The Hotel «Other Life»

Chapter 1: Arrival. The first day

Tour guide: – Welcome to the Hotel "Another Life".

I found out this hotel from a friend. She originally planned to go with me, but unfortunately, still at her work. Natalia promised to drive later.

She tried to pull me out of the depression, but as always in her own way – to tell about the new hangouts, listed the pros: there will probably be many unmarried rich men, and parties. You will forget of Dennis. I ate cakes and not listened the speech of a friend, nodding, but became interested at the phrase – "despite all advertising, according to the description there should be so boring."

Anna: – Why boring? – I asked

– Well, houses in nature and there is a ban of the internet, I will throw you the link, read it. How to live in today's world without the Internet?! – She tinted her lips, winked at me before leaving

In the evening, I read the description of the hotel and realized that this is the place that I need, but absolutely cannot imagine Nataly in it. We booked a cottage for two, but here I am standing next to my car, like other, and she cheerfully clicks on the keyboard in the office.

Guide: – I am pleased to welcome you to our hotel and to remind the rules of this place. After listening to the information, you can cancel your reservation before you cross the border gate and get the keys to their apartments – a pretty woman pointed us to a high fence with barbed wire on the top edge. It looked scary. It’s like we're on vacation in a prison instead of a hotel.

In addition to my car in the parking lot there were five:

– Camry – inexpensive and used that belonged to the young couple, probably newlyweds

– Mersedes – of couple that speak to each other through clenched teeth, probably married for at least 10-15 years.

– Porshe – From it came a man in a suit, white shirt and dark glasses.

– Minibus – from which went out the children. The eldest of 10-12 years, the youngest less than five and their parents: a woman of 30 and a man no older than 35. Their clothing was modest, face a little tired, but at first glance, they seemed friendly loving family.

– Toyota prius. – The owner of the car was a young girl that was nervous and distracted. She periodically about something remembered, climbed into the car took something, or replaced by a new one. This could be a passport, telephone bill or something else.

Guide: – So, about the rules:

1. Behind the first gate you will find the second, protected more thoroughly. In the corridor formed by the space between the gates you will left your car in the parking. You will be given a car on solar batteries.

2. There you will find a small hostel, each of you get a small room with an area no more than 10 squares. Hush- she raised her hands in a gesture of trying on – I know you paid another number, listen to the end. So, the room is a small table, a narrow bed, a shower and toilet and a small safe. Valuables you have the right to pass on protection or to keep in the safe in your room of "corridor space." I'll call it "Corridor", as it is marked on the map, which you will be given at the entrance to the territory.

3. On site is not possible to use the telephone and internet. But you can use it in the corridor to communicate with the outside world, for this you will receive the keys to the rooms with WIFI. To communicate with each other and the service staff of the hotel you will be given the transmitter.

4. And most importantly, note that when entering the territory you hae to sign documents that you are aware of the hotel staff for the lives and safety of the hotel complex are not liable, and you are aware of the lack of mobile, medical aid, transportation and protection from wild animals.

Martha: – It sounds like we're going into the forest to the bears, and not in an expensive hotel – the woman -owner of the Mercedes said

Guide: – That's right, the hotel's territory – is 300 hectares of wild forest in which organically inscribed homes for people, but in such a way as to best not to disturb the natural ecological environment.

Dmitriy: – What about hunting? Are we going to throw stones at wild boars? – said the man in the Porshe

Guide: – The hotel hunting is allowed only with a crossbow. Often arranges snare the hare, but once a week a group of hunters are taken to a nearby forest outside the hotel boundary. The requirement to own weapons is the same as the car – storage in the territory of the corridor.

Ludmila: – But if you say that any animal can enter the territory of the hotel, how to protect ourselves from wild animals if you cannot use a weapon? – on the young woman's face reflected the horror, she hugged her children are looking forward to the adventure with enthusiasm peeking out from under her hands.

Guide: – You will live in the inner circle, marked on the map as the "heart" of the hotel. The contour of the area the "heart" as the road to the "corridor" enclosed by a metal mesh. Оn the territory the animals do not come, but if you see a grid of a large animal, please immediately report it to employees of the hotel and for a time to hide in the nearest room. Do not worry, you will be given instructions in this regard.

Anna: – On the territory there is a medical emergency room? – I'm not so much in need of assistance as surprised.

Guide: – In hotel any employee has a first aid kit first aid. Each issued car will also be all you need. But! You should understand that the territory of the complex is huge, to call an ambulance need to start at least get to the corridor from there to call emergency services and wait for transport will arrive at the hotel. I warn you again, if you are pregnant, there is a likelihood of exacerbation of chronic diseases, in the end, the fear that you may need medical intervention – refuse rooms and we will return your money.

