Ending of Chapter Three
I wanted to panic but couldn’t seem to muster the strength. I did miss my music though. And with that, my favorite instrumental music began to play from somewhere in the room as the lights dimmed and I fell into a deep sleep…. only to be awakened by a blinding light.
Day Two: Chapter Four
“Good morning!” the familiar cheery voice exclaimed.
Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I realized the drapes had been opened and it was fully morning. How long had I slept and why was this man in my room?
Seeing how startled I was, he said, “Sorry, I probably should have knocked. My hands were carrying your breakfast and the doors just open for me. I will sit over here until you can get awake. Don’t worry about me.”
Don’t worry about an elderly man in my room while I am sleeping?
He did remind me of my dad though, so I said, “You know my dad knew how startled I always was when awakened. He would always say, ‘Good morning genius!’ Since I doubt this will be the last time you will wake me like this, could you say that when you do? And maybe opening the drapes like that was a bit dramatic, though I did feel like a great lady being waited on by a maid.”
The elderly man smiled in agreement and settled into the chair by the window. Noticing a robe at the foot of the bed I wrapped myself up, and headed for the bathroom—grateful that this old hotel had ensuite bathrooms. Grabbing clothes on my way, I dressed quickly and wondered what would be on the tray for breakfast.
The elderly man grinned as I walked back into the room. “Good morning genius!”
We both laughed as I sat down and reached for the cup of coffee sitting on the tray. Lifting the cover off the plate, I was not disappointed to find oatmeal with blueberries on the side.
Eager to begin talking, the elderly man said, “My name is Alden. It means old wise friend and that is what I hope to be for you as you figure out how to get us all out of Hotel Candelabra.”
Relieved to now not need to refer to Alden as an elderly man, I asked, “How did you get here? You don’t seem to live in one of the rooms as I assume the others do.”
Alden sighed, “That is a long story. One that likely will make no sense until you solve the problem. I feel responsible for everyone being stuck here and try to help everyone be as comfortable as possible, but we weren’t meant to live here. Every time someone new arrived, I thought maybe they would be the answer—but after a while, we all began to understand that every candle had to be removed before the one with the answer would arrive. The entire place is aflutter after finding out you are here.”
“Can I meet them?” I asked. That seemed like a logical first step.
Alden’s answer was not encouraging.
“I don’t think it will work that way exactly.”
“How does it work?” I asked.
Alden leaned back in his chair and said, “That is why we are so glad you are here! You are a genius, and you can figure it out.”
I instantly regretted giving Alden that bit of information.
“Can you at least give me a tour of the entire hotel? Once I know that, maybe I can come up with a plan. Does anyone ever leave their room?”
Alden sighed, “No, they never do.”
“But you visit all of them, right?”
Alden affirmed this but added, “The doors won’t just open for you. But there is someone who also has a room in The Flame who figured out how to open them. She agreed to meet you on the landing after you finish your breakfast.”