The Magic Blue of the Sapphire Hotel

Submitted into Contest #196 in response to: Write a story involving a portal into a parallel universe.... view prompt

21 comments

Adventure Fiction Suspense

Six-year-old Sannie Johnson knew she wasn’t special. Her mother told her. Her sisters told her. Her uncle told her. The hundreds of people who streamed by the tattered “Homeless” signs she and her mother held everyday told her. 

That’s why Sannie didn’t think she’d done anything special the day she noticed a dollar bill fall from the purse of a woman wearing a fur coat with a high collar outside the Sapphire Hotel. The woman swept through the hotel entrance, failing to notice the little girl who scurried from the shadows of the alley, and plucked the bill from the murk of a sewer puddle. Her eyes widened as she studied the “1-0-0.” 

Sannie darted through the entrance, so intent on returning the money that she didn’t hear the doorman behind her shouting, “Hey you! Come back here!”

But the instant she stepped into the lobby, she stopped. The murmur of jazz from a grand piano floated around her. Sprays of flowers imported from the Amazon rainforest adorned the tables. Rings glinted off women’s fingers as they clinked glasses with men who sported silk ties and cufflinks. A grand staircase opened into the lobby. It was something else, though, that halted the child and left her staring, mouth agape. 

Outside, it had been a cold winter day with a sky so blue and sun so bright that Sannie had to squint. But inside, all color had faded to a world of grey. Everything and everyone were bathed in flat, colorless hues that reminded Sannie of a black-and-white TV show she’d once watched through a store window.

Everything, that is, except for a chandelier dripping with thousands of sapphires, speckling the room with cobalt shimmer. Sannie stared up at it until her neck was sore. When she lowered her head, she caught other flashes of glimmering blue – a single rose, water flowing down a fountain, an antique frame surrounding a mirror. 

Sannie couldn’t take her eyes off her reflection. In her world, mirrors were rare and she hadn’t seen herself - not like this - for years. She tried to pat down her braids like she’d seen her sister once do and scrubbed at a smudge on her forehead. Her hands disappeared inside the sleeves of her oversized coat – a man’s corduroy jacket a shelter volunteer had once given her.

She opened her mouth and stretched it with her fingers, giggling at the funny face reflected back. She waved her arms in the air and twirled around, staring at the mirror the whole time.

“Taxi!” she shouted to her reflection in a deep voice, imitating a man she’d seen leave the hotel earlier.  

As she peered more closely, Sannie noticed other people in the mirror. She turned around and realized a crowd had gathered around her, whispering and staring.

“My dear, are you well?” a heavyset woman asked, squinting over her glasses.

“Someone dropped this money,” Sannie said, waving the $100 bill.

Her voice faltered. The coat sleeve fell back as she raised her hand, and her right arm sparkled with the same blue glimmering in the chandelier, the rose, the frame and the water. She pulled back the other sleeve and saw that her left arm, too, shimmered. Sannie looked at the pale faces around her and heard snatches: “Her face”…”those eyes”….”even her hair.”

She peeked at the mirror again but saw nothing unusual in her reflection. Just the same little girl with flyway hair and a coat three sizes too big for her. An image as flat and grey as everyone else around her.

She held her hand in front of her face, looking directly at it and not at her reflection - sure enough, glittering like a Caribbean sea. 

At the same moment, an elderly man leaning on a cane, broke through the crowd and tottered to Sannie. He was smiling so warmly, that she couldn’t help but smile back.

“My dear, dear child,” the man said. “I am the owner of this hotel. This truly is a most extraordinary day.”

“Why am I blue?” Sannie asked.

“My dear, this building holds a deep magic that people come from all over the world to see. It selects only the most beautiful and precious things to imbue with its divine blue. Never –“ He turned to the crowd. “Never has this hotel found a human being worthy. Until today.”

The crowd murmured. He turned back to Sannie, face solemn.

“Child, what’s your name?”

“Sannie Johnson.”

“An extraordinary name for an extraordinary child. This is truly an extraordinary day,” he repeated. He tilted his head upward, looking toward the chandelier, and spoke to no one Sannie could see.  

“What do we do? She is but a child.”

A cloud of blue shimmer dropped from the chandelier and floated to the front desk.

The old man turned to Sannie.  

“Come, there is something we must look at together.”

Sannie followed him to the front desk. He huffed as he reached below and struggled to lift a sapphire book, fiery blue against the lobby’s grey tones. Sannie stood on tiptoe to help steady the book which looked very nearly about to crash to the floor. With a final grunt, the elderly man heaved it onto the desk. Sannie climbed onto a stool he indicated with his cane and bent over pages that smelled of ocean breezes. 

The hotelier muttered to himself as he turned pages. Finally, he stopped, and turned to Sannie.

“Now, read that for yourself child.”

Sannie looked at the mass of lines and felt a rush of heat in her face.

“I can’t read,” she whispered. 

