When Jaidyn was only around seven years old, his father inherited the Hotel Belladonna. It was undergoing renovations, and for the time being Jaidyn and his father were staying in the hotel. Jaidyn's family had always died mysterious deaths, mostly in the hotel, so he was not too thrilled to be staying in a murder mystery hotel. His father had guaranteed Jaidyn's safety, and with those words in mind, Jaidyn relaxed a bit. His father was never wrong, yet he only ever said half-truths. Jaidyn was a lonely child; his mother and younger sister had both died early and Jaidyn's father had no hopes of remarrying. Jaidyn's father had told Jaidyn that he could stay on the sixth floor, in one of the more luxurious rooms. As Jaidyn entered the room, he felt an odd feeling surrounding him, but he ignored it as he looked around the room.
Jaidyn stood near the bed, tracing the wrinkled sheets that lay on top. He patted the pillows and lifted the blanket, but before he could lie in bed he heard a soft creak near the mirror. Jaidyn remembered his dad telling him that where the mirror was used to be a door, so Jaidyn ignored the uncomfortable sound and laid in bed. He closed his eyes, but before he fell asleep he felt something cold and wispy tingle his skin. Must be the wind, he thought that one fateful night. Jaidyn opened his eyes for the last time to see a silky apparition throwing him out of the window. He abruptly woke up on his bed, took a deep breath and coughed. The air around him had changed. It smelled of musty dead people.
~
Marnie Carmen had been warned of the ghost haunting Room 66 on the sixth floor, but her mother took little notice of these "silly stories." Macy Carmen, mother of Marnie, did not believe in things such as the paranormal.
"Marnice Janie," Macy had told her, "don't believe what the bellhop told you. Bellhops are only there to carry your luggage, and that's it. Don't look at their eyes, you do not want to make eye contact with someone who is of a lower class. Marnice! What did I tell you? Ignore the poor people."
Marnie had rolled her eyes and left her mother complaining in the middle of the hotel lobby. She strolled to the elevator, where the marble floors shone and the light bounced off the mirrors to cast shadows of dancing figures along the walls. Marnie's reverie was interrupted by the sound of the elevator bell, and the towering silver doors opened. Inside the elevator was a family of four, who quickly exited the elevator. They shuffled past Marnie, and for a split second, she dreamt of what it was like to have a loving family. The thought vanished when Macy came up to Marnie, her high heels clinking along the floor.
"Marnice!" Macy shrieked, stretching out the 'i'. "Go along! I want to be able to go to the bar today; my friends invited me! Of course, it's rude to say no. I also think I mentioned you're not going." Clutching her fur coat, Macy strutted past Marnie and into the elevator, where a bellhop was waiting. Marnie felt a cold breeze encircling her, but tried to ignore it as she put on her black jacket.
"What floor, miss?" he asked with a monotone look on his face.
"Sixth floor, room 66," Macy replied with almost a replica of the bellhop's face.
The bellhop, upon hearing the room Marnie and Macy were staying in, shuddered and glanced away. "Miss, what?"
Macy, who clearly did not like being ignored, took a long, sharp breath. Her exhale was equally sharp and evil, and her eyes grew small and thin. "Sixth floor, room 66, you ignorant peasant! Did you not hear me the first time?" Macy snarled, gritting her teeth.
The bellhop cast the pair a dubious, almost scared glance. "I guess the hauntings don't scare you."
Macy brushed the bellhop's warnings away as she motioned for him to start the elevator.
When Marnie and Macy arrived at their room, they were greeted by a sudden burst of frigid air. The strawberry blond hairs on Marnie's arm stood upright like synchronized dancers, and slowly she walked into the room.
Room 66 was old and dusty; the carpet was shriveled and dirty and the lamps flickered on and off. The curtains were ripped and wrinkled, and the only window in the room was bolted shut.
Macy took no notice, as usual, to the grotesque condition of furniture and design. There was only one bed, and the sheets looked as if no one had washed them in over a century. The blankets were as itchy as hay, and the color was slowly fading away, a musty grey.
One lamp's light bulb went out, leaving only a flickering glow of the other one on. Marnie, who had learned about electric circuits in high school, knew that light bulbs did not suddenly go out. There was always a cause, and because of this, Marnie unscrewed the bulb to take a closer look. She had also read about supernatural phenomena and other-worldly deeds, so the thought of discovering something unique interested her. Marnie sighed as she put the light bulb back in the lamp. It was just old and broken. However, when Marnie backed away from the dusty lamp, the light bulb that had just recently been out had turned back on.
"Marnice!" Macy shouted from the bathroom, the sound of running water filling the bathtub echoing throughout the room. "Go downstairs and bring me a margarita. Hurry up, I don't want to die of dehydration! I'm absolutely exhausted from all of those… events with that-- that bellhop. Don't be like him. Get me a margarita!"
Marnie ignored her mother and continued to study the light bulb. The running water from the bathroom turned off and Marnie heard footsteps. Macy poked her head from the doorway, her own personalized towel covering her hair and a green facemask already in place.
"Marnice Janie Carmen. When I tell you to do something, you do it. Why do you think I adopted you in the first place? I could've just left you in child care. How about that? Would you like to go to child care? I didn't think so. Now, let me continue my bubble bath; don't forget to bring me that drink!" Macy disappeared back into the bathroom, the sound of water continuing.
Marnie sighed and started to step towards the door. Just then, a large gust of wind knocked Marnie off balance and her jacket flew off, landing on the windowsill. She glanced around, but no one was in sight. The window was still bolted shut and no signs of air flow showed. Macy was still in the bathroom, obliviously continuing her bubble bath.
"H-hello?" whispered Marnie, backing into the foot of her bed. She crawled on the bed and gazed around the room. "Hello?" she asked louder. All of a sudden, the same lightbulb that Marnie had been studying went out. The room was lit up with the flickering glow of the other lamp across the room, but it abruptly went out. Marnie sat in the dark, feeling her way around for any lightswitch. Macy was still in the bathtub, humming along to the radio provided by the lobby clerk.
Marnie jumped back and huddled in the corner. She was never scared, and she rarely would ever hide in the corner.
