The night came and went. I managed to slip into unconsciousness while imagining the road ahead. It was I who surprisingly woke up first. After a long, tiring half-hour of doing nothing, Cleo eventually woke up too.

“G’morning,” I said.

She sat up, cracking her back and standing up.

“Ready to get going?” I asked. “Don’t wanna overstay our welcome.”

“Yeah, let’s get going.”

From the hallway where Greeta’s room was, her voice shot up, “Wait!”

We looked over to her, dressed in a stained nightgown, peddling her way down to us. In her hands were bundles of mittens and bobble hats.

“It’s cold out there, and last time I checked, you two just had jackets. Please, take this.”

She handed a pair to each of us before smiling, “I wish I could give you some food, but I’m running kind of tight here.”

“Thank you, I don’t know what to say…” I began to say.

“Oh, and one more thing,” she added on, “down in Denver, there’s a hotel. A safehold, full of survivors. I would go there myself, but nowadays, I just don’t think I can.”

“You can come with us,” Cleo blurted.

I gave her a quick side-eye as she said that. But, I knew I wasn’t really one to speak.

“A-are you sure…?” Greeta asked.

“Yeah, yeah of course,” I said. “Denver isn’t really a huge turn-around. And if this place is safe, I guess it’s worth a shot.”

***************************

Cleo and I walked outside as we waited for Greeta to get ready.

“You sure about this?” I asked.

“Yep, it shouldn't take too long, right?”

“Yeah, guess you’re right.”

Eventually, Greeta came out, now dressed and with a small Louis Vuitton bag in her hand.

“If I’m going to travel the wasteland, might as well do it in style,” she said

We got in the car again. As it did before, it revved to life.

“Here we go,” I said, as the car pulled out.

***************************

After nearly two hours of navigating through frost-covered roads and up some slopes, we reached the edge of Denver. I always wanted to go there myself. The Mile High City, now lying forgotten and alone. A city which I onced assumed was always loud, now quiet. And yet, somehow, I could smell that distinct city smell. That being weeks old pee and what I could only assume is cigarette smoke. This time, Greeta was in front, giving us general directions of where the hotel should be.

“So… How’d you find this place, exactly?” I asked.

“Before my husband died, he managed to build a radio. It could pick up anything from anywhere. Always said it was a wonder of engineering, he did. And, I guess it was. A few days ago, I overheard a recording of, well, the place where I’m leading you now.”

She continued to give (very bad, might I add) directions to the hotel. Many turns left, turn rights, wait - turn back, and turn here later, we found ourselves on a road. However, unlike the ones we’ve been on, it was spotless. Well, of cars, I mean. I leaned forward in my seat, getting a good look at the giant hotel in front of us.

“Hotel Plaza” was the name of it. It stood high in the air, standing out from the rest of the ruined buildings that surrounded it. Unlike all the others that surrounded it, the outside seemed clean. The grass was perfectly cut, no weeds, no moss, the windows and doors were all intact.

“I think this is it,” I said quietly. I rounded into the parking lot, eventually coming to a halt.

“Not time to waste,” Greeta said, springing out with her bag. This time, I brought nothing with me.

Cleo strolled side-by-side with me. I saw her gaze in wonder at the still pristine hotel; something neither of us have probably seen in ages. To our amazement, the automatic doors still opened by themselves. I couldn’t help but laugh as we walked through.

People. There were actual people there, chatting and roaming around as if there wasn’t a ruined city right outside. Then, a man, barely even eighteen, came up to us. Though fairley lanky, he still managed to fit in well with the surprisingly nice clothes he was wearing.

He smiled at the three of us, “Welcome to Hotel Plaza. It’s nice to see three new faces here. My name’s John.” He reached over to Greeta’s purse and asked, “May I take this for you, ma’am?”

Instead, Greeta pulled her bag away, “Aww, it’s alright, sweety. I’m old, but I can still carry things.”

The kid nodded, “Of course.” He then turned around, “Brie, Neil. We have new guests.”

Two other kids, maybe around his age, came up as well. John gestured to me, “Neil, show him to his room. And Brie,” he gestured over to Cleo. “And I’ll show you to your room,” he said to Greeta.

Neil said, “Right this way please,” as he led us all towards the elevators.

“Wait, does this actual-” but before I could finish my sentence, he pushed the button. After a shrill ding, the elevator doors opened.

“No way,” I whispered to myself as we stepped in. John pressed the button for the third floor. With another ding, the elevator shot upwards. Neil stepped off first, tuning to me. “This way, please.” The others went into the opposite direction as I strolled behind Neil.

As I followed him, I looked to my left and right. Might be because everyone may be in their rooms, but I was honestly surprised at how empty this place seemed.

“Do you get a lot of visitors around here?” I asked.

He didn’t answer, but only responded with a shrug. Eventually, he stopped at room 313. He turned back to me, “This is your room.”

He grabbed a keycard from his jacket pocket, handing it to me. I took it, swiping it in. The door clicked and opened.

“I’ll be back up shortly with towels and clothes. In the bathroom, you’ll find washcloths and other toiletries. I hope you’ll join us downstairs in the evening for dinner.”

I thanked him as I walked inside the room. The first thing that hit me was not the neatly made king-sized bed, or newly cleaned room, but the cold air conditioner hitting my face. I stood at the entrance for what seemed like two minutes, unsure what to do next, before I realized I forgot to close the door. I reached over to the light-switch, and believe it or not - the lights turned on. My legs lead me to the bed. I sat down, instantly sinking in.

Rather quickly, Neil came back with a new pair of regular clothes and pajamas and a few extra towels.

“Dinner is going to be at 6:30. If you want to come, please do.”

I nodded again, as we walked out. Something felt wrong about him. I didn’t know what exactly, but some hunch told me he was hiding something. He seemed… Weird, for a lack of a better word.

“Or maybe, he’s not a big talker, dummy,” I thought to myself as I sat the towels on the bed.

A shower. Something I hadn’t had in probably days. I smelt my armpits, nearly gagging at the smell. I instantly picked up the towel again, walking inside the bathroom for a nice, long shower.