“No matter,” the man said. “All in good time, all in good time, child. Listen carefully.” And he read:

“Article 72, Section III: The Sapphire Hotel possesses the right to judge all visitors who enter the lobby. The Sapphire Hotel has the sole authority to deem them extraordinary or ordinary. Those who qualify as extraordinary will be invited to enter the Sapphire training program which, upon completion, will secure them a lifetime position as a Sapphire agent among the Sapphire realms (see Article 6, Section V). Those deemed ordinary will be permitted to patronize the hotel as an ordinary guest.”

The elderly man sighed and turned his face upwards, addressing the empty air.

“But she’s so young. She has a family.”

A puff of blue sparkles erupted from the book and the hotelier nodded.

“Very well.”

He removed his glasses and turned to Sannie.

“Do you understand?”

Sannie was poking her forearm with her finger, transfixed by the blue hues that swirled and glittered on her skin.

The man cleared his throat.

“Sannie Johnson!”

She looked up.

“The Sapphire Hotel has deemed you extraordinary. As such, the hotel is asking you to join the team, and lead missions throughout the Sapphire universe.”

“Ex...tror….din -what?” Sannie stumbled as she tried to sound out the word she did not understand.

“Extraordinary. That means you are a special child - the most special to ever walk through these doors. Mission leaders have been discovered at other hotels, but never this one, and never – NEVER,” he looked pointedly to the chandelier, speaking loudly, “– so young.”

Sannie kept poking her arm as the hotelier continued.

“Now, these missions that you will lead are missions for Good. You will become like fire and like light. You will lead teams in this world and others to bring Light to Darkness, Good to Evil, and Hope to Despair.”

Sannie looked up at him.

“Will I fly?”

The man smiled.

“Why yes, you will. However, Sannie Johnson, you have to understand that once you come with us, you cannot return to this.” 

He waved his arm around the room.

“This room?”

“No. No, child. This world. This life. Your friends, your family. That is the sacrifice required of the Sapphire Hotel – a commitment to your missions, to move ever forward, no turning back. Forever.”

“Forever,” Sannie repeated. “Forever” was a word she understood. 

“Forever” was the word her sister used when their father left. “Forever” was the word her mother sobbed the last time they were kicked out of a shelter. “Forever” was what the social worker said when Sannie threw the “Learn to Read” book at her. “Forever” meant always and never. 

She jumped off the stool.

“Be right right back!” she shouted as she ran through the lobby and out the hotel’s entrance, blue sparkles streaking behind her. 

She paused for a moment, blinking against the glare. After the greys of the hotel's interior, the colors of the city street hurt her eyes. She looked at her hands, and her shoulders sank as she saw the ordinary, everyday skin she had lived in for six years.

Sannie sprinted to the doorway of the abandoned theater next door, where her mother lay huddled under a grey blank.  

“Mama!” She shook her shoulder. “Mama!”

Her mother forced open one bloodshot eye. “Eh?”

“Mama! I’m going on a trip!” Yet, even as she said it, Sannie felt a strange sensation in her stomach, as though it had turned upside down and then dropped through the ground. She felt tears in her eyes and threw her arms around her mother. Right then, she changed her mind. The magic blue and the elderly man felt strange and unfamiliar - far away. Too far away, like a dream. 

Her mother squirmed and pushed her. “Go away, girl,” she mumbled, turning to face the building and pulling the blanket up tighter around her shoulders.

Sannie sat back on her heels, stared at the mound in front of her, and stuck her thumb in her mouth, a habit no one had ever told her to break. 

She heard a noise behind her and turned to see the hotelier leaning on his cane, a circle of blue sparkles swirling and shimmering behind him, around the hotel’s front door.

“You will stay, then, Sannie Johnson?” he asked.

She removed her thumb and looked up at him. The funny feeling had left her stomach. She looked directly into his eyes, glittering with the sapphire blue.

“No. I want to go.”

He extended his hand and she grabbed it. Together, they stepped through the circle of dancing shimmers. In an instant, they were gone, leaving behind a wisp of blue that sparkled in the sun.

April 29, 2023 14:18

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21 comments

Rain Dyer
19:05 May 11, 2023

The hook was great, and you are very good at describing the scene! It seems like the prologue for a much bigger story. I'd be very interested to see where it goes!

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Kristin Neubauer
19:08 May 12, 2023

Thanks so much, Rain! I hadn't thought about what happens to Sannie after she jumps through the portal, but now I'm starting to think that I owe it to her to see where this adventure takes her. I really appreciate the kind words and encouragement!

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10:12 May 11, 2023

Loved this, flowed beautifully, very descriptive imagery, and really just felt like the start to a magical series, I would definitely read more!

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Kristin Neubauer
18:46 May 12, 2023

Awwww - thanks so much, Derrick! I haven't thought about where Sannie and the hotelier would actually go after jumping through the portal, but it could be fun to follow them and see what happens. I appreciate your encouragement!

