The Peace Hotel

The world is a bleak place.

I'm a dangerous man. There's no other way to say it really. I can't claim that I'm not anymore because I am. You can change how you act but you can't change what you are. But I've managed to calm myself down and now I'm the manager of a hotel.

The Peace Hotel.

Perhaps my story requires a little background first. Over the years since I was incarcerated, things have changed a lot. The Third World War decimated the world's population, and included were the many politicians that governed it. The loss of a ruling class made the world decline into anarchy. Now everywhere you go you must keep your wits about you and be ready to defend yourself at a moments notice; everything is scarce and will be until someone steps up to pull things together.

When the prison doors were opened my first instinct just like everyone else was to get as far away as possible. Out I went, and I wandered the country like many, scraping together a survival. But I was different. Unlike many of my peers I did not take advantage of the weak; my time in prison had made me change my mentality and my approach to life. Instead of the blood letting I had immersed myself in, I began to appreciate life, and now I cherished it because it was the only precious thing left on the planet to fight for. So I traveled England, helping out many a person who found themselves at the mercies of those who preyed on the weak; instead of taking a human life for fun I now took them in retribution. In time I became know as the "Angel of Death" and now the mention of my name sends those predators running for their safety.

For a long time I traveled as the "Angel of Death". Food or shelter was never a problem, people were always willing to support me as long as I protected them and helped them to try and rebuild their lives. But eventually I became weary of the constant travelling, and by calling in a few favours I established the Peace Hotel. The name was taken from an old Chinese movie that I had seen in prison. The main character was very much like myself so I had tried to model myself in a similar fashion.

The aim of the Peace Hotel was that it was a risk free zone. The criminals would never come near a place that was protected by the "Angel of Death", and all I asked for was that a resident bring enough to contribute to the working of the hotel; but to make things fair the maximum stay was three months. There was exemptions for a few: old friends who helped me to keep the place running, to clean, and to cook. Other than that our needs were scant and my hotel has become somewhat legendary since I established it.

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I woke up and stared up at the ceiling. It was a beautiful summer's day, masking the pain and deprivation of the world that it illuminated. Everyday was another effort to keeping the hotel alive. I lived for the hotel and the salvation it offered. At least in this day and age there is hope for some who dare to entertain the notion.

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Walking into the canteen, I could see that there were few early risers. Two new tenants, a young lady called Ellen and a middle aged man who's name I hadn't found out yet were sitting and talking while waiting for their food. Ellen had been memorable because she had managed to bring in a considerable amount of food from an unknown source. I had been suspicious, but I wasn't in a position to discriminate after some of the people who had come through these doors in the past few years. Taking a seat, I engaged them in conversation.

It turns out that Ellen had been living with a small colony that had managed to grow some of their own food. She had been out scouting the local area, and when she had returned the colony had been pillaged, and everyone had been killed. Gathering what little remained she had fled and ended up at my hotel, Most people do. Everyone is running from somebody. The man was called David, and he wasn't too keen to talk about what had happened to him, so I didn't push.

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I went outside afterwards to check the generator. It had been acting a bit weird recently, so I hooked up the spare and proceeded to give it a thorough servicing. Engrossed in my activities, I hadn't noticed Ellen standing near me.

"I hope I'm not interrupting?" Her voiced roused me from my thoughts of nuts and bolts. Standing up and wiping my hands I replied, "Not at all. What can I do for you?"

"Just looking for someone to talk to."

She gave me a small smile. "Life is so hard nowadays, finding a place like yours is absolutely amazing I think. I had heard it mentioned before when we had visitors passing through, but I never thought this actually existed." Her arm moved in a circular motion encompassing the view of my hotel.

"Try not to get too attached." I replied. For a moment I stared into the distance, lost in my thoughts. "You know the conditions."

"I know. Three months maximum unless you can make a continuous contribution." She walked up and stood next to me following mu view. "Doesn't it ever become difficult for you? I mean, having to let people leave to fight for themselves when they wouldn't last a day?"

"I have no choice." Picking up my tools I replied gruffly. "And I'd ask if you wouldn't pry into my affairs please." With that I walked back into the hotel. The truth was that she had hit a sensitive spot; every time someone left I felt like I'd taken another life. But I had no choice. At least everyone understood that.

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I went to take a shower. Yup, there is running water but at a high price. A group of suits managed to get a bunch of mercenaries on their side and changed extortionate fees for water. Apparently they've established quite a comfortable living now. Not that I care.

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After I came out of the shower I could hear a knocking on my door. "Hold on a minute!" Throwing on a few clothes I walked over to the door expecting one of my staff, but I was surprised when Ellen stood in front of me. "What do you want?"

"I came to apologize. I had no business saying what I did and I didn't mean to cause any offence." While saying this she looked straight into my eyes and kept her head up. Despite my anger I was impressed; there aren't many people who dare to look at me in the face. My admiration calmed me down, and I replied, "Apology accepted. Why don't you come in?"

