Hotel Selten

Confusing Times

"Ophelia, we are going to Stuttgart."

Those six words made the teenage girl, sitting on the brown couch with her sleeveless maroon shirt and black shorts, confuse and shock. The reason; first, she doesn't know where Stuttgart or something sitting in the world of California. She barely even heard of that place. She hopes it's just a place near her home or in the other cities, probably a park she never went to or a newly built one. Second, her father seems to be so serious, so she assumes it's not just a fun walk or shopping. He usually smiling and her mom will be in an excited frenzy, this is a new thing for her. Third, there's no reason for them to go anywhere. For particular reasons, it's still a working day for them. It's not Sunday or any workdays. Their jobs are pretty busy ones. Her mother is a psychologist in a near mental clinic. Her stepfather is one of the people in the Human Resources Department in a company. Fourth, it doesn't seem right that he just called her by her full first name. Usually, he calls him Lia, darling, or whatever silly names he could think of. It was a strange approach to her. It's a little bit uncomfortable and it's not something she's used to. Something happened, maybe.

She was speechless, she doesn't know how to react. She doesn't even know what to ask. She has so many questions in mind and she can't decide what will go first.  There are many thoughts in her mind but none has escaped her mouth. She gave her father a confused look, trying to say that if he cares to explain something. His father sighs as her mother walked down the stairs, sitting beside Dred. "Lia... We are going—or perhaps, moving to Stuttgart for good. We are leaving California, we are leaving our house. We will fly to your grandmother's." He looked at her with her dull eyes, assuring her it's really for good. "Care to tell me why?" She calmly asked, she was still confused. "Is it about the incident that happened yesterday? Is it about Mister Smith's threat? Is it about the bullies? Is it about everything I have done here?" A lot of questions were asked, yet it is answered by one answer.

"Well... Let me put it this way, darling." He takes a deep breath, "It's dangerous here. We are moving there to have peaceful lives, I don't want to confront Mister Smith. But hey..." He looks at Hilda and back to her, "I and your mother have been planning to leave here when you finished middle school. The difference is, the plan is getting deployed much sooner than we expected. But, don't worry, it's better there, you know? You will now meet your grandmother! And, Stuttgart is a very calm place, I am sure you will like it there. Well, there are possibly no beaches there compared here, wherein there is just a coast nearby. But you know, you will like the peacefulness there." He explained, a little bit nervous and confused too. He didn't prepare how to explain what's really happening. He didn't know that Ophelia will ask that much. Although, he just pulled the right words in his mind. He rather explains that he is scared of the situation they are in rather than admitting it's because of Ophelia's "special abilities". He was thankful he has another reasonable reason to evade the topic he will be pushed to tell to her. "Everything's just fine okay? We just need a new home." Her mother added with a sweet, assuring smile on her face. As a 13-year-old, she doesn't have the choice but to follow them. Especially understand the situation and their solution for this. It's for the greater good of everyone.

"Anyways, how's your school?" Her mother said, while his dad went to the kitchen to grab something to bite. "Well, all fine. For one day, I had peace and my class went well. I also passed my quizzes. That's all mom." She was smiling, she was really happy about what happened, at least it made her bullies stop, well, forever, since they are moving now. She can't meet them, but chances are still low, so there's a possibility that she can glance at them one more time. 

"Gladly you had a great time." Her mother smiled too, "Anyways, I need to go to the market to get some food, it's getting dark. Be right back, sweetie." She goes near at her, holding her nape and kisses her on the forehead and went to a drawer to get her wallet on the top of it then exits their house. Her father went out of the kitchen munching some bread with mayonnaise spread in the insides then went to their backyard. Ophelia decided to go to her room to doodle again.

"Lia... Wake up." A sweet feminine voice is waking the sleeping teenager to her white, small bed, just enough for her size. She was under a blanket while embracing a little peach-colored stuffed horse in her arms. She rubbed her eyes as she tilts a bit to face her mom, she opens her eyes a bit and yawns. She can see the smile on her mom's face. "Good... morning..." She said in a sleepy way, she is so tired. "You didn't sleep well, didn't you?" Her mom asked, tilting her face with the assuring look like she knows that she keeps waking up last night because of a dream.

"Well... Why would I lie to you?" She chuckled a bit as she moved to the edge of the bed, crossing her legs into an Indian sit as she looks at her mom. "I can't sleep—well, not really that 'I can't sleep'..." She positions her fingers with her index finger and middle finger up and folds repeatedly, implying a quotation mark (" "). "I kept walking and waking up, it pisses me off." She grunts a bit, she's not lying with her last phrase. Her mom flashed a confused face then asked her, "Care to tell me why, sweetie?" She embraced her one-armed as Ophelia leans on her shoulder. "Well, that water dragon-ish creature again. I can't stop it to keep bothering me in my dreams. It keeps waking me up. I already fell asleep earlier at like, four in the morning. It pisses me off, I can't get my well-deserved sleep." She grunts again, guess what pisses her off? Getting disturbed in her sleep.

