“I don’t think the beast has gone down to Florida yet,” said the innkeeper. The customer raised an eyebrow.

“Is that so?” He replied, downing half the bottle in one go. The liquid burned as it traveled down his throat. He slammed the bottle on the counter. “Give me another.”

The other man scrambled to get another bottle, all the while talking excitedly about the supposed ‘beast’. “News travels fast, it does! The beast has been spotted near this area multiple times, all during the night.”

“Oh?”

The innkeeper looked around, then leaned in and lowered his voice. “Let me tell you something, my friend. I think this inn may be the next to go! What’s the beast doing down in Florida if it’s hanging around my rickety old inn?” He leaned back and laughed heartily, like he’d just told a funny joke. “Here’s the drink, boy!” The man slammed a new bottle on the counter.

The customer reached forward and grabbed the bottle, finishing his previous one and tossing it on the floor.

“What do you know about this beast of yours?” He asked, opening the new bottle. The innkeeper grinned and launched into a long, detailed speech about this beast.

It was, apparently, actually human. The person gained the nickname of ‘beast’ when someone reported to have seen it destroying four places in one night, leaving a rose at each place.

The customer snorted. That was pretty accurate, though four was a bit much. He took a sip from the bottle.

In addition, the beast was rumored to pick its destinations at random. One could never know exactly where it struck next.

The beast also always left one person alive to tell the story. The beast itself remained anonymous, however.

Although there hasn’t been any proof of this, there was another source saying the beast always paid a visit to the place it was about to destroy and familiarize itself with it. Nobody ever suspected it.

“…What do you think about it?” finished the innkeeper, looking at the customer.

“It’s one of the most interesting pieces of gossip I have picked up to date. How much does it cost for one night?” He finished his bottle.

“Ah, the usual. Sorry, no discounts.”

“I expected as much.” The customer handed over the money and stood. He tossed his finished bottle of beer on the floor, next to his previous bottle. “Good night. Thanks.”

“No problem! Have a fine night!” The innkeeper smiled and hurried over to another spot on the counter as another man called him over.

The customer headed up the stairs. He walked down the hall and found his room. It was plain, with one bed and a window. There was a door leading to the bathroom. The paint on the walls were peeling and the room looked like it could use some cleaning.

“This will do for now,” the customer sighed, heading for the bathroom. “It’ll be a pity to see this place go.”

—

The innkeeper stretched and blinked the sleep out of his eyes. It was a perfect day for business. He left his room, smiling and whistling a little tune.

Personally, he didn’t really think that the beast would attack.

It was just a good story.

When he stepped into the main business area, he almost thought it was a dream. Reality hit him hard when he stepped on a splinter. Gritting his teeth, he pulled out the splinter and threw it on the ground. The entire place seemed to have been struck by a natural disaster overnight.

His eyes widened as he surveyed the damage. All of the travelers were dead. Not a single soul left but himself.

“My goodness, the beast really did strike!” His poor, poor inn!

He quickly did a face-check of every traveler. None of them were missing. None of them were missing, except…

That customer was gone. That mysterious young man who wore a hood, gone. The same man who talked to him about the beast and downed quite a few bottles of beer. Although he spoke very little, he had seemed like such a friendly fellow.

His eyes landed on a single spot in the middle of the wreckage. Even through the rubble, he recognized the counter where the young man once sat.

Standing in the center of what used to be the counter, seemingly innocent, was an empty beer bottle.

Someone had stuck a rose in it.