Marnie's father, a man named Anthony Carmen, was always home late and drunk. When he did come back, he was cruel and abusive to Marnie. Marnie attempted to murder him many times, sometimes poisioning his drink or even attempting to stab him while he was sleeping. All of these times, Macy had found Marnie and called the police. One day, Anthony didn't come home. This wasn't unusual; there was never a guarantee that Marnie's father would make it back in one piece. Anthony had called Macy, telling her that he was staying in a hotel for the night because he was too drunk to make it back. The next day, Marnie and Macy heard nothing back. They didn't know which hotel Anthony had stayed in because he didn't specify, and Macy was very worried about losing her fiance and his money. Marnie's real mother had died a few years back, and Macy was about to become her stepmother. Later in the evening, Macy and Marnie were watching the news when there were reports of a man killed in an elevator of a hotel, specifically Hotel Belladonna. The man was never identified but Anthony never came home. Macy had blamed Marnie, who at that time was only thirteen, for being the one thing that angered Anthony and caused him to be drunk. Their relationship was bad and toxic, however with no other living relative to go to, Marnie had to stay with Macy.
The abuse she had endured from her father had always haunted Marnie, and the memory of the pain led to hyperventilating and panic attacks. That was the only time Marnie was ever scared.
Now, as Marnie was curled in the corner of the hotel room, she was beginning to feel afraid of something else for the first time in a very long time. The lights were still off and the cool breeze was still surrounding her. The light gust of wind suddenly stopped, and Marnie made out a faint profile of a boy. The scene became more clear as the wind turned into a silky apparition, and then to the faint silhouette of a teenage boy. Marnie made out the face, the torso, the legs and arms; the wind was a ghost. Marnie typically didn't believe in ghosts; ghosts were too much of something that came out of a fantasy book. But she knew what she was seeing, and she knew she had seen a ghost. Just as suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared, for Macy stepped out of the bathroom once again. She was in her light pink fuzzy robe, with her new slippers and her light brown hair in curlers.
"MARNICE! Marnice Jaine Carmen! Where are you?" she shrieked. Marnie jumped out of the corner and scuttled along to the bathroom door.
"Yes?" Marnie replied with little interest.
"My margarita, Marnice. My margarita. I've been waiting for so long and I still don't have a refreshment. There seems to be a problem here. I pray you didn't forget it?"
Marnie, who was fed up with the thought of being Macy's personal slave, grumbled and slammed the door behind her. In the hallway, the lamps were hung onto hooks on the ceiling. They titled and rocked back and forth, causing shadows to move and sway all over the place. The carpet was most likely a cheap Victorian rug, and the painted walls were chipped. The Hotel Belladonna was clearly not a good hotel, but Macy insisted on staying there because it was the closest place to her favorite casino.
Marnie ran her fingers down the cracking walls as she reached the elevator. As soon as she was about to press the button, the elevator doors opened, revealing the same bellhop who had taken her to her room.
"Hello Miss, I'm Vincent Yeng. I work here as a bellhop, and I also help manage the elevators. I'm usually a pretty nice fellow, but I don't take too kindly to rude people. Speaking of which, is your mother around?" he asked, poking his head around the corners to check.
Marnie chuckled and mumbed, "Stepmom. She's my stepmom. I hate her too. But don't worry, she's not around."
"Then come right on in! What's your name?" he questioned cheerfully, his smile brighter than the sun.
"Marnice. My friends call me Marnie, but I have no friends. My stepmom is Macy; you don't want to get on her bad side. Unfortunately, I think you already are. She thinks bellhops are jerks."
Vincent shuddered and tried to smile as he said, "Which floor, Marnice?"
Marnie told him that she needed to get a margarita for Macy, and Vincent and Marnie arrived at the lobby. She awkwardly waved to Vincent as she stepped out of the elevator, revealing the large ballroom she had been in before. She didn't know a lot about the history of Hotel Belladonna, except that there were many renovations and the lobby used to be a ballroom, and the current ballroom used to be the lobby.
A large glass chandelier was hanging from the ceiling, swinging back and forth. The glass was frail and cast rainbow glows everywhere. A young couple walked under the chandelier, and large screams broke out. A loud crack echoed throughout the lobby as the chandelier fell from the ceiling. Marnie covered her head and sprinted towards the elevator as pieces of broken glass flew everywhere. She turned around for one second only to see a large piece of glass headed straight for her. She didn't have time to cover her eyes, yet just as the glass was about to pierce her, she felt a strange wind whiz around her. She looked back up to see the huge piece of glass on the floor next to her. Her eyes darted back and forth, trying to locate the mysterious breeze, but she spotted nothing but screaming people and a great chandelier shattered in the middle of the marble dancing floor. The police and ambulance were already outside, and men and women everywhere were being rushed towards the entrance.
Marnie turned towards the elevator and hastily made her way there. Vincent, who was already getting ready to escort Marnie, quickly motioned her in.
"My goodness!" he had exclaimed when the elevator doors were closed and they started to go up. "That chandelier has never dropped before! Are you ok? Are you hurt? It's been thirty minutes and the paramedics have already taken the injured people, yet you might want to see a doctor." Vincent pointed at Marnie's forehead, which was bleeding.
Marnie examined herself, and with no hesitation she asked, "Vincent? I have a question. How many people have died here?"
Vincent shivered and mumbled, "You know, I have a younger daughter Juniper. Juniper's sixteen, and she's never had many friends. Always the quiet kid, you know? Maybe you'd like to spend some time with her."
Marnie glared at him, and through her teeth grumbled, "How many people died in th-"
"Oh, we're here!" Vincent interrupted, motioning towards the open elevator doors.
"Vincent!" Marnie yelled, but Vincent slowly waved goodbye as he closed the elevator doors and went on his way down.
Marnie cursed silently under her breath as she headed over to her room. Macy was waiting in the doorway, her hands crossed over and her eyes glaring.
"Marnice! I have told you numerous times. Where in the world is my margarita? Are you really leaving all the hard work for me? I'm spending all this money on you when I just could've gotten a personal maid instead. Make yourself useful or I'll say it one more time. Where is my drink?"
