Sands Katsion (~CRK)
Seed Hotel
CHAPTER 6: “SEED HOTEL”
In the middle of I*V City stood a beautiful white house. Standing only three floors tall, the simple, yet elegant, home called every wayward child to it. Seed Hotel had been a haven for all ever since it was first built. Even as it stands there today, living its quiet existence as a cherished memory.
We arrived together, led by the two girls, and I fell into the aura of the humble hotel for the first time. I had heard of it before, certainly, but seeing it in person struck a certain chord within me, setting my heartstrings to resonate like a cello. The stately home was set in white with brick steps leading to the front porch, which was enclosed by windows like a museum. Lacey, lavender curtains billowed through the open windows, and a windchime drifting from the side door twinkled in the breeze like a celesta.
For the first time in my life, I felt calm—completely devoid of stress. Washed by the home’s comforting shadow, a conversance took reign on my heart, tricking me into believing I’d been here before. Many times, actually—as though this hundred-year-old hotel were my own abode that held all my memories as well as my wandering soul.
“Follow us, Zeen!” Kiki called to me and snapped me immediately out of my trance.
I lingered on the façade a bit longer, though, trying to place the connection I may have had to this place to make it seem so familiar. Does it have to do with the memories and strange feelings I’ve been getting lately? Like when I got the Seal? I wondered to myself, rubbing my forehead and straying behind the others.
The long concrete driveway beside the hotel led to gardens bursting with flowers and to a giant modern building fashioned specifically to accommodate the original hotel’s many visitors. I almost fell backwards trying to find the top of the building. Why is it so big? I wondered.
The girls nudged us all forward by proposing a race, and in no time at all, my stature was mocked by the modern hotel’s vacuous interior. It seemed impossible that the inside of the building could be so spacious in comparison to the granite exterior’s simple upward climb. The lobby was furnished in an old-fashioned vibe, portraying the echoes from days passed—a stark contrast to the futuristic façade. The warm ambiance instilled by the dark reds and browns comforted me; I felt like a regal gentleman from the olden days—a fantasy which understated the depths of my imagination.
After choosing our room numbers out of a million possibilities, we kids split up to cover every floor in attempt to find our rather large, randomly placed numbers. Logically, I began my wild goose chase on the second floor. All the rooms in Seed Hotel were alike: minimally furnished, personal, and perfect for short or long-term visits. Except that some rooms were purposefully apartment-like, complete with all accommodations like a small kitchen. The rooms also had minimal furnishing and open space where you could add your own décor and stay for as long as you need. I decided to choose one of those rooms, feeling like I could use an upgrade from my shack. So, I was looking forward to checking out my new room.
Of course, 5 and Call followed me close behind, as though the three of us were inseparable. Indeed, we were. There in the hallowed hall, inbetween room #5 and room #241, was my chosen room #812, a combination of my favorite number and the number bequeathed to me at the vase-throwers’ hotel.
“How is that possible?!” My surprise manifested into the silent air.
A thoughtful sigh colored 5’s voice, and he spoke a word of poetic wisdom before allowing the sigh to dissipate, “It seems as though fate has brought us three together upon the second floor, away from all trouble and apart from the…annoying ones.”
Somehow, the way he said everything so enigmatically distanced me from his words and confused me to his original intent. Talking with him was like talking to a fountain of wisdom that spoke only in riddles.
From behind us came a yell followed by running footsteps which shook the entire floor. It was the hyper twosome again. Kiki and Cassie purposefully picked the two numbers after Calla’s in hopes that the three of them would be room buddies; boy, were they wrong.
“Call! Where were you?!” Kiki shouted, screeching to a halt.
“Aren’t we all supposed to be together?” Cassie added, concerned.
A few seconds passed as they made the connection between the number emblazoned on the door and the manner in which Calla stood in front of it nonchalantly. At the realization, the two girls’ upper bodies fell over in disappointment.
“I knew it…” Kiki complained under her breath, thoroughly saddened.
“No wonder we didn’t see it,” Cassie added with a sigh.
Calla offered a touch of comfort on their shoulders. “Well, we will still be close together, will we not?”
This immediately resolved their collected crisis, and their faces once again shone with delight.
“Of course!” Kiki exclaimed, her face illuminating.
“Nothing will keep us apart!” Cassie said, determined.
Yet another yell escalated from across the hall. “Hey, guys! I came from the twentieth floor!” Jamesy exited the elevator across the hall and walked by us. Strangely, he was puffing his chest in pride.
“Twenty?!” Another ounce of surprise burst from my thoughts into reality.
