#hello and welcome to Lila time once again everybody

[hollymacycomic]

Holly & Macy and Everyone Else

Chapter 4: Page 15

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[thebookwormfairy]

What if Marinette had a Retired Police Dog Part 2

I've have had so many request for more Captain, so here you go. Also I just want to say thank you to the maribat community for adopting Captain into the community. Hopefully I do him justice.

Damian really did not want to say goodbye to Marinette yet, but as the sun dipped behind the buildings Marinette had to return to her hotel

Standing in front of the doors of her hotels they said their goodbyes

Marinette: Thanks for the great time Damian. Captain and I had a blast

Damian: I'm glad to hear that and really the pleasure was all mine

Damain bend down giving a kiss the the back of Marinette's hand

Marinette felt the blush grow on her face

Marinette: Will I be able to see you again?

Damian: Of course Angel maybe we can meet again tomorrow I can bring my dog Titus.

Marinette: Sure here's my number I can text you when I have free roam

Damian: I'll be waiting Goodnight Angel, Captain

Damian gave a little salute to the german sheperd

Captain gave a bark in goodbye while Marinette gave a little wave before heading into the hotel

Damain watch her walk away with a dreamy smile on his face until he couldn't see her any more.

Turning around Damian was met with the sight of his brothers all with teasing smiles on their face

Damian now scowling: Shut up morons

Dick: We didn't say anything baby bird

Damian: Your face did

The rest of the way home was spent teasing Damian about his lady love and Dick dramatically called her

Once Marinette had settled down after their day out she settled on her bed and made a call that was meant to be made earlier in the day

Dialing the number she looked up earlier she waited for the person on the other end to answer

Receptionist: Hello thank you for calling Wayne Enterprise, this is Cheryl how can I help you?

Marinette: Hello, I'm sorry for calling you so late, but I'm going to be in the French school trip group coming to tour the building tomorrow and I just had a quick question

Cheryl who was told by Dick earlier about Damian's little girlfriend knew exactly what to do

Cheryl: No problem sugar let me transfer you over to your tour guide. He can answer any question you might have.

Cheryl put Marinette on hold before she could protest about bugging the tour guide and made a call to Dick's cell phone

Dick: Hey Cheryl what do you need

Cheryl: Hey Dick so that girl you were telling about called me, with a question

Dick: No way. Connect her

Cheryl: Right away

Dick to his brothers: Guess who's on the phone

Jason: Damien's girlfriend?

Dick: Ding ding ding we have a winner

Marinette from phone: Hello?

Dick: Yes hello this is Mr. Grayson. How can I help you?

Marinette: Hello I'm Marinette and I'm so sorry for calling so late, but I had an important question to ask.

Dick: Don't worry Marinette, what's your question

Marinette: Well you see thanks to unforeseen circumstances my dog is actually with me on the trip. He's not a service dog, but he's really well trained and well behaved, and I was wondering if I could bring him with me on the tour. If the answer is no that's totally okay

Dick *thinking*: Omg she's adorable

Dick: That's completely fine. We have employees bring their dogs to work all the time. One more dog in the building won't make any more trouble

Marinette: Really thank you so much. And again I'm soooo sorry for calling so late. Have a goodnight

Dick: You too, I look forward to seeing you and your dog tomorrow

Dick: omg Baby Bird your girlfriend is sssooo adorable she was so sweet and shy and polite. I swear if I was talking to her in person I would have squeezed the life out of her

Damian: Don't you dare. You would just freak her out and make her never want to talk to me ever again

Tim: So you want to see her again?

Jason: It's sound like our Demon Spawn has found his true love

Damian could feel his face turn red

Damian: Shut up you idiots

Marinette: Good news Captain you're going to be able to come on the tour tomorrow

Captain gave Marinette a lick on the cheek to show that he understood and was happy about it

Marinette: Goodnight Captain. Goodnight Tikki

Tikki: Goodnight Marinette. Goodnight Captain

Marinette wrapped her arms around Captain snuggling her face into his fur as Tikki laid down on top of Captain

The next day

The class all gathered down in the lobby Marinette and Captain came down last but on time

And of course since Marinette looked happy and had Captain with her Lila had to throw a hissy fit

Lila: What are you doing Marinette. They probably don't allowed dogs at Wayne Enterprise

Ms. Bustier: She's right Marinette you shouldn't bring your dog with you. Captain will have to stay here.

