Next Room Please.

She dragged her bags across the empty desert road, her only light being the moon.

But because she forgot her glasses, she couldn’t tell if it was a half moon or a crescent.

In retrospect. Maybe it was a bad idea, ditching her boyfriend, ex-boyfriend's van, after finding out he cheated.

The price one pays for dignity.

Was it worth possibly dying, only God knows where?

Maybe.

But she preferred not to.

She scanned the horizon, desperately praying to see a tiny trace of civilisation.

Just when she was about to lose hope, a multitude of beams began to blink into existence.

She sighed in relief and thanked whatever Mysterious Force was helping her.

The Mysterious Force said You're welcome.

But she didn’t know that.

She decided to ditch her heels halfway to run faster.

They were a gift from her ex anyway, and she liked the cool beads of sand sliding through her toes.

As she approached, her head slowly rose as she realized the column of beams was a building, full of colored windows: pink, red, then blue and so on, each window pulsing softly, aside from a few that remained dark. She craned her neck upwards, trying to see the top, but it disappeared into the clouds. Either that or her eyesight was getting worse.

She noticed no power lines near the building.

She dismissed it as she finally arrived in front of it.

Stumbling into the lobby. Dirty, tired, and barefoot. She worried more about whether she’d be allowed to stay than how the place might treat her.

No one else was there except a man, maybe late thirties, dressed in hotel attire, standing behind the reception with nothing but a bell on the counter.

No phone, no sign, just a bell.

She approached, the keychains on her bags clinking metal and plastic together.

“Hi! Is this place a hotel?”

No response.

“If so, do you have a room available?”

…

“Uh… hello?”

The man stared straight ahead, like his mind was in a different place, or places.

The woman shuffled uncomfortably, staring down her feet.

“Ring the bell, please.” He finally whispered.

“What?”

“Ring, the, bell, please, I’m afraid I can’t help you until it is rung. Safety measures, I’m afraid.”

The woman, baffled at how this was needed for security, just shrugged.

She rang the bell, multiple times to be sure.

The man’s eyes slowly fell upon the top of her head. He smiled.

“Good evening, ma’am! Welcome to the Hilberton Hotel!

My name is Joseph Rehoboth. The manager here. Do you need a room?”

The woman, glad to be getting some rest after a bad day, nodded vigorously.

“Yes!”

“Ah, lucky for you to come off-season. We’re practically empty right now.”

“Oh good!”

“Unfortunately, all our rooms are full.”

“...What?”

“Yes.”

“But you just said it was empty.”

“Practically.”

Her eye twitched.

“Joseph… I’ve had a really bad day today.”

“I’m very sorry to-”

“Shut up. Now, I just really need a place to sleep. And maybe cry quietly.

So answer me simply while I’m trying MY BEST, not to scream at the top of my lungs

Do you have a room for me?”

Joseph smiled. “Of course. Could I have a name?”

She took a deep breath before answering.

“Jessica.”

“Wonderful! And how long do you intend to stay, Ms Jessica?”

“Just tonight, or until I figure out how to get to the airport.”

“Ah, not a local then?”

“Nope.”

“We neither.”

“Sorry?”

“So how will you be paying?”

Jessica rummaged through her bags before her heart sank.

“...Frick…”

“Sorry?”

“...Look, Joseph, right? I… is there anything I could do to work for my stay?

I’m… a little short on cash right now.”

“Heavens no, we could never subject our guests to labor.”

“Ok… Is it ok for me to stay in the lobby then?”

“Ma’am, I can assure you that our prices are very affordable.”

She looked at the grand piano, glass chandelier, and long decorated staircases.

“Right.”

“I’m very serious.”

“Look, Joseph, you’re a nice man, but I bet even you would tell me that this-”

She placed one singular cent on the counter.

“-couldn’t buy the air I’m breathing.”

Joseph picked up the cent and held it up.

“...Please follow me, ma’am.”

Her shoulders slumped as she followed Joseph to what she assumed was going to be the exit.But as they went down the hallway, they both stopped in front of a door labeled:

Room 1.

“Your room, Ms Jessica.”

“...Are you guys serial killers?”

“Hurtful sentiment, but no.”

“Because there is no way that ONE CENT. Can get me a room in this place.”

“Our benefactor is very generous, and we have policies for lost guests. Speaking of policies.”

Joseph took out a pair of sneakers.

“Complimentary gift.”

Jessica took the sneakers, speechless.

“Just one more thing before we give you the key.”

Joseph knocked on the door of room 1. The door opened, and what Jessica saw made her question whether she had died, because the thing that opened the door was an octopus, standing on four arms in the vague shape of human legs.

“Terribly sorry to disturb you, Sir Humphrey, but could you move on to the next room over? I’m telling Ms @&*!$ to do the same right now.”

“PLLplm.”

“Thank you, sir. We shall compensate you for the disturbance.”

He closed the door.

“You may now enter.”

Jessica screamed and bolted down the hallway.

She ran and ran, the number on the doors kept getting higher and higher.

2, 1024, 16384.

The hallway only got longer, entities of different shapes and sizes entering and exiting the rooms.

She ran for what seemed like hours before dropping from exhaustion.

And there he was, Joseph, key in hand.

“Ah, I was looking for you; I was just about to ask you to move to this room.”

He gave her a key. Number 268435456.

“Breakfast is at 8 am.”

“...What is this place?”

“...It’s infinity, ma’am. Please enjoy your stay.”