A Waffle Paradise Circulation: 180,843,697 Issue: 434 | 12th day of Running, Y12
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The Cockroach Towers


by chax1414

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I never really thought about why I wanted a vacation. In fact, I just assumed that everybody takes one, you know? I was content with being a Mystery Island Tombola prize collector, but the job was exhausting. So, I reserved the Royal Neopian at the Neolodge. It was going to be perfect! I could already sense this now! A whole week without being asked to find a couple of Mau Codestones, or fish out a few junk prizes from the sea. No, I guess my boss, the Tombola man, didn't like the idea of my leaving him for a while, but I told him I would work very hard to make up for it. I knew it would all be amazing.

     Then I got there...

     A Gelert sat behind the desk, shuffling through a bunch of papers. When I walked in, he glanced up, and greeted me warmly. "Hello, miss. Name please?"

     "Kelli, the Aisha. I reserved the Royal Neopian," I said in a sweet voice. I think I was still so shocked that I was actually on a vacation.

     The Gelert glanced through his files, but returned back to the front of the desk with a slight frown. "That's odd, but it appears that you reserved the Cockroach Towers instead."

     My heart skipped a beat. "Excuse me?"

     "Yes, well, the files are all in here. I highly doubt anybody would try and change them. Well, shall I show you to your room?"

     "Sure," I mumbled, and beginning my ascent up the long, circled staircase. The Gelert led me all the way to the top, only to reveal the worst stench I had ever smelled in my lifespan.

     I clutched the door handle, and jerked the door open, only to find that the hinges were already falling off the door's edge, which resulted in a loud squeak.

     "Well, this isn't going to be too bad, is it?"

     The Gelert chuckled. "Of course not, but if you begin to feel a sickness in your stomach, we will need to rush you to the hospital, alright?"

     I was desperately trying to find out if he was serious or not, but just decided to go with the flow. Nothing could ruin this trip, and I was going to make sure of that. Not even the awful surprise that awaited me when I stepped into the room.

     The brown wallpaper was peeling off the sides, which revealed cracked stone with a green substance behind it. The one chandelier in the room had only two lights emitting light, and the chandelier itself was titled sideways, threatening to fall and crash to the ground at any moment. The bed made the loudest noise when you sat on it, which sounded like you were rubbing two pieces of sandpaper together.

     "Oh, no..."

***

     Later that night, I climbed into bed. Tomorrow, I thought, would be much better. I was going to go visit the very famous Chocolate Shop, and see the Neopian Central Bazaar!

     "Come on, Kelli, get ahold of yourself! You only have to survive this place for a few hours each day. Then you get to sightsee, and enjoy yourself," I chanted to myself, in an attempt to calm myself. The day didn't go how I had planned it at all.

     I was wondering how in the world my reservations had gotten mixed up with the Royal Neopian and the Cockroach Towers. It just didn't make sense to me. I couldn't think of one person who would actually be as rude as to change somebody else's own vacation.

     I tried hard to clamp my eyes shut, and to just drift into a deep sleep, but it didn't occur right away. In fact, it was at least two hours before I actually felt sleepy. Then, there was a water leak, dripping right onto my bed.

     "Really? Is this necessary," I said angrily to myself, grabbing a Chokato (this was the breakfast offered) and plunging it directly into the tube of the leak.

     Finally, after a few moments, the water had stopped plunging onto the bed, and I flicked off the lights once more to try and get some sleep. Sure enough, some more bad luck dawned upon me. I knew what happened the instant it happened. There was a small noise, followed by a loud noise of a raging river. Soon, I felt the sheets being soaked with buckets and buckets of water coming from the leak. The Chokato obviously couldn't take it anymore, and fell from the pressure.

     Luckily, after that water scene, the leak had dried up. Then, for my third attempt, I clambered back into the bed, shivering with the damp covers laid out onto me. I thought I should take them off, but I thought I would be even more cold on a wet bed with no blanket.

     I began to hear a faint (tap, tap) on the ceiling, but just passed the thought through my mind, just assuming it was nothing. I didn't want anything bad happening to me again. Sure enough, my smallest desire happened.

     The chandelier had plunged to the floor, eliminating all of the electricity in the room. The glass was covering the floor, making tiny splashes as the glass fell into the water puddles.

     "Just wait, Kelli! Wait until morning comes," I said to myself through gritted teeth.

     I lay down, only to find that a Spyder was sitting on my pillow, its red eyes glaring deeply into mine. I screamed so loud, I scared myself. I also clearly scared the Spyder, who leaped so high into the air that he hit a slime blob that had been forming behind the ripped wallpaper. It splattered, and it coated me with an unknown green and gooey substance.

     "I'm done!" I screamed, and grabbed my belongings, throwing them into a bag. Most of my clothes were dripping wet, and covered with goo.

     I made my descent down the stairway, and walked right up to the desk where the Gelert had fallen asleep. I pounded on the wooden desk, immediately causing his head to jerk upwards, and he yelled in alarm. "Wassamatter?"

     "The Cockroach Towers! That's what the matter is! I tried to withstand all of the agony that went on in there, but I couldn't take it! So I bid you good day, I'm going back to Mystery Island!"

     The Gelert looked at me sleepily, not noticing that I was covered in green on my way out. He was too tired to even think, but before I left, he apparently had something to show me. I was too mad; I left right away. I couldn't bear to stand in the place where the Cockroach Towers existed. I was never going to attempt another vacation ever again. I grabbed my belongings, and left that building at once.

     "Wait, Kelli! I have a note for you, it's from..." the Gelert began, but drifted back to sleep. In his hand, he clutched the note. It read:

     Dear Kelli,

     Sorry for changing your reservation. I didn't want you to leave work, leaving me to collect the prizes on my own. I send my apologies, and I have paid for you to move into the Royal Neopian at once! Thank you for your understanding.

     -Tombola Manager

The End

I hope you enjoyed my story! Thanks for reading!

 
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