Marinette: But Ms. Bustier I made sure to call ahead of time to make sure it was okay. And you wouldn't want Captain to be locked into a small room all day would you

As Marinette said that Captain looked to Ms. Bustier with the biggest puppy dog eyes he could muster

Ms. Bustier looking into Captain eyes and just couldn't say no

Ms. Bustier: Fine, but he's your responsibility Marinette, and I don't want to see any funny business between either of you. If I see either of you step a toe or paw out of line Captain will be spending the rest of his time in your hotel room. Am I understood?

Marinette: Yes Ms. Bustier! Thank you so much.

Marinette gave a big smile to her teacher before heading back to the class. Standing in the back of the group little away from every one.

Marinette: Dont worry Captain we just have to get through the tour then we can go meet up with Damian again, and we get to meet his dog Titus this time.

Captain gave her another quick kiss on the cheek when he heard somebody approach them

Adrien: Marinette why do you have to cause so much trouble. Captain would have been perfectly fine in the hotel room for a day

Captain forced his body between Adrien and Marinette not wanting the rude boy near his girl

Marinette: well good morning to you too Adrien. I don't see how having Captain with me is causing any problems. He literally only interacts with me. And for your information Captain would not be okay in the hotel all day today and then have to do it again tomorrow. Yesterday I made sure to call all the places we're going to over the trip to find out of Captain could along or not. Since we're spending all day tomorrow going to different museums he won't be able to come with us it would be cruel to lock him up all day 2 days in a row

Adrien: But he's still upsetting Lila, you know could happen if she gets too upset.

Marinette: I don't think a butterfly could fly across the Pacific Ocean Adrien, much less in the time frame we'll be here

Ms. Bustier: Okay everyone let's all get on the bus

Marinette: you better go ahead Adrien. You probably want go sit with your FRIENDS

Adrien catching onto what Marinette was hinting at gave her a small glare, but still ran to catch up to Nino, Alya, and Lila

Captain pressed his head into Marinette's side and tikki did the same.

Marinette: Thanks guys I'm okay

Marinette put one hand on Captain's head and the other on top of her purse

Damian checked over him and Titus one more time to make sure they both looked good

Bruce: I don't suppose your suddened interest in how you and Titus look have anything to do with that little French girl you met the other day

Damian: Don't be ridiculous father-

Dick: It totally does! You should have seen how those two looked at eachother. It was like love at first sight

Damian: GRAYSON!

Jason: it was so ridiculously sweet and she evan has her own dog, a german sheperd

Damian: TODD!

Tim: I did a bit more research, you know to make sure she wasn't a villian in disguise, and according to the adoption records his name is Captain and he use to be a police dog

Damian: DRAKE!! Would you all just stay out of my love life!

Bruce: They just care about you Damian. Weither you like it or not. You should have seen them when Dick first brought home Cori.

Once they got to Wayne Enterprise the family went their separate ways to complete their duties

Damian and Titus hung around Dick waiting for Marinette, Captain, and her class to arrive.

Cheryl: So I heard that you met somebody special yesterday Damian

Damian: wait how do you know about Marinette? Dick???

Dick: Well I had to tell her in case Marinette called yesterday I wanted to be the one she talked to.

Damian: Do you have to share my love life with everybody you know

Cheryl: It's just because we love you Damian. Now tell me everything.

Damian was about to respond with a sarcastic comeback when the class arrived

Dick: Hello welcome to Wayne Enterprise, I'm Dick Grayson I'll be your tour guide today. And this is my little brother Damian and his dog Titus. I hope y'all don't mind but he'll be joining us on your tour today

Ms. Bustier: Not at all it's always nice to make new friends when you're some where new

Damian made his way towards the group his eyes set on Marinette who just walk in after making sure Captain did his business before the long tour, but was intercepted by Lila.

Lila: Hello I am Lila it is nice to meet you

Lila began to speak with a heavy Italian accent.

She was the worst at speaking English in the class

The rest of the class finished introducing themselves when Marinette made it to the group

Damian: It's nice to meet you all, Marinette mentioned she was here with her class.

Alya: Marinette?

Marinette: Damian?

Damian flashing a charming smile: Hey Angel, I hope you don't mind but I found out my brother giving the tour for your class and asked if I could come along.

Damian walked over to Marinette and Captain with Titus following him

Damian: Hello Captain, how are you doing buddy?

