"Anything to drink, sir?"

Perry blinked his heavy eyes and looked up at a flight attendant. "Sorry?" He rubbed his eyes with a now bandaged and taped finger. The wrap and gauze nearly tripled its size and the doctor braced it against his middle digit to keep it from bending. On top of all of that, the pain medication made him drowsy.

"Anything to drink with your in-flight snack?" The attendant was passing him a small package of pub peanuts.

"Ah." Perry fought back a yawn and asked for a cup of coffee. Before she could ask, he answered her question. "Just black, please."

His flight was a short three hours and his stay at the Canyon Jewel was scheduled for two nights. He was a light traveler and became efficient at packing on short notice from his years of experience. News and stories never slept, he knew he'd always need to be ready to drop anything and everything for his work. But lately, things felt bland. He'd been hoping for a little more excitement in his job. On the other hand, he began to wonder if this meant he was losing his edge. Was it the work that was lacking, or was it him?

When his flight landed, Perry collected his carry-on bag and his camera case with his Nikon FM10. He loved the 35mm and the old-fashion photography process. He enjoyed developing his own film and seeing his shots come to life first-hand. He made his way to the public transport and carpool area and waited for a taxi. Now that he was outside and away from the doors, he reached into his jacket pocket for a cigarette and his lighter. To his surprise, as well as disappointment, the bandaged fingers made it nearly impossible to smoke. The x-rays came back negative but the doctor gave him a small splint. To keep the finger from moving too much, the wrapped two of them together, which happened to be the two he held cigarettes with. His dominant hand had been reduced to a couple of useless digits and an extra five pounds of medical wrap. Perry was officially annoyed at how much it all got in the way. Doing anything felt awkward now, like throwing a ball with the opposite hand. Frustrated, he jammed the cigarette back into the pack and stuffed them into his pocket. The taxi screeched to a stop at the curb and a large man with a thick, black mustache and baseball cap reached back between the front seats and pulled the latch to open his door.

"I appreciate it, thanks." Perry slid in and closed the door.

The cab driver's deep, gruff voice boomed from the front seat, "Don't mention it!" He had that slight gargle in his throat that only an old man gets after too many years of late nights sleeping next to the bottle. "Where we headed?"

Perry pulled a sheet of paper from his bag and passed it to the driver. "Ever been to the Canyon Jewel Hotel?"

The old man read over the address and nodded his head violently. "I know the place! Never stayed there myself, but have been up there a handful of times over the years." He glanced over his shoulder to check for traffic and pulled away from the curb with a jolt. "Been a long time since anyone asked to go there! What's the occasion?"

"I'm writing an article about its glory days. I hear they're really struggling right now." Perry knew his escort would have some good history on the place. Which is why he preferred a taxi to other ride-share apps and things. A classic cabbie is local. They'll know all the dirt and grime about spots around town. All the newer technology and carpool services seem to be hustled around by the younger crowd that spent too much time staring at phones and tablets. The mustache would know a thing or two about the hotel.

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"You got that right! A real shame, too." The driver took a drink from a styrofoam cup with a straw barely sticking out the top. "The Jewel used to be a real hot spot! A little rich for my blood back in the day. I remember picking up gals at all hours of the night! The lounge up there was something special! Big names were always throwing parties up there."

Perry watched out the window as the sky began to slowly fade to grey. "What happened?"

"Rumor has it, ownership was poor with their money. And the canyon road washes out a lot when it rains! I once heard a car got washed away during a big downpour and a couple died. After an investigation, the cops found out the hotel was supposed to put money into developing the road because of the storms but spent it on celebrity bookings and all that instead." The driver took another drink with a loud slurp when the beverage was gone. He shook the cup to hear only since in the bottom and pushed it back into the cup holder. "Supposedly, once the story got out, the family of the couple that died brought a lawsuit and that's when the Jewel started to go."

Perry looked back at the driver, skeptical. "The rains get that bad?"

"You'll see when we get closer. It's not far now!" The driver removed his hat and wiped his brow with his sleeve. He combed down his mustache with his hand and pointed out the passenger window. "It's a decent view, though!"

Perry looked back out as the city started to fade. The Canyon Jewel Hotel was situated in a small canyon about ten miles outside of town. The elevation rose slightly and one could easily understand the draw to a place like this. As the scenery changed, the canyon walls slowly climbed up on both sides of the road, and areas around each bend had loose gravel and rocks that showered down during the rainstorms. Just as he was told, Perry could see the dip before the hotel came into view. Any decent amount of water could easily pool up and transform the small road into a lake and make it impossible for a vehicle to pass through. Perry leaned forward and asked with a little more concern this time, "So what happens when it floods? What do they do?"

"Wait it out!" The cabbie laughed aloud and began to cough. He pumped his fist on his chest and cleared his throat. "Now you can see why this place struggles!"

As they passed over the top of a small hill, a large driveway with a gate appeared to the left with big, golden letters, "CANYON JEWEL". The letter "O" was cleverly fashioned into a green emerald jewel that split in half as the gates automatically opened when approached. Even with the sun fading behind the darkened clouds, the letters managed to shine and greet each guest with glamor, fashion, and a sense of wealth. On approach, the driveway was lined with pink, cherry blossom trees in full bloom. The small, gravel under the tires was purposely laid to force vehicles to enter slowly and take in the hotel's architecture and grounds. As the taxi made a loop and came to a stop, Perry studied the fountain in the center of the entrance circle. It was close the twenty feet tall and resembled a man and woman embraced while dancing, both holding martini glasses. He assumed the drinks were where the water once flowed as the fountain was now completely dry. Small, pink flower petals from the trees littered the ground as someone descended the short stairs to greet him.

"Welcome to the Canyon Jewel, sir." A man in his mid-thirties with a deep, green bellhop uniform and a short, brown beard had his hands out wide with a smile on his face. He wore white gloves with gold trim around the wrists and shiny, black shoes. Clearly, this man took his job seriously. He moved only to nudge his small, round glasses back to the top of his nose and then quickly resumed his stance, smile included. "Might I help you with your things?"

Perry took mental note of the display in front of him and was impressed by the man's dedication. We waved dismissingly with his hand and bundle of bandages. "I can manage, thank you. I only have a small bag."

The bellhop nodded politely. "Of course, sir." He turned on his heels and gestured with his gloved hand up the stairs to the doors. "Right this way." He held the door for Perry and let him enter first. Following behind, he quickly hustled around the counter and also began working the front desk. Checking the time, the bellhop looked up at Perry with the same bright smile, "And you must be Mr. Stone."