part 11 of the China Pearl Inn

[SophiaQ]

It was a 'day' at work and now that I finally got out of the building, I walk to my usual dive for a drink before my walk/public transport commute home... except things change as I step through the door. It appears I somehow walked into the 'China Pearl Inn'.

Feeling a bit out of place in her work attire, she shrugged it off and found a seat at the bar. "Vodka Cranberry please." I ask as I set my phone down on the bar. For some reason it says it has no reception. I shrug and put it back in my purse as the glass comes to me. I take a long sip off it and let out a sigh...

 

[cgraven]

Sophia step through the door that led to the China Pearl Inn. Some how the attractive young beauty had seemed to step through to another time and place. A place far away, in the distant land of China, along a now long forgotten coast, set high on a hill overlooking a fishing village, just under the watchful eye of the China Pearl Light, lays the Inn. It has seen grander days when the silk trade was king, but now lies in the backwaters of time, which Sophia now found herself in.

A time where the wounds of the First World War are still fresh, and many a man and woman are searching for something, a certain something one cannot quite define. An old sailor that has seen much, too much of war, and lives torn apart has found this long forgotten Inn. If one closes one’s eyes and lets their imagination run free an image slowly begins to take shape in the mind’s eye.

"Vodka Cranberry please."

“One Vodka Cranberry coming right up. So what draws you here?”

I wipe my hands on a bar towel.

“My name is C G Raven but folks call me C G. And your name Miss?”

 

[SophiaQ]

Her hands cradled the drink for a moment before reaching out with her right one. "Hai See Gee! I am Sophia..." she saw he cleaned his hands so a light shake was the polite thing to do.

"What draws me here? I though tI was walking into the Nighthawk Lounge on North Main street by my bus stop. But somehow the door led me here. Thanks for the drink. I need it."

She took a longer sip from the glass this time as she looked around at the decor. "This place looks like it is in a picture of old Shanghai that my dad has." Another look over her other shoulder had her see the place was quite empty.

 

[cgraven]

“I though tI was walking into the Nighthawk Lounge on North Main street by my bus stop. But somehow the door led me here. Thanks for the drink. I need it."

“Don’t mention it Sophia my pleasure. The drink is on the house. The Inn has the ability to draw people here when they most need it…………..Another?”

I watch as Sophia takes a long sip of her drink as she looks around the mostly empty common room of the China Pearl. People drift in as they need to Miss.

"This place looks like it is in a picture of old Shanghai that my dad has."

“Shanghai is about a week north of here. The international district is quite lively so I hear Sophia…………Sophia is that Greek or Italian?”