By the time I was walking out of the cafe and headed back to the lodge, the sun had started setting. The owners of the cafe were friendly but about as clueless as a flock of pigeons. They hadn’t even heard of such a cryptid being named after their establishment. Apparently this one was new, or rather more niche. I could have gathered more information trying to interrogate the trees in the area. Tomorrow I would just have to try again. Find someone else to question and hope there could be a real trail this time.
On my way to the lodge had grabbed some fresh ingredients for supper. A sense of guilt over me as I looked up what foods people tend to eat in Italy. I tried to pick one that wasn’t too on the nose and decided on chicken vesuvio. I had never heard of it before but as far as I was concerned it was now a favorite dish growing up. Though I’m sure when Michael gets back I might get a look for making something like this. I could already imagine the questions lingering behind her eyes as she watched me eat. Though I couldn’t imagine what she thought of me now.
Returning to the lodge however was a bit of surprise. No one was there. I made dinner in silence as the time ticked away. Eventually I was eating my dinner alone at the bar beside three other plates of food slowly growing cold. That was until someone came stumbling up the steps.
I turned to watch the door. With how clumsy the steps were I thought it must have been a stranger. But as the door opened I saw Rosey. Yet she was mostly rosey in the face this time. She clung to the door a moment as she struggled to keep balance with a set of platform combat boots.
I finished chewing the bite of chicken I had taken before speaking up, “Rosey dear do you need any assistance?”
She swats at the air with a hand while pulling herself up, “No no no! I got it bestie! I got it.” She fumbles with the door to close it behind herself. Her feet clamber over to the bar stool right beside me. Her movements wafted a heavy stench of alcohol as I winced. My apatite was immediately gone as I smelled it so I got up and started to make her a glass of water.
Rosey snickered a bit as she watched. Her voice slurred as expected, “You know you could be decent at bar tending. Ya just look like you play the part an they will hire you. Smart too. Easy to learn. Bet its a better job than working as a butler.”
I set the glass behind her while starting to clean up the pans I used for cooking, “I wouldn’t be paid near as much. Despite his behavior, Wendell gives a generous wage.”
A smirk stayed plastered on her face as she squinted at me, “Why do you REALLY need that much money anyway? Isn’t a normal job enough for you?”
I narrowed my eyes back at her, “That’s not nearly enough to live on…come to think of it, where do you get your money? I doubt your job wants you drinking like this.”
She tilted her chin up in the air, “I earned my money being an amazing daughter.”
“So which one are you mooching off of? Mommy or daddy?”
She huffs, “Yeah sure, both. Put it that way. They wanted to provide for me. I’m not gonna stop em. Besides, I’d rather live it up AT the bar than be stuck behind one.”
I rolled my eyes, “Whatever.”
Rosey tilts her head far enough that her head was horizontal, “Where’s your parents huh? You don’t have your own place yet you’re basically a 24 7 worker under someone like Wendell.”
I swiped up any plates that were left out and roughly dropped them in the sink with the food still on them, “I’m going to bed.” I pivoted from the sink and made my way to my room.
Rosey called out to me as I was heading upstairs, “Which is it huh? Mommy or daddy issues?!? HAHA!”
I closed my door behind myself. My composer remained for now. I sat on the foot of my bed and took a deep breath. I was focusing more on my surroundings than Rosey’s muffled cackling.
My room was just as clean as I had set up the other rooms to be. Though with the furniture provided, I chose my own room to have a spare end table. On it were my own items I typically used before bed, a hand held mirror, a small box of facial gel sheets, and a travel sized humidifier.
I reached out and grabbed the mirror and gel sheets to start the routine. I peeled off a wax paper sheet from one side of the gel sheets. Then I started applying them to a few of the same places. Two were on either end of the tip of my tail where the base of the tail turned into what looked like a rattle snake’s tail. Three of them were then layered across my neck where there were lines like that of the broader scales on the underbelly of a snake that lead up to my chin. Lastly, I had to fold a sheet around my upper lip. Just like a snake, it had a split running straight up from the upper lip. Using the mirror I was sure that it was all covered.
My nose was filled with a strong scent of aloe vera. That’s always when it would start to sting a bit on my lip. I clenched my fist at the feeling and toughed through it until it numbed itself. With the worst part over, I let it set a few minutes before taking everything off and throwing away the used sheets in a small trash bin almost filled with them already.
Lastly I checked the water level in the humidifier and cut it on for the night. I laid back in bed with a heavy sigh. The suit I was wearing wasn’t comfortable but I didn’t care. I was finally out of sight of any clients and no longer had to play professional. Drifting to sleep I didn’t even notice if the others had ever returned to the lodge. But one thing did. A gnawing at the frames of the house again. My eyes snapped open as I recognised it.