“The room we are looking for is blue in color.” My husband insisted to the hotel manager.
“There is no room in blue. It must have been redone.” The manager tried to sound nice.
“It has to be here,” I stomped up the stairs to the third floor. I had refused to use the antiquated elevator from our first day.
“Might I help you?” One of the housekeepers smiled at us.
“I’m looking for a room with blue wall paper. There is a sitting room, a small hall way, a bath and a very large bedroom.”
“And you say the room is in blue?” Her lips curled into a knowing smile.
“Yes,” we both chorused.
“I know it well. Follow me.” She set her linens down and walked with determination down the hall. “This way,” she pointed toward the stairs as we went down one floor.
“That’s right it was on the second floor.”
We walked down one floor, down a very long hallway, and then up three stairs toward another short hallway.
“Please stand right here for one moment,” the girl said. “See where the carpet is different?”
“Yes.” We both said.
“When you see the carpet change you must quickly move down that hallway.”
It was odd. I looked at the carpet and it changed.
“Go now.” She pushed us forward then up five stairs and there was the short hallway.
“Yes, this looks right.” I pointed to the room where I had stayed years ago.
The girl opened the door for us with some small amount of ceremony. “The blue room.”
“It looks the same.” I looked at the bedding, the large sofa and a small bed in the corner. There was also a small woodburning stove. I walked into the adjoining room with a large double bed and two twin beds. “Plenty of room.” I sighed.
The girl pushed a panel and there was another hidden room with many shelves and an additional bed. “For hiding people.” She whispered.
My head was spinning with questions: Where, What, Who…
Thanks for stopping by Penned In Moondust by Moondustwriter for the A to Z Challenge. This (continuing) story was birthed at The Passage hotel in 2007 in Odessa Ukraine. I changed the time to the present rather than the Cold War. I hope you feel the courage and tenacity of the Ukrainian people as this fiction unfolds.
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