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Post by Dr. Bradley Karrde Smith on Dec 15, 2010 15:43:53 GMT -8
Time: Day 3, Morning
Weather: Cloudy
Warnings: None.
Characters: Dr. Bradley Karrde Smith, [open]
It had been a long ride through the night to reach Greenvale from Portland. Dr. Bradley Karrde Smith continued to stroll back and forth through the parking lot of the Deer Yard Hotel to stretch his cramped legs. Once he felt the numbness finally disappate, he opened the front door to the hotel and walked in.
"Oooo...how rustic! Fantastic!" he mused as his eyes soaked in his new surroundings and he mentally catalogued all he saw. Furniture in the sitting area, looks to be a country style decor. Beautiful rug accompanying it, shame about the cigarette burn though. The couple of potted plants adds a bit of life to the room. Black and white photos on the staircase landing. Wonder what they could be of? And the desk! It has a bell, and what's this? No computer?!? It has a ledger on it! I've never seen a hotel that still uses a ledger! Brilliant!!
With a new purpose, Brad quickly walked to the ledger and started to thumb through the pages, unconsciously letting his photographic memory take in names of past guests. Strange people he may never meet and who probably had amazing stories to share if he ever did. Forrest Kaysen, Charlotte Jacobs, David Young Henning... The list went on and on.
After a few minutes of running through the book, Brad turned his attention to the bell and with a child-like glee about it, rang it once and waited for help.
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Polly
Junior Member
What's that? Oh dear, I'm afraid we're all out of pepper.
Posts: 88
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Post by Polly on Dec 18, 2010 19:31:18 GMT -8
Polly had had a rough night, and woke up late. She had been bustling around the hotel doing the chores she should have had done hours earlier, when she heard the front bell. She hurried back to the front desk with a mop still in her hand and smiled at her new guest.
She hoped her lack of sleep didn't show too much. However, she had dark bags under her eyes, and a general air of dispirited tiredness that made her look even older than she was.
"May I help you?" she queried, pulling the ledger back over to her side of the desk as politely as possible. "Do you need a room?"
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Post by Dr. Bradley Karrde Smith on Dec 18, 2010 19:48:31 GMT -8
Brad examined the hostess in great detail as she approached the desk. Hmm...5'4" or 5'5", onset of hunching indicates years of work and advanced age. Running this hotel for a while, probably. I'd guess around 60 to 70 years of age. Dark bags under eyes...didn't sleep well? Holds mop with in the middle with her left hand, so probably right-handed...
"Yes, well, hello there. My name is Brad Smith. Do you have any vacancies?"
I already know there are vacancies, but it's a courtesy to ask. Ledger shows only 3 guests, after all.
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Polly
Junior Member
What's that? Oh dear, I'm afraid we're all out of pepper.
Posts: 88
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Post by Polly on Dec 18, 2010 20:23:21 GMT -8
Polly smiled back at the polite young man. He seemed friendly enough, although she thought he looked rather too much like David Hasslehoff for comfort. Such a strange actor; she had always thought he looked somewhat shifty and unreliable, like an unwashed drifter. Fortunately, this Mr. Smith looked comparatively clean.
My goodness, I must be more tired than I thought!
Polly reapplied her polite smile and blinked her eyes until they stopped glazing over. "Of course we have a room available," she finally replied. "Smok--" She visibly flinched. "I...um...I'm afraid we only have non-smoking rooms available..." she turned hurriedly around and chose a key off the rack. Turning around, she asked, "May I ask how long you plan to stay? And if you don't mind, could you please sign the register?"
She passed the key toward Mr. Smith.
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Post by Dr. Bradley Karrde Smith on Dec 18, 2010 20:37:48 GMT -8
She was about to say smoking, then quickly retracted. Judging by the immaculate condition of this place, she takes great pride in cleanliness so why hasn't the rug been repaired? The burn mark has to be recent, which means the policy chain was new. A flinch for it though...might have been implemented in response to something.
Brad enjoyed the friendliness of the hostess. These small hotels always seemed more friendly than the larger chains, having a certain coziness to them.
Reaching for the ledger to sign his name, Brad responded. "Oh, that's quite alright, I don't smoke anyhow. New policy, I take it? But yes, I don't really have a departure date. I figured I'd stick around for a while, see what pans out in this town."
Writing in the ledger, Brad repeated his name as he wrote "Doctor Bradley Karrde Smith.", then grabbed the key the hostess had placed forward.
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Polly
Junior Member
What's that? Oh dear, I'm afraid we're all out of pepper.
Posts: 88
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Post by Polly on Dec 18, 2010 21:09:49 GMT -8
Polly relaxed when her guest assured her he didn't smoke. "That's good. Yes, yes it is a new policy. I've had several...disturbances...in the last day or so.
"Anyway, welcome to Greenvale, please enjoy your stay!" She smiled as he took the key.
She had noticed him looking at something on the floor. She glanced down to the approximate spot he had glanced at, and saw a strange black mark on the carpet. "Oh...excuse me, I haven't vacuumed this morning. Is that bothering you? She stepped around the counter and peered down at it. Is that some kind of bug? Oh dear, I hope I don't have to call the exterminator. Carefully, she kneeled down. Polly had never been afraid of bugs, so she reached out a hand to pick it up.
