly see the path where she came from. It seems it was covered in fog. She can barley see the river stream. She shrugged the thought. It's getting dark and her eyes doesn't work well in the dark. "It might be my eyes." She muttered to herself as she looks back at the hotel. Before stepping in, she's drowned again in her thoughts.

She's thinking about what has happened to her life. She was regretful but she has no choice. It has fallen to her. She's free to venture now anyways, her granny is now gone. She doesn't have to worry about another thing anymore but herself and her survival. She is certainly fired from her job now. She doesn't know if the lady made it to live, but some parts of her mind say she serves her right. The incident was a lot like the incidents from the past, everything blows up when she's angry or some kind wants to revenge. Some just lead to minor injuries, the worst was death. 

She sighed and looks at the door. She approached it and observe its majestic woodwork and carved curves. She peeked in the hole and she saw a hallway that leads to a lone door with fancy lamps in it's both sides. Two hallways are leading to left and right. There are no guards, that's strange for her. But, it's beneficial for her as someone hiding from the police. She opens the door as she takes her first step in the wooden floor of the hotel. As she enters, a small gust of wind touched her skin. It was relaxing. The ambiance was so cozy, it feels so familiar.

She went straight to the other door which has unnecessary lamps on its' sides. She was so nervous about what could it be inside. Is it some trap or something normal in hotels? She slowly opens the door and takes a peek. She can see a wooden counter with some plants on the sides. She completely opens the door and she was welcomed by a lovely fair lady. She was in a black robe with her glossy black side swept bangs is covering one of her eyes. The other eye was staring at her. Her reddish lips smiles sweetly at her. 

She looks at her from her head to waist as she looks back at her eyes. "Welcome. How may I help you, young lady?" Her sweet, soft voice asked her a question. She was staring at her. It's unbelievable and strange. She was fascinated by the lady too. With her strange outfit, she's confused what could she be. The room is cozy too, with soft, brown leather couches in her either side. In the east and west of the room, some stairs lead to the second floor of the hotel. There is a portrait at her back that looks like another lady, but this time, its hair is in a bun and wearing a green dress.

The lady in front of her snaps her fingers which made a loud 'flick!' sound that echoes through the room. Ophelia's thoughts trailed off as she looks back at the lady smiling at her. "Oh um... Sorry." The lady just giggled, "It's fine, it seems you are lost on your thoughts." She gulps, "I was. I just stumbled by this beautiful place of yours." The lady smiles, "Thank you. It's the finest hotel in the forest." "Could I stay for the night? If so, how much is that?" She asked, which made the woman in front of her tilted her head a bit in confusion. "There's no p*****t, dear." She said, which made the teenage girl more confused. A hotel room rent with a fee?

"Eh? Aren't the customers supposed to pay their stays here?" She asked to clear it. The lady just smiles and hands a silver and a bit rusted key. She accepts it with hesitation. She looks at it, it resembles of a medieval-style key, with a design on its other tip and looks like the symbol in the door earlier. "Cabin one-O-seven. You may make your way back to that door and take the right hallway." She smiles as Ophelia accepts it and questions her again. "Uhm. There are no real payments? Even donations? I have some euros here, I can―" She said as the lady cuts her, she was gonna reach her pockets.

"As I said, don't mind it." She is still smiling as Ophelia looks at the door behind her. "Do you want some tour? Or do you want me to accompany you?" She offered to her. "If you don't mind." She accepted the counter lady's offer. The lady exits the counter and went to the door. She exited the lobby area as they walk through the hallways.

She can see some portraits, a man with a long beard and its' end is levitating... in the air? Weird, it must be the owner of this hotel is fond of weird medieval paintings. There are group portraits too that consists of a lady with snakes in her hair and seems her skin is scaly too. There's a little boy who seems normal, but if you look at its folded hands, it seems furry and has some... claws? There's a dog in the middle, well, it looks like a pup. It's like Cerberus in Greek mythology, it has three heads, but the difference is... Every head has a thing on its forehead that looks like a third eye. There's another girl, but this time, she seems a normal girl. Nothing so special, specifically. Seems strange.

