It was a beautiful place. There were numerous rooms, a large amount of them used as sleeping quarters or for enjoyment. He found a room dedicated to reading, one with a huge balcony, one even having casino tables. There were some with things he didn't quite understand, but they looked exotic enough that he judged himself to simply not being knowledgable enough. The mansion must have been prepared to be used by a large number of people - possibly even as a hotel.
The whole building must cost a fortune. The clocks alone were delicate artworks, every piece of furniture was unique and the decorations looked so expensive that Fel did not even dare touch some of them. Surprisingly, there was no dust anywhere, making Fel wonder if this place had a housekeeper.
It all felt like a game. Maybe that was why he continued even as it got darker. As soon as he finished point three, he curiously opened the next one.
Instruction four, however, was a bit troublesome.
4. Greet the cat. Listen to it.
What was he supposed to do? The cat surely wouldn’t have come in so soon, if at all? Not to mention the second part he simply ignored.
Frowning, he walked back down the stairs. Maybe he could walk around outside and if he was lucky, he might see the cat nearby. If there was a housekeeper, there was a chance that they fed the cat, and that it might still live in the vicinity of the building.
As he passed the kitchen to his now-right, he heard quiet sounds. Surprised, he froze and held his breath. With quiet steps he approached the door and carefully pushed it open.
… Technically, what sat on the ground could be considered a feline. It had all the familiar signs of one, at least. The way its body was formed, for example.
But its fur was like water, waves and bubbles appearing on its surface and its eyes were like two black stones embedded into the fluid. Its tail did not appear to have any distinct form at all; constantly slimming down and shortening before reversing the changes as it moved.
As Fel gaped, the cat-thing looked up. Its mouth tugged open like the grin of a cheshire cat, revealing crystal clear teeth.
“So you are the new owner? It’s nice to meet you. My name is Areus.”
And with those words, Fel did the only sensible thing and blacked out. He pushed it on the fact that he wasn’t eating and sleeping well recently, his nightmares had gotten worse again and he felt constantly drained. His ears were beeping and hot as if he was bleeding. The discomfort was excuse enough to just... let everything go black for a minute.
When he woke up again, he was at the same spot, only lying down and the weird-looking cat-thing was on his stomach. Mysteriously enough, it wasn’t wetting his clothes. He didn't feel any pain from falling, either.
“Sorry, sorry”, it said with a much less deep and booming voice than before. “Didn’t think that my voice would be too much for you, newbie.”
“What are you”, Fel croaked in confusion, only daring to lift his head slightly. A robot? A very advanced robot. But what did he know about robots, anyway.
“Me? I’m your assistant, Deary. I'm the housekeeper. I’ve worked here for a few hundred years already. I’m always there to help the owners, and you’re the new one.” Areus lifted a paw and licked over it. Quite bizarre, since his fur looked like water, but it behaved like fur at that movement and smoothened out where he licked over it.
“I-... What?” Fel’s brain was not keeping up with where things were going. Something inside of it simply locked up, deciding that this thing was a robot, and that was enough. No need to think further.
Areus curled himself up on his stomach in blatant disregard of his discomfort and purred. “Should have been your grandparents. Did they die? I imagine they did. Too bad that humans have such a short life. Hey, you got the key for this place from them, correct?”
Fel felt a wave of sadness. Indeed, his grandparents had passed away two weeks ago. Both at the same time, over night. They weren't sick or anything, their time had simply come. Still, they were precious to him, which was why he was in this mansion in the first place.
This mansion that had a talking robot-cat-thing declaring it was the housekeeper. “What… is this place?”
Areus laughed. “A train station.”
“... What?”
“Figuratively speaking. It’s a train station between several worlds, where travellers can take a break before continuing on. A hotel. Not the main inhabitants of the worlds, mind you, but homeless beings like me.”
The cat-eyes narrowed into a grin.
“The beings you never see or hear or notice any way at all. Us lot who only care to watch some enjoyment. If I took you humans as an example, you could say we are people who constantly walk from cinema to cinema to see the newest interesting movie… Only that we walk worlds, not movies. Some of us left their homes behind, some lost it, some can't return. Now we are travellers looking for enjoyment... I personally find this place here quite cozy.”
“None of this is making any sense”, Fel mumbled, letting his head hit the ground again. The ceiling was quite pretty. A very interesting ceiling. He could stare at it for a while, no problem.
The thought that there might be some kind of fumes inside the mansion became prominent inside his head. Gas-leak. Maybe he was still unconscious. Or maybe he was still in the hotel, sleeping.
