Rebecca Moon and The Boy in the Bottle

Chapter 8: The Magi Temple

Rebecca walked through the sliding glass doors to the massive building, only to see the most normal thing possible. It was a lobby for a hotel, with a fireplace to the left, surrounded by lounge seating, and a large almost cafe looking waiting area to the right. The front desk was rounded and grand, sitting in front of her, with several young guys and gals running the phones and checking in and out the residents.

In fact, Rebecca thought that in the lobby, the oddest thing was in fact her. She had a backpack with a boy in a bottle stuffed alongside a calico cat, which would give her directions on where to go. She a young girl, who had just found out that she had slight visions, and was cool with it by the way, walking through the lobby of a hotel getting directions from a talking cat. The idea that she had expected something more unusual than herself was becoming more and more humorous.

Perhaps it was finally the fact that Ty had told her that he thought she was a visionary, and she was coming out of shock from the police officer asking her out for his son, but things were weird in her life. The current scene began to crack her shell, and she couldn't help but smile at all the normalcy that surrounded her. She was becoming that which she didn't understand, and twenty-four hours ago, didn't imagine existed.

But there was no time to stop and figure out who she was, or even what she was, Rebecca had to keep moving. As she came upon the large hand carved wood desk, she placed her hands on the grooves and looked about for a desk agent. They were moving about so quickly, and with such purpose that she had a hard time getting the attention of one. Not wanting to interrupt, and cause a fuss, Rebecca waited patiently until one of the girls saw her.

"Hello," the girl said. Her name badge read Martha, and she walked briskly around several of the boys to get to Rebecca. "What can I do for you today?"

Suddenly, Rebecca remembered, she had no cover story. She was there to figure out how to get Ty out of the bottle, but she couldn't say that to this girl, could she? How crazy would she seem if she just blurted out "I found this boy in a bottle, and he needs help getting out of it? My talking cat led me here, but I don't know where else to go. Can you point me in the right direction?" Rebecca smiled at her own imagination. Then she was quickly brought back to the desk, when Martha the desk agent asked again.

"Was there something I could help you with today?" She seemed a little concerned. Rebecca couldn't tell if it was for Rebecca's wellbeing, or her own. She snapped out of the trance she was in, realizing how creepy she must look standing silent with a smile, and then uttered, "Uh, I uh. My name is Rebecca!" She said a little too loudly. She immediately regretted everything that came out of her mouth.

Martha had backed up an inch or two, but was still in the conversation. "Good to meet you, Rebecca," Martha spoke to her as if she was a little slow. Rebecca picked up on this and was embarrassed, but determined to make it right. "Are you here to check in? Are your parents with you?"

Rebecca put her hand up. "I'm sorry," she said trying to sound as sane as possible. "I just had a terrible drive up here, and I'm a little out of sorts." She breathed out and played with her wet hair.

"I'm so sorry," Martha said. "It's coming down pretty bad out there."

"Yeah it is. And I hate the rain," Rebecca said.

"Oh, I love it," Martha said. "That's why I moved here. I can't get enough of it." She smiled and gave a little chuckle. "So, are you checking in with us today?"

"Oh," Rebecca said still unsure of what she was doing at this hotel. "I uh, yes I think I am."

"NO!" Darcy said, quietly.