BEHIND THE FRONT DESK

The people who keep the lights on

The Red Alder opened in 1989 with thirteen keys, one switchboard and a coffee pot that has not been allowed to go cold since. Most of the front desk has been here longer than the carpet. They know which floorboards creak, which rooms catch the morning sun, and which guests would rather not be asked about their plans.

NIGHT MANAGER · SINCE 1991
Marjorie
Knows every regular by name, keeps the lobby fire lit until the last guest is in, and has never once needed to check the register.
GROUNDS & FIREWOOD
Walt
Splits the wood, keeps the trail markers straight, and walks the north treeline every night before he locks the gate.
HOUSEKEEPING · TWENTY-TWO YEARS
Dottie
Has never lost a towel in twenty-two years. She cannot say the same about the time, but that is hardly her fault.

HOUSEKEEPING · ROOM TURNOVER

Before the next guest

Fresh towels, two bath and two hand Soap, wrapped Coffee tin, filled to the line Pie plate, cleared Curtains closed by dusk Radio off Check corners

all of them

THE ARRIVALS BOOK

Who came up the road

Mar 1Room 4The Hendersons. Two adults, two children, one thermos. Asked which trail goes down to the falls.

Mar 6Room 7R.B. Asked for a room with no mirror in it. We gave him seven and covered the one there is.

Mar 6Room 315D.C. Wrote 79,345 in the space for an address. We let it stand.

Mar 8Room 12P.J. Booked the one night. Has not mentioned leaving since.

Mar ?Room 14Signed in for fourteen. Nobody at the desk wrote this line.

THE GUESTBOOK

Our guests sign our guestbook when they check out

It stays open on the desk under the brass lamp. Turn the pages.

OWL SIGHTINGS · STAFF BOARD

Four from this month

North treeline, 2:17 AM
Outside Room 315
Staff parking. Watching.
Again.

DOOR HANGERS · FOUND IN THE HALL

Hung on the wrong doors

Do Not Disturb
Please Make Up Room
Sleeping In
Back in twenty-five years.

THE NIGHT LOG

Things the night desk wrote down

02/19 · 11:40 PMRoom 9 reports music in the hall. Very slow. No source found.

02/21 · 3:05 AMWoman at the desk asked for Room 14. Told her we have thirteen. She said she knows.

02/22 · 1:12 AMLights past the north treeline. Walt says don’t log it. Logging it.

02/23 · 2:40 AMUnregistered guest on the second-floor landing. Stairs were wet. No footprints.

02/24 · 2:53 AMHall clock stopped. Wound it, set it, and it stopped again in the same place. My watch agrees with it now, which it should not.

02/24 · 7:30 AMEvery clock in the lobby stopped at once. All of them at 2:53. Coffee still hot.

02/26 · 4:10 AMLate arrival wrote his mileage in the register where the address goes. 79,345. Said it would matter later.

LOST & FOUND · DRAWER 2

Nobody has come back for these

Blue rose pin: unclaimed
Cassette, labelled DIANE: unplayed
One red poker chip: unclaimed
White glove, left hand only: unclaimed
Playing card, scorched: do not touch
One small log: claimed

LOBBY RADIO

Stuck on 94.1 since 1989

889296100104108

KRLA 94.1 · North Bend

Weeknights at eight: Invitation to Love, episode 1,026. Marjorie never misses it. Nobody has ever seen episode 1,025.

NOTICE TO ALL STAFF

Remember 430. Posted by the front desk. No one remembers posting it.

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