"You can still sleep." Her mom assuringly smiled at her daughter who was looking at her so confused. "Isn't school day today?" She asked as her mom chuckles and kisses her forehead playfully, leaving her more confused. "Your father had already talked with the school admin, they need to process some papers for you to transfer. You need to rest and enjoy before we took off away from Crescent, okay?"

Her confused face relieved into a smile, bright face as she hugged her mom. "Got it, can I eat a lot of fish tacos then?" She smirked playfully as her mom sighs and giggles and plays with her hair. "Fine, you pinned me. You can eat any foods you will miss as many as you want, I got some money. Let's go?" The excited teenage girl nodded as she took a bath and changed her clothes, they proceed to a food restaurant after that.

They arrived at Raliberto's Taco Shop, Ophelia was hopping excitedly to get her favorite foods. Her mom let her choose a seat while she orders their food. Lia chose a seat just near the corner, she looked around while waiting for her mom. The people there are happily eating their foods, especially tacos. Some are laughing, some are talking, some are just happily eating their foods all alone, sipping on their drinks also. The place was so friendly for the tourists and the food is undeniably delicious too.

Until she saw a man sitting in a corner across from her, he is staring creepily at her which make her heartbeat so fast. She looked at her mom who was standing two persons away from the counter. There's a little file of people on the counter. She can't go to her mom since she needs to watch their seats. She just knew the man went in her front and she almost screamed when he stopped her. "Hey, I'm no harm kid." He said in a cracked masculine voice, removing the hood of his black hood off. She's scared, but her senses tell her that she should not fear him. 

"But, you. You are in danger. But not with me, I am not the suspect. I just sense and I can see, you are in danger. I have the urge to tell you this." He whispered to her, so no one can hear what he just said. That left the teenage girl confused and speechless. "I can sense something on you, but I am unsure. Someone is trying to prevent it, I can say... Or something, perhaps. Well, my thoughts are getting clouded. But I know one thing, something awaits you, but the danger is ahead." 

"Why are you saying this to me?" Ophelia asked, she was really confused. They are not close enough to say something to each other. The man just smiled and stands as he puts his hand on the pockets of his hoodie. "I am like you, little girl. Well, not really alike, but you had something on you. I wish you can show it. Oh well, I just warned you something inevitable, so... I suggest you enjoy." He walks away from the shop, hopping a bit like he just won in a dart contest. The girl seems so speechless and confused. "He is like me...? How? He's a man and I am a girl." She rests her elbows on the table and rests her chin too on her palms. The girl succumbed to her deep thoughts until a sweet feminine voice trailed her off.

"Hey." Her mom greeted while smiling as she put the tray on the table with their foods on it. "So, what did the man told you?" She said as she sits on the chair the man just sat on. Lia looked at her confused and gave her a 'what-do-you-mean' look. She rested her back on the chair and crossed her arms, she sighed as she looks at her mother that is waiting for her answers. She motioned her body forward, back to the table. She rested her arms to her and she sighs again, "He said that I'm in danger." She gulped and looked at her mom.

"Oh?" She gave her taco and drink and set aside her own. "Tell me more." "Well, he said that he is unsure about it. Something prevents him." Her mom looked down and whispered that she can hear a bit. "He's still here, huh." 'Who?' She said to her mind. These past days get weirder and weirder, to the extent that she doesn't understand what is even happening right now. First the incidents in the school, then they are moving to Stuttgart. Now there is a weirdo that is saying that she is in danger. Her mind is getting clouded with thoughts until her mom broke it. "Come on. Let's eat now." She smiled handing the taco that was even in front of her. She accepted it and takes a bite. 'Oh well, I guess I need to enjoy this for now. It'll be long 'till I eat one of these again.' She thought to herself and happily eat her taco with her mom.

It was nighttime, she was walking to her room, she heard something in her parent's room. She curiously put her ear against the door and listened to the conversation.

"We will be flying tomorrow, mom. Yes. I already bought our plane tickets and arranged some papers for Lia's education and well, her transferring." So, this is her grandmother, her father's mother. She never heard of her dad's mother at all. She never knew anything deeper about his dad. She didn't bother to ask him sometimes. She continued listening, "A breach? What do you mean? In the hotel? Really?" His dad sounded so worried, like really, really worried. "I understand. Are they okay? Aw, I wished they were fine. Ugh, this police kept bothering them." There was a second of silence and a bit of noise on the phone. "It was not the police? The hotel is getting targeted so many times. They might want to move soon. Or at least... Something to end those problems they have." She was confused about what his dad is saying, she assumed they are just his friends at the hotel that he was saying and there is some sort of a raid? 'Wait, why would there be the police?'

It sounds unreasonable to the little confused girl. For her, police catch a criminal, so if His father sighed, "Miss is really getting old and well, ill. I wish too, mom. I wish too. Okay, mom. Bye." He hanged his phone, Ophelia went to her room so confused. Hotel? Breach? Miss? What could all this mean?