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“Ashie?” Deanna asked nervously, “Ashie?” The darkness in the room surrounded her whole. It was an ominous smog. The world around her was quiet and still. She could not even hear her sister’s breathing. Her heart pounded faster. She tried to silence it by holding her breath, but it still sprung through. She choked. Sweat started pouring down her cheeks. The room was too dark, too cold, too lonely… Too scary! She stood up hurriedly and leaned against the door. Her paisley green snoopy pajama bottoms shook with her legs as she shivered. Her blue cami barely covered her. She slipped on her flip-flops and opened the door slowly. She paused for a moment and bit her lip. Perverts were about… She grabbed one of Ashley’s shoes. She would not miss it in her slumber. She held the shoe close to her face as she walked carefully down the hall. Her arms twitched and shook as she struggled to calm her pounding heart. She managed to make it to the stairs that headed toward the lobby. She put her hand on the railing and tiptoed down them. She did not sense any person or thing about, but the darkness was ominous. It followed her every footstep. She managed to make it to the pool outside and pulled her legs up on a lounge chair. The darkness could not hurt her there; the moon was too bright, too full. Its light surrounded her fully, bathing her whole body in it. She gazed up at it and longingly wished for the sun. If only… If only daybreak would just come… She shut her eyes momentarily and felt a presence surrounding her. Her hands shook as arms wrapped around her. Who was this? She remembered Ashley telling her about the perverted old man. She threw up the shoe and shrieked, “PERVERT!”

“P-pervert?” a male voice stammered. They let out a sigh and flopped down next to her, “You think so too, huh?”

Deanna opened an eye slightly. “Nick…?”

Nick looked up at the moon as he leaned back on his hands. His black boxers rested against his legs as his opened yellow collard shirt flapped lightly in the breeze. “The moon’s really full tonight… You… couldn’t sleep either?”

“Ashie was awake… Then she was asleep… The room was too big… And too dark…” Deanna replied. She looked at her hands, too embarrassed to turn toward Nick.

“The dark scares me too,” Nick smiled.

Deanna turned to him and blinked her eyes.

Nick chuckled a little, “You know… It’s funny. From the moment I met you today, it really seemed like we would get along.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Sure you were scared half to death,” Nick chuckled, then looked her directly in the eyes, “But you were the only one who believed what I said at all.”

“I’m a little… superstitious you could say…” Deanna admitted, blushing.

“I may act like the stupid one…” Nick continued.

“You stupid? I don’t think so,” Deanna shook her head.

Nick chuckled again, “Thanks…” He cleared his throat, “I can tell the difference between a rumor and reality. This place is so beautiful, it’s the vacationer’s dream. It’s usually impossible to get four rooms on such sort notice.” He put his hand to his mouth and mumble, “Even though I reserved five…”

“She was cold…”

“What?” Nick blinked.

“I made Ashley go get something to eat… I was hungry… She said she suddenly felt cold… And… not alone… She blamed it on her clothing and the perverted old resort manager, but… he told her not to disturb the dead during the night…” Tears formed in her eyes, “I don’t know why… She said he was living up to the legend but… You were so sure it was true… It’s so scary…” She began to sob uncontrollably. She put her hands to her face and wailed.

Nick bit his lip and pulled her into his embrace. His arms were warm and it was a peaceful feeling. He was like a shield, protecting her from the darkness and the rumor, not to mention the perverts. A few more tears lapped her cheeks as her wailing subsided. Nick pulled up her chin and smiled, “Will you listen to the rest of what I was going to say?”

Deanna sniffled and nodded.

Nick pulled her back toward him, “I feel so connected to you…” Nick held her cheeks and stared into her brown eyes. His crystal blue eyes seemed to pierce through her soul. If he looked into them, he could see her heart, and right through her. Deanna swallowed hard to calm the butterflies in her stomach. She turned her eyes away, but he pulled them right back. His eyes were like a magnet, drawing her in no matter how much she struggled. “If only…” he started. He cupped his hand around her cheek and brushed away her lingering teardrops. “If only AJ had introduced us sooner… If only…” Nick let go of her cheek and clenched his hand into a fist. His eyes followed suit. He let out a low cough as he cleared his throat and grabbed her shoulders forcefully, “If only I wasn’t with Paris!” Nick pulled her toward him, back into his warm embrace. He pulled her face toward him and leaned toward her. “Then we could be together…” he whispered. Their lips met.