Maksim: - And we will live in a cage? Can't go out of the territory of the "heart"? – outraged man from Mercedes

Guide: – Why, have. At your own risk you can go looking for mushrooms, but remember that you signed this paper case.

We were silent, looked at each other, watching the reaction.

– Well, if no more questions – follow me, we proceed to paperwork.

And in front of us began to rattle and clatter to depart the gate. We took seats in our cars.

I watched as one after another foreign car drove into the unknown, which frankly scared me. What awaits us? For three circles of gate, without the possibility of contact with family and first aid, signed the papers. In a head pop up images of horror films and detective stories, where all were killed, and survived only the main character and killer.

And so, at the moment of doubt, Natalie called.

Natalie: – Well, how you are there?

Anna: – We are all the time spent briefing – I moved off slowly, my car was the last time and the fluctuations were not more. – Look, I'm going to sign the papers, I can not talk. Natasha, there will be no cellular service on the territory, so write on e-mail or come without warning. All right, wish me luck.

Natalie: – Wait, what luck? You're going on vacation, but not on a desert island – asked surprised girlfriend

Anna: – I'm afraid you do not quite imagine the place that I have chosen. – and hung up, parked my car in the free space.

Chapter 2

We looked at each other as if waiting who first refused to sign the papers, get the keys, leave the protection of forbidden things. We passed through the metal frame. To get to our hotel seems not easier than at the customs cross the border. After signing the papers we have once again gathered in the territory of the corridor.

Guide: – Dear residents of the hotel, "Another Life". Together with the keys you issued characteristic of the electric vehicle. Please note that the speed of the transport does not develop a high, not more than 45 km / h. Furthermore, it is necessary to monitor the battery charge level as full charge is 8 hours At the same time, each car can accommodate 8 passengers – to try to be friends with the neighbors. Inspect the charge before departure, especially if you plan to travel long distances, such as the "corridor".

The road to the "Heart" will take three hours or if you need to visit the washroom, or look into the number of "dormitory corridor", please do so now. Departure in exactly half an hour, please do not be late.

We loaded our suitcases in the issued transport, and scattered throughout the territory. Most went to the hostel to look at their bonus room, I decided to look around in the corridor. The walls of three to five meters, barbed wire, observation posts. Strange place and in the description of the hotel nothing about fencing is not told when booking.

After half an hour, we got into our cars. This time the gate parted almost noiselessly. Eyes the dense forest, a single gravel road, enclosed with a metal mesh installed along the road lights that worked on the combination of wind and solar energy.

My pretty little yellow car was last. Three hours of driving on gravel, in the dust of those that ones ahead, suffering at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour – it's hard. At the place we arrived tired and dreaming of a shower and bed. We again gathered in a circle.

Guide: – Well, you have arrived at your destination. Now we will go to the reception where you will be given the keys to the houses and a map of the hotel complex. I think your strength is enough for today only then to unpack and dinner, so immersed in life and rules the "heart" will begin tomorrow. I am waiting for you in the lobby at 8am.

Martha: – And if we plan to sleep till noon? – refined woman from Mercedes

Guide: – Then will ask friends. And today I say goodbye to you. Till tomorrow.

We are somewhat shocked by what is happening, submit passport and get a printed card on which the administrator marked location number and key in the form of plastic with a magnetic strip.

Dmitriy: – We were promised a more transmitter- said the guy from Porshe

– Tomorrow – briefly said the girl behind the reception desk

Anna: – Do you have a schedule of tours? – I asked of mother fidgets.

– You will also be given their tomorrow.

Martha: – And it is possible to order room service or is it too tomorrow? – asked irritably woman from Mercedes

– You in the room is wired communication apparatus, as well as a list of available phone numbers and your extension number. Near the unit you'll find the menu. – politely and with a smile she said.

Chapter 3

Dmitriy: – What is the number of your house? – appealed to me a man of Porshe – my name is Dmitry by the way, and you?

Anna: – Sixth. My name is Aneta. Nice to meet you – I held out his hand.

Dmitriy: – An? – he corrected me, shaking my hand

Anna: – Listen, we've come here to this hotel, for the sake of the promised "another life" – I spread her arms out, embracing this new world – so why do these trivial names Anya, Tanya, Ksyunya … Call me Aneta.

Dmitriy: – Well, then I Dark – he smiled and playfully bowed.

Margarita: – Wait for me – quickly caught up with us a girl from priusa, wheels her suitcase fun banging the rocks and jumped up on bumps. – I just in sixth too. My name is Margarita – she coyly glanced at Dmitry from under the wide brim hat

Dmitriy: – My name is Dark, and is Aneta – introduced us Dmitri and his back even straighter. But Marguerite paused and narrowed her eyes

Margarita: – You just come up with them, right? – she asked indignantly

Dmitriy: – Yes, in the "other life" other names – he raised his finger to the sky

Margarita: – Well, then I Meggi- again rattled kolesiki- but if I suddenly forget and do not respond call Margot.

