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The room grew thick with tension as everyone nervously shivered. Someone, or something, was somewhere close by. They could hear short breathing, almost raspy in nature. Deanna drew in a breath as she squeezed Ashley’s hand with one of her own, and Nick’s with the other. Nick let out a nervous laugh. He held Deanna tightly to his chest, hiding her eyes from the darkness. He then clenched his shut and continued to laugh nervously. Neither of them could see anything, so they would be fine. As long as there was nothing to see, it could not see them.
“Quit it Nick, you’re freaking me out,” Brian snapped a bit. His nerves had clenched tightly.
Nick jumped up suddenly, pulling Deanna with him. “You know what we need! A search party! Let’s start a search party!”
AJ looked at him oddly, “Nick… This is a power outage, not a rescue mission…”
Nick clenched his fist, “But if we went looking for it, then we could solve the mystery!”
Ashley lowered her head, “Rule number one in the horror movies, you’re not the Scooby Doo gang.”
Nick continued to laugh nervously, “If I sneak up on it, it can’t sneak up on me.”
Ashley let out a sigh, “Rule number two, don’t split up.”
“Let’s split up!” Nick exclaimed.
Ashley shook her head, “He’s not listening to a word I’m saying, is he?”
Kevin groaned, “It doesn’t sound like it.”
Nick latched on to the flashlight Denny had handed Ashley. After a strenuous battle for control of the light, Nick managed to commandeer it and held it up triumphantly, “I got it!” Nick turned it on and pointed the light toward his face, casting shadows across it. “Ooh… spooky…” Nick laughed.
Howie put his hand to his head. “Nick… Why are you so immature…?”
Nick blinked, “If I turn it into a joke… It’s not so scary anymore…”
Howie sighed, “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry…”
“Both,” AJ nodded.
Nick ran the flashlight around the lobby, checking every corner thoroughly. The brief light scattered the skittish darkness. It hung in packs in the corners, but the light was like a bully and stole the playing ground from the darkness. Nick brought the light back toward him and pointed it to the ground. He smiled briefly. “It looks safe here. So… who’s coming?”
Leighanne put her hand to her head, “Nick… We’re all scared to death. Splitting up and wandering around the hotel won’t solve anything. It will make it worse.” Everyone nodded in agreement, except Deanna who still latched tightly on to Nick. She buried her face deep into his chest.
“Enough said,” AJ nodded, “Just sit down and forget about it.”
Nick shook his head, “I’m going.”
AJ shrugged, “You’ve seen enough horror movies to know that’s suicide, but I won’t stop you.” He smiled a little, and his voice reflected his expression, “Deanna, come sit with us.”
Deanna turned to them slightly, “No…” She clutched Nick tighter, “I’m going to stay with Nick.”
Nick and AJ both turned red. Rage and embarrassment shared the ability to flush their faces. Nick embarrassment quickly subsided and his lips formed a slight smile.
Nick nodded, “Okay, then we’ll be off.”
AJ grabbed Nick’s arm forcefully, closing his fingers around it like a vice. “Is that really a good idea?”
Nick smiled, “Don’t worry. Everything will be okay.”
Ashley cleared her throat, “Rule number three, someone always dies.”
Nick crossed his arms and scowled, “I’m not planning on dying any time soon!”
Ashley turned her head, “Rule number four, don’t go into the basement…”
Nick blinked, “Does the hotel even have a basement?”
“Of course,” Brian rolled his eyes, “It’s the haunted utility Room.”
Everyone laughed heartily. Their cheery laughter seemed to light up the room like a candle that kept growing despite the darkness.
Nick scowled, “I hate you all.” He shrugged and pulled Deanna away, “Anyway, I’m outtie.” Nick and Deanna followed the gleam of the flashlight into a dark corridor of the hotel. It was like a beacon, calling them to the depths of the darkness.
Howie sighed, “Thank goodness. Nick’s idiocy exhausts me.”
Kevin put his hands in his lap and leaned back against the couch. “What now? Do you think they’ll really die?”
Ashley shook her head, “We don’t believe Nick, remember? I just wanted to keep the flashlight.”
AJ raised an eyebrow, “We don’t believe him, huh?”
A rattling sounded in brief intervals as an object knocked AJ’s foot with a punch. AJ grimaced and narrowed his eyes, “Sh*t man! That hurt like hell!” AJ grabbed his foot and his hand knocked the insulting object. His eyes widened.
Leighanne turned to him, “AJ… What’s up?”
AJ held up a black flashlight with a yellow band. “Isn’t this… Nick’s flashlight?” he stuttered.