Marnie kicked a piece of carpet fuzz in front of her and stuffed her hands in her pocket. "Mom-- I mean, Stepmom, did you hear what happened in the lobby? It's been thirty minutes! The chandelier in the lobby broke, I almost died, and you have the nerve to ask for your margarita? Not to mention almost every day where you ask for a maid! I'm your daughter. Not your maid! Can you just care for me like any other person? What is your problem?!" Marnie shouted as she shoved past Macy and stomped into the hotel room.
Macy sighed and sat on the bed next to Marnie. Marnie shuffled away, but Macy grabbed her shoulder and pulled her closer. "Listen, Marnice, you're lucky I even adopted you. I could've just left you in the orphanage; maybe you would've liked it better there. I was doing you a favor by adopting you. Now," Macy continued, standing up and walking towards the door, "I will go and get myself a margarita. From now on, you are not getting any of my money. Pay for your own items. See if I care. I'm just going to get myself a maid… I wonder if they have maids in the hotel. I'll get my drink and check. Stay here and keep quiet like any young lady should do! When I come back, you better still be here!" Macy grasped her white gloves and picked up her leather purse from the chair next to the door. She left almost immediately, leaving Marnie alone in the room.
Marnie did not enjoy the presence of a ghost in the slightest bit possible, and she shuddered at the thought of maybe, just maybe, ghosts were real.
~
Vincent Yeng's daughter Juniper wasn't all what the bellhop had described. Yes, she was quiet and lonely, but she was also quite clever. Vincent had forgotten to mention Juniper's many academic trophies, and even her 2nd national spelling bee champion award. Although Juniper was a very intelligent student, she was always trapped behind her older sister Ethel. Ethel worked almost every profession, from doctor to janitor to lion tamer. She could, and would, do anything. Juniper, on the other hand, had set one path, and one path only. Research on the paranormal.
Juniper was not a disappointment; she was far from that. She was her parents' pride and joy, yet Ethel would always be more athletic, more intelligent, more caring. Yet now, Ethel was an adult and living with her husband in New York, and she has not visited since.
Juniper became fascinated with unusual activities when she witnessed a strange murder when staying at the Hotel Belladonna with her family a few years back. It was a horrifying experience, but that led Juniper to become a ghost expert. Ethel, of course, did not care for such "foolish" things, and wanted to stay "a lady". Whatever that meant, Juniper had thought.
~
Macy was still in the lobby when Marnie felt the weird draft of air blow past. She squinted her eyes and slowly made out the body of the boy she had seen earlier. This time, he was more clear and looked almost human. He had midnight black hair and his deep, sunken eyes made him look as if he came out of a Tim Burton film. He was wearing an old, victorian style suit, and he was quite tall and frail.
The ghost stared at Marnie for a long second and slowly, he began patting down his wrinkled outfit. Marnie started to walk towards the ghost, but he put his hand in front of hers. Marnie's hand went right through.
"Do you know nothing of ghosts?" he asked, his voice low and depressed.
Marnie, who still believed she was dreaming, started to pinch herself frantically. The ghost looked at her as if he was staring into her soul, and he started to sit on the chair in front of Marnie, only to disappear through it. He appeared again on the other side of the chair, seemingly unsurprised at the fact that he couldn't physically touch anything.
"Dear miss, what's the date?" he asked politely, his strong British accent echoing throughout the room.
Marnie trembled and started to run towards the door, only for the doorknob to not turn. She glared at the ghost, still trying to twist the knob to escape.
The ghost was evidently bored with Marnie's frantic actions, and he stood in front of her. Marnie had not noticed until she reached for the doorknob and her hand went through the ghost like it was mist. She clenched her hands and continued to twist and turn the knob.
"It's no use," the ghost whispered, sending shivers up Marnie's spine. "My own trick. You're stuck here. Just like I am."
Marnie whimpered and took a step back. She halted, and stared at the ghost. Marnie was dressed in a plain black shirt with matching black jeans, and she looked quite mismatched in the victorian-style room with this strange apparition. "W-who are you? Where did you come from? What do you want?" she asked, with more fear than curiosity escaping her mouth.
The ghost smiled and looked longingly at the locked window. "Did they ever tell you why they closed the window?" he asked, a soft tear rolling down his pale cheek. Marnie noticed, and the ghost quickly wiped it away.
Marnie gazed over to the window, and at a slow pace she stepped towards it, her grey jacket still on the windowsill. She looked down and jumped back. The sixth floor was higher than Marnie had expected, and already she could barely see the people walking on the sidewalks.
The ghost nodded his head, as if he knew what Marnie was thinking, and walked away from the door, his hands behind his back. "I assume you don't know," he stated, looking down at Marnie since he was at least a few inches taller than her.
Marnie, still in an interesting stage of shock, mumbled, "But, what's your name?"
The ghost chuckled and shook his head. "Let me let you in on a little background note," the ghost said, his voice whispering through the room. "My name is Jaidyn Morrigan. My father was named Jaidyn, his father before that, and so on and so on." He paused, gaining control of his breath, and continued. "My great-grandfather used to own this building. He was an illegal gun dealer, and he used this building as his storage room. He disguised it as a regular storage room, and no one ever questioned it. When he died, the gun storage room was deemed one of the world's most haunted places. The guns my great-grandfather used to sell were used to kill thousands of people. My grandfather, who was given the building when my great-grandfather died, turned this building into what it is today--Hotel Belladonna. Not the smartest move, to turn a haunted building into a hotel, but I wasn't there to warn him. And the name Hotel Belladonna--Belladonna, beautiful women, but also a poisonous plant. Once again, not a smart choice of words. He died a strange death in the hotel ballroom, which is now the lobby. No one knows what happened, and no one was there. After that, my father inherited the hotel. He died a strange death, too, and no one was around either. Reports say he died in this very room, but I don't think that's true. I did, though."
Marnie, who was downright confused, sat on the windowsill, her knees to her chest and her eyes closed. "What happened, Jaidyn?" she whispered, her voice calm, yet still quaking.