My mood went up sharply. So lucky with neighbors, then now is not so terrible.

Margarita: – By the way you at what time you planning for dinner? – Margaret asked – let's go together?

Anna: – I do not mind – I picked up – let's at seven?

Dmitriy: – I'll come with you. But now my way a little further. My building ninth

House in front of which we stopped was a small timbered building with two floors. The wooden steps to climb stairs was on the outside of the house. Our rooms were located on the second Margot, so we hardly dragged suitcases along the narrow steep stairs and put magnetic keys, to get in.

Chapter 4

The first thing that impressed – it is the smell of wood and tall glass doors leading onto a quite spacious balcony. I put my suitcase on the floor and went to explore the richness of what I got. Floor under your feet – lacquered boards, two walls of the room – painted beams, which kept the room divine scent of the forest, the other two walls are the interior walls were covered with blue silk wallpaper with floral patterns. I I ran my hand along the walls, breathed in the smell and went to his balcony. It was spacious, decorated with traditional slope of the roof ornaments. There was a forged table and two plastic chairs. I sat down in one of them and closed her eyes, enjoying the birdsong, the smell of the woods and silence.

Chapter 5

Dmitri, as promised, came after us at seven in the evening and we went to dinner together. The restaurant occupies a separate wooden house, on the ground floor which had a minimum of two spacious halls. During one of the long wooden tables already dined family with children, we are joined them.

Dmitriy: – We sit down to you? – said Dmitry, trying to get on the bench.

Roman: – Yes, but we had already eaten.

Dmitriy: – There are not crowded, is not it?

Roman: – We have also asked the first thing about where all the campers, but we were assured that tomorrow will be much more tourists – said the head of the family. My name is Roman

Dmitriy: – Dark, Meg and Ann – introduced us Dmitri and buried in the menu, leaving the pleasure to admire the surprised faces us with Margot

Lyudmila: – You foreigners or you kidding? – refined lady, studying our smiles – My name is Lyudmila.

Margarita: – Not foreigners, but we decided to change the names. Maybe we robbed the bank and hiding from the police – Margot winked at us – yes, Dark?

Dmitry paled slightly, and his smile now seemed feigned

Dmitriy: – By this logic, your names should be Romeo and Lucien – he added, trying to cope with their emotions.

Lyudmila: – No, we will probably use our names in the original. Always hated short form Lyuska- said, Lyudmila- and even if it is possible to choose a nickname you can pick up something a little more exciting, such as Aphrodite

At this, her husband burst into laughter, even spilling some juice.

Roman: – Dear Aphrodite, and it is time to retire to your Olympus Zeus and a pair of siblings. Our children: Yanochka and Daniel. We were glad to meet you, enjoy your meal. See you in the morning assembly?

Margarita: – Oh sure. Till tomorrow.

Dark chose meat and potatoes, Margo- Meg grilled vegetables with some light salad.

Dmitriy: – You do not eat meat? – I surprised Dmitry

Margarita: – Try to eat only vegetarian food. What are you? – she asked another question

Dmitriy: – Already forgot? I rob banks – Dark smiled – and you?

Margarita: – Well, since we are now in a gang then I am aimer. What do you think of our gods?

Dmitriy: – So-so of you aimer. Did you see their car and clothes? I would rather think about of the couple in Merce.

Margarita: – Aneta, and you?

Anna: – Maybe in this case, I'll be a mafia accountant.

Evening in their company was fun. They were comfortable, and the fictional legend allowed to invent non-existent friends and events.

The pair of Mercedes came closer to nine, at this time we conducted a heated debate on the way of robbing the VTB bank.

Margarita: – Yes on Kuznetsky Most parking unsuccessful, narrow passage. It's better on Butcher – argued Margot

Dmitriy: – At Butcher traffic is high, come on Kuznetsky – Dark prove his point.

Anna: – And where the money more in the first or the second? – I wondered

In general, we had fun choosing bank, car, a sequence of actions. Couple eating hard and was afraid to even look in our direction, their conversations were almost in a whisper and quickly left the room. Much are we scared them.

Chapter 6. Day Two

On so-called "briefing" presents I, Dima (Margot yesterday warned that it is a night owl by nature, and not for anything in this hour will not rise without urgent need, and because we have promised to retell all the fun) and a pair of Mercedes ( "Gods with Olympus' seems to have also decided to limit ourselves to asking of friends and do not come down in the morning to mere mortals).

We do not quite understand why say this brief speech was impossible last night, because it boils down to a simple two things:

1) All the information is placed on the stand at the front desk.

Here you can find the schedule of excursions, concerts, training sessions and so on. Obtain additional copies of the terrain, and even leave your own message

2) For those who wish to participate in the hunt with a bow – you can take courses and pass exams on the shooting. Without permission of the instructor participation impossible. Hunting outside the hotel grounds can be booked at reception, in the presence of personal weapons in the zone of the "corridor" – specify the type of weapon, with a necessary permit to carry.

