"Life of the Party" (A mythos short)

The boards creaked as I stepped closer to the wooden steps of the Hotel del Mar.
The rain had been constant & heavy since nearing the coast.
I pulled the collar of my coat higher to keep the sea spray off my neck. It was cold, I was tired from walking and my bag wasn't getting the slightest bit lighter.

As I reached the top step, the front door opened. A thin man dressed in an old black suit stood there.

"Welcome to the Hotel del Mar."

His voice was strange. A hollowness permeated each word.

"Thank you."

He motioned into the lobby and I brushed past him into the dry comfort it provided. The smell, of course, was another matter.

The hotel was the only one near the coast for miles and it suited my temporary purposes.

It was unkempt as if the hotel saw no regular use. A bookshelf near the desk had near rotten books that were 90 or more years old judging from what titles were legible.

Of course the seaside motif was present but it was a turn of the century look. The 19th century kind. It stank like a rotten carcass was stuffed under the floorboards. I saw no phones, no magazines, no indication of anything truly modern in the lobby. That's a plus for me.

The thin man walked behind the desk and took out the registration ledger. He then proceeded to stare at me. Not menacingly, no, just staring at me. He didn't blink. Not one bat of an eyelid.

In the light of the lobby I could see his pallor was pale and he had dark circles around his eyes. Those big, unblinking eyes. Like a damn fish.

I knew he was one of them. He had to be. Nobody looks like that. Well, nobody outside of Innsmouth looks like that.

I slowly stepped up to the desk and he turned the ledger around for me to sign.

I saw he had webbed fingers.

"Will you be staying with us long?"

As I began to sign the book I said, "Oh, not very long."

As he was leaning over to read my signature, I drew the sawed off shotgun from under my coat & shoved it into his mouth.

The gills on the side of his neck bloomed out in his dump of adrenalin no doubt, which was all I needed to see.

I blew his brains out onto the wall behind the desk.

Nice pattern too. It looked kinda like a Rorschach test, but I didn't have time to study it now.

I dragged his body into the nearest closet and the locked the front door of the Hotel.

I pulled up a chair at the window over looking the open area of the town looking towards the slimy green docks. Obviously the sound of my scatter gun made a few of the locals exit their darkened broods to search for its source.

Oh well, looks like I'm going to work early tonight. Should have used the machete on the desk clerk I guess.

I took out my cigarettes & lit one quick. I then took out my cell phone & made the call.

"It's me. I'm here. No, the Festival hadn't begun yet. Oh, by the way, I sprayed one already & its knocked over the bee hive...looks like I'm going to work early. Huh? Yeah, I'll be back in Arkham tomorrow.Yeah, you too."

I sat back watching the things limping & grunting as they gathered near the docks. I opened my bag and reloaded the scatter gun & checked both Glocks. Good to go.

Sorry Innsmouth, the party for Dagon will have to wait till next year.