Jaidyn sighed and put his hands on his hips. "I'll tell you in a bit. My mother had died during childbirth to my younger sister, and my sister did not survive long after that. My mother was named Jessamine, and she was the most beautiful woman that I've ever seen. After the passing of two of my family members, my father was heartbroken and wanted everyone he loved to stick close to him. I went with my father to live in the hotel, and I stayed here in this room. It looked a lot different when I was first here." He turned around to take a quick look at the scene around him. "Behind the bed used to be a door. It was covered by a mirror when my dad was working on renovations." He pointed to the bed, where a small part of a doorframe was visible behind the large headboard. Marnie gasped and backed away from the bed.
"What is with this place and death?" Marnie spat, her nose wrinkling in disgust. She was about to tell Jaidyn something when the front door opened and Macy came triumphantly walking in.
"It's really complicated, Marnie. I'll tell you later," whispered Jaidyn as he vanished into the air.
Marnie, still awestruck by the previous events, was oblivious to the sound of Macy's footsteps entering the room.
"Marnice!" hollered Macy, taking off her fur coat and hanging it on the coat rack. Her margarita was in her hand, already half empty. "They don't have maids here! What a disgrace! I should've chosen that other hotel that's a few miles away. They must have better customer service. Speaking of customer service, I had a run-in with the bellhop. That dreaded bellhop talked to me, claiming he has a daughter around your age. Jumbo, was her name? Anyway, I-"
"Juniper," interrupted Marnie, who had overheard Macy's blabbering and sat herself down on the chair that Jaidyn had tried to sit in just moments before.
"Jumbo, Juniper, it's the same thing for goodness sake!" Macy rolled her eyes, making an obvious statement that she didn't care what her name was. "That stupid bellhop said that he planned a playdate for you and Jumbo."
"Stepmom, I-"
"Tut tut tut!" interrupted Macy. "I saw my chance to leave you somewhere else and I took it. She's staying on the eighth floor, in room 102. The playdate is in one hour, so hurry up and get ready! When you're there, I most likely will be at the bar, so… tonight's dinner is FFYS. Fend for yourself."
Macy, who never wanted Marnie around except for when she had to, was delighted at the chance for a few hours away from her stepdaughter. Marnie, who was not so thrilled at the chance to meet new people, grumbled and started changing into something more "presentable", as Macy would say.
An hour later, Marnie, dressed in a tight purple dress with matching vans, knocked on the door of room 102. An older lady answered, knitting needles in one hand and a small cat in the other. "Yes, dear?" she asked, with a sweet voice. She squinted her eyes and pulled her small glasses down from her head.
"Um… Juniper?" Marnie questioned, weirded out by what she saw.
The old lady chuckled and put the siamese cat down, which ran to Marnie and sat on her shoes. "JunJun? Why yes, come on inside! I'm her grandmother. What's your name, sweet?"
Marnie, who not only hated meeting people but also hated talking to people, muttered, "Marnice."
The old lady smiled and said, "Marnice! What a lovely name. That's the name of JunJun's mother. Oh, I probably shouldn't have mentioned it. I'm sorry. Please don't tell JunJun."
Marnie, who suddenly was very intrigued, whispered, "What happened?"
Juniper's grandmother's sad eyes surveyed the room, and when no one else was in sight, she explained. "Marnice was an extraordinary young lady. Before Vincent was a bellhop, he worked as a janitor here. We needed a room to stay in, so the hotel lent us this room. About a month later, the people staying in the rooms next to us complained of weird sounds late at night, like a raspy voice and nails on a chalkboard. We all claimed we did nothing, but Marnice always stayed quiet. In fact, after the reports, she never talked again. The neighboring people believed Marnice was possessed, for after she became mute they never heard the sounds again. That was, until we heard the scream. Vincent and I immediately woke up and went to check the couch, where Marnice was sleeping just moments before. We discovered her dead body, cut into pieces and spread around the room. After that, people complained of ghostly screams similar to the ones of Marnice's. To this day, we still don't know what happened. Vincent and I had tried to clean up the room as best as possible, but JunJun had already awakened. She came into the room and saw blood, which made her start sobbing. She's never been the same ever since. For some reason, whenever we sit on the couch, JunJun starts saying that we're going to be next. Whatever that means!"
Marnie choked on her breath and instantly yelled, "What?!"
Juniper's grandmother sighed and led Marnie to a separate bedroom, where a frail girl was laying on the bed, book in one hand and compass in the other. "Juniper! Look who's here!" exclaimed the lady, shoving Marnie into the room. She immediately closed the door, leaving Juniper and Marnie alone with awkward tension between them.
Juniper didn't look up from the book as she continued to turn the compass in every direction.
Marnie, who didn't know exactly how to start a conversation, leaned on the wall and took a look around. Juniper's room was small, almost the size of Marnie's bathroom back in her hotel room. There was a twin size mattress and a small lamp on the bedside table, but that was all. No windows. No mirrors. Only one small door leading to the main room.
Marnie looked over Juniper's shoulder, a bit curious as to what exactly the girl was doing. The book in Juniper's hand was old and crumbling, and the ink was faded. The pages were yellow and half of them were ripped.
Juniper mumbled something to herself, and curiosity got to Marnie. She sat next to Juniper on the bed and whispered, "What's that?"
Juniper, startled by Marnie's presence, slammed the book shut and threw it under her pillow. "Yes?" she asked, moving in front of the bulky pillow. "Who are you?"
Marnie ignored Juniper's questions and reached for the old book. Juniper snatched the book from Marnie's hands and glared at Marnie. Marnie, surprised by Juniper's actions, took a step back. "What's your problem?!" Marnie yelled, her face steaming.
Juniper sighed and handed Marnie the book. "I'm Juniper Yeng, director of the studies of paranormal activities here in Hotel Belladonna. It's a self-appointed position, if you were wondering. I'm 16, currently a step ahead and enrolled in college. You seem to be at a college age. How is it?"
Marnie grumbled and accepted the book from Juniper's hands. She ignored Juniper's question as she skimmed through the pages, which crumbled in her hand at every flip.
"Be careful!" Juniper hissed. "That book is very old, if you couldn't tell!"
