Chapter 2
The alarm clocks shrill bell woke them at eight. Faye sat up and stretched, leaning over to kiss Adam gently.
“C’mon sleepyhead, we have to get ready for our breakfast date.” She said as she stood up and headed for the bathroom.
Adam groaned. He had a hard time falling back to sleep and really had no desire to get out of bed. He wondered if he should tell her about her nightmare, but it was obvious by the bright, well-rested smile on her face that she didn’t recall her nighttime throes and he didn’t feel like spoiling her mood. She stewed over her nightmares, especially when she didn’t remember having one. She would spend days trying to remember something she had probably forgotten before her head hit the pillow again. He pulled himself out of bed, following her into the bathroom.
At eight-thirty, they emerged wrapped in the thick white robes the hotel had provided for them. Faye sat down at the vanity and immediately went to work with her colored jars and tubes. Adam sighed slightly, ran a comb through his hair, and picked out a pair of khakis and a maroon polo shirt. This was always the longest part of the day for him. It took him five or so minutes to get ready for the day. Faye, depending on what the day’s schedule held, could take up to an hour. She always made time for this. One of her pet peeves was being more than fashionably late for anything. He chuckled to himself knowing her idea of fashionably late was five minutes tops. She liked to have enough people present so she could make an entrance but not too many that she couldn’t watch the people who were really late. She chose a long red and black flowered skirt with a sleeveless red top. She glanced at the clock almost compulsively as she finished with her lipstick.
“Where are we supposed to meet them?” He asked, as he started to head for the door.
“Apparently the restaurant has a patio and Rose said it seemed like a lovely place to take breakfast. I told her we would meet her there.” Faye replied.
She ran the brush through her hair one last time and she was ready to go. They headed out the door, glancing down the hallway to see if perhaps they would run into the other couple since they were only next door. The hallway however was empty. Faye looked down to the far end of the hall. She shook her head blinking a few times because for a moment, the end of the hall looked fuzzy, almost like a mirage. The harder she stared, the more it came into focus. Adam followed her intense look, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. He assumed she was checking out the decor. Gently taking her elbow, he led her down the hallway to the elevator. She laid her head on his shoulder as they waited for the cage to ascend to their floor. The elevator arrived and they stepped inside. Adam was just pulling the gate across when a voice from down the hall called.
“Please hold the elevator.”
Adam and Faye exchanged looks. They hadn’t seen anyone in the hallway when they headed for the elevator nor had they heard any doors open or close. He just shrugged as the couple entered the elevator. Both of them were of average height and build. She was dressed in white shorts and a black sleeveless blouse. Her long, black hair was tied back with a white ribbon. Her complexion was so pasty it was almost gray and she wore no makeup. His complexion mirrored hers. He was dressed in black slacks and a white golf shirt and his black hair was styled in a way that reminded Adam of a 50’s sitcom. They both wore simple silver wedding bands but no other jewelry. Faye tried not to stare but she couldn’t help it. Something was definitely wrong with them. It was not hard to get a good look as they stood uncomfortably close to them. They said nothing and stared at the floor, but if Faye or Adam moved a step away they shifted to be closer. It seemed like an eternity waiting for the arrow to pass each floor, but thankfully the elevator finally landed in the lobby.
Adam and Faye edged out around the others, who had them pressed up against the side. Faye glanced back at them. The couple walked slowly out of the elevator. It must have been the lighting in the elevator that caused them to look so gray, Faye thought to herself. They still appeared pale but their color looked better now than it had inside. She took Adam’s hand and they walked toward the restaurant. As they walked through the door, Rose stood up from her table on the patio and waved at them. Faye smiled broadly and waved back. Her excitement overcame the uncomfortable encounter they had just experienced.
Walking out into the bright sunshine erased any lingering ill feelings either one of them had. The patio was a wide, flagstone terrace. Each stone was a varying color of rose, blue, or grey. The tables had black, wrought iron bases with glass tops. The tops were bare to showcase the hourglass symbol that was etched into the glass. The chairs were tall, fan backed wrought iron to match the table and they were adorned with thick, blue cushions. Rose was wearing a long white sundress. Her hair was bound up in an intricate braid. Eric wore khakis and an emerald green polo shirt.
