Berlin, Italy
Amanda checked her phone as she stepped out of the taxi, the streets of Berlin stretching before her. She had already located the hotel and decided to stay a night, as well as to study the interiors of the building's floors that weren't affected by the explosion . At the front desk, her eyes widened at the price. Far beyond what she had in her account.
She adjusted her approach. "Good evening," she said. "I'd like to see the rooms—just to survey them before choosing a room, if possible."
The receptionist looked at her for more clarification '' just look '' she asked with an eye raised '' I'm actually an interior designer. i was called to draw up a design for the floors that under went damage'' Amanda explained '' i see, then can i see your invitation'' the receptionist asked '' pardon, invitation'' '' yes invitation. we were informed to ask anyone coming for an interior work for their invitation and if they didn't have it, they weren't given permission by the manager.
that was true, Amanda wanted to go before her colleagues in order to complete her work on time. she didn't expect them to have such type of policy. she thought for a second then added
'' then can u add me as a guest''
'' of course ma. that would be 300 euros for a night''
'' 300?'' Amanda took out her phone and starred at her account balance. she only had 500 in her account and was already owning house rent for the month. she could bear to give up 300 for just a night
''let me see the empty rooms first then ill think of which one to pay for'' Amanda thought of an excuse to see the rooms immediately
'' okay ma but if u don't plan on pay after words, i would advise u do not video at all'' the receptionist warned
'' who knows, with the charm of such a luxurious hotel, i might be compelled to sleep here''
the receptionist nodded and called a colleague over.
'' she wants to survey the rooms''.
"Follow me, please," the second assistant said, leading her toward the elevator.
Amanda took her fine time and examined the interior of the lobby. when they arrived in front of the elevator, it was closed so they had to wait for it to reach their floor. she was immediately amazed at the chandelier that hung downward from the tall celling, the walls coated purple and milk, the head of lion status and the milk fountain in the corner of the lobby. the door to the elevator soon opened and they both stepped in. the receptionist pressed the number 17 button on the elevator doors.
As the doors were about to close, three men in white suits stepped in after them. Amanda stiffened. her mind had been on seeing the rooms that she forgot to notice the people following her until she was in lose space with them. she happened to notice a large scar that peeked out of the shirt of one of the men and her body went rigid as a cold, unreasonable dread sank into her bones. she started to feel like the elevator space was too small. she glanced at the receptionist beside her and noticed that she too was shaking.
Fortunately, the elevator halted upward shortly after it had began, stopping briefly at the 5th floor as the men exited. She exhaled slowly. she wanted to if this was a frequent occurrence but swallowed the question before it could be altered
she quickly thought to her self of how the topmost floor were bomb probably due to the presence of men like those people. she suddenly began to pity the receptionist that had to work here everyday. she was also silently grateful that her line of work didn't need risk at all.
Her mind further raced—bills, interest piling up, and the cost of waiting months to start work. She signed under her breath that every one that their individual issues.
The elevator chimed the 17th floor. The door slid open, she and the receptionist stepped out.
"We don't expect much, but it should at least resemble the original layout," the receptionist said. Amanda nodded, taking in the lay out of the interiors, already imagining how the damaged parts would look like, how to restore them—and profit in the process.
she would be lying if she said she didn't find the interior rooms stunning
The sleek design of the curtains, the spacious luxury the room , the massive bed that sat in the middle of the room, sofas that defined the dining area. They were all riding in luxurious drips.
''The room is quite nice'' Amanda mentioned. ''Can I take a minute or two to observe them?'' She requested further.
''There are two other rooms available for survey. If you're fast enough, then why not?'' came the responds
''Since I'm not allowed to take pictures then, I'll take my time.''
The receptionist signed
'' not to be offensive, but we are both aware that you are not paying to sleep for the night.''
''I never said that'' Amanda defended.
''We normally don't let our customers survey the room without payment, but with the explosion that occurred a few months back, the prices of our stock has reduced significantly.''
''If you're not interested in working with us, I'm glad to show you the way out'' the receptionist continued.
'' the other staff didn't mention this'' Amanda argued
'' she was being polite''
''That's how you treat your customers?'' Amanda asked in shock. The receptionist coughed.
''You are not even a customer''.
Amanda was now slowly getting offended.
''I wouldn't waste my words with you. Since I came all the way here, I would at least observe properly before leaving.''
''Ma, you have no invitation, and you obviously aren't a customer. I'll call security if you insist.''
However, Amanda didn't rush to leave at all. The least she could do was to observe before she got thrown out. She takes out a note book from her bag and starts scribbling with so much intensity. She forces herself to memorize the layout of the room, the colors, and the styling.
It wasn't that she couldn't afford a night here, it was that she had already booked a flight back home that same day. Italy was too expensive for her, hence she couldn't stay for even a night. Knowing that the receptionist had work to do, she quickly wrapped up her scribbling and made her way out of the room. She fastened her pace to the elevator while the receptionist was locking up the room.
When she made it inside the elevator, she took out her phone and saved the recording she had secretly begun with her Apple watch when she took out her book to start scribbling. She clicked on the close button on the elevator walls before an other person could walk in.
''Desperate times call for desperate measures'' she muttered under her breath. ''I'll have to be getting to the airport now. I can't afford to wait another minute. I can decide to do the rest of this survey with the plan outline I've gotten from that one room. I cannot endure this disrespect''. She kept speaking to herself while planning her next course of action.