Marnie, who realized now was the perfect opportunity to ask about the ghosts of Hotel Belladonna, placed the book carefully back on the bed and sat next to Juniper. Juniper, surprised by Marnie's sudden change of behavior, scooched back and leaned on the pillow. "Sorry if I was a bit mean," Marnie started, trying to get Juniper to spill all the beans. "My name is Marnie. Short for Marnice, but I found that's a touchy subject." Juniper nodded, half paying attention and half daydreaming. "I noticed you are intrigued by supernatural beings. May I ask… are there really ghosts in this hotel?"
Juniper grinned, then slowly turned to the book next to her and showed it to Marnie. Juniper flipped it to a very old and dirty page, with notes scribbled everywhere. "I keep a log. A log of every single person that has died here. There's been 15 suicides and 25 unknown murders. Not to mention the 11,859 people that were killed by the guns. The Morrigan family was very weird, but unfortunately I don't have a lot of information on them. Mostly just about the youngest, named Jaidyn. They were all named Jaidyn, though, so some news reports are confusing, to say the least. Who writes a newspaper with no date? I can't even tell the difference between Jaidyn Senior or Jaidyn Junior."
Marnie shuddered and stared at Juniper. They locked eyes, and suddenly Juniper screamed. She pushed Marnie down on the bed and bolted out of the room, book in hand and dust flying. The scream continued as Marnie heard Juniper run out the front door. She followed, passing by Juniper's grandmother taking a nap on the couch. Marnie ran out into the hallway, but Juniper was nowhere in sight. Her scream was still going, but it echoed throughout the entire floor and the walls started to quake. Marnie looked up to see a large piece of concrete fall from the ceiling, and suddenly everything went dark.
~
Marnie slowly opened her eyes, revealing a large white room. The walls were collapsing around her, and everything was quivering. She finally regained control of her breathing to find she was on a large doctor's bed. She saw several people in white coats surrounding her, and her head started to throb again. She was wrapped in bandages, and there were many needles in her, making a beeping sound whenever she breathed."Where--" she started, before she was hushed by one of the nurses.
"Be quiet, dear. You were in quite an accident."
Marnie sat up immediately, only to be pushed down by the same nurse. From where she was laying, Marnie could see blinding lights flashing towards her eyes. She heard lots of talking, reporters interrupting each other for a chance to ask Marnie a question. From the corner of her eye, Marnie spotted, for just a second, the faint figure of a spirit. Jaidyn. She closed her eyes again and fell back asleep.
~
The only thing Juniper could hear after the ceiling caved in was the screams of people. Screams she knew all too well. She never meant to run away from Marnie; Marnie was a strange child and Juniper was almost too sure she saw a ghost behind Marnie. That was what sent Juniper yelling and running down the hallway, only for Marnie to chase her and chunks of ceiling falling down on her. Juniper had run to the elevator, where her dad comforted her until the rubble was finally cleared by the firefighters. Marnie lay still, her body limp and her lungs barely breathing. Juniper had sobbed and whined until Vincent finally brought her to see Marnie in the hospital. Marnie lay unconscious on the bed, reporters crowding around the room and extra nurses trying to lead the media away.
The doctors had told Juniper that it was all an accident, and that the building was so old it would've collapsed at any time. Juniper knew that was false, for she did enough research on Hotel Belladonna to know that it was just recently renovated. All of the walls, ceilings and floors had been inspected and replaced several times to ensure the absolute safety of the customers. There was something mysterious about Marnie and her fidgety way, always looking around as if someone was there. The topic of death was one Marnie talked about often, triggering most people. Marnie had also brought up the topic of the Morrigan family, the family known for haunting the hotel. She knows something I don't, Juniper mumbled to herself as she walked away from the unconscious Marnie.
The name Marnice -- it most definitely is not common. It's quite rare, in fact. In some parts of the world it meant Gift from God. An angel. Juniper took her dad's hand as they walked out of the hospital together. As they were walking to their old minivan, Juniper suddenly halted. There was a faint breeze, bristling the hairs on her neck. Vincent didn't seem to notice, so Juniper ignored it and continued walking. "Dad…" Juniper started off slow, making sure that she knew exactly what she was going to say. Before any words could come out of her mouth, Vincent hopped into the driver's seat, motioning Juniper to sit in the passenger's seat.
The sounds of the rusty engine forbade Juniper from talking, so Vincent and Juniper sat in silence the rest of the drive back to the hotel.
~
The next day, Marnie was brought back to her hotel room. Macy, who was probably still drunk at the bar, wasn't in the room. There were a few small gifts on the bed from the staff after hearing about her injury. It was only a concussion, but the doctors had told her she would have permanent brain damage. They said she would see things differently. Everything in the room looked the same as it did before, so she hoped the doctors were wrong. She locked the door and threw herself onto the bed. Wind blew in her face, and she sleepily went to close the window. She lazily walked towards the window, only to remember it was bolted shut. Weird, she thought.
She was about to go back to bed when she noticed the flicker of a ghost near the windowsill. She sprang back up and gasped. This time, it wasn't Jaidyn. It was a young lady, wearing a light blue blouse and sweatpants. Her skin was pale, but it showed more life than Jaidyn's. Her hair was black, tied up in a slick ponytail. She looked happy, but for random seconds at a time she would gasp as if she couldn't breath. The ghost approached Marnie, and Marnie could feel the cool breeze of spirits surrounding her. The lady tried to grab Marnie's arm, but the apparition went right through. As soon as the lady had put her hands through Marnie, Marnie felt the same feeling as she did when she tried to turn the doorknob in front of Jaidyn. Mist.
The lady fell on her knees and started to beg, her voice wispy yet sore. "Help me!" she begged, her breathing on the rise. "Help me, before he comes!"
Marnie halted, and examined the ghost for a second. "Marnice? Ms. Yeng?" she asked, remembering the family photos hung up in room 102. "Who is coming?"
Ms. Yeng continued to beg, repeating words like "help", and "hide". "He's coming for you, Marnie. Run!"
Before Marnie could ask how Ms. Yeng knew her name, Ms. Yeng vanished. Marnie, still in shock, fled the room.
She sprinted down the hallways, her heart beating like thunder. Her vision grew blurry as she continued to run down the stairs. She didn't pause to say hello to Mr. Yeng as she sprinted past the lobby and onto the sidewalk. It was getting dark, and the streetlights started to turn on one by one. The one in front of Hotel Belladonna flickered and turned off, leaving Marnie in a patch of darkness. She sat down, her hands on her knees, trying to remember everything that had happened just minutes before.