Faye leaned in and gave Rose a conspiratorial wink.
“So, would you like to lay bets that Matt spent a rather long evening trying to sleep on the settee?” she asked, grinning.
Rose grinned and laughed.
“Now Ladies, let’s be nice” Eric said, lightly.
“Yes, those things look damned uncomfortable. I hope the poor bugger managed to amend her feelings before bedtime.” Adam added.
The group laughed and the conversation over the menu commenced. The waiter approached the table and Faye watched him intently. It wasn’t hard because he also was standing very close. He seemed to be suffering from the same drabness as the couple in the elevator. He was grey, like a faded black and white photograph. He took their orders in an efficient manner, but when it was Faye’s turn, she was still puzzling over his appearance. He looked at her and her curiosity did not go unnoticed. His face had been polite but it became cold and his look became hard.
“Ma’am?” he asked, his tone portraying his annoyance at her scrutiny.
It caught her off guard and she was flustered, taking a deep breath she regained her composure. She ordered, but she stared at the table as she spoke, her cheeks flushed with high color. He walked away leaving an uncomfortable silence in his wake. They all watched him until he had entered the kitchen.
“What was that all about?” Eric asked.
“I’m sorry.” Faye apologized. “It’s just his appearance threw me off. He’s like the people in the elevator. They all seem washed out and I feel like I’ve been thrown into an old black and white TV show.” She said, sighing softly and fiddling with a strand of her hair.
“I really wasn’t trying to be rude.” She said, her voice beginning to show emotion.
Rose, sensing she was upset, patted her hand gently.
“Of course you weren’t dear. I can’t say I overly noticed, but I was so wrapped up in the menu, I didn’t do more than glance at him.” She said with a reassuring smile.
The men nodded in agreement, offering reassuring comments.
“So what would you like to do today guys?” Rose said, changing the subject.
“I would like to go through the history wing of the hotel,” Faye said. She then stopped and smiled shyly, “It’s kind of my thing.”
“I would love to join you. Places like this always have famous people staying at them.” Rose said.
“Rose may not have mentioned this Faye, but she’s a gossip hound” Eric added with a smirk.
Rose stuck her tongue out at him playfully. It was easy to see they were very much in love.
Eric looked at Adam and said, “Well, as much, um, fun as that sounds to me, perhaps we could find a game of croquet or a nice napping spot instead?
Adam nodded, “Do you mind, Faye, honey?”
She shook her head, smiling at winking at him, “Not at all. I wouldn’t want to intrude on your loafing with learning anyway.”
The group laughed. Light conversation started and the tone at the table was jovial. Faye froze as she saw the door open. Her stare was drawn to the waiter as he headed toward them with a huge tray, gleaming with silver dishes. His expression was blank. Everyone turned t
o look at him with interest to see what had caused Faye such an issue earlier.
There was no missing what had gotten her attention. He still appeared gray and drab, but he had spots of bright, almost garish color on his face as though someone had attacked him with stage makeup. The men looked down, not sure what to say or even to think about this strange turn of events. However, Rose and Faye stared intently at him with classic deer-in-the-head-lights expressions. He paid no attention to them, laying their breakfast out silently and retreating immediately into the kitchen.
As the door swished shut, everyone looked at each other. The tension was so thick at the table it could be cut with a knife. Rose recovered first, nodding to the rest of the staff that was milling about. She picked up her silverware and began to eat, making comments about her omelet and the freshness of the orange juice. Everyone else, catching the drift that this would be a conversation for another time, followed suit. Conversation was sparse and forced as they all glanced at the door to see if the strange man would reappear and either further confirm or deny what they had seen.
He did not appear again. Another waiter came toward the end of the meal, his appearance normal, to check on them and see if they needed anything. Breakfast was finished quickly and most left half-eaten. A short time later, Adam pushed back from the table.
He looked over to Eric and a nod passed between them. He spoke to his wife, his tone sounded hushed and hurried.
“Faye, honey, I think it's time Eric and I moseyed along to find some prime loafing spots. You and Rose still gonna head over to the history wing? You are still welcome to join us if you want to.” Adam said as he took his napkin from his lap and placed it on the table.
“No, thanks, I am becoming more and more interested in the history of this place actually.” Faye said her brow wrinkled in thought.
