Chapter 26: The Visit

Alina Dalca's POV

I just turned up to get the closest spot at the lodge. I stopped the ignition and I closed all the window before I went out of the car. The fall sun was setting in as it was almost dark. I went to the office to get my reservation. I walked from the parking lot to the main office. I looked at the lodge number 13 as my memories of Kyle and me there. I sighed before I pushed the door and walked through the main office.

"welcome in, how may I help you?" The receptionist said as she looked at me. I smiled at her as I went to the counter.

"one reservation for Alina Dalca," I said as I was tapping on the counter.

"one moment please," she said as she was typing away in the computer.

"ah, here it is, one reservation for Dalca, Alina. You wished to stay until the end to the week?" She asked to confirm my reservation.

"that's the plan," I said as I looked at her.

"Okay, I will check you in," she said as she was typing in.

"excuse me, can I stay in lodge 13?" I said as I looked at her.

"oh, sorry ma'am. That was for our special guest of the evening. He will be here soon so I can't put you there," she said as she looked at me.

"can I know who was it?" I asked her as I was trying to get the information and I was hoping it was him.

"it was one of the families that own this lodge. I believe it was Marco Conti," she said.

"oh, very well then, it's fine," I said as I was leaning against the counter. She went up to get the keys for me.

"here you go, your lodge will be number 7, right to the left side of the parking," she said as she handed me the keys.

"thank you," I said as I went off the main office. I stopped in my track before getting back to the counter.

"actually, one more thing, is Mr. Adam here?" I asked the receptionist.

"Mr. Adam has been retiring since last week. But we have a new manager. Do you want me to call him?" She asked.

"no, that would be unnecessary," I said before I looked at the lodge before I went to my lodge.

"here's go nothing," I said as I put in the keys into the lock and unlocked the door. I pushed it opened as I went to switch on the light. To my surprise, nothing was happening. No Kyle, no surprise, nothing. I sighed before I closed the door and went to lay on the fluffy bed.

"I liked it better this time," I said as I closed my eyes before sleep took over me.

Kyle Conti's POV

"I liked it better this time," the sweet voice in the camera stirred something in me. I cannot control it anymore. She was in front of me but I cannot approach her just like that. I need to plan it perfectly to get her to like me again. I knew that our relationship was messed up but I knew I can fix it.

"just wait, honey. I will take you back," I said as I was looking at the computer.

"yo, Kyle, do you want to get some dinner?" Marco asked me as he was lurking from the door.

"You go ahead, I will follow after," I said as I closed my computer.

"How can you stand to be the manager of this cheap lodge? I could never understand," he said as he went to get out of my office.

"You never will, Marco because you have no one special here," I said but Marco was long gone.

One week earlier…

I have been coming back to Romania after I read the letter that was given to me by Alina. I don't think that I can forget her just because she was not human, different kind of human.

"Mr. Adam, are you in here?" I asked as I went inside the main office.

"Mr. Conti, you're back already?" He said after he emerged from the kitchen.

"Yeah, I don't like it if I can't do anything," I said as I went to sit at the table before Mr. Adam took out the coffee for me.

"Sorry for troubling you this morning," I said as I took the coffee from the table and took a sip of it.

"ah, no worries Mr. Conti. It is your lodge anyway," he said heartedly.

"Please, Mr. Adam, call me Kyle," I said as I felt awkward that he called me formally.

"ah, of course, Kyle. What makes you disturbed me this early in the morning?" He asked me as I put down my cup.

"I came here with one motive in mind. I hope you don't mind of the outcome of this result," I said as I don't want him to freak out.

"speak up, my child," he said.

"I want you to take a break as you have to be home for your family. Don't worry, your allowance will be in time for the years of your service, Mr. Adam. I want you to play and grow old with your grandchild, if you wish," I said as softly as possible, trying to get him not to be mad at me.

"and why is that, Kyle?" He asked as he was smiling at me.

"I just can't let the investors break this lodge down. Even without the investors, I believe that I can make this lodge work like before," I said as I looked at him. He smiled at me as he took my hands into his.

"do you remember when you were little, you used to play with this one little girl that always come to this lodge?" He asked. I nodded as I could never forget her. But unfortunately, I heard that she had died decades ago.

"yes, but I heard that she had long gone. I can never see her anymore," I said sadly.

"what was the source of death?" He asked again.

"her house was on fire," I said as I remembered the fire image from the newspaper.

"but they never found the body, is that correct?" Mr. Adam said.

"yes, how do you know about this?" I asked him as I was confused about how come he knew all this childhood friend of mine.

"she was not in that house during the fire. She was somewhere else that day," he said as he stood up from the chair before walking toward the window.

"what do you mean?" I asked him as I did not understand him. He was looking at the cabin 13. He looked at me as he pointed at the lodge.

"no, it can't be," I said as I just got what he meant by that.

"yes, it is. Kyle, your childhood friend did not die that night. She survived but she had turned to be someone else. I hope you knew who I was referring to," he said as he went to pat me on the back before leaving me to ponder on that thought. I thought it was strange that Alina did not seems afraid of me when I was first approaching her at the restaurant in the first place. I never knew that she remembered me that well even though it has been forever since I saw her.

"Mr. Adam, is there anything that…" I said as I was looking around the kitchen that I was alone. The lodge seems to be clear just now was not covered with vines and all trees have been covering the lodge.

"Remember your past, Kyle and forgive Alina if she ever betrayed you. She just wants to protect you," Mr. Adam's voice was echoing in the kitchen as I knew who I just talked to. I talked to a ghost!

After my chit chat with the apparition of Mr. Adam, I started to clean up the lodge the best as I could. I then talked to Iris to hire some people to help me clean the lodge. I need to get this place up and running the fast as I could. I called in my brother, Marco to help me to clean this up.

"Hello, Kyle," Marco said as he just got off from his car.

"Hello, brother. How was the journey?" I said as I hugged him.

"eh, it could be worst," he said as he looked around before whistling.

"man, is this where you want to spend your time here?" He asked me as he was looking around the lodge.

"I thought you might say that. yes, Marco, this is the place that I want to be spending my life with my fiancée," I said as Marco turned to look at me.

"wait, you're engaged? Since when? How come I never being told about this?" He burst out as he was being kept in the dark.

"You missed the party," I said as I took a block of wood to put it away.

"You have a party and did not invite me? How awful can you be?!" Marco said as we went work on the lodge clean up.