She had come back from the hospital, with a warning note from the hospital about what she couldn't do. She had shoved it in her pocket, without taking a glimpse.
Now, Marnie reached her hand in her pocket, feeling around for that piece of paper. It wasn't there. Must not have been very important, Marnie thought, leaning against the light post.
Marnie remembered that when she went to her bed she noticed a change in the temperature. Just then, the figure of Juniper's mother appeared, warning Marnie about something.
Marnie tried hard to remember, but her brain let go of the thought as she fell asleep, soft rain beginning to sprinkle down from the clouds.
In her dream, Marnie was back in her hotel room. Around her was a void of emptiness, and the room floated in the middle, rocking back and forth. She was asleep, and the room around her was cold and windy. Hovering over her, Jaidyn and Juniper's mom stared into Marnie's eyes, and Marnie felt her heart beat faster in her chest. Jaidyn and Ms. Yeng walked away, motioning for Marnie to get up from the bed. As if they were controlling her, Marnie sat up and looked towards them. There was a flash, blinding Marnie's eyes, and Jaidyn disappeared. Ms. Yeng was left, and she slowly moved towards Marnie. Her feet weren't touching the floor, yet she wasn't flying, more like a misty float.
Ms.Yeng started to speak, her words echoing around like they were in a cathedral. "He will k--"
Marnie woke up, sweating and breathing heavily. Macy was fast asleep next to her, curlers in hair and snoring quietly. Someone must have brought her back inside, and Marnie was dry, with no signs of rain anywhere. Marnie got out of bed and, careful not to wake Macy, put on a change of clothes. She then took the hotel key from the small desk near the front door and closed the door behind her. Marnie was in the hallway, where the ceiling was currently taped off with caution tape and signs of construction were already showing. Marnie made her way up the stairs, the wooden stairs groaning under her feet. She reached floor 8, and cautiously headed over to room 102. She didn't have a key, so she quietly tip-toed over to the storage room at the end of the hall. The lights were off, and Marnie opened the door, the wood creaking loudly. In the corner, a small janitor cart was there, a mist spray bottle and a towel hanging on the handles. There were a ring of keys on top of a few boxes in the other corner, and Marnie quickly snatched them. They made a clicking sound, and Marnie covered them with her fist to avoid any more unwanted sounds.
Marnie slid the key into the lock of room 102, and slowly but steadily she opened the door, revealing a dark room. In the middle, there was a large bed, where Marnie could make out the silhouettes of Vincent and Juniper's grandmother. The couch was empty, and Marnie silently walked towards Juniper's room. The door had no lock, so Marnie quickly turned the handle and closed the door behind her. Juniper was awake, her bedside lamp flickering, and her book in hand. She was furiously writing something down, and the sound of Marnie entering did not alarm her.
Marnie tapped Juniper on the shoulder, and Juniper jumped up. Marnie hastily put her finger over her mouth, and Juniper stayed quiet as Marnie motioned for her to follow. They both tiptoed past the front door, and when they made it to the hallway, Marnie finally started explaining.
"It's about time I tell you what's really happening," Marnie started, glancing everywhere except at Juniper. Juniper folded her arms and tapped her foot, "patiently" waiting for Marnie to start talking again. "I came here with my stepmom about two or three days ago. Before, my dad had died in this hotel. I already had heard it's haunted, but when I started seeing--"
"The youngest of the Morrigan family?" Juniper interrupted, instantly intrigued by what she was hearing.
"Yeah, yeah. Jaidyn."
Juniper, who had brought her book with her, opened it to a new page and started to get ready to take notes. She motioned for Marnie to continue, and ferociously jotted down more words.
"When my stepmom was away, I was visited by a ghost. You might think it's funny, or that it's a joke. But I know what I saw. I didn't get much time to talk to him, because then my stepmom sent me to the lobby to get her a margarita. While I was there, the chandelier fell, and many people were injured. I was about to get seriously injured--I almost died--when I felt a ghost block me from the falling glass. The doors and windows were closed, so the breeze couldn't have been just from the wind. After that, I came back to my room and the ghost finally revealed himself as Jaidyn Morrigan. He told me his sob story, which was pretty depressing if you ask me. He was going to tell me why the window in my room was locked shut, but my stepmom came in again. After that, I met you, and you screamed. Why did you scream? What happened? I almost died!"
Juniper, who wasn't listening to Marnie's last question, continued to write in her journal. "Oh, Marnie?" she suddenly asked, realizing Marnie had stopped.
"Why did you scream and run out?" repeated Marnie, looking over Juniper's shoulders to see the notes.
"I saw-- You know what, nevermind. It doesn't matter now. Now that I know you're next, that is."
Marnie, surprised by Juniper's remark, took a step back. "That's what your mother told me!" she exclaimed, and suddenly she shut her mouth.
Juniper looked up, a wave of fear and dread in her eyes. "My mother?"
Marnie nodded, and stared into Juniper's eyes. "I met your mother. Twice, actually. The first time was after I had a concussion."
"Then it was just the side effects of the concussion. Delusion, most likely," Juniper stated, clearly not wanting Marnie's story to be true.
"No! Then I saw her in my dream. Both times, she had tried to warn me about something, but she was always cut off by something else. It was super confusing, and very weird. It was a bit scary, too. You seem to know what it means…?"
Juniper sighed, and she tried not to look into Marnie's eyes as she whispered, "Jaidyn Morrigan is the most well known ghost haunting Hotel Belladonna, after he reportedly got pushed out the window of his room and died. No one knows what actually happened, but through my research I've found the source of his death. When a ghost dies in a specific place, they get stuck there for all of eternity. This happened to Jaidyn, who is currently trapped in the Hotel Belladonna. The only way for a ghost to be released from his 'jail' is to kill."
"Kill who?" asked Marnie, shuddering at the thought, yet very intrigued.
"The child of the one who killed them. This victim can only be killed by the ghost in order for the ghost to leave."
Marnie, at this point who was quite confused, sat down on the shaggy carpet and thought for a moment. "So, ghosts can kill humans? But… how? Why?"