“Well, then, we are off to do ’manly’ things.” Adam said with a comic puffing of his chest.
Both ladies rolled their eyes as they pushed back from the table and stood. With a quick kiss to their husbands, they headed back toward the hotel. Opening the heavy wooden door, they stepped inside and blinked as they waited for their eyes to adjust. The other patio door led straight into what appeared to be a smoking lounge. There was a long wooden bar against one wall. Its wood well polished. The shelves behind it were filled with bottles of all shapes, sizes and colors. The air, while not thick with smoke, carried the lingering smell of vanilla pipe tobacco. Faye inhaled deeply with a soft smile. It reminded her of evenings in her living room at home, while her father cataloged his finds and let her watch and as she got older, help. Against the opposite wall was an enormous fireplace so large it looked as if you would have to step in to touch the back wall. A low fire smoldered in the logs, a few sparks occasionally jumping up. The room was sparsely furnished with leather wing backed chairs and side tables with green shaded lamps. A larger round table set up in a corner appeared to have a top on it for poker games. It was vacant of people, so they took a minute just to take it all in. The room’s simple elegance and purpose were appreciated by both women as a touch of history. They headed for the door, feeling a little bit as if they were intruding on a sanctuary meant only for men folk. Pushing through the saloon style doors, they found themselves on the far side of the lobby to the right of the desk. The clerk was deep in conversation with the monkey-faced bell boy. Neither looked pleased with the other, Rose leaned over to speak softly to Faye.
“I think we will have to ask the clerk for directions to the history wing as I haven’t seen any signs.” She shivered slightly. “Not that I have any desire to speak to him.”
“I got this.” Faye nodded and replied. Squaring her shoulders, she walked confidently up to the desk, standing far enough back as to not intrude on the conversation that was going on, but closely enough to make it clear she needed assistance. The tones confirmed that whatever conversation that had been going on had indeed been heated.
As soon as she entered the clerks’ field of vision he turned to her and dismissed the bell hop with a wave of his hand. He grinned and she began to feel like a canary caught in the paws of the hungry cat. Forcing a calm demeanor, she smiled and asked in a syrupy-sweet voice, “I am so sorry to interrupt you, but my friend Rose and I are ever so excited about seeing the history of this magnificent hotel. I read in the booklet in the room that you have a wing devoted to just that?”
The clerk’s smile never faded, but something flared in his eyes. His voice mirrored her sugary sweetness.
“Why absolutely! It’s not a wing per se, but a portion of the basement storage area was renovated to pay homage to our amazing home.” He said.
Rose walked up to stand beside her friend, Faye’s confidence contagious.
“If you ladies are interested in seeing our heritage, I would be more than happy to give you the keys. We don’t leave it open all the time, so when you enter you will have to go through and turn on all the lights.” He picked up a key ring, and after a brief hesitation he removed one key from the ring before handing them to Faye.
“Enjoy yourselves. There is a house phone down there, so if you need any assistance just pick it up and dial zero. The entrance is the next door down the hall from the large Ballroom.” He oozed.
Faye took the keys. She wanted to ask about the key he had removed, but could not think of a tactful way to do so.
“Thank you for everything.” Rose said timidly.
Heading down the hall, Faye held the keys tightly in her hand. As soon as they were out of earshot of the clerk, Faye leaned over and spoke in hushed tones.
“So what is he trying to hide from us?” She asked.
Rose laughed softly.
“I think sometimes you read my mind Faye.”
They both smiled, a friendship forming effortlessly between them.
They walked down the same side hall they had traveled last evening. The door to the Ballroom burst open swinging mere inches from Faye’s nose. Rose grabbed Faye, pulling her aside quickly. A stout older man in a three-piece gray suit stormed through the door. His middle was bulging from one too many good meals and his pocket watch dangled from the end of its chain on his vest. His face was red with anger pulsing veins visible on his mostly bald head. He was followed by a woman in a peach sundress. Her long grey hair was swept up under a white hat. She wore pristine white gloves and carried a matching clutch purse. Faye was reminded of people headed off for Sunday church. The woman’s face matched his anger but there was an amount of pain evident in her eyes. The man turned to look at the pair and it only seemed to increase his anger. He looked at the woman, holding up one finger in an accusatory gesture.