Damian slowly lowered his hand giving Captain plenty of time to move away incase Captain didn't want to get a pat from him

Captain decided he would allow it partly because he had to admit he kinda like this kid, and partly because he knew it would freak out some of her class

Kim: Ah he touched Captain

Kim sadly learned the hard way that it took a while for Captain to warm up to someone new

Marinette: And this handsome boy must be Titus

Marinette held her hand out to let Titus sniff her.

Titus being the loving goofball he is gave her hand a big lick before snuggling his head into her hand

Marinette giggling: Well he's a friendly boy huh

Alya: You two know each other?

Marinette: Yeah we met yesterday at the park and just hit it off

Lila with a strained voice: Well isn't that great that you were able to make a new friend.

Damian and Marinette noticed the strain in Lila's voice but it didn't seem like anybody else had or if they did they ignored it

Dick: Alright everybody with introductions out of the way let's get started

Damian and Marinette fell to the back of the group so the can walk side by side with their dogs

While this was going on Titus and Captain were sniffing eachother out as they walked together

Captain: Hello I'm Captain

Titus: I'm Titus. I have just met you, and I love you

Titus gave Captain a big lick on the side of his head

Captain: That's great... So he's your boy

Titus: Yep he's been my boy for years now. He acted like he didn't like me at first but I knew he loved me

Captain: Is he your first human?

Titus: Yes, his father gave me to him when I was 7 months old. What about you, is she your first human?

Captain: No, my girl didn't find me until I was 3 years old. Before her i was a police dog. My partner was my first human. He was a great man and a great police officer. He always made sure I was well fed and when it was a slow night he would take me to the park and play fetch with me...

Captain trailed off his mind going back to the night he lost his partner

Titus: What happened to your first human?

Captain snapping out of his memories: I don't like to talk about it

Titus: Well what about your girl, how do you like her?

Captain: My girl is the best. She saved me from the pound. Her parents brought her there for one of the adoption events, at the time I didn't even know if I wanted another human. I was there for a couple of months, and didn't really have much hope to find a new family. Most people just go for the puppies. So I was just sitting in a corner away from everybody else when this girl comes walking towards. She seemed so sad at the time, like me. She asked me if I wanted to be alone together with her, and i looked into her eyes and something just clicked you know? Like she was also suppose to be my person. After that life turned around for me. My girl just has so much love to give.

Titus: I know what you mean it was the same with me and my boy. Do you have any siblings or a mate?

Captain: No my girl and her family live in a small apartment, so one big dog is their limit. I wouldn't mind having a mate one day though. I do have a couple of friends in Paris and the local dog park, and there's Fang, who's crocodile

Titus: you have a crocodile as a friend cool. I have one older sister Ace, no mate myself yet. I do also have a cat and cow as a friend

Captain: Nice

During the tour Damian noticed that some of Marinette's classmates (Alya, Adrien, and Lila) kept shooting dirty looks back at his Angel

He did his best to not glare back at them, but when Adrien did it for the 10th time on the tour when Marinette wasn't doing anything but softly giggling at stuff Damian whispered in her ear Damian had enough

The next time Adrien looked back at her Damian gave him the scariest look he could muster, which is very scary

Adrien widened his eyes and turned his head around quickly not looking back for the rest of the tour

Dick seeing about half of the interaction assumed that Damian glared out of jealousy and shot him an amused looked when he caught Damian's eyes

After the tour Marinette convinced Ms. Bustier to let her go off with Damian for their free roam

Ms. Bustier let her but made sure she wore the tracking bracelet so incase something happened she would know where Marinette is at

Damian and Marinette decidind to go to a near by dog park to let the dogs roam free

On the way out Damian noticed Adrien quickly walking over to them with a determined look on his face

Not wanting to deal with the annoying blonde Damian quickly guided Marinette outside and into the car

Marinette already figuring out whi Damian really was didn't question it and just let Damian lead her into the car

Damian: I thought you'd be a little more shocked about it

Marinette: I kinda figured it out when Mr. Grayson said you were his little brother

Once they made it to the park the dogs started to run around together and seem to play a game of chase even though Captain seemed a little more reluctant to act a bit crazier like Titus

Marinette: Well it seems like they like eachother

Damian watching Titus give Captain a big lick on the side of his head before running off leaving Captain with what could only be described as disgruntled look on his face.