Juniper kneeled down to get to Marnie's eye level, and continued talking. "Marnie, I don't know how. But… just be careful. Promise me, Marnie! Jaidyn's after you. Make sure he doesn't hurt you."
Juniper turned away and walked into her room, and softly closed the door behind her. Marnie sat alone in the hallway, trying to process everything Juniper had just told her. She started to walk down the stairs when she felt something tap her back. She immediately turned around, prepared to fight. When it was only Juniper, Marnie relaxed and stopped walking. Without speaking, Juniper handed Marnie a slip of paper, which she motioned for Marnie to put in her pocket. Marnie did, and Juniper left again.
Out of curiosity, Marnie opened the crinkled paper Juniper had instructed Marnie to put in her pocket. You're the child. Stay safe. Jaidyn is out to kill you. He can walk free if you die by his hands. He can (and will) hunt you down until he is freed. Trust me, Marnie! Don't talk to anyone again, and make sure you stay out of Jaidyn's way. I don't know what's going to happen, but it won't be good. The words pricked Marnie's skin like icicles, and she turned around and ran back to her room.
~
Macy was still sound asleep, not bothered by Marnie's loud footsteps. With all her might, Marnie tried to go to sleep and have a normal dream, yet nightmare after nightmare, she just couldn't. She fell asleep, and instantly was teleported to the world where the void was, emptiness encircling her. This time, there was water dripping onto the floor. She was still on the bed, except now, she was alone. She decided to walk around, exploring the strange vastness around her. The murky waters below her bare feet rippled, flowing down towards the emptiness above her.
"Jump."
"Jump."
"Jump."
The harsh, croaky voices echoed around the channel, surging downwards into the darkened pit of no return.
The pebbles crumbled under Marnie's weight and dropped into the atramentous abyss of no recovery. She felt her feet slipping, her body shaking, and suddenly a flood of hands thrust her downwards. The hope of ever escaping was gone, and she was descending down… and at the last second, she spotted Jaidyn, and for a split second she found out the truth, what Juniper had been warning Marnie about for so long… it was Jaidyn.
Marnie immediately woke up, sweating profusely. Macy was already in the bathtub, the loud radio playing songs from the 1950s. Marnie shivered as she tried to forget about her nightmare.
She quickly got dressed and took the elevator up to Juniper's room, where she was greeted by Vincent, heading off to work, and Juniper's grandmother. Marnie stormed into Juniper's small room and locked the door behind her.
"Juniper!" Marnie shouted, and shook Juniper until she woke up. "I had a dream. A very realistic dream. I was in the hotel room, but around me was just a pit of emptiness. Something told me to jump, and when I did, I saw Jaidyn. He looked… amused. As if that was what he wanted this whole time. As much as I want to hate him, I just can't."
"Why?" asked Juniper, irritated at Marnie's last remark. "He's bad, he's mean, he's going to kill you!"
"I don't know, Juniper! I just-- I know he's bad, and he shouldn't be trusted, but… I can't help it! He was super nice when I met him, and he even saved me from the chandelier. He could've killed me there!"
"He tried to kill you by collapsing the ceiling! What do you like about this guy? He's a ghost!" shouted Juniper, shaking her head and turning away from Marnie.
"Juniper!" begged Marnie, her eyes wide with fear. "I don't want to die. I don't want to die! You're my only friend, and I'll miss you--"
"Don't talk like that," hissed Juniper, facing towards Marnie as she stared into her eyes. "I'll find a way to help you. I'll protect you."
Marnie sighed, and whispered, "Juniper, look. Thanks for being a great friend. I've never actually had a true friendship with someone. When I came to the hotel, I was confused about… well, everything. My father allegedly died here, and if Jaidyn is after me…"
"Your father killed Jaidyn," Juniper whispered, writing more notes down on her notebook. "There's always a reason why. Did he have something against the Morrigan family?"
Marnie shrugged and responded, "He was probably drunk. I don't think he ever had something against the Morrigan family. In fact, I've never even met the Morrigan family before."
Juniper groaned and erased something out of her notebook. Marnie, who still had a few unanswered questions, turned towards Juniper. "W-What happened to your mother?" Marnie asked, hesitant for the answer.
"I'll tell you everything," Juniper murmured, flipping to a page in her notebook covered in words. "It was May 3rd."
"That's my birthday!" exclaimed Marnie, and she instantly put her hand on her mouth.
Juniper, surprised by Marnie's words, wrote another thing in her notebook, then continued telling Marnie what had happened. "A week before May 3rd, the people in the neighboring rooms complained of weird noises. Ghostly noises. They all claimed it was my mother, so late at night on May 3rd, I watched her from my room, my door barely closed. At around 1 a.m., I finally heard the noises. It wasn't my mother. It was a ghost, of some sort. I instantly freaked out and locked the door, so I couldn't tell what happened. Next thing I know, I hear a clamoring outside my room. My grandmother and my father were cleaning up the couch, where I knew my mother was sleeping. I never got a good glimpse of the ghost, but… it was Jaidyn."
Marnie gasped, her eyes wide and her heartbeat beating at an inconsistent rate. "But… if Jaidyn killed your mother, he would be able to walk free, right?"
Juniper smiled, and whispered, "Marnie, have you not learned anything?" Marnie blushed, and Juniper continued. "Jaidyn has been trying to escape from the moment he died. It's only a guessing game for him, because he doesn't know who actually is his victim. He can't tell. He's just been going around, killing who he thinks is the child. It never is, so he's killing innocent lives for the chance to… I don't know. Go away?"
Juniper started to tear up, and Marnie hugged her. Suddenly, they were interrupted by a knock on the door. They instantly backed away from each other, yet the door didn't open. Marnie, who was already tired from waking up very early in the morning, ignored the strange door and fell asleep on Juniper's bed.
~
Marnie knew she shouldn't have fallen asleep, but her whole body was aching, most likely from her concussion. Yet again, she was in her empty dream world. This time, she was in her room, with the surrounding darkness sucking her in. She stood up, and her feet instantly throbbed. Marnie sat on the bed again, an uncomfortable feeling that something was going to happen soon.
"Marnie!" a voice cried out, seemingly in pain.
