It had rained quite heavily in the afternoon. Because of it, Crystal was stuck inside the hotel. It was more like a three story motel with peeled off walls and old rickety stairs. She had spent her all afternoon and also the evening staring out the window at the drenching sheets of cold rain. She sat shivering atop of her bed as the wind blew through her window, bringing cold, icy water with it. Peter sat beside her, solemnly staring at her. Peter was her German shepherd. Peter had come as a gift to her from her dad. She was sixteen then and Peter was just a pub. Eight years had passed and nothing much has changed since then except that Peter had grown old and slow. She had read somewhere that German shepherds only live from nine to thirteen years.

Peter had grown old. The thought about his death terrified her. She knew one day a time would come when Peter would not wake up from his sleep. She wished that day must never arrive.

It was quarter past seven. The storm had moved toward the north, leaving the sky free of any impurities. Crystal liked seeing crescent moon hanging in the sky in the sea of stars. She knew Peter liked it, too.

"Do you want to go out Peta?" she asked the dog.

The Peter didn't lift his head but did raise his eyes, which usually marked his approval.

"Okay, let's go out then." She swung her feet off the bed. "Maybe we'll able to find Charley..."

When Peter heard the word 'Charley' he perked up his ears and let out a low growl. Crystal ignored him. Charley was her boyfriend.

"Come on," Crystal said, opening the door. "Let's rock n roll boy." She stepped out into the dark hallway.

Peter leaped out of the bed and thundered across the threshold before she closed the door.

She made her way across the hallway with Peter revolving around her. There used to be a time when he used to run ahead of her and waited for her to catch up. Now she was ahead of him. He slowly trundled behind her, smelling the walls as he walked. He is getting old. God my little Peta is getting old!

She descended the rickety old stairs, Peter on her heels. She rounded a corner and came across the reception area. And, to her surprise, she found Charley leaning against the wall, and talking with a cute, blond girl. She didn't recognize the girl at first but then later realized that she was the daughter of the caretaker.

"When did you learn Spanish?" she asked, walking into the reception area.

Charley moved away from the girl and said, "I didn't learn Spanish. It's just the sign language. Aka body language, Ms. Insectlover. " He chuckled. She always hates Charley when he makes such stupid jokes. But she also loves him for it as his stupid jokes always made her laugh.

"You did the job?" she asked him, smiling.

"Yes," he said.

She nodded. "And what did you find?"

"Maybe we should talk about it in our room." Without waiting for her reply he started for the stairs.

They were back in their room. Charley removed his jacket and sat on the chair by the window. Peter sat by the heater, his ears dropped down, but his eyes on Charley.

Charley was a well-built man, with gray eyes and blond hair.

"So?" Crystal asked Charley.

He yawned. "Uh, sorry." He chuckled.

"Charley." Crystal folded her arms in front of her chest.

"Okay, okay. I met that guy. He showed me the photographs."

"You got the photographs?"

"Yes, in my mobile phone. " He handed her his cellphone. She gazed at the photographs and gasped.

"I know this will help you in your research on insects' mutation."

"Of course," Crystal said. "What did the guy told you?"

"Nothing new. He told me about how farmers in Cataratas started using these new DeoCorp's fertilizers..."

She knew the story. It happened five years ago. When DeoCorp had introduced its new fertilizers in Argentina. The fertilizer did a great job on the crops, but completely destroyed the Cataratas's ecosystem. It led to the mutation in beetles, giving them an extra pair of legs and horns and many other terrible things.

"Anything else?" She asked.

"No," he said in a tired voice.

"Have they seen any mutated beetle recently?"

"No," he said. "I'm going to bed. I guess you're going out to catch some insects?"

"Yes," she said. "Rain ruined my afternoon and also the evening."

"What about the insects you caught today?"

"Normal." she said biting her lips.

His expression turned serious. "Crystal, I think you should drop this idea."

"What?" she cried. "But why?"

"Because we are running out of money. And I don't know how long I'll be able to pay rent of this hotel." Crystal wanted to say something , but before she could let a word out, he added. "And it's not working for you. Your research is going nowhere. All mutated beetles are dead. I think you should drop it."

Crystal realized that he was right. She hated it when he was right. She also realized that there was no point in arguing. She dropped her shoulders and said, "I'll be back in few hours." She turned, grabbed her container and started for the door. Peter also climbed to his feet and followed her out of the room.

"Don't wander far away from the hotel," he called. "And take care."

She showed him her thumb and closed the door.

The grass was still wet from the rain. She turned on her iPhone's flashlight and pointed it at the hedge. Peter wandered around her, smelling the wet grass.

She sighed and dropped her phone. "I guess he is right," she said to Peter.

Peter looked up at her then again started smelling the grass.

Depression had started to get on her. Seeing her sad made Peter sad.

"I guess he should go back." She checked the time on her iPhone. Only five minutes had passed since she had left the hotel. "Come Peta," she said and started toward the hotel's main gate.

She had just crossed the road when her phone rang. She drew it out of her pocket and saw that the call was from her professor Gordon.

"Hello Professor," she said.

"Hello Crystal," he said.

He asked her what she was doing and where she was now. They talked for few minutes.

"I actually had an offer for you," Professor Gordon said.

"Offer?" she asked.

"You know about DeoCorp, right? Well, few hours I received a call from them. They need my help in their new project. They want me to fly all the way to their new facility in India. But, you know I'm an old man now. So, I refused them and instead told them that my ex-student can come in my place. She is as good as I am."

"You gave them my name?" Crystal asked, biting her lips.

"Yes, I did," he said. "They'll call you-"

"But, sir I'm sorry. I won't be able to do it."

"Why?"

Crystal explained him everything.

"Okay, still," he said. "They will call you. Just tell them, you can't come. Okay, bye."

"Bye," she said. He hung up the call. She sighed and stared ahead of her. Peter was waiting for her by the gate.

Together, they climbed the old rickety stairs. Rounded a corner, and strode across the dark hallway. Crystal was feeling very sleepy. All she wanted to do was go into her room jump on her bed.

She grabbed the doorknob and pushed opened the door and gasped when she found that Charley was not alone in the room. He was lying on the bed with a blond girl above him. The caretaker's daughter.