She stood in line in the hotel lobby, waiting to check in. It had been a long day, having left home at 5am and then working all day. Finally, she could see that it would soon be time for her to relax. Taking her room key, she made her way to the elevators, noticing the vibrant artwork on the walls around her – bright reds and pinks, interspersed with yellows and white to create beautiful abstract designs that really appealed to her. She made a mental note to investigate who the artist was.
As she stepped into her room, she was happy to see a stylish and comfortable space, and a good bottle of Shiraz waiting on the counter. Without hesitation, she dropped her bags on the big couch by the window and then opened the Shiraz to let it breathe while she settled in. She stepped out of her high heels and pulled her shirt free of the waistband of her skirt before finally freeing her hair from her pony tail and instantly began to relax. As she stepped into the bathroom, she was puzzled to see that there wasn’t a light switch to be found but she could see well enough to do what she needed to do and after a bit of searching afterwards discovered the switch aligned with a few others by the big comfy bed that dominated the majority of the room. Strange, she thought, as she poured herself a glass of wine, collected her phone, a notebook and the tv remote and settled herself on the bed, leaning back against the luxuriously padded headboard.
A few glasses of wine later, she’d finished her notes and was ready to order some dinner and take a shower. She had been looking forward to a shower for the last few hours, relishing the thought of that hot water beating down on her neck and back. She removed her clothes, wondering as she always did in hotels, whether there could be cameras installed in the room. She had been traveling for work for so many years, that things like that had become second nature to her, but still she wondered… Glass of wine in hand, she made her way into the bathroom before remembering that the light switch was back out in the room. She left her wine on the vanity and slipped back into the room to flip on the switch. As she closed the door to the bathroom, she laughed to herself – why worry about closing the bathroom door when she was already naked in the bedroom? Some habits won’t die, she thought, amused at herself.
She leaned into the generously sized shower cubicle and turned on the water so that it would begin to steam up the room. Another sip of wine and then she tied her hair back up into a loose bun and studied her reflection in the mirror, noticing that her makeup was beginning to wear off, her sprinkling of freckles showing through. She removed her eye makeup and then opened the glass cubicle door. With one long leg extended, she tested the water temperature with her toes. Hot, but she decided that she could handle it. She stepped in, and the warm steam enveloped her. She breathed in deeply and reached out to turn the hot water back slightly before putting her face under the spray and revelling in the feeling of the water hitting her face. Eyes still closed, she turned, bowed her head forward and allowed the water to beat down on her back, leaning back little by little, letting the water travel up to her neck. Sighing deeply, she waited a few seconds before giving in, reaching up and pulling her hair free again and dropping her head right back, letting the water soak through to her scalp. She lifted her arms and smoothed the water back through her hair and felt really good for the first time that day. Good wine, hot shower, comfortable bed. What more could a girl want, she thought. After washing her hair, and herself, using her favourite shower oils, a little luxury that she always packed in her travel bag, she rinsed under the hot spray again. Just as she turned off the water, she heard a sound. It sounded like the click of a door. She froze and listened intently, hearing nothing. Absently reaching back to smooth her long hair down over one shoulder, she opened the glass door and started to step out of the cubicle. That’s when the lights in the bathroom went out.
For Andy’s Dark Side Thursday. A departure from my ongoing story, this one was inspired by an actual visit to a hotel in Adelaide where the light switch was in a very strange position. I did, however, live to tell the tale 😉
x desleyjane
Musings of a Frequent Flying Scientist 
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