A Plethora of Prompts - 5. PT Prompt #123 - Buckhorn Baths

PT Prompt #123 - write a story about the now-abandoned Buckhorn Bath Resort. 

“Oh, you poor dear! Jenny, grab some water. Hurry! Poor thing must have gotten caught in that dust storm.” The woman pushed a stray lock of sandy brown hair underneath her white, cloth cap. “Nasty business, those dust storms. This fella is lucky to be alive,” she muttered as she gently wiped away layers of reddish-brown dust from the man’s face. He had stumbled through the hotel’s entrance only minutes before and immediately collapsed.

“Jenny! Hurry with that water!” She pushed the man onto his back as Jenny rushed in, carrying a glass of clear water.

“Sorry, ma’am, but I had to go all the way to the north well to get this. The south well must be clogged from the storm or something.” She set the glass down and helped the other woman sit the man up. He slumped limply to the right.

“Oof. He’s a big one, isn’t he?” Jenny stated.

“You shut your yap and give him some of that water so’s he don’t die while you’re yammering on!”

Jenny gulped and grabbed the glass. She raised it to the man’s cracked lips and tilted it until some of the precious liquid ran into his mouth, then dribbled out onto his chin.

“Don’t waste it, girl! That stuff’s a precious commodity around here!”

“I’m sorry, Edith. I didn’t mean to.” Jenny’s hand trembled, threatening to spill more water.

“Try again, but steady your hand!” Edith’s stern tone forced Jenny to concentrate. This time, the water stayed in his mouth, and he swallowed. She poured more, and the man swallowed the liquid right down, emptying the glass.

“Go get more!” Edith said sharply.

Jenny immediately rose and scurried out of the room. The man coughed and swayed a bit in Edith’s arms before opening his eyes. Although he was weak, he would make it. Edith was sure of it.

“Where… where am I?” he croaked. One glass of water wasn’t enough to completely rehydrate him.

“You’re at the Buckhorn Hotel. What happened to you?”

He turned to look at the woman behind him. She wore a black dress with a white apron and a white cloth cap, similar to what lunch ladies wore, only not made of mesh. “What’s with the get-up?”

Edith frowned. “I think you may be sun-touched. How did you make it here through the storm?”

“My car broke down, and I started walking to get some gas. I didn’t realize how far it was. Then all of a sudden, I was surrounded by all this wind and dirt and couldn’t see a thing. I don’t remember how I got inside here.”

Jenny ran into the room and stopped dead when she saw the man awake and staring at her. Despite the dirt, he was quite handsome. She couldn’t tell his true hair color, but his bright blue eyes stood out in stark contrast to the hue of the dirt still clinging to his clothes and skin. He had a kind face. She blushed and ducked her head as she held up a pitcher full of water. “I found a pitcher, since I didn’t think a glass would be enough.”

Edith smiled. “Good girl. Now pour this poor man a glass, and let’s see about getting him settled.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jenny handed the man a full glass of water, which he eagerly gulped. He continued until the pitcher was empty.

“Thank you. You ladies saved my life.” He smiled at Jenny.

“This isn’t just any water, you know. It’s special,” Jenny stated. She bit back a giggle. It wouldn’t be professional to speak to a customer in such a manner.

“Jenny, mind your place,” Edith warned.

Jenny paled. “Sorry, ma’am. I just thought—”

“Never you mind. Now go get Cabin One ready. Our guest needs to rest up before the rest of his journey.”

Jenny nodded and after a quick look at the stranger, hurried to comply.

“What’s special about the water?”

“Buckhorn Hotel is situated on top of a mineral spring. People come here from all over the world to try our water. It has remarkable curative properties. We also have mineral baths and a lot of other amenities. But now you need to rest before your journey.”

“My journey?” The man frowned.

“You must have been on your way somewhere.”

“Oh. Yeah. I can’t remember where, though.”

Edith rose and smoothed her apron. She smiled in what she thought was a reassuring manner. “That will come soon enough.” She held out her hand. “Come. Let’s get you cleaned up and into some clean clothes. A bath will do you wonders.”

“Ok. Yeah, uh, sure.” He hesitated a moment, then rose to his feet and swayed a bit before grabbing Edith’s hand and heading out the door with her.

“Cabin One is right over here. We have fourteen cabins to accommodate our guests!” Edith stated proudly.

The man looked around as Edith led him forward. An uneasy feeling rose from the pit of his stomach. This hardly looked like the word-class resort the woman had described. The landscaping was overgrown, and the pueblo-like structures that must have been the ‘cabins’ were cracked with boarded up windows. They passed a crumbling stone fountain – dry for what appeared to be an extended period of time. The place looked abandoned. What the hell was going on here?

“Is there a phone here? I think I’d like to call AAA and see if they can find my car. I’d really like to be on my way.”

“We have a phone, but the dust storm must have knocked down the lines. Don’t you worry. We’ll get you on your way shortly.” She stopped at the first cabin’s door and unlocked it, then pushed the door open. “See? Jenny has it all ready for you.”

The man swallowed and weighed his options. Every fiber in his being told him not to walk through the door. “Can I just—”

“Young man, go inside.” Edith used the same tone she had when speaking to Jenny. He had no choice but to comply.

As soon as he stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind him. Alarm flared through him, and his heart pounded. He tried opening the door, but it wouldn’t budge. “Let me out of here!” he yelled, pounding his fists on the wooden structure.”

“It won’t open.”

He whirled around. Jenny stood on the opposite side of the cabin, wringing her hands.

“Why not?”

“You haven’t made your choice yet.”

“Choice? What are you talking about? What the hell is going on here?”

Jenny flinched at the swear. “You need to choose a door. Once you do, it will open and you can resume your journey.”

“Huh?” He turned back to the wall, and where there had been only the door he walked through, there were now two. He swiveled back to look at Jenny. “I don’t understand.”

She smiled sadly. “Make your choice,” she stated, then slowly faded away.

The man gaped at the empty space where the pretty young woman had stood. He turned to face the doors again. “Well, I guess I have no choice if I want to get away from this fucked-up place.” He put his hand on one door and immediately recoiled. He placed his hand on the second door, and somehow knew instinctively this was the door he was meant to go through. He turned the handle and walked through it.