HOTEL LEX - FLOOR 5 (23/?) (Patreon)

You decide waiting is too stressful and you tell Emmett you'll give Bean a heads-up.

You enter the store and spot him transfixed by a bird's nest in a nearby tree. You walk up to the sign and see they're selling a bird's nest that's reactive to the time of day. They have a multitude of options for sounds and Bean excitedly cycles through them. You tap him on the shoulder and tell him you don't mind waiting over at the Clocktower if Bean wants to shop around. If anything, he can meet you there. He nods. "Okay, if you keep heading down, you'll pass a soda fountain. Make a left there into the stables and then follow the race track until you come across a lamp post. Follow 'Jen's and Jerry's' till you run into the harbor. There's a wooden bridge that will take you down to the third floor. It should put you in front of Michi's Mushies. From there, just head north till you see the broken escalator."

You try your best to remember the jumble of words Bean just told you and you thank him before turning to leave. Outside, you tell Emmett that Bean will know where to find you and you set off. You remember the first part correctly as you soon see a fountain spewing dark cola into its marble. You thought Bean meant an actual soda fountain with different options for drinks but you shrug. You take Emmett down a small dirt path that leads you two into a large horse stable. Plastic toy horses neigh and whinny from inside stalls covered with hay. Something about their dark, beady eyes watching you pass by makes you feel uneasy. A wolf in a farmer's outfit leaning on a pitchfork waves at both of you to come in and shop around, but you politely refuse. You hear cheering from a crowd and walk up to a wooden fence where small meeples jump up and down as marbles of different colors race by. An announcer calls over the ruckus, "And blue 7 takes the lead! But how long can he hold it? Here comes the spiral and— OH! Crimson drops straight through the center hole! There's no catching up to that now!"

You curiously watch the race as you follow alongside the wooden construction, eventually happening on a lone lamp post sitting in between a few European-style houses. You peer around and see a toy mouse leaving a store named 'Ben's and Berry's.' You recognize the name and follow along the side of the store along some rickety cobblestone street until you see a large pumpkin patch. You scratch your head; Bean had mentioned nothing about a pumpkin patch. Somewhere down the line, you walked into a part of the department store that was much less well-kept. You turn around to return to the lamp post but you're not sure where you are anymore. You had walked along the back of the shelving and suddenly feel the lack of sunshine coming through the glass ceiling. It's dusty and dark, the sounds of cheering and yelling replaced by the sounds of crows and the hum of an A/C.

"D-did we make a wrong turn s-somewhere?" Emmett asks, inching closer to you.

You shake your head, trying to remember the directions: fountain, stables, race track, lamp post, Ben's and Berry's... or wait, wasn't it Jen's and Jerry's? You smack your head in frustration; you're losing time. You turn to start walking again but run straight into a large figure. You stumble backward and mutter an apology before you hit the ground. The figure turns around stares. He reaches out and you grab a scaly hand with sharp talons at the end of it. The falcon looks down at you without saying anything as he pulls you up, his talons almost tearing your fabric.

"A toy like you shouldn't be running around in parts like these..." he says in an unimpressed voice.

His words make you shudder as a nearby lamp casts light onto his face and you are able to see him clearly. He is not a toy.

You try to swallow but it feels like sandpaper. You quickly apologize again and tell him that you have made a wrong turn and are trying to find your way back. It seems your impatience has landed you somewhere unfavorable. The Baron leans in close and looks at you intently. "Where could you be trying to go?"

> Ask for directions to Clocktower.> Ask for directions to the third floor.> Scurry off in a direction.> Ask him who he is.

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