“It’s her fault to begin with and I’m getting damn tired of her high and mighty attitude and orders.” He said, the words spewing forth like a hateful spat.
He turned on his heel and strode down the hallway. The woman sighed softly. She spoke to the pair, her tone sad.
“Please, forgive us. Are you all right Miss?” The older women asked.
“I’m fine.” Faye said in an understanding tone, “No apology needed.”
The older woman nodded with a grateful smile and then followed her partner down the hall at a hurried pace.
Rose and Faye exchanged glances and then shrugged.
“I have no doubt that when I’ve been married as long as they have, I’ll have moments like that as well.” Rose said with a small smile.
“Indeed.” Faye agreed with a nod.
She couldn’t help but wonder what the older man was referring to. Although it was probably a family thing, Faye was still nonetheless nosey. It came with the job.
“Now, off we go!” Rose directed, walking down the hall a few steps to the door they had been told about.
It differed from the other doors in the hall in that it had no number on it and the door handle shined, perhaps from getting less use then the others. Faye held out the key ring and flipped through the labeled keys. Even the keys gave hint to the hot
el’s history. They were larger and a bit more ornate then modern keys and their handles had inlaid scroll work on them. Each one had a small round tag that hung from it, identifying which lock it went to. Flipping though them, she found the one labeled “History Main Door” and slid it into the lock. The key was stiff in the lock. Faye exerted a slight bit of force and it turned, grudgingly rewarding her effort with a soft click. The door knob however turned effortlessly as the door swung silently inward. The interior was pitch black. It seemed as if they had opened a door into a deep cavern where no light could penetrate. For a slight moment, both of them were daunted by the depth of the blackness before them. However, curiosity overcame fear and Faye timidly reached inside the door, feeling around for a switch. The longer she felt with no luck, the more her trepidation grew. She was just about to withdraw her hand and give up when her fingertips brushed against the cool metal of a light switch plate. Giving an audible sigh of relief, she flipped the light on. A naked florescent bulb flickered to life, causing both women to cover their eyes against its harshness.
“That’s odd.” Rose said. “That’s the first really modern light fixture I’ve seen here.”
Faye nodded and stepped onto the landing and looked down the solid cement stairs. There was no railing so they both huddled against the wall as they made their way down into the basement. Their footsteps echoed, each woman trying to step lightly to avoid the sound. As they reached the bottom they took in their surroundings, both inwardly pondering exactly what renovations had been done. It looked like the floor might have been swept. A few reading tables had been added. Otherwise, the walls were lined with gray filing cabinets and one table had old newspapers stacked haphazardly on it. It wasn’t a large room and the low ceiling made it feel even smaller. There were 4 tables in two rows. A couple of feet beyond the second table was a thick wall of chain fencing closing the archives off from the main storage area, which was cluttered with tables and other random bits of equipment and furnishings. Most of it covered in sheets.
“This is not a history wing. It’s a morgue.” Rose said softly, her voice shattering the thick silence of the basement.
“Again, I was thinking almost the same thing.” Faye said.
“Nonetheless, whatever state it’s in, it’s still history and I think we will be unbothered as we browse. I think we are the first guests down here in a long time.” Rose said.
Faye nodded and they both headed further into the room.
“I’m going to start looking through these newspapers. All the good gossip will be in here.” Rose said with a smile.
Fay nodded again and made her way to the first filing cabinet. She slid the top drawer out, and it groaned in protest. It was full of picture albums that appeared to be in no particular order or of no particular subject. Picking up the stack she took them to the closest table, pulling out the chair. She dusted it off and settled in. Picking up the largest album, she looked over the cover. It was a plain, black matte and had no lettering on the front. On the spine, there was small, simple, gold-embedded lettering, “Eden” it said simply. Flipping it open to the first page, she found an old tin-type photo showing the hotel in construction stages behind a group of six men. Two men of similar looks stood in the front in early 1800’s style suits, bowler hats in hand. The rest of the men were in work clothing. Some of their faces were smudged with dirt, but all of their faces wore proud smiles. The bottom of the page bore one clear-cut sentence. The ink was a faded brown and the writing was the complicated fancy script that was popular in those days. It said, “Eden, the beginning 1809.” Faye looked up to see what Rose was up to. She was engrossed in a brittle, yellow newspaper. Instead of interrupting her, Faye flipped to the next page. There was another photo of the same type; however, the hotel was finished and 4 of the 6 previous men stood on its wide perch. The same man appeared in a similar suit, but this time he didn’t smile and his face had deep lines upon his brow. He looked as if he had aged 20 years. The caption, in similar style as the earlier one, said “Eden, completion 1821.” It had taken 12 years to complete this hotel. It seemed a long time even for that day and age. She wondered what had become of the other two men and why the gentlemen seemed so worn. She paused to turn the next page when Rose’s voice rung out to her.