Closing the door behind her, she sat down in a chair in the corner. I walked over to my flask to fill my cup and offered it to her, to my surprise she accepted it without a hint of remorse; most people think I'm going to poison them. I'm getting to like this woman. Sitting down I started speaking. "Actually it's partly my fault. This is not a business where I can get close to people. I don't want them to get friendly with me and start thinking that they can appeal to my conscience when it's their turn to leave."

She nodded her head in agreement. "I understand completely. In a way I envy you and in a way I don't. To the normal people out there you're a hero. I know some people who pray that you will appear in their lives and be their guardian angel. Personally I knew the only person to rely upon is yourself." "Completely," I replied, "If only people would learn to depend on themselves more than to place their faith in fantasies. I've had people begging me to never leave them, or others who wanted to follow me around as a servant. To them I always said the same thing: 'If you can't trust yourself then how can you trust someone like me?'"

We ended up talking for a long time in my room. It has been a long time since I've met a truly strong woman, and I have to admit that I was fascinated by Ellen. It was obvious that she had fought long and hard to get to the hotel; a woman with a lot of supplies was an easy target and would be particularly prone to attention. How she managed to get this far was beyond me until I got to know her better, and I realised this woman could really do anything she set her mind to. My unwillingness to get close to my tenants was pushed aside by my admiration for this woman. And, to be honest, a little bit of lust too. It's been a long time since I've felt a woman's touch.

As the sky turned darker the conversation turned towards my days as the "Angel of Death". "What did you take from people in return for protection?" She asked me. "Nothing. All I wanted was enough to keep me going for a couple of days. If they didn't have anything then I wouldn't take anything." "Really?" Ellen gave me a surprised look. "How could I? Everyday it breaks my heart to see people struggling to survive. What kind of person would I be if I saved a person from death and left them with nothing? That would make me as bad as some of the guys I've killed."

"You're amazing. In my mind I had you pegged as a mercenary with a heart, but you're not like that at all. You really are an angel." I shook my head. "There are no angels Ellen, just people. I can never be an angel. I've taken too many lives, committed too many sins. There's no space in heaven for me." Standing up, I moved towards the door and said, "And now there's plenty of things to do for tonight so if you'll excuse me..."

Before I could get to the door she stepped in front of me. Moving closer to me, she suddenly grabbed my face and brought her lips to mine; before I knew it we were kissing. My first kiss in years. She broke off, looked me in the eyes and asked me, "Did anyone ever offer you their body in all these years?" "Many times," I replied, "Both men and women. But I never took it." She pushed me back until we were standing at the foot of my bed. "Then let me be the first." With those words she made me sit down, and started to take off her clothes.

I couldn't believe what was happening before me. It's true that I never accepted sexual favours, even though I have needs I could never bring myself to do it. The same logic applied, If I took the offers that would have made me a rapist like the rest; how could I look myself in the mirror everyday?

Ellen stood in front of me naked. All I could do was sit there speechless. Despite her difficulties, Ellen really was a fine specimen of a woman. Her long black hair draped over her shoulders and her breasts were small and firm; her limbs were supple and smooth, toned by a lifetime of fighting. In all my life, I've never seen a woman as attractive as the one that stood before me.

Taking my hands she brought them to her body so I could touch her. I ran my hands over her body taking in every curve and line that defined her shape; her face, roughened from nights spent outdoors, her arms, clearly defined from years of hard work, before I moved onto her breasts. To me these were a thing of beauty; I watched myself run my fingers over them, feeling her nipples harden under my fingers. Fascinated I took her nipples in my fingers and began to play with them, rolling them around and pressing them gently; in reply she gasped slightly and began to breath a little heavier. Reluctantly leaving her breasts I ran my fingers down her stomach to reach between her legs. I slipped my fingers between her thighs, and she gave another gasp and widened her legs. Keeping my touch gentle, I explored her sex, brushing my fingers over her lips to feel the heat, parting them to reveal the moisture of her arousal. Then I took my fingers away to another gasp, and motioned her to lie down on the bed.

Parting her legs I returned my hands to her vagina. This time I had a good view, so I was able to direct the movements of my fingers much more effectively. Parting her labia, I gently probed until my finger was coated with moisture; unable to resist I leaned in and continued my explorations with my tongue, pushing it deep inside her and feeling her body react to me. I carried this on for a while, moving my tongue from her clit to the entrance of her pussy as she gasped and twisted below me, impaled on my tongue, until her orgasm overtook her and she lay still, breathing heavily and her skin flushed.

Without a word I stood up and removed my clothes. Still silent, I climbed onto the bed and positioned myself between her legs. Pressing my cock into her pussy she gasped once again, and let out a cry as I eased myself in. Her velvet lips took me inside easily, I felt the muscles in her pussy contract and pull me in further. We fucked gently at first, enjoying the feelings of our mutual arousal, before we couldn't control ourselves any longer. She wrapped her legs around me and I started to pump her with more vigour. Our hips banged together as I drove my cock into her pussy, leaning over to kiss her neck and wrapping my arms around her. Hearing the cries of her orgasm in my ear set me off, and I came, shooting my seed deep inside her as she moaned and pulled my mouth to hers, kissing deeply in our shared ecstasy.

Afterwards we both lay on the bed, still silent.

To Be Continued...