The town’s outskirt would pass for an abandoned place but going further in, there were people going about their businesses, a small market with thin leaves substituting the roof of what seems like a tiny box.

The house surroundings were a lot kept, the windows shut close and piercing eyes glanced contemptuously towards me mostly from the old women, what I couldn’t fathom was that some did look at me in pity. I don’t know how I manage to not shout ‘hey people. I, your beauty queen am here to save you’ out loud but I am shouting it in my head right now

“Wow, this place is beautiful”

I wide gazed at the flat roofed hotel building with my mouth slightly open. In contrast to the hut sized houses of the villagers, I am facing a building located in the middle of what seem like an empire of land, the fence is covered from the inside with fiddle leaf trees with stem stretching to half the length of the fence’s brick work and grasses cluster at the foot of the fence

The house itself with has climbing yellow flower round it’s walls that had green leaves almost twice the number of flowers, there is a fountain in the middle of the compound just a few steps from the opened gate that had the shape of a human heart water pouring from what I learn to be the Aorta.

What would a beautiful hotel being doing in the middle of an abandoned town? This is the only thing that snaps the game from reality but I couldn’t care less, I did feared that I would have to sleep on thick cloth sprawled on the floor or worst still hang from trees hoping not to fall.

“Is it a thing to leave doors open here?” I grunt after the right door of the huge iron double doors flung open when I had barely twisted the handle. Slowly pushing the two doors wider apart a thick breath leaves my lungs at the interior’s dim blue lights and the windows covered with white curtains gave me this warm and peaceful vibe I loved.

The empty hall had only a long brown slender couch and a receptionist counter coated with tiles. my black cow leather travel box crunched on the floor behind me as I walk into the building and towards the receptionist counter, the tires desperately crying to me to change them – which I conveniently ignored. Normally I wouldn’t have picked it among the many I had but I guess I was too broken to think straight

“good afternoon pretty” says a young woman, probably in her late thirties from the tiny wrinkles beside her eyes, she should really adopt to using steam and a face massage weekly to remove those and maybe get wipes and serum for the excess make up she wears. Hopefully her lips are not painted red because she murdered whatever color she was wearing when she let it smear past her lip line. Itching to pull her close and set them in place I scratch the back of my neck looking for anything to plant my gaze on.

“Welcome to the first edition of ‘my horror games’ you must know everything by now and anything you don't know, you will have to figure it out yourself. You will be meeting your team mates upstairs and the others are a set up to create a realistic game feature to give you the experience you deserve” her creepy wide grin makes me cringe and I nod nervously

“you don't have to act all creep out, the game is yet to begin. I will leave you to figure things out. Good luck” she wiggles her fingers at me in an attempt to wave but my stare glue on her as much as my mouth barely closes “What is your room number?” she asks

Recovering myself; I check my bag, running my finger through it until it hold a slim card which I slip out “It says 56 here” I say as I tilt the tiny card I had forced out from the tiny pocket of my bag observing the huge inscription of the number on the card

I raise my head and she is gone. I didn’t notice the woman disappear to where ever she disappeared to. she didn’t give a bother to direct me to the said room 56, especially when the hotel did look like a family house on the inside

 
“Oh my God, give me those shoes”

 
I turn to the Pleasant high pitched voice by my left – ooh, I do love long sleek straight hair not exactly in black color though But the confidence in her footsteps and the sharp piercing nature of her dark grey eyes was enough to keep me staring – I still manage not to gape.

Why haven’t I ever thought of what a belly belt would do to over sized jean shirts especially worn with the huge canvas that complimented the whole look and here she is flaunting over some knee length black boots I stuffed out of my high school box that I had abandoned.

“I should take your whole look” I gesture with my fingers snapping in front of the lady who poses like I was her personal audience

“If they are worth your shoes” she replies with a light laugh. There is something about her humility that feels like an insult, like she was letting down compliments in words that didn’t seem like compliments. With her outfit and composure I am pretty sure she didn’t believe anyone looked better and how much was my boots anyway?

“So, what brings you here?” I ask trying to sound friendly

she flips her hair behind her shoulder “Chill I am not a model, I know I look like one and it is okay for you to assume this kind of place is not my thing. But I am here to cover a story on my experience in this game – I promised my fans”

First off, I didn’t and would never think her a model even if she corrected her wrong shade of foundation and probably quit using very full lashes. Secondly, what is this whole fuss about fans, I try hard to hide my disgust in a forced grin silently regretting my choice of clothes I should show this proud little kitten her place in the fashion world

“I am Bella” I interrupt her breaking laugh

“I am Rose, named after a flower because my parents felt I was too pretty for a common name” she shrieks softly. Okay, that’s it – how much more am I going to take from this girl, Rose or whatever her name is

“That is a beautiful name, I need to go unpack – very much craving a bath right now” I blurt, grinning ear to ear

“56 right?” she doesn’t let me answer. She grabs my bag before I could so much as reach for the handle

And there she was, pulling my bag after her and heading inside, if she felt so high and mighty why make friends with deprived animals like me, I let the sarcasm glow in my face.

“I am in room 55 just beside your room and my partner and roommate would love to meet you” she says sweetly

I would very much lock myself inside my room till this whole shadow thing is over, if I meet more team mates like her. I didn’t travel all the way to this abandoned island to be bothered by proud little kittens named after flowers, I roll my eyes in front of room 55, and the funny thing was that Rose carried my bag into the room. What the actual hell?!

 
“Meet Anthony, my personal assistant, Anthony this is Bella, my new friend” she says, gesturing at each of us as she called our name

I nod, Yea right, rich kids association – could I be more surprised? Bagging personal assistants that basically do nothing but breathe beside them to satisfy their insatiable need from being abandoned as a child.

I roll my eyes letting out heavy air as I stroll into the room, every ounce of my body aching to grab my bag and leave … but – but what is it with this place that everybody seems to kick me off my feet with over flowing hotness, who ever knew that human muscles can be connected in such perfection that covering them would be a nuisance to the universe and prying eyes like mine

The burning desire to leave this place evaporates as I am lost looking at the said Anthony, I might have admired his light almost transparent singlet he wore above trousers that he didn’t bother to raise to his waist. he sure knows what he was doing when he chose that

I didn’t notice that I was gaping until his warm huge hands lift mine and just like that he is just a few inches from me but I wouldn’t dare let myself get lost in his eyes, I break our eye contact and focus on the crack in the ceiling behind him managing a smile to hide the fact that I was barely breathing

“Wow, straight from the oven your hotness”

He formally bows kissing the back of my hands, his lips soft and warm. Even though I didn’t really care, I still couldn’t help but notice Rose’s lips curl a little, maybe a rethink on locking myself up.