“Hey, Faye, listen to this.” She held up a newspaper article and began to read.
“September 21st, 1821. The majestic hotel Eden had its grand opening ceremony today. On hand were William P. Bowers, the head financer and architect on this project. Standing with him were the remaining partners and foreman. Notably missing are Patrick O’Donnell and William’s brother Andrew. Both men had been killed in a tragic mudslide that occurred when the massive cellar was being dug. It halted construction for nearly a year as their bodies had to be carefully excavated and some feared that the grief would keep William from realizing his and his brother’s dream. However, construction reconvened the following spring. This is not the only tragedy to darken the doors of this regal place: A group of children who gathered to watch the construction on many days snuck into the site after hours to play. One of those children, a young girl aged 9, never returned from inside the hotel’s walls and authorities have no idea what became of her. Mr. Bowers cooperated fully with the police and family halting construction and using his laborers to search for the child. After weeks of combing the hotel and grounds, nothing was ever found. Rumors flew that the restless spirits of those killed on the site had taken the girl to punish the children for their intrusion.”
Rose stopped reading, and looked up at Faye with an eyebrow raised.
“That’s certainly not a cheerful start for this grand old lady is it?” Faye asked.
Rose shivered and shook her head no. “I figured that there would be a long registry of glitter and glam here, but that kind of start would make me want to stay away.”
Faye nodded, her forehead crinkled in concentration as she looked between the two pictures. She realized the shorter of the two gentlemen in the forefront of the photo had died in the cellar in which she now sat. Faye had never been superstitious. Ghosts were memories and bits of pieces left behind by those she was studying but not actual apparitions. Even so, the idea of two men being smothered to death by mud where she sat right now gave her a case of what her mother fondly referred to as the heebee jeebees. She flipped forward in the album. The next picture was considerably newer then the ones previously. It was black and white with edges that had begun to curl. It showed the front porch of the hotel that was filled to the brim with impeccably dressed staff. An older man sat in a wheelchair, his white hair a shock against the black suite of the man behind him. He looked frail and tired. The hotel’s facade was dressed for Christmas. Holly and pine boughs hung in swags and large bows were placed at intervals along the railings. The caption’s ink was still dark black and the writing was less fancy and unembellished: “Christmas, 1861.” She looked closely at the man in the wheelchair. It had to be William and he must have been at least eighty years old. She scanned the faces of the staff. She was about to turn the page when one face near the end of the line caught her attention. She held the book closely to her face for a better look. One of the waiters bore a remarkable resemblance to one who had given her such a fright this morning. Standing she carried the book over to Rose, who was flipping through a different stack of newspapers now.
“Hey Rose, take a look at this.” She didn’t point out what she had seen because she wanted to see if Rose came up with the same conclusion on her own without prompting. Rose laid the newspaper aside and took the album from her and started looking over the photo. She shrugged and started to hand it back when she snapped it back up and stared intently at the side of the photo.
“I would swear that was the weird waiter from this morning.” She said her voice sounding puzzled as she pulled the book very close to her face just as Faye had done.
“So, it wasn’t just me!” Faye said, her voice becoming excited.
“You k
now, though, with this being in such a remote place, it’s possible that families have worked here for generations.” Rose said, handing the book back to Faye.
“That’s true. I didn’t think of that.” Faye admitted.
“It seems from what I’m reading that this place was near bankruptcy until 1878 when the original owner died and it was sold to the Vincent Castelli. He took it over and turned it into a resort and get away for ‘Questionable Business Men’.” Rose explained.
"Ohh.” Faye murmured mostly uninterested but then quickly added, “Sounds like you found your gossip.”
“Indeed, looks like this became a headquarters for Italian Mafia families.” Rose said.
