Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Moonlight Inn

It’s a nice little home away from home, just outside the city and busy highways.

The perfect place for the weary traveler to rest for a little while or stay for a week. 

We have all the amenities you could wish to have at your convenience and a 24 hr diner on site for a quick breakfast on the go or late night dinner.

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That’s what the front of the 4 page pamphlet read, that I was instructed to hand out and distribute at select locations before I actually showed up for work. My boss Mrs. Petra assigned me the task of getting these made. I took the pictures myself. Not half bad for a rookie if I do say so myself. They were shots of the outside building of the Inn, the inside rooms, vending machines, a swimming pool and 3 covered jacuzzis (by appointment only). 

I even included a picture of the diner that occupied the lot in front of us closest to the road. I know the words weren’t really catchy enough to grab much attention but I’m a get-to-the-point kind of person. 

Also, I truly believed that the pictures would sell themselves. Really, to the weary traveler I suspected, they really wouldn’t care for all the hoopla, just to know how much it cost and where. Which was also included and printed on a sticker on the bottom backside of the pamphlet. “Call for rates” I made sure I specified. I’m not gonna give everything away.

Truth be told, we did ok business wise, even without the help of pamphlets to show the way. We had our fair share of guests come to stay with us. Some were truck drivers but mostly illicit affair hook-ups. 

No, my boss Mrs. Petra would never allow prostitution business here. But hey money is money, and she wasn’t always around to see or judge her clientele. She was hell bent on running a reputable business. But on nights when I had to stay and run things, pretty much everything was fair game, especially when offered a little bonus to “look the other way”.

My name is Logan Kane, I’m an 18 y.o gal (yup, you read that right! I’m a female). I picked up this job for the summer to pay for college before classes start. I’m keeping a journal of all the crazy stuff that goes on here at Moonlight Inn (and you can bet there’s plenty of it). It may come in handy for me later.

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It was July 4th. The Moonlight Inn was abuzz with activity, people checking in for the weekend, and only a few were for overnight stays. Out of 26 rooms, only 4 stayed vacant. It was extremely busy on a Saturday afternoon. Across the street, the barren field that usually stayed lonely and chilly at night, finally had company. 

There was a carnival that was driving thru town that just randomly decided to set up camp for the night I suppose, before continuing on their way somewhere else. I stood in the middle of the dusty parking lot of the Inn while watching various sizes of trucks and 18 wheelers pull in across the street and began setting up for the festivities this evening. I was in awe of the hustle and bustle, until Mrs. Petra yelled at me from behind me at the office door to get back to work.

My job was to take our visitors to their rooms and offer to get them anything they wanted, like extra towels for the pool or maybe an extra blanket. So far no one took me up on that offer, until later when the families came in. 

I had to carry a few luggages up the concrete stairs to the 2nd floor for a couple of elderly folk or take FiFi, someone else's ankle biter of a dog, for a walk around the back of the Inn, to do her business.

It was so hot, I swear it felt like the sun was too close to earth and was burning everything to a crisp. I was beginning to sweat, and breathe heavily and slow my walk down to a shuffle and the worst part of it, my clothes were beginning to stick to me.

I couldn’t wait to finish getting the Brauna family settled in their room and hopefully they wouldn't need anything more from me. I just wanted to return to the office parlor and lay on the cool tile floor for a century.

By God, I was so glad when the rush had died down considerably, I stumbled into the office and laid myself down on the floor, just as I intended to and right under one of the a.c vents and the fake palm tree in the corner by the service desk. The air from the vent found its way down to my face and began to cool me off. I closed my eyes for a moment.

Mrs Petra walked by me and nudged my rib with her fluffy house slipper. “Get up girl, You’re making this place look bad just lying there like a bump on a log”. I sighed, opening my eyes and arched my neck back to just see the leaves dangling over me off that fake plant. I wanted to pretend I was on vacation in the Bahamas somewhere, but Mrs. Petra is a dream killer.

I reached my hand up to pull down one of the thin branches and feel the texture of one of the leaves while listening to Mrs. Petra continue on in her grumpy Russian accent about how a proper young lady should carry herself, while she walks around the office like a caged lion. She came back around and nudged me again. I pushed myself up off the floor. 

She beckoned me over to the table by the window with a glass of lemonade waiting for me. “Come, sit” she ordered while patting the seat next to her. “I want to tell you something”. I sat where she told me to and chugged the drink down. Mrs. Petra stared at me like I came from the cemetery of bad manners. I put my glass down and looked at her and waited with baited breath to hear what she had to say.

Mrs. Petra cleared her throat and began to tell me about a late check in coming this evening, Mr. Blanchett. He’s a traveling salesman, happily married with 2 small kids. He stops in to rest here before traveling on to get home wherever that is. It seems he and Mrs. Petra had a one night fling once. It didn’t end well, judging from the sketchy details I get from Mrs. Petra. From my understanding, she made a pass at him that he refused. But Mrs Petra wasn’t taking no for an answer and spiked his vodka she had brought him and seduced him in his room. 