Like his arms, his lips were also warm as he held her close. His lips caressed her as a warm glow surrounded her. She felt all the darkness and all her fear wash away as he held her; he was her protector from the horrors of this place, death and darkness. His arms kept her safe and she only wanted to be in them forever. She clenched her eyes shut, “If this is a dream…” she whispered to herself, “Don’t let me wake up… Don’t let me wake up…”

Nick opened his eyes and pulled away from her, he stood up hurriedly. “I’m sorry… Forget I said anything…”

Deanna’s hand shook as she reached out for Nick’s arm. Her eyes shook as tears formed in them, “Please… Don’t leave me alone… It’s… So scary…”

Nick sat back down and pulled her close to him once more. Nick felt her warm body in his arms. She was so cute, she was beautiful… She believed in him, like no one else… She… shared his beliefs…. Nick clenched his eyes shut. That kind of woman couldn’t be real, soul mates did not exist… Nick yearned to open his eyes; they shook from his deep desire. But… but if she did not exist… Then she would be gone when he opened them… He let in a breath and wrapped his arms around her tighter. He would never let her go… Never…

“How cute,” a female voice chuckled, “Lovers…”

Nick’s eyes shot open as he jumped up, “Paris! I can explain! It’s just we’re both scared of the dark so…” Nick looked around and was met with only emptiness, the closest person to him was Deanna, “So…”

Deanna hands rattled violently as she neared them to her face. “Nick…” her voice shook violently.

Nick looked to see a glowing form rise from the pool. A maiden dressed in pure white materialized from a glowing orb of light. Glowing ribbons surrounded her as she held her arms close to her body. The air grew colder. They both shivered intensely. Nick’s collard shirt flapped violently as the wind increased. He held his arms in a cross shape and put them near his face as he clenched his eyes shut. Deanna shook as she sat on the lounge chair. “Deanna…” Nick’s voice shook, “Get behind me… Hurry…”

Deanna crawled behind Nick and held on to him tightly from behind. She clenched her eyes shut.
Nick opened his eyes slightly and turned toward the glowing figure, “Don’t… She’s not my lover!”

The woman sneered, “I felt your heart surging… Don’t lie to me!”

Nick was pushed backward by a large gust of wind. The woman rose from the water and drew closer to them. Nick growled as he put down his arms and grabbed Deanna’s hand. “RUN!”

Nick and Deanna sprinted toward the entrance back to the hotel from the pool. They were running purely on adrenaline. Their bodies were so weak. Deanna’s heart pounded erratically as she tried to keep up with Nick. His grip was fearsome, but his legs were too fast. She felt as if her fingers would break. Nick reached the door and pulled on it desperately. It would not open. Was it locked? Or was it the wind tunnel the woman was making? Nick growled and pulled on the door with more force. It was unbendable, hard as diamond. Nick looked to both sides then turned to Deanna. “It won’t budge! We have to go around!”

Deanna’s heart beat so wildly and loudly, she could not hear a word Nick said. Her whole body shook as she used all her strength to grip his hand. Nick grabbed her hand tighter and prepared to run away as the ghost stood only a few feet from him. She sneered as her eyes narrowed and she grew ablaze with rage. “Lovers will not be allowed to live! To love means to die!”

Nick clenched his eyes shut. No time! There was no more time! Nick clenched his free hand into a fish and punched the door. The glass shattered into hundreds of pieces. He pulled Deanna thorough the shattered door. He breathed heavily as her body began convulsing. Nick swallowed and pulled her close to protect her, but… The strain on her body was too much, she fainted in his arms. He held her tightly, but her skin and clothing were covered in blood. Nick’s hand shook as he pulled it toward him. He had smashed the door open, but… He paid the price. The pain was unbearable. The sight of the blood drenched hand made him sick to his stomach. He sunk to his knees.

“Self sacrifice for love,” the woman laughed, “That’s pathetic! You will die together!”

Closer… And closer… Nick’s vision became blurry. The blood flowed off his hand and on to the floor in puddles. They splashed every time a new drop was added. Nick winced. In the last moment of his clear vision, the walls dripped blood for only a moment. He choked as the alarm sounded. The glowing figure vanished before his eyes. Nick tried to wipe away the cloud from his eyes, but his only free hand was bloodstained. A streak of red covered his face across his eyes. It almost resembled paint in appearance. Nick tried to hold on to Deanna, but he was slowly loosing his strength. He had said something earlier… The legend of this place… Shining see-through shapes… Bleeding walls… Nick coughed as he fell to the floor. How could they tell him it was a lie? The Mayan Princess was the scene of unexplainable mysteries… The air was filled with death and blood…