“With its remote location, controllable access, and luxury it would be perfect for that.” Faye agreed. Her curiosity piqued.
Laying the album down, they both began to flip through the papers looking for more information. They went through an entire stack that didn’t have a single mention of the hotel or anything to do with it.
“Odd, you would think they would only keep papers that pertained to the hotel in some form or another.” Rose commented, moving the innocuous papers to a different table and stirring up a good deal of dust.
“I agree, however, this doesn’t really look like it was of any real importance to anyone. My guess is random employees and hotel managers kept things they thought to be interesting.” Faye said as she refolded yet another random newspaper. She was about to lay it down when a small article caught her eye.
“Snow closes pass to the Eden: It seems that the Christmas guests at the Eden will be experiencing an extended stay as the worst blizzard to hit this region in 50 years rages across the mountains closing the pass from the Eden to the main highway. This is the first time that the hotel has been closed off from travelers in it’s almost one hundred year history. Hotel management has told us that they have more than enough provisions to ride the storm out. The police say that once the storm subsides, they will be running rescue parties up the highway to dig the guests out.”
Faye read it aloud as Rose flipped through another paper.
“That doesn’t sound too bad, I mean, unless you had somewhere else to be. I think this would be a charming place to spend a holiday.” Faye said.
“Oh, I think it wasn’t at all charming for them,” Rose said as she held up a paper. Its large, bold title caused a knot to form in Faye’s stomach.
“One hundred and eight people dead as an unknown plague strikes the Eden”
A frightening sight greeted rescue workers who went to help the Eden dig out of the post blizzard snow drifts. Over one hundred corpses greeted the workers and rescuers as they approached the hotel. Men, women, and children had been placed on the wide porch of the majestic hotel after succumbing to an unknown illness that has swept through the hotel like wildfire. Many inside were still ill while others seemed miraculously immune to this tragic sickness. A maid described the onset of the illness as frighteningly fast. Symptoms began with severe headaches and hallucinations. It drove sufferers mad: some saw bugs on their skin, or felt that dark phantoms were chasing them. More than one victim took their own life before the next stage of the illness which was debilitating as it made the victims weak while large boils and sores covered their skin. In the end, most of them died as whatever infected them ate the flesh from their bones even before they died. Authorities believe that symptoms were not seen outside the hotel as they had been in nature imposed quarantine. Those whom were still alive were taken to area hospitals. Once outside Eden’s walls they seemed to recover. They are however being kept in sterilized buildings until such time that they are considered free of the disease. No word on how long that may be. Doctors are still baffled and some believe that it was some kind of bacteria or fungus within the hotel that infected people. Doctors and emissaries from the governor’s office for public health combed the hotel from top to bottom but no causes were ever identified. The hotel will be closed until further notice.
Rose flipped the paper over to find a date.
“This was January second 1890” Rose said laying the paper down.
“What a horrible thing to be trapped in a place with that kind of illness raging through it and no way to know if you’d be next or what it was that kept one person from getting ill and the next not. The smell had to be horrendous. I imagine that’s why they put them outside. It was so cold, it would have kept them from decaying any further” Faye said, crossing her arms over her body and shuddering.
“I wonder how long it was closed.” Rose said as she looked through the next couple of papers.
Faye pulled a paper off a stack from another table.
“Here it is.” Faye said as she read from the front page.
“After nearly eight months of closure, the Eden will be reopening its doors with a Halloween costume ball. No cause was ever found for the mysterious illness that took the lives of so many people the previous winter. However, since no other cases were reported the Governor’s Office has cleared the Eden to reopen its doors. Owner Vincent Castelli issued a formal apology as well as generous compensation to the families who lost members during that horrible tragedy.”
“Wow, I bet he lost a pretty penny over that.” Faye said.
“No doubt!” Rose said sharply. “If I were him I would be afraid to reopen the hotel. Who knows what it was that killed those people or if it would happen again.”
“Well, you were looking for gossip on the past and instead we have found tragedy.” Faye said standing and rolling her head from side to side to alleviate kinks.
“And I’m really surprised I haven’t heard of this place. I’ve lived less than a couple hundred miles from here most of my life and I can’t say I’ve ever seen an advertisement or anything.” she continued.