Damian chuckling: Yeah they sure do

The pair spent another 2 hours at the park going back and forth with sitting in the shade watching their dogs run through the nice dog park and playing fetch with a stick the dogs found

They spent the rest of the afternoon wondering around Downton Gotham Damian showing Marinette all the best sites

As sunset came Damian found himself once again standing in front of the hotel holding Marinette's hands as Captain and Titus watch the interaction

Damian blushing: I've had a great time today Marinette

Marinette: So did I

Damian: I was wondering if you would like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night, like a date?

Marinette also blushing: I would love to, but can Captain come along

Damian: Of course beside Captain is going to be stuck in your hotel room all day tomorrow it wouldn't be fair to make him stuck in a small room for even longer.

Marinette gave him a beaming smile: Thank you for understanding Damian

Damian: Of course I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7 wear whatever you like.

Marinette hugged Damian goodbye giving him a peck on the cheek as she pulled away

Marinette: I can't wait! Goodnight Damian I'll see you tomorrow

Damian in a dreamg voice: Goodnight Marinette, Captain

Once Marinette and Captain were out of site Damian jumped up and gave a whooped of joy completely forgetting that Alfred could still see him from the car.

Bonus

Alfred on the phone with Bruce: It looks like Damian just asked her put and she said yes

Bruce on the other side of the phone silently fist bumped the air mouthing yes over and over again

Bruce in a monotone voice: That's good

Dick: omg you guys I wish you were there! They spent most of the time quietly whispering to each other and Damian glared at a boy who kept glancing at Marinette it was the cutest thing.

@mikantsume @carrisarune @strudelqueen @Aloha_Posts_Stuff @shmowl @maxdark158

[badchoosey]

Endless Summer, Book One. Chapter 1: This Must Be Heaven

???: Stay down! It’s coming this way!

??? 2: Tim! Give me your hand!

??? 3: You don’t understand, do you? Of course not. But you will… in time.

The plane shudders, jolting you awake. You blink away the strange dream as your eyes adjust to the bright sunlight outside…

Tim: Wow…

Your best friend Diego gives you a goofy smirk from the seat beside you.

Diego: Morning, sleepyhead.

Tim: I’m not still dreaming, right?

Diego: Doesn’t feel real, does it? But we’re finally on our way!

The chatter of the ten contest winners from your school fills the small plane…

Quinn: One magical week in paradise, here we come!

Craig: All expenses paid, what whaaaat!

Raj: Good thing too. I’m so deep in student debt I couldn’t even afford instant ramen right now.

Diego: Hey… you okay, Tim? Bad dream?

Tim: Just a really weird one. I dreamt about… about him!

You instantly recognise the guy walking down the aisle toward you.

Diego: You had a dream about Sean Gayle? Well, what are you waiting for? Go talk to him!

Diego pushes you out into the aisle, right as he passes by! You bump into each other.

Sean: Whoa, hello there!

Diego: My friend Tim here wants to say something.

Time: Outta my way! Think you can take up all that room with those big muscles? Think again, bud!

Sean: How, uh, rude of me...

Sean excuses himself as he slips by you.

Diego: Oh man, got that whole thing on video. You’ve gotta see your face… Huh, weird. Is it really 5:15? We should’ve landed an hour ago and it didn’t feel like you’d been snoring that long.

Tim: Hilarious. I’ll go ask the pilot if something’s up.

As you make your way forward, you pass by the other students talking loudly over each other…

Aleister: Excuse me, will you all please cease your babbling?! The tour guide is trying to speak!

Lila: Thank you Aleister! As you tour guide for the week, I just want to say that we should all try to… you know, be friends! It is an island after all, so… you’re kinda stuck with each other! Hee hee!

Zahra: Is it too late to jump out of the plane?

The pilot has his combat boots kicked up on the dashboard.

Tim: Excuse me. It’s Jake right? Weren’t we supposed to have landed by now…? Wait, are you asleep?!

Jake: Hrn?

He opens his eyes and looks back at you. Instantly you recognise his face too… from that same bizarre dream…

Jake: Listen, Boy Scout, don’tcha know it’s rude to wake someone who’s taking a nap?

Tim: ‘Boy Scout’?

Jake: What can I say? I give nicknames to people who annoy me.

Tim: In that case, I’m calling you Jared Leto.

Jake: ‘Jared Leto’? Whoa, hang on, I do not look like Jared Leto! I had this haircut before Jared Leto did, okay?

