You wake up to the harsh greeting of pink ceiling lights. While your eyes were still adjusting to the lighting, you seem to find yourself in quite a fancy and quaint lobby, albeit the registry counter lacking any worker — though you don’t remember booking for a stay in this hotel...

Even with your attempts of trying to get up, you still found yourself lying on the soft red-velvet carpets of the lobby. Your body felt like it was in some sleep paralysis. How bothersome.

Some time passes, you finally managed to stand after a series of gruelling headaches and dizziness subsiding. Then you heard noises

The ding of an elevator. Then a voice...

“Oh! My.. my…. What a delight this hotel brings! Newcomers! My favourite!” The voice spoke, loud and squeaky. Like a clown’s.

The squeaking — supposedly footsteps — came near until their figure was visible in your line of sight. It looked like a regular jester, although they covered their whole body in layers. Even their face was masked.

“Welcome…! Welcome!! I do HUMBLY apologize for the ABSENCE of a ceeeerrrtain someone behind the dang counters, new friend. But whatever! They’re not important! What’s important is you!”

They let out a small giggle in between.

“Sooooo… I wonder how’dya end up here, dear… Like… did’ya somehow break the fabric of reality and BOOM! End up here? Ooooo~! Or did’ya die? Love me a great story! Really tho’, how DID you end up here?”