But you can never leave.
What? I was supposed to title my return post something else?
Okay, I didn't exactly know where or when I was when I woke up. It was dark and I was laying on a wooden floor, so the first thing I did was try to get the kinks out of my neck and limbs. I noticed that I was wearing actual clothing this time - not the clothes I had gone to bed in, but some random blouse and skirt. Still, it was cold and dark and I wanted to get out of there.
Fortunately, I was in an area I later learned was the "anteroom." Instead of going into the larger room (the "Embassy Room"), I decided to go left behind the podium and into the kitchen area. I slipped past the tables and the ice machine ("Where Robert Kennedy was shot," Mona said and I think she feels jealous that I saw it and she didn't) and finally came out into a dark corridor where, thankfully, I found the little girls' room (I cannot tell you how many times I've had to go pee, yet there wasn't a restroom in sight).
After my jaunt to the restroom, I walked down another corridor and found myself in a long lobby. I heard a noise at one end and as I turned, I saw it. I saw its pale skin and black eyes as it darted away and disappeared from view.
The Rover was here.
I don't know why. I didn't usually encounter the Unchanging on my trips, but these last two were different. I saw the Rawboned Man and now the Rover. (And if you're wondering why we called it that, well, I guess we just like being pretentious.) What was different? Both places were where people were assassinated, but never at the time of the assassination. Same year, yes, but from what I could tell, this place was empty and quiet as the grave. Nobody was here.
I went in the opposite direction of where the Rover had gone and eventually found myself in a large nightclub area. I opened up the door and saw the sign: the Cocoanut Grove. Closed for renovations.
I shivered. I was now outside and, even though I had clothes, I didn't have a jacket. It was cold and windy and my teeth chattered. I didn't want to go back inside, not if I had a chance of encountering the Rover. So I walked across the lush green lawn and tried to find a place to sit, a place to sleep. I felt so tired, even though I had only woken up twenty minutes ago. Something about this place felt wrong.
Finally, I sat down next to a palm tree and closed my eyes. I felt myself drifting off and tried to get into a comfortable position to sleep.
Then Mona was shaking me awake. Later, she told me I was lucky I walked out of the Hotel - the entire place was demolished back in 2005. If I had stayed inside, I don't know where I would have found myself.
I just want to get one goddamn night of sleep without waking up somewhere else. It's happening so often these days. It used to be I'd go a month or two without becoming unstuck. Now it happens every week.
At least my future self told them where to find me. Though I'm unsure about her posting here, but I guess it's my blog in the future, too. I just hope it won't get too confusing.
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