“Yes, there are twenty-five floors here,” 5 calmly responded to my outburst.
I almost fainted.
Metaphorically traveling back in time, we returned to the original Seed Hotel, the haven for anyone who happened to venture to the thriving capital of I*V City. I’d been wanting to look inside, and the others agreed to follow me. Brick steps led us to the sunbathed porch which stood as the bridge between the outside and the inside. The home, a step-in-time snapshot of days past, was furnished so: hardwood floors covered with red floral rugs, topped with green floral settes and gentleman’s chairs along with a Victrola and a player piano (Its smooth wood made silky through the warm illumination). A maple wood staircase climbed to the second floor, a big dining table sat in wait for hungry guests, and kitchen lined with wooden cabinets on one side and brick cubby on the other waited for lavish smells to grace its interior, as well.
Memories flooded me: dancing in the living room, skating on the hardwood floors, running laps around the first floor’s circular structure, rocking in the rocking chair, writing out spelling words in the dining room, hiding behind the china cabinet, playing computer games, playing outside until the sun went to sleep, rug-skating with tissue boxes, playing pretend, and recording videos in the basement…
But then I stopped myself again. “These memories again! Where are they coming from?” I exclaimed.
To my disdain, I accidentally screamed out loud again, and everyone else looked at me like I was crazy. “Sorry,” I returned, sheepishly, “There’s just something about this house. I don’t know quite what it is.”
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Kiki commented, smiling widely.
“Yep, it sure is!” Cassie complimented, as always.
I sighed, keeping my surprise to myself. Something was swirling quietly in my heart—a new perception I couldn’t quite place. It was as though everything waited inside of me, and I’d only just realized I was living a dual life for the past twelve years. Who…am I? I asked myself, clutching the foreign sentimentality brewing in my chest.
A familiar light touch like a pet turtle poking me came to my arm. “Are you feeling all right?” 5 looked into my eyes with concern.
“I’m…” But I stopped myself. “I’m not sure.”
“It’s all right. You’ll figure everything out.”
“I hope so,” I muttered, still lost.
But the truth of the matter was, I didn’t need the girls to give me a tour of the hotel, because I already knew everything all too well. From the cracks in the basement’s concrete floor to the Peter Rabbit wallpaper in the upstairs bedrooms. Somehow and someway I couldn’t understand.
A mental returning came and went, and I relived every memory that came to me before my mind lulled back to the confusing and rather arbitrary present. There I sat in the rocking chair in the living room, right where I had started, racking my brain as to where everything went—and why this rêverie still stood in its place.
The only other thing that wouldn’t leave was a lump in my heart—like a rock that had been placed there somehow that wouldn’t leave. I couldn’t place the sensation, nor could I find a logical reason how I could get rid of it. It was just far too strange. All the sudden, I wanted to be alone. To run away to the garden somewhere, huddle up, and cry. It made no sense. And I hated it.
As I lingered, wounded, in the living room, the hyperactive girls stood glued to the windows in the porch.
“Hey, look!” Kiki yelled, pointing the glass with her finger. “What’s that? Isn’t that smoke?”
Cassie squinted her eyes. “Yeah! It is. That’s weird!”
“What?” Calla stood up from one of the setees and walked to the window, taking the initiative.
“See?” Kiki tapped on the glass powerfully as though she were touching the actual smoke in the distance. “Right there!”
Calla stood silent for a moment. “Oh, my.”
5 took her hand and whispered, “You don’t think it’s you-know-who, do you?”
“Who-know-who?” Cassie questioned.
As my would-be friends stood around in a circle, contemplating the situation, a couple kids our age with short red hair and curly violet hair ran into the hotel with cuts and bruises all along their bodies. The hotel manager, waiting at the front desk, quickly attended to them.
“Oh, my! What happened, girls?” he ran to them with open arms.
“There’s trouble at Fantasy Prairie!” the violet one declared.
“We tried to stop her, but she’s just too powerful!” the red-haired girl exclaimed.
We all stood around and listened intently to their conversation, curious and concerned about the situation. I was no expert, but I’d never seen anyone get scrapes from USG super powers. It’s basically just colored light that transforms into elements.
As soon as I thought that, 5 mirrored my statement with a mumble, “Normal USG wouldn’t cause cuts and bruises like that.”
The friends turned to him.
“In fact, it almost looks like they got singed a bit, doesn’t it?”
“Oh, no!” Kiki covered her mouth.
“But how’s that even possible?” Cassie questioned.
As I looked closer, I noticed. The kid with curly purple hair did have some singes on the tips of their hair strands. Connecting this to the smoke, I assumed that’s where they had come from.