She soon walked out of the elevator when it reached the ground floor. She walked briskly through the floor, flashing a smile at the desk receptionist, although she was obviously pissed. As she walked through the hotel lobby to the front entrance of the hotel, she stopped a cab.
"Antoninara's air field, please," she said, stepping into the cab. "That will be 34 euros." "Okay, please drive quickly. I have an urgent flight."
The cab pulled away from the hotel, weaving through the crowded streets as Amanda kept glancing at her watch, her mind racing over the floor plan she had just memorized. The driver, a middle age man drove speedily and soon arrived at the airport in 11 minutes. she paid him immediately and highlighted from his car while making a dash for the entrance of the airport.
Amanda moved quickly through the terminal, scanning the signs overhead as her thoughts were still on the hotel and the rude encounter with the receptionist. Her footsteps echoed in the cavernous hall, each one reminding her of the wasted time and the unresolved tension. She needed to get to her gate, but a sense of unease clung to her like the lingering scent of the hotel room.
She had sharp scenes and could tell a something was off, but she forced herself to move forward. She approached the check-in counter, and the attendant greeted her with a practiced smile. "Passport, please," he requested, barely looking up from his screen.
She handed it over, tapping her fingers nervously on the counter while watching the clock tick down to her boarding time. "Your flight has been delayed by 45 minutes," the attendant said, still not meeting her eyes.
Amanda froze for a moment. She'd barely made it through the hotel drama, and now this? She forced a smile, trying to keep her irritation in check. "That's fine. Just get me to the gate as soon as you can," she said, barely recognizing her own calm tone.
After a few moments of fiddling with the computer, the attendant handed her a new boarding pass. "There you go. Gate 14," he said flatly.
She nodded, walking off in the direction of the gate. As she passed through the airport corridors, she couldn't help but notice how empty it felt—like something wasn't quite right. She'd been to busy airports before, but this one felt different. The usual hum of conversation and footsteps was strangely muted. she brushed it off as an Italian thing since it was her first time in Italy.
When she arrived at Gate 14, she found herself the only one waiting. No other passengers. The seats were almost completely empty, and a feeling of unease settled deeper in her chest. She sat down, checking her phone again. No updates. No more notifications. Her Apple Watch buzzed, reminding her of the recording she had started earlier.
She clicked it off, but then hesitated. What if she needed it later?
A sudden voice broke her from her thoughts. "Is this your flight?"
Amanda looked up to find a young woman in a black jacket standing at the gate entrance. She had a clipboard, and her expression was slightly tense.
"Yeah, just waiting for the boarding announcement," Amanda replied, trying to sound casual.
The woman nodded slowly, then glanced at the empty seats around them. "It's strange. Normally, this flight has at least a dozen people by now," she said, almost to herself.
Amanda blinked. "What do you mean? The flight's been delayed, right?"
The woman shrugged. "That's not what I meant. I just thought…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "It's nothing. Sorry to bother you."
Amanda watched her walk away, but something didn't sit right. She turned back to her phone, double-checking the details for her flight. Then, as if on cue, the overhead speaker crackled to life.
"Attention, passengers for Flight 422 to Antoninara Airport. Due to a system error, all flights to Antoninara are currently delayed indefinitely. We apologize for the inconvenience."
Amanda's stomach dropped. Indefinitely? She glanced around the nearly empty gate area and felt her frustration bubble back up. She wasn't even sure what had gone wrong anymore.
A sudden thought flashed through her mind—the name of the airport. Antoninara. Was that the right airport? She checked her boarding pass again and froze.
It read, Antonina. But she remembered it clearly being pronounced as "Antoninara."
A cold chill ran down her spine as she looked at the boarding pass again, then at the empty seats around her. Something wasn't right. She stood up, ready to demand answer, her nerves tightening.
She glanced at the boarding pass again, eyes flicking to the empty boarding area and back to her phone, trying to make sense of the situation. The realization of her mistake gnawed at her patience—every minute felt like wasted time, every shadow in the empty terminal a subtle threat. She tugged at the strap of her bag, glancing around for anyone else, but the place was unnervingly silent. she wanted to leave but her instinct told her to stay put.
She thought of the hotel—the receptionist's cold tone, the security threats, the tight corridors of the elevator—and now this strange airport with its mismatched name. Her gut told her something was off.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed down the terminal. Amanda's head snapped up. A group of three people appeared at the far end of the gate: two men in dark suits and the same young woman who had spoken to her earlier.
One of the men spoke, his voice low but clearly. "You're Amanda, correct?"
Amanda stiffened. "Yes. Who—"
"i called them over," the woman interrupted, stepping forward with her clipboard. "It's regarding your flight. There's been a… complication with the name."
Amanda's heart calmed a beat. "yes. I'm not sure what to do?" she asked cautiously, rising from her seat.
The taller man moved closer, his expression unreadable. "It's better if u leave on time. a cab we called is parked outside. Don't worry You'll be safe there."
Amanda hesitated, scanning the near-empty terminal, the thought of missing her only flight home—and wasting the whole day in this strange city—pushed her to comply. She nodded, keeping her notebook clutched tightly in her hand.
They led her down to the main terminal. The walls were plain, the lighting dimmer than when she first came in. She silently promised her self never to repeat this again.
Finally, they made it out of the airport, and stopped in front of a cab. One of the men knocked on its window, and it rolled down to negotiate. When they were done, Amanda was ushered inside and bided goodbye by the lady.
as the cab started, she couldn't help looking over her shoulders once more. she was supposed to be safe, but she shake off the feeling of being watched. as if she has stepped into a preys nest