Midnight Haze
Chapter 1 of the Hotel Dupin series.
From the moment she arrived at the Hotel Dupin, the woman drew stares. She carried herself with a quiet elegance that bespoke a lifetime in high society. So, though she went largely unrecognized, the staff and other guests treated her as though she were a famous celebrity. They did as she asked with little to no complaint, no matter how odd the requests were.
But she was never cruel in the way that people can be after a life of being told "yes". She was soft-spoken and kind. She never blustered or caused a scene. She never needed to. The air around her just seemed to bend to her will.
So on her third night, when she called down to the front desk and asked for a meal to be sent to her room, the clerk eagerly agreed. It was just a little before midnight and the kitchen was dark, but he would be sure that Madam Delacroix got what she wanted. He ventured out onto the dark street in search of a restaurant still open, and thirty minutes later he was knocking on her door.
She didn't answer. Nor on the second knock.
The clerk thought that perhaps she'd fallen asleep or was showering and decided to let himself in and leave the food for when she was ready.
He found her sitting upright in her bed. The television was on and broadcasting some kind of pattern. It was spinning and flashing and making a low hum he found slightly disorienting. She was sat stone still and staring at it, a soft smile on her face.
"Madam Delacroix," he said, tentatively.
"Yes," she answered in a far off voice. "I can hear you, Master."
He swallowed hard, confused and more than a little aroused at the sight. She wasn't completely undressed, but certainly unfit for the public and unfit for a guest. Still the shape of her body was so enticing, the clerk dare not waste such an opportunity.
"What's happened, Madam?" he asked her, closing the door to the hall as quietly as he could.
"It is midnight, Master." Her voice was flat. Devoid of emotion. "I must watch the spiral each midnight as commanded. I must retrain myself as your slave."
The video feed ended abruptly and she blinked. Life returned to her and the odd smile faded. She turned to look at the clerk and seemed to have no idea they'd already spoken.
"Ah, you managed to find me something! I'm so grateful." She handed him a small wad of money. "Thank you so much."
The clerk nodded dumbly and turned to leave. And when he returned to the desk he called the girl working the next night shift and told her to take off. He'd be covering nights until Madam Delacroix checked out. He was very eager to find out the meaning of the word "slave."
Chapter 1 of the Hotel Dupin series.