– Dear residents of the hotel, because we do not have the internet or mobile and portable radio use is not always convenient, you can leave a message in the form of a note at the reception or here on this board. Recording is done in chalk, erased by the author or recipient.

We looked at the black board without notes and nodded. We came to the event Board

Anna: – Look, a disco today. Let's Dance? – I winked at man

Dmitriy: – Come on, how do you campaign for mushrooms and berries tomorrow? – he looked at my outfit – Do you have suitable wear?

Anna: – I'll find clothes and let's leave this post on the board? – As you wish, then I'll put us on the list and you write a post?

At the reception was a thick notebook to write on trips, courses or hunting. Dmitry introduced our names and house numbers, indicating the campaign for mushrooms and began to turn the pages, examining previous records. I studiously writing on the blackboard:

"Dear Margo,

We decided to go with Dmitry night at the disco, and tomorrow go for mushrooms. Enroll in the thick dusty book that lies at a smiling young lady with freckles, if you agree to come with us.

If you do not find us in the restaurant and can not be found on the tracks of "Heart" we will be waiting for you ....

Anna: -Dima, do you think, where it is more convenient meet her? And what time?

Dmitriy: – I think we do have lunch and dinner in a restaurant, it is logical to offer 13 or 19? Let's also point out disko then that's at 21-30. – he briefly distracted from the records

I erased the last sentence and recorded the new one:

If you will not find us on the tracks of "Heart" will be waiting for you in 13 -00 and 19-00 in the restaurant or pay a visit to you in the 21-30

Your accomplices'

Chapter 7

Anna: – Where to now?

Dmitriy: – Before lunch time quite a lot, I offer to find out about the courses of archery.

Anna: – I honestly can not shoot a hare – I looked around, watching the occasional passers-by

Dmitriy: – You know, if I'm going to hunt the hare, then prefer a trap or a gun. I therefore propose that we learn for sport. Especially anything else interesting in this hotel we can not find right now. Can arrange a competition? Let others shooting at hares, and we are on the cans.

Anna: – You're right, shoot at targets on the nature of it is interesting.

And we, spreading the map found on it site for training.

Dmitriy: – You know what surprises me? – said Dmitry, rustling stones under the soles – they touted me this place as a very popular resort, but in a notebook entry on a tour of only our during the last two weeks.

Anna: – I honestly just glad that there is no noisy children, no crowds of tourists with cameras and does not take up all the tables in the restaurant. I enjoy the smell of privacy. While you are right, I also was told that it is a very untwisted and fashionable place this season

Dmitriy: – Yes, me too, actually until all satisfied, just surprised. But we seem to have come – we stopped at the platform.

It tooks a pretty big area, enclosed by a high fence and all the targets were located in the forest belt. Next to a small open island was located office building. Inside smelled of dust. Against the wall was a small cot on which the nozzles in a dream a tall man, his legs slightly hanging, not placed in a standard small size couches.

Andrew: – Good afternoon, young people – awakened by the creaking of the floorboards beneath our feet. -How can I help? – up on his elbows, but the couch did not rise.

Dmitriy: – We want to know about education and examination

We were surprised so cool reception. I saw a wooden wall with pictures, even came close.

Andrew: – The cost of one lesson 300 rubles per hour, classes are conducted from eight in the morning until three days. Recording at least a day at reception. The number of hours is not limited. For pass: pay per hour, hit ten selected by me targets. – he lowered his head and closed his eyes again.

Anna: – And what is she doing here? – I could not help exclaiming. Dima came closer and stood behind me.

Dmitriy: – Who is doing what? – He tried to look into similar in general fotos

Anna: – Here – I pointed at one of those on which the happy girl pulls the bowstring- this is my friend, Natalie. The one that recommended the hotel. But what is she doing here? It's not like her. Nat prefers to bars and nightclubs. Clean air without cigarette smoke, leave without heels … not her style! – I considered the face girlfriends, it is even here not forget to apply makeup. She looked as if he knew that fall into the ten – The strangest thing that she did not say that been here before. – I added thoughtfully.– And in the background is not a man in our group? – a closer look – the Mercedes?

We both moved closer to a picture and looked at each other without saying a word.

Dmitriy: – Okay, let's get out of this sleepy kingdom. – suggested Dmitry

Chapter 8

Anna: – As I understand it, of the guests here live mainly only those that have called in at the same time with us. We have about ten – fourteen days. – pronounces aloud the obvious, on the way to restaurant- I mean that in preparation for the impromptu competition we have very little time. And we need to decide where it will be carried out: in the territory of a training ground or wood . But here in the second case it is not clear how to select a target, and who will evaluate the results.