Ashley put her hands to her mouth, “Deanna and Nick are…” She clenched her eyes shut and turned her head. No, no, no, no…. It was all a coincidence because of the storms. It was only the weather causing all this misfortune. But… What had Nick and Deanna seen? And the blood on the mirror? Her name… The power outage in the recreation room… And the blood… And the treadmill’s speed… How could all of that be caused by the storms? This power outage, sure… But…
Brian jumped up. And snatched the flashlight from AJ, “Then we have to start a search party!”
AJ jumped up as well, “YOU WANT TO DIE!?!”
Brian shook his head, “Of course not.” He lowered his eyes, “But… But Nick is my best friend. If I let him die…” Brian clenched his hand around the flashlight. “I’d never forgive myself if I let that happen.”
Kevin stood up with Ashley. “So then… What’s the plan?” he asked?
Brian pondered, “How about we split up? Me, Leighanne, and AJ in one group. Kevin, Ashley, and Howie in the other.”
AJ growled, “No way I’m leaving Kevin alone with her.”
“What’s more important? Keeping the two of them apart or saving Nick and Deanna.”
AJ scowled and turned his head, “You’re right.”
“Of course I’m right,” Brian grinned.
Brian gave everyone a crash course of the plan then turned on the flashlight. It poured into the darkness where Nick and Deanna had ventured. The walls were illuminated. It was like a brief dream in a world of nightmares. One small light gave them courage and hope. Brian pulled Leighanne and AJ into the darkness, within moments, the party disappeared. What was to become of them? Moments later would the darkness swallow them whole and another flashlight would materialize in the open? Ashley put her hands to her heart and prayed.
“Aren’t you twins?” Howie questioned.
Ashley blinked.
Howie chuckled a little, “I just meant, don’t twins know when something happened to the other one?”
Ashley nodded.
“So… What do you feel?”
Ashley clenched her hand tightly and pulled them closer to her heart. In her mind, she saw a river of darkness and a brief light. Did that mean that they were okay? Then who did the flashlight belong to? “I don’t feel any pain…” she turned to Howie, “What does that mean?”
Kevin crossed his arms, “I could be jumping to conclusions, but… maybe that flashlight was a plant.”
“Like a fern?” Howie asked.
Kevin put his hand to his head, “You’re filling in for Nick on purpose…” he sighed, “No I meant, someone let it hit AJ’s foot on purpose, so that we would split up.”
Ashley gasped, “Then this whole thing is…”
Kevin nodded, “Yes. It could be a set up.”
“What should we do?” Howie questioned.
Kevin motioned to the stairs, “Let’s follow Brian’s plan. Maybe we’ll find Nick and Deanna, then we can all regroup and figure a way out of the hotel at least…”
“What about their cell phones?” Howie questioned.
Ashley hit her head. “Are we all too stupid to think of that?” She frowned, “I don’t have mine with me…”
Kevin pulled his out, “Nick does have his, but… My battery is dead. Let’s just check upstairs.”
They started for the stairs when a large shriek enveloped the lobby. They all startled and stopped in their tracks. Someone or something was with them. And they were in terror. Was it living? Dead? Imagination? The darkness was filled with the stench of death and the walls began to bleed. Kevin pulled Ashley close as a figure neared them in the darkness.
Paris appeared shaking in the darkness.
“PARIS!” Howie exclaimed.
Paris’ eyes filled with tears, “Nick… Where is Nick…”
Kevin turned his head quickly, “We don’t know.”
Paris shivered and held her arms tightly around her body. “There’s someone… Out there… They… Tried to attack me, but I…”
Kevin’s eyes grew wide as he pulled Ashley to the floor.
Howie’s eyes also grew wide. “PARIS!!!!!!” He exclaimed.
Kevin grabbed Howie’s arm like a vice and pulled him to the floor as if his hand were a lead weight. Howie had no hope of escaping his grip.
The glass shattered. The floor was checkered with blood. Ashley’s eyes shook as Kevin’s body covered her small frame. Howie and Kevin were splattered with blood. They were the mirror images of the floor.
Howie stood up, his body shaking. The bloody body of Nick’s girlfriend… Ex-girlfriend… The body of the beautiful blonde heiress lay on the floor in a heap. A large metal pole had shoved its way through her skull. Her eyes had gone blank, her face was soulless. Only the beautiful blonde strands on the back of her head lay untouched. Tears formed in Howie’s eyes. Sympathy… Fear… He felt it all as they flowed down his cheeks.
Ashley and Kevin’s eyes shook as well. Tears began to flow from Ashley’s eyes as she stared at Kevin blankly.
Kevin thrust his hands over her eyes. “DON’T LOOK! YOU DON”T HAVE TO SEE THIS!!!!!”
Tears streamed down Ashley’s face as she let out a scream. It penetrated the depths of the hotel. Anyone, alive or dead would have heard it. The proof had become clear, something was stirring…