Marnie looked around, fear flashing before her eyes in every direction. She heard the voice echoing throughout the abyss. She finally faced her fears and looked down, careful not to fall over into the deep canyon.
"Help me!" the voice screamed again, coming from behind Marnie. Marnie turned around, curious on what was happening, and tripped on a small piece of wood floor. She flung her hands in every direction, desperately trying to grab on to something, yet she failed. Death loomed over her as she fell down, into the seemingly pit of nothingness. While she was falling, her eyes managed to catch a glimpse of two ghostly figures, one who looked almost like Juniper. Marnie had no time to think of this as she woke up, startled by her nightmare.
She was back in her room; Macy must have gone over looking for Marnie, although that didn't sound like Macy. Juniper's grandmother and Vincent were in the corner of the room, looking down at their shoes and avoiding eye contact with Marnie.
"W-What happened?" asked Marnie, sensing the awkward tension. "What did I do?"
Juniper's grandmother was crying, and Vincent was trying to comfort her. "It's Juniper," he whispered, taking long breaths. "She's missing."
~
Jaidyn had thought out his plan everyday, carefully tweaking any mistakes and fixing problems. He had watched Juniper and Marnie bond, their friendship growing every minute. He knew he had to strike fast, and soon. When Marnie was sleeping, Jaidyn decided it was the perfect time to break out his ideas. He had tried to lure Marnie into her dream world, getting her stuck in there forever, but she always fought back and woke up the next morning. He had tried to break the ceiling in hopes of her getting suffocated, but with the newer technology Jaidyn didn't have when he was still alive, Marnie managed to survive. Juniper, though, was his Plan B. If something happened to Juniper, Jaidyn knew Marnie would never forgive herself. Jaidyn knew that Juniper wasn't the child of his murderer, but he knew Marnie was. If Juniper was eliminated, Marnie would be an easier target.
~
Marnie raced to room 102, where she searched for Juniper. While Marnie was looking in the bathroom, a pleading scream echoed throughout the room. Juniper. Marnie quickly turned around to see Jaidyn, holding Juniper above the open window. His hand was clamped around Juniper's mouth, and for once he didn't look like a ghost. He was able to touch Juniper, yet when Marnie sprinted to Jaidyn, she seemingly went straight through him.
"No!" shouted Marnie, trying to grab Juniper from Jaidyn's grasp.
Juniper was sweating, and she was trying to escape from Jaidyn's icy hands, yet the more she tried to run away, the weaker she got.
"Jaidyn! How could you? I thought we were friends! Why are you doing this? Don't kill Juniper! No!" sobbed Marnie as she tried to shut the window before anything happened.
Jaidyn only smirked, and he opened the window again with no effort. Juniper, who had already run out of energy, lay limp in Jaidyn's arms. Marnie closed her eyes, but knew what was happening. There was nothing she could do to save Juniper, and when she heard the yells of people below she knew what happened. Juniper had been pushed out the window, just like what had happened to Jaidyn. And Marnie wouldn't let that happen to her.
Jaidyn started to walk towards her, and Marnie slowly backed away. She tried to run through Jaidyn, but this time, her heart skipped a beat and she felt weak. The air around her had changed, and she felt sick and tired. She fell to the floor, and slowly closed her eyes. She curled into a ball, pressing her knees against her chest. Marnie's face was already turning red and hot, and she started coughing and choking. She cried for help, but no one was around to hear her screams.
Marnie tried to resist the feeling of pain, and slowly but determinedly she stood up and stepped towards the window. Jaidyn kneeling on the ground, feeling weak from Marnie fighting back. With her last bit of strength, Marnie shoved open the window, trying not to look down. A shocking breeze flooded her face, but Marnie ignored the tingles on the back of her neck as she climbed onto the windowsill. The eighth floor was higher than she thought it was, but Marnie ignored the feeling in her stomach as she thought to herself, This is for Juniper, and jumped.
~
Jaidyn watched as Marnie, seemingly flying through the sky, flung herself out the window. He wiped away a tear as he cringed when he heard the screams of pedestrians below. His last hope of going home was gone. Seeing what Marnie had done to herself had made Jaidyn bitter, so he wandered the hallways, trying to think of something to ease his internal pain. Nothing worked, and he fell to the ground, weeping. His only plan had failed him, and he sat alone in the hallway, waiting for Marnie's stepmother or someone to find she was missing.
Jaidyn thought that seeing Juniper die before her eyes would make her weak, and he believed Juniper was the only reason Marnie was living. That was true, but because of that, Marnie knew she couldn't let Juniper see what happened to her. Jaidyn's attempts at freedom had only made her stronger. Marnie fought back, and he lost his hope of ever returning.
~
"Ophelia! Come along, dear!" a young woman said. A young girl followed the woman, her eyes wide with amazement. A large glass chandelier hung from a thick chain on the ceiling, and many people watched with delight as it cast a rainbow glow onto the whole lobby. Her grandfather had gone to this hotel before, but he had never told her what it was like. In fact, Ophelia Carmen didn't know what happened to her grandfather. He had died before she was able to meet him. Her grandmother had never told her, and she never asked. The young woman was her step sister Rachel, who was already an adult. She was going to stay at the Hotel Belladonna for a few nights, and offered for Ophelia to tag along. Her aunt was also deemed missing by the news reports, and Ophelia always shivered when someone brought up death. "Hey Rachel! Thanks for bringing me along!" exclaimed Ophelia, in awe with all of the luxuries of the hotel. "It's so cool here!"
As soon as she said that, Ophelia felt a cold breeze, but nobody was touching her. The front doors and the windows were closed, but Ophelia took no notice. Wind blew around her, and she playfully made her way into the elevator with Rachel. The bellhop who had offered to take the pair's luggage was an older woman, who's name tag read Ethel.
"Which floor would you like to go to?" Ethel asked, her smile bright and cheerful.
"The sixth floor, ma'am." replied Rachel with little interest.
Ethel turned away from Rachel and Ophelia and pushed the buttons.
The elevator was windy, and the lights suddenly went out. Ophelia screamed, holding tight to who she thought was Rachel. There was enough delay for her to make out a silky apparition, before the elevator dropped.