They eventually arrived at a shoddy, rundown building with a worn-down sign that read "The Rusty Inn."
The exterior of the inn was far from inviting, with peeling paint, cracked windows, and a general air of neglect.
Mae couldn't help but feel a pang of doubt as she stepped inside, but she couldn't let it show. She needed a place to stay for the night.
As the old man walked in, a little girl ran up to him "Welcome home Grandpa! Oh and who is this beautiful lady?" The kid enquired, as she came up to Mae, and without warning started to inspect her dress.
"One room for this lady, please! Show her the way, Katie!" The man shouted, as he made his way to a couch that seemed to be his age, and plopped down on it, making a very creaking sound as he did so.
"Follow me!" The girl said, with a beaming smile that did not match the energy place they were in at all.
"What a desolate place..." Mae thought to herself as the kid led her to the first floor, to room number fourteen.
She then fumbled with the keys in her hand and unlocked the room, which had the number "14" embossed on it.
As Mae entered the room, her face drooped at the barren look inside. The walls were adorned with faded floral wallpaper that had lost most of its color over the years, and the wooden furniture was very frayed.
This was a far cry from the pristine and beautiful rooms she had grown up in.
"This here is the main bedroom, and there you can see the bathroom." The girl pointed at another dilapidated door, which led to the equally dilapidated-looking bathroom, every article worn and used, and not very clean.
"Well that would be it for now, you can come down to have dinner, It would usually be whatever my grandma and I can cook, but I guarantee that it'll be delicious!" The girl said, now turning towards Mae and taking a bow.
"T-Thank you... Kaylie?" Mae replied, not knowing what to do, and plopped down on the creaky bed.
The girl twirled around, instantly placed a hand on Mae's lip, and said "It's Katie."
"Oh, okay." Mae nodded as she said that, and the girl pulled back. As Mae was wondering why the girl didn't leave, she expectantly looked at Mae, and then her bag. It was evident enough to Mae that she wanted something.
"Alright... Katie." Mae said, and then rummaged around in the bag, and pulled out a hat that she had intended to wear with her current dress.
"Here you go." She said, with a smile. The girl's eyes widened as she saw the hat, and her face lit up in joy as Mae placed the hat on her tiny head, and the girl jumped around in joy.
As the girl skipped out the door, she turned back and popped her head in "Oh, and make sure that you lock the door, it's very important!"
"Ah, okay Katie, Thank you!" Mae replied, in the same upbeat tone. Somehow, talking to a bubbly person like Katie had lifted her spirits a bit.
As she sat on the bed, contemplating what to do next, she could hear the hubbub of the city around her.
The squeals and joyful cries of children running about playing outside, the constant bold and resolute voice of sellers who had to sell to make their ends meet.
The sounds of people out and about, laughing, and seeming to be having fun.
To Mae, they sounded like they were having too much fun.
"God... Please let me be at peace for some time..." Mae said as she clutched both sides of her head with her hands, attempting to block out the noise of the city.
Mae was surrounded by so many people. She just wanted to tune out of the moment and focus on her thoughts.
But the city wouldn't let her.
"So many people around me... and I still feel alone..." Mae thought to herself as she curled up into a ball on the bed, the gloomy lamp and environment doing little to help her mood.
_click_
Mae heard the sound of her door click open, and just at that moment, realized that she had forgotten to close the door.
She immediately shot up out of the bed and looked at the door. "W-who is it?"
_"Ssssiiiiyyyyuuupppp Esthaaaa...
"Huh?" Mae couldn't understand anything, and the pungent smell of alcohol made it clear that the woman was drunk.
She stumbled forward and crashed into the bed, right next to Mae.
"W-who are you? And get off my bed!" Mae screamed, trying to push her off, but despite her best efforts, she couldn't push the body of the girl who was lying down.
Suddenly, a hand reached out for Mae's back, and dragged her in. The woman looked up to Mae, her eyes looking aggressive, and fixed entirely on her.
_"Gwimme Some headpwatss."_ She said, and sunk into Mae's abdomen, hugging her tightly.
"Who the hell are you, and why do I have to give you headpats?" Mae protested, but she couldn't escape the grip of this person.
Just then, the mysterious lady moved into a crack of light that was pouring into the room, and Mae could see that she was strikingly beautiful, despite being so wasted.
Her brown eyes were just so captivating in that light that Mae couldn't look away.
_"Pwease?"_ She looked at Mae with such pitiful eyes, and Mae looked away instantly "No!".
_"Pweaaaaaaaaasseeeee Lewona wants someeee-"_ she said, her tone dragging out and slurring, as her entire body weight wavered on Mae, who was struggling to support it.
"A-alright..." Mae reluctantly brought her hand over to this lady's head. As she began gently patting Leona's hair, something surprising caught her attention.
Leona's hair was incredibly soft and silky, a stark contrast to the disheveled state of the woman.
Her chestnut brown hair felt like strands of silk slipping through Mae's fingers, and it carried a faint, pleasant fragrance that was a stark contrast to the overwhelming smell of alcohol that surrounded her.
Mae wanted to smell her hair better, so she bent in for a better sniff, closing her eyes.
Just then, Mae's hair on her neck stood up. "Am I being watched?" She thought.
As she looked up and opened her eyes, she saw a scary silhouette standing at the doorway. "W-w-who is that?" Mae asked Leona, pointing to the door.
"What are you doing here, Leona?" A chilly voice echoed throughout the room.