Page 5 of Styx’s Storm

“You bet.”

On that note, I nodded and headed out. I was able to spot the hotel right away, even though the building was fairly unobtrusive. The three stories put it fifteen feet above the rest of the shops.

I hotfooted my way over, mindful that the sky was still overcast. My boots splashed through several puddles as I made my way and I winced at the dampness soaking my left sock. As I stepped into the lobby, my bladder made itself known. Crap. Do I pee in a restroom down here or upstairs?

A tall Black man standing behind the front counter smiled. “Welcome to The Grand Hotel. May I help you?”

I approached with a bit of trepidation. “I’m supposed to ask for the room key for 303.”

He nodded. “No worries.” He pulled an envelope from a drawer and slid it across the counter.

“Do you, uh, need to see ID or something?”

“I know the gentleman you’re meeting. I’m assuming you’ll either leave the key with him or bring it back down here.”

His dark-brown eyes sparked…amusement? Knowing? I couldn’t be certain. “You’re very trusting.”

He shrugged. “Small-town. And I have you on camera.”

My gaze shot to the lens behind him. Then I did a quick survey of the lobby and found three more. “Trust but verify?”

“Something like that. We provide a degree of privacy to our customers—but we also want to keep them safe.”

“I’m not a serial killer or anything.”

He chuckled. “I’m relieved to hear that. He’s waiting.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Is there somewhere I can quickly freshen up?”

“Sure.”

He gestured behind him, and I spotted a washroom. “Thanks.”

“My pleasure. I’m Aaron, the manager. Just let me know if there’s anything I can do to make your stay more enjoyable. We appreciate repeat business.”

I refrained from telling him that I was just passing through. I doubted that would go over well. “Thanks.”

“No worries.”

With that, I headed into the unisex washroom, locked the door behind me, and took stock in the mirror. Given the stress of the day, I didn’t appear all that disheveled. I removed my jacket and laid it on the baby-changing table, then pissed, flushed, washed my hands, and splashed cold water on my face. Finally, I sniffed my pits.

No gross, stinky sweat. Good to know.

I hefted my bag over my shoulder, grabbed the envelope, and draped my jacket over my arm. As I left the washroom, I gave Aaron a little salute and headed to the elevators.

So far, everyone I’d encountered in Mission City seemed remarkably friendly to a stranger. That didn’t seem likely to hold for the entire town but for today, I was grateful.

The elevator ride took little time, and locating 303 was easy enough. I removed the key card, swiped it, and let myself in.

My first thought, as I entered the dark room, was that I was about to be ambushed. I was reaching for the light switch when a voice came out of the dark. “Please don’t.” Deep and resonant. Almost unnaturally so. Is that his real voice?

“Sure.” I allowed the door to close behind me. “But if I can’t see…” I let the sentence hang. Until I noticed the crack of light from under the bathroom door. “May I open the bathroom for more light?” I gestured toward the door. He can’t see you. “Or will that reveal your secret identity?”

“I prefer darkness. Can you navigate with just that illumination?”

“I guess.” This got weirder by the minute, but still, his deep, resonant voice was doing things to me. “Don’t blame me if I trip over something.”

“I won’t.”