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Continued…

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Many workers – if they were actually workers – began to appear around all the tables. The organization alarmed me. Were they preparing the passing ceremony? I thought I had denied the signal with the manager. 

Many of the appearing workers began having a word with the guests at the tables. And soon, everybody was getting up. What could have been happening? 

Johin then came past and whispered a word to Barber and Hannah. The sudden cheer and excitement in Lady Hannah caught me off guard. 

“They’re clearing the tables so we can enjoy a dance” Lady Hannah happily clapped her hands. 

“A dance?” Belle looked about. 

The tables were being cleared away. Most of the guests were guided over to the bar araa while workers prepared the floor. 

Many workers gathered around the center water fountain, trying to see if they could maneuver it away. It seemed that it would take too long. So, they left it be, 

“Do join us for a dance” Lady Hannah asked Belle. Belle looked to me for help. 

“I don’t know how to dance” she said, hoping I could save her the embarrassment. 

“I don’t know either.” I shrugged my shoulders. 

“You just need to follow what everyone else is doing and take your time.” Sir Barber smiled. “You’ll be fine.” 

“Let’s freshen up first.” Lady Hannah took Belle’s arm and pulled her away to the bar. That left me standing with Sir Barber amidst all the workers preparing the floor. 

“Are you nervous, son?” he asked me. 

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” 

“You’ll be fine” he smiled. “Just copy what all the other men are doing and follow around the box. It will all become clear soon enough.” 

I just nodded to myself, not actually sure if I’d be fine. 

“There will be a certain time,” Sir Barber leaned in, “where I’ll take Belle and lead her. You won’t have to do anything then. Just stand back to the side.” 

“What’s this?” I wasn’t sure what he meant. 

“I am the main host tonight, son. It is customary that I lead our guest of honour during the main song. It is the special part of the performance. That is when you can relax.” Sir Barber placed a hand – well tried to place a hand – on my shoulder. After the first hesitation, he finally laid his hand. “Hmmm” Barber nodded to himself.  

I had almost forgotten about the curse. 

And then I heard her voice.

Dallis…

Julie’s voice sounded across my mind. Her call was far. Distant. I felt the thought of her face try to rise up in my mind, but a face wouldn’t emerge. It felt like I was finally forgetting her. Maybe Belle was somehow keeping me safe. All I knew was that with Belle around, I wasn’t worried about Julie. Sir Barber also didn’t seem so uncomfortable with his hand on me. I could feel it. Things were changing. 

The center floor was eventually cleared of the tables and decorations. All, except for the water fountain. There was far too much water in its basin to clear out quickly. Were we supposed to dance around that thing? I wasn’t sure how the dance worked. 

Belle was hesitant to join, but Lady Hannah dragged her to the middle. Then she called me over so insistently that it felt rude to ignore. The lady then – with a sudden jerk of hesitation, as my curse would do – placed Belle’s offhand in my right, her right hand on my shoulder, and then my offhand intimately on Belle’s hips. A sort of waltz it seemed. 

Barber and Hannah then assumed the same position. To the beat of the music, they took a step to the side, then back, then to the side again, all in a strange waltz pattern I wasn’t familiar with. Others got in pairs and joined the dance. Then somewhere along this waltz, everybody stood in place and allowed the females to do a double ballerina spin, the men’s arms there for support. 

The whole thing was confusing and awkward, but the elderly couple would stay beside us and guide us in which direction to go. At the next spin, I noticed Belle was already prepared on queue. She was enjoying this more than I was. Her body would move along the way it was supposed to, all without my guidance. If anything, she was taking the lead. How embarrassing. 

Because I was looking around, hoping that our dance was done correctly, I noticed many workers placing things all around the dance floor. Candle lamps, water vases, and flowerpots. It seemed like they were slowly enclosing us into a tighter space on the floor. Not that it mattered. Those of us dancing had more than enough room. But why were the workers starting to circle us all dancing. It didn’t seem like they were even watching. I was confused. Everybody else dancing was just focused on their own movements, focused on their partners. Even Belle was just enjoying the motions and the music. That’s all that truly mattered, right? 

I looked at Belle, at the joy she felt the better we matched the music’s flow. And then the music had that familiar crescendo. The spin. I raised my arm in time so Belle could do her spins. She absolutely loved that we nailed it that time. But what was that smell? 

Smoke? 

The hotel workers, with all the flowerpots they set around the floor, were setting the plants on fire. They also seemed to squeeze into a tighter circle around us, all the while setting the plants alight. But why was no one dancing even paying any mind to the strange happenings. 

Belle even started to notice what was happening around us. The scent of all the smoke was too much to ignore. That and the increase of fire illumination around us. 

Belle and I looked toward Sir Barber and Lady Hannah. But the elderly couple just smiled at us and continued to dance more excitedly. As did everybody else still dancing around us. No one seemed bothered by the happenings or the smoke. 

And then the music got heavier. The tempo quickened. The strokes of each instrument more intentional. 

All of us dancing finally stopped. A few of those on the floor moved to the side. The rest began a different sort of dance. A more dynamic routine. Outlining a precise box, each dancer would move around the dance floor. 

And then Sir Barber approached Belle. The old man offered a hand for Belle to take. She took his lead and followed him to the center. 

I remembered he mentioned this. But why was everyone around us up to such strange activity? 

I saw Lady Hannah approaching me, her face absent of the joy from dancing. She grabbed my arm, but jerked at the touch, sounding a slight growl that wasn’t audible amongst the louder music. She made for the grab a second time and pulled me aside. 

In that moment, I heard the voice again. 

Dallis… 

Only this time her voice was more sad. More pained. I even felt a slight worry inside at her call. Something inside me worried that something was wrong with Julie. But why did I care? I didn’t need to. 

Lady Hannah pulled me farther until we were outside the ring of workers, flames, and water vases. 

“Be careful.” She gave me a fierce look, then walked off. 

What… 

I don’t know why it didn’t immediately click. I don’t know why I didn’t notice. 

All this strange activity. The clear organization of it all. 

The Passing Ceremony! 

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To be continued…

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(Part 15-20) Hotel Mysteria 016 – Forgotten