Ask Your Secret Friend for Help

This is a Choose Your Own Adventure Story. Go back to the beginning by Linden Schneider here. Return to the previous chapter here. Or go to the chapter guide.

In your loss and confusion, you decide to call Silvia for help.

You stand in the hotel buffet, take a deep breath, and dial. It rings several times, and you worry that she’s unavailable, or that she didn’t really care about you, after all. But she picks up on the fifth ring.

“Hello?” She calls your name. “What happened? Did something go wrong?” Her voice is frantic, as if she already anticipates that something terrible will happen.

You peer around at the few people still sitting at the buffet, while the chefs clear up the food. “My partner is missing,” you say. “I don’t know if they’re in danger or something. They’re not responding to my calls or texts.”

There’s silence on the other end of the line. Then you hear a voice in the background. Sandra’s voice! You can barely make out what the Vacation Roulette organizer is saying, but she sounds angry.

Silvia responds, her voice firmer. “Sorry, I’ll get back to you, I promise.”

With a beep, the line goes dead.

You curse and grip your fists. At this point, hotel staff are politely shooing people out of the buffet. It’s pointless for you to stay, so you rush out, too.

For some minutes, you stand in the bustling hotel lobby, feeling stupid and lost. Then you decide to take the elevator up to your assigned suite, to see if your significant other is there.

You travel to the tenth floor, and march to suite 1009. You fish out your key card and the door opens with a click. Slowly, you push it open.

To our surprise, you find your partner sound asleep on the bed. Their face is soft and sweet.

Despite all your complaints to Silvia about your partner being patronizing sometimes, right now, you feel only tenderness towards them. They always look more harmless when they’re asleep.

With a sigh, you put your bag down. You’re still mad at your partner for leaving the buffet without contacting you first. Impulsively, you check your phone to see if they at least read your messages.

But before you can click your messaging app, your phone buzzes with a text from an unknown number:

This is Silvia. Please don’t leave your room. Stay with your partner.

What the fuck? You reply:

What do you mean? Are you saying that we’ll be killed if we leave the room?

You chuckle at your own tasteless joke, trying to calm your racing heart.

Silvia responds:

No. Listen, I’m going to come up to your room now, okay? Don’t open the door to anyone else. I’ll be there as soon as possible.

You type back:

Can you please explain? This is bizarre.

Silvia replies:

It’s too risky to type via text. I’ll elaborate once I see you. I won’t be long.

This is so weird and eerie. You want to ask her how she knows that you went back to your room and found your partner. Are there hidden cameras in the suite?

At that thought, you dart a nervous glance around. You scout out the entire room, and don’t find any bugs. At least, not any that you can detect.

You sigh and cross your arms with frustration. You’re about to shake your partner awake, to see what they think, when you hear the doorbell. You freeze, then you trot over to peer through the peephole.

You see Sandra, looking as beautiful as always, with a charming smile. She asks, “Can I come in, please? My cousin Silvia must have told you…some strange things. Please don’t listen to her. She’s not right in her head.”

What do you do?

1. Let Sandra in.
2. Wait for Silvia.