Another door was waiting for them, how many doors are in this place? She asked herself. The lady opened it and revealed a hallway, well, plus the two doors which are 2 meters away from each other. She looked around as they entered, there are more doors, but now, it has numbers. There's a stair in the left end of the hallway, which seems to lead to the second floor like the ones in the lobby, she doesn't know if it leads to the same room or no.

There's no one in the hallway, it's so quiet. But she can notice how clean and sparkly the place even it's made of wood. They approached a door after a few walks. It has numbers written to it, 107. It's her room. She unlocked the door with the key and opens it. It was a nice, cozy place. There's a bed in the corner of the room with a comfy mattress. Some drawers and cabinets. There's a window too to breathe some fresh air. A shelf of books, which have so many assorted reading materials, old or new. There's a work desk near the window too.

"Welcome, make yourself comfortable." The lady said to her, Ophelia examined the whole room. She saw a trap door and looked at the woman who was touring her around. "An underground room, that's where your toilet and bath pieces of stuff are." She explained. The teenage girl lifted the trap door and saw... a pond of water? She looked at the lady again with more confusion. "Why? Nature's water is the best bathwater." She looked back at her and she sighs. "Well, I was just kidding. This hotel lacks some hygiene rooms, but if you want to take a bath, there's a river nearby."

"So, what's the purpose of these things?" She asked. "Purposes you will find soon." The lady said. "Anyways, dinner's upstairs, you might want to join the others." She smiled as she leaves her alone. "Weird... A weird place. And there are other people here? I mean, the hallways are like a desert or a deserted place." She took them back as soon as she heard voices.

"First to get there will get a quarter of the chicken!" A masculine voice followed by loud footsteps. She saw 5 kids passed by her quarters as the noise changed into loud thumps. Ophelia takes a peek at them; 2 girls and 3 boys were running upstairs. "Hey, new here?" A voice was heard behind her, she turned around and saw a 5'9 man wearing a white t-shirt and denim jacket. He got his jogging pants and a pair of blue running shoes. He still looks young, probably 20 in age. "Of course, why am I asking? I know every face here. Did you just arrive?"

"How can you casually ask me things, stranger?" She asked, well, emphasizing the word 'stranger', she was confused. Is he the manager―well, that's not right since he's young, how about, the son of the manager? She said to her mind. "Don't be so rude to me, missy." He said as he puts both of his hands in his pockets. "I was trying to, well, at least befriend our new family member." It made her confused, all she wanna do is to stay for at least a night, or some days, to hide from the authorities.

"If you guys have a fraternity or anything that makes you say, about, well, family. I am not going to join that. I am just here to stay for the night and let it pass and I will throw myself away from this place, okay?"

"Uh-huh." He nodded as he motioned himself forward, flicking his tongue on the roof of his mouth. Then, he looks straight to nothing. "Enjoy your stay then, Miss Hutchinson." He walked away, making the brunette girl more confused. How did he know her surname?

She shook her head as she followed the path that the previous people she encountered took, upstairs, which she doesn't know what's it in. She walks as thoughts came to her mind. Is this one of the books I read where they eat people for dinner? Or, perhaps I am just dreaming? Oh my god, please say I am. She slapped her face multiple times. She's not, the slap hurts.

Nope, I guess I'm so screwed that I am ever screwed since earlier. Oh gosh, Ophelia. Only if you just controlled your anger in the first place.

As she steps into a flat space, she turned her head and finds more stairs. The other leads what seems to be the stairs in the lobby and the other was upstairs. She can see a fancy sculptured wooden fence that prevents anyone from falling just clumsily, she can see a chandelier-like light source from her position as she rushes to check what's really on this floor.

It was a giant hall; it doesn't seem to be like that on the outside. There's a big wooden table that has a fancy table setting and some other circular tables just sitting around. There are a bunch of shelves for books and some cabinets. She looked at the other people in here that are sitting at the table. She was frozen by the other's appearances. There's a boy with his head on the table, another male with a snake tongue just pop out from his mouth, a girl with big horns.

She was gonna turn and walk away as a tall girl with her long hair just levitating in the air appeared behind her. The girl then showed her mouth with a lot of teeth, she screamed as Ophelia's consciousness went into a shutdown and she fell from the floor.