207 
Kyle Hyde stepped through the wooden double doors of Hotel Dusk without realizing just what kind of a journey he just started. I followed him knowing full well that his stay here will not be just your average night in a hotel. We were in the lobby if you can call it that. We walked towards the front counter but found no one behind it.
"What do you have to do to get service around here," Scowled Kyle.
"You could try ringing that bell on the counter," I suggested.
"Nice touch," said Kyle sarcastically.
Kyle ringed the bell three times for good measure. Not long afterwards, a tall man wearing a plain white T-shirt and suspenders came out from the door behind the counter.
"What do you want now Rosa," said the man impatiently.
"Rosa? Do I look like a Rosa to you," Kyle fired back.
"Hey don’t blow a fuse on me. Rosa’s the maid here. She usually rings the bell just ta get my attention. The name’s Dunning Smith. I run this lil’ slice’a heaven I call ‘Hotel Dusk’. What can I do for ya?"
"I need a room. A cheap one."
"Whoa slow down there big spender. Here. Fill out this registration form and I’ll get ya a room. Ya can use my pen. It’s a nice one so I expect it back."
Dunning handed Kyle a registration slip and a pen. Kyle filled it out and gave it back to Dunning. Pen included.
"Kyle Hyde? Your name really Kyle Hyde?"
"That’s what my parents told me."
"Huh…"
"Something the matter?"
"Uhm….no, it’s nothing. Anyways, about your room. Yer in room 215. Here’s the key."
Dunning handed the key to room 215. The tag is engraved with the numbers "215" and the word "Wish". "Wish," thought Kyle out loud, "what does that mean?"
"It’s tha name of the room. All of our rooms have names. We got Wish, Bravery, Daybreak, Success… even Angel," said Dunning with a hint of pride.
"Cute," said Kyle dismissively.
"Wish is my favorite of the bunch. This particular room’s got a…whatcha call it? History."
"Great! A haunted room."
"Nah, this is way better’n some spook with chains! This rooms’ gotta different history. Ya see…it’s been known to make wishes come true. I didn’t believe it either at first, but it’s true. Two diffrent hotel guest swears by it. Each one came in looking like they got the whole world on their shoulders, and the next day it’s like they just founda new reason ta live. They said it was the room! ‘It’s magic’ one of them told me."
Kyle simply took a deep breath of annoyance.
"Anyways," Dunning continued ignoring Kyle’s looks of annoyance, "the restaurant and bar is past the lobby and to the left. Restaurant’s open at 7 PM and the bar’s at 9. Checkout time is 10 AM sharp. You checkout anytime after, and I charge double…unless of course ya plan on staying another night. Anything else I can do for ya?"
"No…nothing. Thanks" said Kyle as he starts walking away.
"Wait," I interjected, "What about the package from Ed?"
"Oh right. Hey Dunning. Is there a package for me?"
"No….," said Dunning looking around the counter, "I don’t see nothing."
"It should be here. Maybe you should try… you know…actually look around for it."
"Listen pal, if a package comes I’d know about it. This package of yours better not cause me trouble like the last time I gotta package."
"Last time?"
"Some crook used my hotel as some kinda drop off point. The cops came. Gunshots in the hallway. It was a mess. That’s why I gotta strict policy. No crooks….AND NO COPS."
"I’ll keep that in mind."
"ya better. When yer package arrives, I’ll have the bellhop send it up to yer room. That it?"
"yea."
"Have a pleasant stay Mr. Hyde," said Dunning barely smiling.
As we walked away I looked back and saw a man in his early twenties come in through the doors with a young lady. She looked pale like she hasn’t been in the sun for months. Maybe even years. Her eyes seem so… lost. If an elephant walks right in front of her, she probably wouldn’t notice. Despite the fact that they came in together the man doesn’t seem to be with her . He left her staring out the window. I turned around and caught up to Kyle, deep in thought.
"Something wrong Kyle?"
"Dunning seemed so surprised to hear my name. Why did he react that way?"
"Come on. We’ll think about it in your room." I said to him as we continued to walk to the stairs. Halfway up the stairs, we came across an…interesting obstruction.
……..
Well….What do you think? Confused? I guess it needs some clearing up. You just read a condensed version of the first half hour of probably the most engrossing, captivating story I’ve ever read in my life. It’s called "Hotel Dusk: Room 215". The story revolves around a traveling salesman Kyle Hyde, a former NYPD detective, who is on the search for his former partner Bradley. Little did Kyle know that his stay at the little hotel that could named Hotel Dusk will give him more than he bargained for. I got it early one morning last week. I heard that supplies are going to be scarce once it comes out, so I came in the store at 10 AM sharp everyday to make sure I get a copy. On Thursday morning, I got a copy and could barely keep my hands off of it. I finished it yesterday with a little bit of sadness in my heart. The story was so well written that it was hard to see it end. In fact, I’m replaying it right now. Whoops! Well there goes my cover. I was hoping I could not include this little detail about Hotel Dusk, but the cat is out of the bag. Did I mention that Hotel Dusk is a video game?
WAIT, WAIT COME BACK! Come on give this game a shot. I know it’s a video game, but trust me on this. Calling Hotel Dusk a video game would be like calling a computer a calculator. Yes, a computer really is nothing more than an overgrown calculator, but look at the impact the computer has in our culture. Compare that to a calculator, and you’ll agree. The two cannot be compared. Hotel Dusk follows this line of logic to the letter. It may be just a video game, but in my eyes, it became more than just a video game. Japan gets it. They call games like Hotel Dusk visual novels, and I couldn’t agree more. If you have a DS, get this game. If not, borrow/steal from a friend/stranger and get this game.
P.S. With a show of hands/comments how many of you, after reading the first paragraph thought "Oh God! This is it! This is the story of Karli’s gay one night stand"?….Sickos.