“Yeah. Sure. Normal reaction. Why don’t you continue going through the list for now, hmm? Usually people need a few days to adjust. Treat it as a game.” Areus nodded in understanding. The way he behaved reminded Fel uncomfortably of an actual person.
“Alright”, Fel mechanically responded. His brain shutting down to silence, he simply did as he was told. Hesitantly, he lifted the cat - which was cold but not wet - off his stomach and stood up.
Where was the list? Ah, on the floor, too.
5. Use the clockwork key to unlock the door at the back of the mansion and leave it open.
Not hard to do. Also very normal. Great!
Fel wobbled towards the hallway and walked right towards the end, towards the normal looking door. It looked like every other, also his walk from before hadn't let him to the room behind it yet.
Using the beautiful clockwork key from the package, he unlocked it and opened it up.
Behind it was a wall of liquid mercury - shimmering silver, quivering slightly.
Fel froze with his raised arm. Then he turned around and walked away to read the next step.
“You’re exactly like your grandfather, do you know that? Numbly going through the list and completely ignoring everything. That’s good! You’ll make a good owner! Ignoring things is a great base for working here.”
Fel hummed in response to the talking cat. With his fingers trembling softly, he continued opening up the instructions.
6. Lay out the beverages and food.
More running around.
7. Place the yellow talisman right next to the open doorgate at the back of the mansion.
More weird stuff.
8. Turn on the music.
More unusual atmosphere.
9. Change your clothes to the prepared uniform. If your hair is at shoulder length or longer, tie it up neatly.
10. Stay awake until morning and greet the guests. If you feel tired, drink one of the bottles in the marked cupboard. Don't eat after sundown.
11. Always keep the key with you. Never give it to anyone. Always wear the talisman you can find on the marked shelf after the sun goes down. Never take it off. Always be polite. Don’t be rude to your guests.
12. Follow the new instructions after the first rays of the sun have appeared.
More confusing, random, concerning instructions.
Fel found himself sinking into the sofa with a blank gaze, still sitting upright with the instructions in mind. The sun was setting slowly, dying everything in orange and red.
His hair was tied up into a high ponytail and his normal clothes had been exchanged for something like a suit with an eastern touch. Some sort of mix between suit and robe. It had been in the package and left on the office table before.
Somehow it fit him perfectly, from the dark blue cloth to the indigo belt around his hip. The cloth was incredibly soft and flowed so nicely that Fel actually did a twirl in front of a full-body mirror.
Something like tiny crystals must be hidden in the fabric, as the clothes began to shine like the night-sky outside as he turned.
“You’re doing well, Deary.” The dark, manly voice of the cat destroyed his peaceful world. It came from somewhere near his feet.
“Don’t call me that.”
“What’s your name then?”
“Fel.”
“Welcome, Fel.”
The man sighed and rubbed his face.
As he kept the position of covering his eyes, he heard the cat chuckle ominously. Suspicious, he put down his hands.
Right in front of his eyes was a face that looked like the mask of a plague-doctor. The pitch-black, hole-like eyes of the creature closed and opened once, the beak distorting into what might be a smile. Most of its body was hidden under what appeared to be a cloak but its face grew into a visible plume of grey feathers. There was a distinct smell of herbs hovering around the whatever-or-whoever.
“Areus, this is the new one?” A voice higher than the cat's came from the slightly opened beak.
“Sure is, old man. Fel, that is Urulu. He is a common guest here. He’s also very tolerant, otherwise he wouldn’t be allowed to come on the first day”, the cat explained kindly, stretching its long body like a normal feline.
Fel was frozen, his eyes wide and mouth stuck with his jaw down.
A plague-doctor mask was talking to him. The eyes were opening and closing. It was moving. It was creepy.
“Oh my. I seem to have scared him.” The mask blinked again, tilting its head like a bird.
“He’s human. They’re scared easily.”
“He isn’t screaming.”
“Better than the past ones, huh?”
“Yes. He seems like a very calm person. That’s good.”
Fel almost didn’t hear them over the constant screaming inside of his head.
Ah? Ah ah ah? What? Movie masks? More fumes? What? Huh?
... Calm, your mother!
I didn’t say anything first chapter but ???.
Hi
Thank you for the chapter.
somehow i imagine all of this in a tim burtonesque style, which has made a baby with 'the house with a clock in it's walls'. fufu, soooooo intrigued!!!
This hotel looks fun. I like this trope, and I like your twist on it.