The Hotel at the End of Time

Chapter 23 - Vain carries an egg in her pocket for some reason.

Mark drove them down an ill-used side road surrounded by a thick forest. Even though the sun was high in the sky, the densely packed trees only let a little of the light through. He had to slow the van down to drive through the twisting roads. Vain felt like the forest was smothering her. This area was isolated and had so many places to hide. Through the open window, the sounds of birds happily chirping set her teeth on edge.

"This was the only thing available?" Vain gestured at the minivan Mark had secured. It was a newer model and included every accessory possible, which somehow made it even worse, like they tried to make it cool and failed.

"There's a bunch of us, we wouldn't fit in anything else," replied Mark.

"Two cars weren't an option? We look like assholes."

"Who cares?" said Mark.

"Trick will bust our balls for this. You think it's fine now, but just wait."

To keep her mind off the upcoming disaster, Vain assaulted Mark with a steady patter of inanities, which he handled with Roman-like aplomb. A definite plus in his favor. She wasn't nervous though. Not at all. Life-threatening standoffs with Trick were her bread and butter. Were the trees getting closer? She rolled up the window. Stupid birds.

"We're almost there," Mark checked his phone one final time. "About two minutes. Everyone, get ready."

"There are a lot of Wyatts," Emma said. "I can feel them."

"Probably a precaution," Hush said. He didn't sound convinced.

Rocks crunched underneath the van's tires as paved road gave way to crumbly gravel. The address Trick provided led to an old state park, albeit one that had apparently been shut down for years. They were so far off the main road, and there had been so many twists and turns that Vain became disoriented. Whatever Trick had in mind, he'd picked a spot with privacy. Even if they screamed for hours, no one would hear them. That, more than anything, made a bubble of fear work its way into her stomach.

The road opened into a large, circular parking area surrounded by ancient, towering pine trees. Above them, the sun burned brightly, casting deep shadows that covered the open space. Near the back, two Red SUVs were parked in front of two white ticket booths. Behind them, gates opened onto a winding path that went deep into the forest. Vain's stomach had a dead weight to it, a cold knot of tension. She took deep breaths.

In front of the ticket booths, four Wyatts stood at attention, armed with assault rifles. They wore mean-looking body armor and had mean expressions to match. Two open umbrellas sat on the ground in front of them, the tops pointing toward the minivan. Two TVs perched on giant stands with wires running to a portable generator.

Umbrellas and TVs. What new trick was that?

Mark pulled the van to a stop, perpendicular to the Wyatts, twenty-five feet away. He turned the key, killing the engine. No one said anything or moved or made any motion to get out. They sat there in hushed silence, soaking in thoughts of what would come next.

Vain leaned back towards Roman and whispered, "I'm pulling now, okay? Just in case."

Roman's lips pressed together in a straight line and he nodded.

She opened herself up and let power drip in, only a trickle. The sense of Roman in her head intensified, and some tension and fear made its way through the link. "I'll protect you." She wanted to pat him on the knee, or his shoulder, but she didn't. Instead, she crossed her arms. "Roman, trust me."

With that, some of the tension left his body. He lightly smiled at her. "I do, Vain. I really do."

To the group, she said, "Let's get this over with. Open the doors. Chop, chop."