But she was definitely afraid when she touched the cigarette burn and realized what it was. "Oh...oh my." She sat back on her heels. Was it real? Was it a dream? She had convinced herself it was a dream brought on by Charlotte's injuries and repressed memories of her own. But...what if it wasn't? The morning suddenly felt unreal, as if the light was just an illusion thinly laid over the darkness. Of course there was one person who would be able to tell her if it was a dream or not.
She realized she had completely forgotten Dr. Smith was there. She grabbed a nearby table and pulled herself to her feet. "I...I'm sorry. Breakfast will be served soon. Can I show you to your room? I'm afraid you'll have to carry your own bags. I'm just not quite as young as I was."
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Post by Dr. Bradley Karrde Smith on Dec 18, 2010 21:28:56 GMT -8
"Oh yes, that would be good, thank you." Brad responded with a smile.
She didn't know what the burn was? So the disturbance she's talking about weren't related to that particular burn, however a person would have to be pretty bad to do that so it may be the same person...
A thought occurred to Brad as they started toward his room, "Out of curiosity, I glanced upon a wrought iron gate when I was riding in last night. Would you happen to know what's beyond it?"
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Polly
Junior Member
What's that? Oh dear, I'm afraid we're all out of pepper.
Posts: 88
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Post by Polly on Dec 20, 2010 19:11:07 GMT -8
Polly looked over toward Dr. Smith as they walked. "A wrought iron gate near the edge of town? Ah, that would be at the end of Mr. Stewart's driveway. No, really, it's a driveway! He owns a great deal of the land in town, so he can afford such extreme measures of privacy. He lives alone with his aide--Michael Tillotson, he's a quiet young man with such an odd manner of speech--and doesn't venture outside his mansion much. But, well, he's had some health problems and I don't blame him."
Polly smiled softly to herself. "He's always been a good man. Distant, certainly. But being Good and being friendly don't have to go together, you know." She pronounced the word "good" with a clearly audible capital letter, as though it meant something to her besides the superficially obvious. She almost sounded as if she had forgotten Dr. Smith was there with her.
She didn't come back to herself until she reached Dr. Smith's room. She gave a small start as she touched the door. As she unlocked it, she turned to meet the man's eyes and said, "Here we are, Dr. Smith! I hope everything is satisfactory." She threw the door open. "Are you here on vacation? I'm afraid we're a small town without a lot of attractions, but I'm sure you'll be able to find something relaxing to do. I know a lot of visitors lately seem to congregate in the graveyard..." Polly got an odd, confused look on her face and trailed off.
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Post by Dr. Bradley Karrde Smith on Dec 20, 2010 20:03:31 GMT -8
Blast! Private property. Should have known. Doubt there's anything of interest then.
Brad slowly entered the room, taking time to catalogue everything in view as he always did when he happened upon a new place. With his head still roaming around the room, he set his bad on the nearby chest of drawers. Even with the new sights, his mind kept going on what the hostess was saying. Graveyard? Town founded approximately 100 years ago. Oldest grave, probably a decade prior. Estimate, 1905. Why would people congregate there?
Absently, Brad responded to the hostess, completely missing the odd look that had come across her face. "On vacation? Not really. Pleasure, sure. This graveyard, whereabouts is it from here? If people are congregating there, it might be worth a gander."
Brad continued to rifle through the room, opening drawers, looking behind curtains, and at one point even looking underneath the mattress on the bed.
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Polly
Junior Member
What's that? Oh dear, I'm afraid we're all out of pepper.
Posts: 88
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Post by Polly on Dec 20, 2010 20:31:59 GMT -8
"It's, uh..." Polly got her mouth working again and gave vague, halting directions, all the time watching as Dr. Smith methodically searched the room. It looked almost professional, although Polly of course had no previous experience in that department.
"Ah...if you, um, don't mind me asking, Dr. Smith, what exactly did you say you were a doctor of?" she quavered. She was still stunned, yet entranced, by the performance of this person in front of her. More civilized than David Hasselhoff my ear, she thought. Reminds me a bit of that rock star that stayed here a while ago. She cleared her throat and took a step toward him. "I'm going to have to ask for a small security deposit," she asserted, nodding at the mattress Dr. Smith was holding aloft.
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Post by Dr. Bradley Karrde Smith on Dec 20, 2010 20:49:28 GMT -8
Finding nothing of real interest in the room, Brad stopped fiddling and turned back to the hostess. A deposit? Odd for a hotel, but I don't have many options.
Reaching for his wallet, he responded to her inquiry. "Just a doctor. Bunch of degrees, no real specialization. Wouldn't suggest you ask for a checkup from me, that's for sure. Thank you for assistance...I didn't catch your name?" Holding out a five hundred dollar bill, Brad waited for a response.
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Polly
Junior Member
What's that? Oh dear, I'm afraid we're all out of pepper.
Posts: 88
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Post by Polly on Dec 21, 2010 13:04:49 GMT -8
Just a doctor? I wouldn't want a checkup from him? What on earth is that supposed to mean? She supposed he meant he had some sort of non-medical degree. She wondered if he was a psychiatrist. They tended to be...unusual people, didn't they?
Polly was thrown yet again when Dr. Smith pulled out a five-hundred dollar bill and handed it to her like it was the most normal thing in the world. Did he carry these around often? How much money did the man have if he thought nothing of waving it around like this?
She hesitated a moment, then slowly reached out and took the bill. "Polly. Polly Oxford at your service. Excuse me, I...have to...put breakfast...in, um, in...the dryer..." Polly slowly edged out of the room, still watching her guest. She hesitated in the door frame, wondering just what this man was going to do next.
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