“Wait.” I stopped everyone. “Did they say the prairie? But we were just there.”
Calla took a deep breath and stepped forward, planting herself alongside me. She didn’t do anything but stand there admonishingly, as though waiting for the owner to notice her. As time passed, my eyes caught the slight tremble in her clenched fist. Was she too shy to take control?
Luckily, he recognized her as soon as he sent the girls away. “Miss Bird? Is that you?”
Calla’s stiff posture relaxed. “Please, call me Calla,” she returned with a smile.
“Oh, thank goodness.” He bowed to her. “Thank you for visiting Seed Hotel.”
“Of course,” she bowed slightly in return.
“I’m not sure if you overheard, but those girls were talking about an imposing young lady with fiery hair that’s ravaging the prairie! I have no idea why this is happening, and I’m quite worried, to be honest.”
Calla sucked in a breath through her teeth. “I see. Did they explain anything unusual?”
“Well, that’s just the thing…” He took his tiny top hat in his hands and wrung it slightly. “Is it possible, do you know? If USG can affect things in reality?”
Our friends, who had inched closer behind Calla, all gasped in unison. As Calla glanced back at them, they ran back to the porch and pretended they weren’t listening. But 5 lingered at her side and exchanged respectful nods with the manager.
Calla sighed softly. “Yes, I am aware of such a phenomenon.”
The owner was almost floored. “Really? Well, that’s good, but what do we do?” It was obvious he had no idea what to say back.
“Please do not worry,” Calla assured with a smile. “We will take care of it.”
“Oh, good. I am fortunate to have the Leader look into this matter himself!” the owner returned, his gloomy aura now shining.
The smile retreated from Calla’s sincere face, becoming a tiny line of uncertainty. “Yes. Of course.”
5 nudged her in the arm, but this produced an uncharacteristic annoyed glance from her.
“Please be careful! And let us know if anything needs to be done.” The owner pleaded, walking off quickly. Either he was scared or he was concerned about the kids in the other room.
Jamesy and the girls ran up right away, breaking all tension that lingered in the air.
“So, someone needs some pulverizing, huh?” Jamesy declared with a wry grin, making fists.
“We’ll take care of it, Call!” Kiki beamed confidently.
“Yeah! We’re experts at USG!” Cassie assured.
“Power Friends, forward!” Jamesy announced, pointing toward the horizon.
“Yeah!” The girls cheered, running off after him.
“Wait…” Calla’s gentle word was lost in the dust of the energetic kids, who were already across the street and bee-lining towards the prairie.
At this, the lady sighed, falling over in disappointment.
I have to admit, I was starting to feel a kinship with Jamesy, Kiki, and Cassie after that display of confidence.
“Just let them go,” 5 commented. “We’ll get there before them, anyway.”
I put up my guard, confused again. “What? How?! They’ve already got a head start!”
The siblings exchanged glances, and 5 came up to me and took both my hands, surprising me. His brown orbs stared straight into my eyes, making me nervous. It wasn’t often he had both eyes open so widely like that. It was eerily imposing. “Listen to me. Take my hand and close your eyes. We’ll be there soon, trust me.”
“What?” I returned, still concerned.
“Trust me,” he reiterated, slightly bothered.
“OK!”
I closed my eyes, trembling slightly, and one of his hands left me. I heard a snap, like the snapping of fingers, and my body felt light for a split second.
“OK. You can open them now,” 5 instructed, his tone now sweet and comforting.
“Huh?” I did so, and all the sudden, there we three were surrounded by the swaying tallgrass prairie we just came from. “What happened?!” I screamed, completely frantic.
“I transported us,” 5 said casually.
“That’s a thing you can do?”
“Yep.” He smiled. “But I’m special.”
“I see…” I rubbed my head, hoping it wouldn’t start bursting with pain again.
Even though we were just there at the prairie, it was obvious things were startlingly different. A dark haze stifled the air, and the plants were no longer tall and jovial—they were charred and nonexistent. What once were stalks healthy and potent were then just shells covered in black muck, dangling tearfully for dear life until they snapped and fell to the ground.
Calla pushed away tears, visibly shaking. 5 wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
“What?” I asked casually. “Did someone light a match or something?”
“No,” 5 returned morbidly. “Ima did this.”
“What?” I could barely breathe. “No USG could do this. Nothing could do this!”
“There is something, unfortunately,” 5 talked over his sister’s sobs. “The powers that go against the course of nature and harmony. The forbidden powers.”
My body chilled.
“Real Wars.”