Tim: No judgement here. We all get our style from somewhere.

Jake: Alright, comedian, when I come back in a week to pick y’all up, you, my friend, are riding in the cargo bay.

Time: Okay, okay. What if I just called you Joker?

Jake: Fine. But I’m picturing the Heath Ledger one instead. Anyway, relax. We ain’t landing ‘til… The hell? That time ain’t right… And that ain’t right either.

He whacks the instrument panel on his dash a few times.

Tim: You sure you know what you’re doing?

Jake: If you knew half the things I’ve survived, you’d bet on me to get you through anyth--

Out of nowhere, turbulence hammers the plane! You’re thrown into the wall of the cockpit!

Tim: Aah!

Jake: Aw, just great! This stormfront’s coming in quick.

He leans in and grabs the yoke.

Jake: Get your ass in a seat, hear? And tell everybody to buckle up.

Tim: But--

Jake: Now, Boy Scout!

Dark clouds close in around the plane, gusts rocking it side to side. Everyone starts shouting…

Raj: Ohhhh, I am really regretting that airport Chipotle!

Craig: Don’t puke, bro! If you puke, I’m gonna puke!

Michelle: Where the hell did this storm come from?! It was a clear day!

Jake: It happens, okay? This is totally normal!

Zahra: Yeah. Sure. THAT looks normal.

Outside, balls of orange electricity coalesce out of the dark sky and explode in a crackle of sparks!

Grace: It looks like ball lightning… but I’ve never seen anything quite like this!

Aleister: This is all wrong! I can’t die here, surrounded by these morons!

Sean: Everyone, just breathe! We’re gonna get through this!

Quinn: Oh god, Oh god…

A blistering crack of thunder deafens you as lightning strikes the plane! Sparks fly in the cockpit!

Jake: Welp, engines just lost power! Bringin’ her down manually! Everybody, hang on!

The shouting grows louder as your classmates start to panic… all except one. A girl with a tight ponytail and a long scar across her eye sits alone in the back row of the plane, silent and unfazed.

Lila: Tim! Safety first! Please find a seat!

You look for an empty space around you… You tumble into the seat beside Quinn as the plane lurches violently! Quinn’s face is drawn tight, refusing to look.

Quinn: Hff… hff…

Tim: Just breathe. It’ll pass.

Quinn: This can’t happen… not yet… it’s too soon.

Quinn grips the armrests tightly. Her chest rises and falls shallowly, as if she’s having trouble breathing. You rest your hand gently on top of hers.

Tim: I’m here. You’re not alone. We’ll be okay.

Quinn: I…

She relaxes and lets out a deep sigh. When she opens her eyes, they meet yours.

Quinn: Thank you…

She offers you her hand. You take it. She smiles sweetly, and it somehow makes all the shouting and alarms fade to the background.

Quinn: I’m Quinn.

Tim: Tim.

Jake: Just a little farther! I think we’re almost out!

Just as the lightning reaches fever pitch, the plane bursts out of the storm clouds into clear sky!

Raj: Woooooooohoooooo! We’re alive!

Quinn: Tim, look! There it is…

Jake: Get a good look now, ‘cause we’re coming in fast! Welcome to La Huerta.

The plane sinks toward the gorgeous, sprawling island. At its center, a volcano rises above the rainforest, breathing a white column of smoke.

Jake: La Huerta Tower, this is tail number XC-DMK, requesting emergency priority to land!

Radio: …

Jake: Carlos! Pick up, you lazy bastard. It’s Jake!

Radio: …

Jake: Ignoring me won’t make me forget the hundred bucks you owe me. Like it or not, we’re coming in!

The plane lands on a dirt airstrip at the edge of the island, pulling into a hangar. You step down the stairs into the warm tropical sunshine.

Tim: Rough landing, Joker. Hope you don’t work for tips.

Jake: You kidding? I’m a damn hero for even getting you on the ground! Carlos, I need a tune-up! … Carlos!

As Jake marches off, the rest of your group pulls their luggage from the plane’s cargo bay…

Quinn: This island’s supposed to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. The beaches, the waterfalls…

Grace: It’s also home to a plethora of rare flora and fauna!

Craig: Only ten spots on the trip, and they had to give one to this dork…

You reach for your suitcase handle just as Sean does.

Sean: Oh, sorry!

Tim: If you wanna carry my bag, go right ahead.

Michelle: Oh my god. Could you be any more desperate?