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Julie Grenness
21:51 May 10, 2023

So well written. This is a lovely tale, of magic and the future. The choice of language is full of apt imagery and enchantment. The author has captured the intrigue of this story, great work. I hope you keep on writing. XXX

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Kristin Neubauer
18:38 May 12, 2023

Thank you so much, Julie. Hearing about what parts of the story work for you really helps me develop my skills as a writer. I will keep writing! I'm a little slow these days, but I get there eventually😊

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Arpad Nagy
21:35 May 10, 2023

This was a great read. Fantastic imagery, and I especially like Sannie reverting to her childlike dependency on comfort by sucking her thumb, then making the choice to chase down a better life. Great story.

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Kristin Neubauer
18:22 May 12, 2023

Thank you so much, Arpad. I really appreciate your comment. It helps so much to know what details resonate with a reader. This will certainly help my writing going forward!

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Michał Przywara
20:41 May 10, 2023

The setup is heart wrenching, but the hotel itself - unexpected and awesome. The world suddenly turning grey was startling, and then when we noticed the sapphire hues, it was a real neat effect. Surreal, magical. And, a little menacing. I was actually expecting the story to take a dark turn for a moment, because initially, all the sapphire things were *objects* - objects some very wealthy people travelled to gawk at. When Sannie also glowed blue, I suspected they might turn her into another exhibit. But, it looks like the story went a di...

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Kristin Neubauer
17:59 May 12, 2023

Hi Michal - thank you so very much for such interesting and extensive thoughts. Your analysis actually has me thinking about this story in a different way. I hadn't really considered the element of danger or some kind of ominous overtone, but i'm really glad you pointed it out. This was my first foray into something with a magical / fantastical element to it, but hopefully it's not my last. I will remember to keep that advice about a layer of danger in there for anything in the future. I also really liked your observation about Sannie'...

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Michał Przywara
21:02 May 15, 2023

Definitely, it's worth trying new approaches and shaking things up :)

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Mary Bendickson
04:19 May 07, 2023

Exceptional magic!

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Kristin Neubauer
13:20 May 08, 2023

Thank you so much! I had fun going a little crazy with the sparkles and shimmers😊

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Mary Bendickson
14:13 May 08, 2023

It was fun! Thanks for liking my 'bubbles':)

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M.L. Chatten
14:24 May 06, 2023

I really enjoyed this, and wanted more! The illustration of how children are so pure and good, despite being constantly smashed down by society, their parents, etc is very powerful. It's such a big decision for a child to make, but shows that she has eclipsed her own parent in maturity even though she's so young. She reaches for her mother in a very important moment, and if Sannie had gotten the emotional connection she desired, she would have stayed, and suffered for it. You gave Sannie the opportunity to move away from an emotionally negle...

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Kristin Neubauer
12:44 May 08, 2023

Thank you so much, M.L.! I read your analysis several times because you explained it so much better than I could have. I wrote this story as I am pursuing a Master's in Social Work. The character of Sannie and her life / choices / portal formed in my head amid the various case studies we worked with in our classes. I was also thinking about how so many hero stories begin with the hero being abandoned by their family in some way.....and I wanted to change that up a little by empowering Sannie to make the choice to leave her family. I love h...

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A.Dot Ram
03:07 May 06, 2023

Kristin! So good to see you in this challenge. I enjoyed your story--the imagery of all the blue, the channel. Your description of "forever" from the six-year-old's point of view. What a big decision from her, and that transition from no to yes was wrenching. I put up a story, too, for the first time in forever. I'd love to have your eyes on it.

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Kristin Neubauer
11:54 May 08, 2023

Thanks so much! It's great to hear from you too. I was gone from Reedsy over the past year-plus because graduate school got so overwhelming. I finally finished, and have been trying to find my writing footing again. Oddly, I am coming up with story ideas every week and sometimes managing to scratch out a few paragraphs, but I am not managing to finish much. Following Thom's advice, I am re-writing some of my old ones. I think I posted the original version of this one three years ago, but re-wrote it for this prompt. Here's hoping I can...

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Gip Roberts
21:38 May 02, 2023

It's both a tearjerker and a heartwarming fairytale. I got the impression from the ending that either Sannie was already living in a make-believe world and being tested by the hotelier to prove her worthiness ("stared at the mound in front of her"), or she was hoping she might find some way to use this portal to lift her mother out of poverty. Either way, it had a strong emotional impact.

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Kristin Neubauer
12:04 May 03, 2023

Hi Gip - thanks so much for taking the time to read and leave me your thoughts. That helps so much as I keep working on my writing. I found your interpretations so interesting, and now I'm looking at the story in a different way. My original thought was that Sannie looked at the choices before her - to either remain in poverty with a mother who didn't really care about her or to risk leaving her mother forever to go through the portal to a mysterious but promising future - and opted for the latter. I chose that direction for her because s...

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Graham Kinross
03:20 Jul 22, 2024

This seems like the great start to an amazing story. Like everyone else I want to know what happens next. Please write a sequel.

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