I think she even pulled some kinda Russian witchy woo-woo on him because afterwards he got in his feelings for her, but she wasn’t about him anymore. But because he travels, he still comes to stay over at the Inn and she still reserves a room for him. I have yet to meet him, but from the little bit Mrs. Petra has shared with me about him, he sounds like a sweet man. I think that she still has a thing for him, even though she denies it. Aaah well, it’s not my drama.

She said I could leave early but with all the traffic with the carnival taking place, I chose to stay in the back parlor and get some homework done, maybe even nap till the carnival closes for the night. 

Around 9 pm, Mrs. Petra closed the books for the night and decided to go grab a bite somewhere other than the diner. She had already written off any chance of Mr. Blanchett actually coming thru tonight. She said she’d return soon and left the double doors open to the parlor room, so I could listen out for anyone coming up to the front desk. 

Moments after she left, I decided I’d had enough of studying and pulled a chair just outside the office so I could watch everyone at the carnival. I loved the twinkling lights that flashed off and on, one after the other. I smiled and pulled my chair up.There was a wooden crate sitting near the office door, I don’t know where it came from but now it would serve as a footrest. 

I sat in my chair, put my feet up and tilted my chair back on its hind legs against the wall. I was listening to the carnival music and letting my eyes wander around at people getting on the 3 rides they had. The Ferris wheel, bumper cars and the carousel that had its own music.

They had a few games set up to play: balloon darts, something with a water gun race, and a ring toss, which was all I could really see. I could even smell the scent of freshly popped popcorn, and funnel cakes being made, wafting in the air all the way over here, reminding me I was hungry and I had not eaten all day.

With all my distant sight seeing, I didn’t notice an old station wagon pull up to the front of the Inn just to the left of me. The man had gotten out of his car with sunglasses still on. “Excuse me Miss, but do you still have a room available for the night?” the man spoke to me as he took off his sunglasses now. 

“Sure, follow me into the office here and I’ll get you set up. Do you have a reservation by the way?”I asked him.

“Yes, I should. I called Petranella earlier to let her know I was coming thru”. He answered.

“Oh you must be Mr. Blanchett, correct? The Deluxe Room with coffee pot?”

Mr Blanchett offered a weak smile and nod in return. I got him signed in and grabbed the key to room 24, opened a closet nearby and pulled out some fresh bath towels for him, and asked him to follow me out and up the side stairs to get to his room. He did so quietly as he took notice of the carnival across the street. 

“How long have they been there?” he asked “I hope they won't be open all night” he said voicing his concern at possibly not being able to sleep with the noise.

“No sir, they just came in earlier this afternoon. But I imagine they're gonna call it quits for the night, soon. Some of their people booked a room here”. He nodded and waited as I unlocked the door for him and let him pass thru. I set his towels down on the dresser, key laying on top.

“Can I get anything for you sir, before I leave?” I offered. I really didn’t mind this time, offering to help more. I felt bad for him, he really looked worn out.

“Would you be a dear and fetch my luggage from my car? Everything is in the back seat”. 

“Sure thing sir, be right back”. I went to retrieve his belongings and returned right away. He was standing in the doorway to his room and allowed me passage to set his stuff down. As I was exiting the room, Mrs. Petra had pulled up in her car and got out right away was looking up at us both furiously with her hands resting on both of her wide set hips.

Mr. Blanchett seemed to think nothing of it and pulled his wallet out as I started to walk away “Oh Miss?” he called out to me. I turned and walked back. He handed me a crisp $20 bill. “For your trouble. Thank you” he said as he took one last look down at Mrs. Petra and walked into his room shutting the door. 

When I got to the office, Mrs. Petra was waiting for me. She charged up to me, took me by the shoulders and shook me violently. “What were you doing with Mr. Blanchett in his room, you filthy, filthy girl?” she yelled in my face. I pulled away from her and stepped back “What the hell, Mrs P? I just went to get his luggage for him”.

“What else did you do for him? I saw him pull his wallet out for you?” she lowered her voice but squinted her eyes at me, like she already believed I was full of shit.

“He paid me for doing that favor for him, jeez! what's wrong?” I asked.

Mrs. Petra didn’t say another word to me till she walked off to stand behind the counter. “Go home Logan, it’s late for you” she said to me as she walked into the parlor and shut the door behind her.

Lucky for me my backpack with my laptop in it and purse were already sitting on the couch opposite the counter. I grabbed my things and walked out as I fished for my car keys inside the pocket of my shorts.

As I started to back my car up and pull away towards the road, another car pulled in after me. The car parked next to Mr. Blanchett's car and a beautiful slim woman stepped out of the car and made her way up to his room, where he immediately opened the door for her on cue, with his hand going to the small of her back as he guided her in, looked around outside, then shut the door. 

Suddenly fireworks exploded in the air coming from the carnival. An announcement was made that the carny would soon be closing for the night. The barker continued his spiel about inviting everyone back tomorrow for more fun.

I had a feeling as I looked thru my rearview mirror to Mr Blanchett’s door, that there would soon be more firecrackers to follow, but from the Inn this time. Just as I pulled out into the main road, I saw Mrs. Petra come out of the office eyeing that lady’s car suspiciously. I burned up on out of there. I’ve had enough crazy for one day.