A pretty girl in heavy makeup drapes her arms around Sean.

Michelle: People like you always hover around the spotlight like moths.

Tim: Spotlight?

Michelle: Yeah, right. As if you don’t know who Sean is.

Craig: Seriously? Our superstar quarterback? … The Heisman frontrunner?

Sean: Guys, it’s cool. Chill out--

Michelle: Look, Sean doesn’t need any famehounds hanging around, got it?

Tim: Exactly. So what are you doing here?

Michelle: Ex-cuse me?!

Tim: You heard me. You’re just stalling to think up a comeback. Don’t worry. I’ll wait.

Michelle: You--

Sean: Michelle, can you chill? And I don’t mean Netflix and chill. I mean actual chill. Please.

As Michelle starts arguing with Sean, you back away. Your foot clinks on something.

Tim: Huh? What’s this?

Diego: Is that… a tranquilizer dart? The vial’s nearly empty. It must’ve hit its target.

Tim: Yeah, and this is a pretty big dose. Whatever animal they took down must’ve been huge.

Diego: You mean, if they took it down.

You look up and see someone watching you from nearby, listening to your conversation.

Tim: Hey, Diego… who is that?

Diego: Dunno. Got eyes for the mysterious hottie, huh?

Tim: There’s something… off about her.

Diego: What gives you that idea?

Tim: She’s too quiet.

Diego: Quiet? So what? I’m quiet. Well, when I’m not around you.

Tim: I guess you’re right. I don’t know why I’m being suspicious.

Diego: Huh… well, there is one thing.

Tim: What?

Diego: We were told that ten students from our college had won this trip, right? Obviously we’re not counting the pilot or the guide, but… Count us off. She makes eleven.

You look in the girl’s direction once more, and this time she’s staring directly back at you. Your eyes lock. You try to look away, but for some reason you can’t, as if she’s pulling you in with her gaze.

Jake: Hey, Lila! Where the hell are your people?

Jake storms back, and at last the silent girl looks away. The strange hold over you dissipates. You shake it off.

Jake: There’s nobody here!

You all look around. You and your group are still the only people at the airstrip.

Lila: They should be here in a shuttle to take us up to the main resort, but… I’m sure it’s just a slight delay! No need to fret! They’ll be here any minute.

Jake: The hell with that. I’m going up to that control tower to get some answers.

Tim: What do you think is going on here?

Jake: No idea… Call it a gut feeling, but whatever it is, it ain’t good. So, Boy Scout? You comin’ or not?

Michelle: I could go with you--

Jake: Wasn’t talkin’ to you, Maybelline.

Lila: Um, okay! I guess, the rest of you, please follow me? We’ll take the short walk up the hill to the resort. Sounds fun, right? Yay! Um, Quinn? Where are you going?

Quinn is skipping past Lila, unbuttoning her blouse.

Quinn: Some of us want to explore the beach a little first! We’ll meet you guys at the hotel! Oof, this button’s stuck. Tim, could you help me?

Tim: Oh! Sure…

Quinn draws close to you, and you help her undo the last button. She slips out of her top.

Quinn: Ahh, that’s better! You’re coming to the beach with us, right?

Tim: I’m tired. I’ll just head up to the hotel now.

Your group gradually winds your way up the paved road, rolling your suitcases. You’re beginning to fatigue when you come around the bend and see it…

Lila: May I be the first to welcome you all to The Celestial!

Grace: We get to stay here?!

Zahra: Huh. Maybe this trip won’t suck.

Sean: Well? What are we waiting for? Let’s check out our rooms.

Your group excitedly heads toward the lobby, passing under a long, ornamented overhang, while Lila launches into her rehearsed speech.

Lila: ‘The Celestial Hotel and Resort, the jewel of the Caribbean, boasts 25 stories and 1,200 suites of the finest tropical accommodations you can imagine. Built on the island of La Huerta, which means ‘The Garden’, the Celestial ranked in Travel and Leisure’s top ten global hotels last year.’

The automatic doors slide open welcomingly, and you enter the crisp air conditioning of the lobby… Every last one of you freezes where they stand.

Tim: Um…

Lila: I… I don’t understand.

The silence is deafening. The front desk stands deserted. Suitcases and luggage carts lie unattended. On a table, a half-finished wine glass gathers dust.

Zahra: If this place is supposed to be so great… Then where the hell is everyone?