The Graveyard Hotel

Clarissa and I moved with the crowd as we made our way into the ballroom which had been transformed into a banquet hall. Soothing music filled the room drawing me in even more.

Rows upon rows of tables had been placed throughout the entire ballroom.

Tasteful decor adorned every inch of the ballroom as it hung on the walls, from the ceiling, and the tables.

There were multitudes of people as they made their way in and the empty seats filled one by one. As I saw yet another place at a table fill, I worried not having a place to sit and even if there’d be enough to serve.

“I think the whole hotel must be here,” Clarissa whispered.

I nodded as my eyes continued to spot even more extravagance.

“Good evening, ladies. So glad you could make it to our dinner.”

Both me and Clarissa turned in the direction of the familiar voice — calm and soothing. Hermes stood just to the side greeting the invitees as they came in. “Please find a seat. We do hope you enjoy your dinner this evening!”

I moved forward, hesitant, as my eyes scanned the room for two empty seats.

“There!” Clarissa nudged me, pointing to a few scattered empty seats at one of the tables further in.

We made our way to the table taking two of the empty seats with one person between us.

Sitting at the table, the music was especially noticeable. Calming and tranquil. It gave an allure that made me want to stay.

The room moved with a sense of orderliness.

There were no menus on the table and no table filled with food.

As luxurious as the hotel was, I was eager to taste how delicious the food must be. I hadn’t eaten anything since last night, just a few hours before Corvus arrived with the carriage. I didn't have breakfast or lunch. I should have been starving! But strangely, I wasn’t. Not once during the day, did I even consider eating or even looking for any food within the hotel.

Not until Hermes mentioned the ballroom dinner.

And then the food came out, one plate at a time.

I eyed one of the plates as a server passed by. It was filled with some sort of roast, tender, perfectly carved and mingling with carrots and potatoes. The plate was placed in front of a man who sat a few seats diagonally across from me. I recognized him immediately. The man who had an outburst at the front desk claiming he’d been sent to the wrong hotel. His eyes caught sight of the plate and any distraction that appeared on his face transformed into wide eyed wonder.

Out of the corner of my eye, on the other side of me, another plate was placed in front of another.

This one was filled with a heaping serving of pasta topped with a tomato sauce.

My gaze wandered curiously across the table. Each plate that came out was different.

Flank steak. Fillet of fish. Smoked sausage. Even slices of pizza and a cheeseburger. I wondered what I’d get.

And then a plate was placed in front of me.

My gaze lingered on the plate as my jaw dropped in disbelief.

My favorite meal. A meal I only had on special occasions. Grilled salmon with a honey glaze.

But how could this be? A wonderful coincidence? How could anyone ever know?

A few seconds later, Clarissa’s plate arrived. Or rather a bowl of chicken and dumplings soup. The steam from the soup rose from the bowl and Clarissa’s eyes radiated in delight.

Clarissa leaned over slightly and eyed me, her mouth gaping in wonder. “Did you tell them? “ she whispered as she eyed my plate.

“No!” I exclaimed barely above a whisper.

I cut into my salmon which flaked off the fork. Sweet and savory. Every bite delicious.

“This is my all time favorite soup but no one really knows that but my family,” Clarissa said as she took a slow first sip.

This was a generous fillet. Enough for two. Even half of the portion of salmon given would have been enough to fill me up. But even as I finished my last bite of salmon did I feel full. Not in the slightest. Nor was I hungry.

Empty plates were taken away and a moment later were replaced with an array of desserts, each one different like the dinners before.

A chocolate brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream was placed in front of me. I should have been too full for even a single bite of my favorite dessert. But I took a bite and savored it and then another as if it was the only thing I ate.

I didn’t look to see what dessert Clarissa got or any of the others near me.

My mind was too tangled in disbelief. How did they know? And why was I never full. No one was. Not in the slightest.

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