Ariving at Nowhere Hotel
Dustin Feyder
Instructor: Kaelie Farrah
Intro. To Creative Writing
Entry 1 01/14/19 Constraint based story telling
draft # 1st
story told with an artificial restriction on the writer
Ex. A book with no word with the letter 'E' in it.
Method used was cards with story elements.
Words phrases and ideas taken from cards will be marked with Underline
Arriving at Nowhere Hotel
Journal: Writer 'Unknown'
I woke up today, I was curled up in a ball on the side of the road. I look over myself, I am dressed in a set of biker gear. I look up and down the street, I find my motorcycle a half block up the road, there are drag marks on the side. looks to me like I took a fall. I am having trouble remembering things. That is why I keep a journal. Looking in the saddlebags of my bike it looks like I was going camping. I have a tent, a flashlight, a bow and a knife.
I pick up what I can and tie it to my body. I can't tell where I am, the road is foggy. I smell salt in the air, a can hear birds. I can only guess I am near the sea. The fog is thick, so thick I nearly find myself walking off of a bluff. The sound of waves crashing is the only thing that gets me to look down. I need to move slow, keep my wits about me.
There is a large wood sign on the street. I feel up and down it, I sound out the words since I can't see the sign clearly. 'Heritage Village' the sign is 9 feet wide. Like the ones you may see outside a tourist trap. At least I have some idea where I am. Sort of. The fog is blinding. I need to keep walking.
The streets around me are dead, storm shutters are down, all I can hear is the screaming of the forest in the depths. Some part of this feels like something I have done before or someplace I have been like returning to a home I don't remember. I feel like I know this, it feels like waking up from a dream. That moment when you aren't yet sure if you are still asleep or not. I need to keep walking.
There is a lighthouse on the horizon, I see the fading yellow light spinning in the sky. I find my way to the lighthouse. It has a wooden place with a molding of two crossed swordson the sign, it tells me I have arrived at 'Nowhere Hotel' somehow, I know, this is where I am going. A lighthouse on a mountain side overlooking the sea. 'Nowhere' how should I be reading it? as 'now here' or 'no where'? Something is ghostly about the sign. I stand with my eyes locked on the aged stained-wood. The swilling fog twist my vision, the door seems to lean off to the left then twist back to the right. A hand rest on the wood as I wait for my eyes to focus.
The enchanted fog haunts me, it shoutsat me, "go inside" like some hex or magic, some evil spell in the air. Do I fight, do I run, do I do as I am told? I am frozen at the door unsure as to what happens next.
Eyes! Eyes in the dark light stare at me! Slim, bright, deep-red eyes. A long shadow stretches itself out unhindered by the physics of light. An unnatural thing, long ears, soft-sharp curves to its body, the shape is that of a wild-rabbit, its body like that of living darkness with the thick greased texture of crude oil.
A soft loving voice whispers from the beast, the voice is broken as if the words were spoken through an aluminum can "Headsmen." she beckons "it is time to go home." the reaper-like rabbit moans in a wanting tone. "you have been walking for so long." she begs "come with me and rest."
I find I can't take my eyes off the monster. Her gaze is as inviting as it is breath steeling, I am not afraid, but I am terrified. My heart should be pounding, I should be shaking at the approach of this thing from another world. But I am not. I know I need to do something. If I sit still something is going to happen, I don't know what, I can't know what. I just do.
I feel for the handle of the door with one hand. The black rabbit crawls at me, left paw, right paw, then a short hop. Left, right, hop, left, right, hop. She is so close I should be able to feel her hot breath on my neck. But I don't. She whispers in my ear. "don't fear me Headsmen. Everyone knows me. Everyone loves me and needs me. You eat from my garden for the countless eons before you were born. Now I am here with my arms held open inviting you home. I won't harm you, I can't. Am I the opposite of pain. Touch me. You will see."
The rabbit wont force itself on me. But it is standing so close that almost any move I make will make me touch her. She continues to plead in a reassuring voice "So many beasts have trouble excepting my invitation. But the pain, the dread, the tears. They are unneeded. Once your eyes are shut and you feel my warmth, you will understand. Everyone understands. With me, you will be safe forever." the rabbit watches me, I am crying, my eyes burn as I refuse to blink in maddening panic of what will happen if I do. "All you need to do is stop fighting." she repeats herself "stop fighting." she is perfectly calm. Why am I afraid?
My hand at last finds the handle. To door falls open. I fall into the dark and out of the fog. The brightness of the hotel burns me. I roll around of the floor for a short time trying to shake off the pain. The door shuts with a piercing click. The rabbit whispers to me one last time as the door locks "I will wait for you. I have no fear of time."