Walking back over to the filing cabinets, she began randomly open drawers just to see what she would find. Rose did the same. Neither of them was really sure what it was they were looking for, but they were sure there had to be something else. Rose found an old, dusty travel magazine on top of one of the cabinets. It boasted a review of the top ten luxury hotels in the country. Flipping through to the cover article, she found that the Eden was placed as the number one exclusive getaway in the country for 1925. It boasted of the amazing atmosphere, the decadent foods, and the accommodations. It made no mention of the hotel’s grisly past. It did say however, that getting reservations at this esteemed location seemed to be based on who you knew. She finished the article, paging through to look at the pictures they had of the interior of the hotel. It didn’t seem like it had changed that much. It had newer carpeting, but otherwise it was like looking at a picture taken a few minutes ago as opposed to something taken eighty years previously. She laid the magazine down and looked up to see what Faye was doing. Faye was standing over the second table with a large stack of old papers she had pulled from a file box that was wedged between two cabinets. Rose walked over, peeking over her shoulder curiously.
“What did you find?” She asked, holding back the urge to pick it up and look herself.
Faye looked up, holding one of the pages up so she could see it.
“It appears to be old employee records and incident write-ups. No rhyme or reason to them. It almost looks as if they were salvaged from something and these random pages were all that was left. Perhaps there is yet another tragedy in this place that we have yet to discover. From the haphazard records, anything could be hiding between the pages …”
“But listen to this,” Faye said gently gripping a brittle yellow sheet of paper.
“It’s a dismissal form for a Doctor Frank Grunewald. The reasons listed are irresponsible care of plague victims, patient cruelty and performing treatments without permission.” Faye read grimacing at the last statement.
“I bet he had a hard time getting another job after that” Faye added laying the paper carefully on the desk.
“Oh I don’t think that was much of a concern to him” Rose said
studying the next paper in the stack.
Faye looked up at her puzzled.
Rose began to read from the paper.
“It’s an incident report, filed by Nurse Matrigold. This is her statement: After entering the infirmary suite I headed to the Dr’s private office to supervise his exit to make sure all Eden’s property stayed intact. He was seated in his chair. Protruding from his eyes were two 20 gauge hypodermic needles. I checked his pulse, he was deceased. I called for Mr. Castelli.” Rose finished shaking her head.
“He must have been a truly sick man” Faye said her imagination giving her a visual that turned her stomach.
Rose shivered slightly, nodding as she shifted through the piles. The rest of the papers were minor write ups, dismissals for attendance or incompetence.
“Let’s start at the file cabinet down at the end and just go through every drawer.” Rose started to say, but a noise from the far wall of the basement stopped her.
“Shhh …, I thought I heard something from out there.” She said gesturing to the gloom beyond the fence.
She walked over to the chain link, and peered into the darkness beyond, searching for the source of the noise.
“What did it sound like?” Faye asked, moving up beside her.
Rose shook her head.
“I don’t know. It was almost like a soft exhale and a rustling.” She replied, as she stared and squinted. She saw nothing but stacks of unused items, their looming shapes ominous in the gloom. She shrugged her shoulders and stepped back, her brow creased in confusion.
“It sounded so sad. I would have called it the wind if we were not in the basement.” Rose said.
Faye placed a hand on her shoulder.
“With all the things we are reading here, I wouldn’t be surprised that we are a bit jumpy and hearing things.” Faye responded and they both took another wide glance around the room, searching for any evidence of the sound’s origin.
Rose smiled at her.
“I am ever so glad I met you. Eric wouldn’t have lasted five minutes down here.” She said, walking to the first cabinet.
“Neither would Adam. He’s claustrophobic, so I doubt he would have made it down the stairs.” Faye said as she walked to the cabinet opposite of Rose’s on the other wall. They glanced once more over their shoulders toward the direction of the sound, reaffirming that there was nothing there. They opened the top drawers to begin their in-depth search. As Rose opened her drawer, a scream strangled in her throat, blood sloshed out of the drawer and flowed onto the floor. Floating in the grisly substance was the head of an elderly man, his eyes wide open and his mouth stuck in his final scream of pain. The skin was stretched over the bones, its leathery appearance giving it a mummified look. The man’s fixated stare seemed to be focused on her eyes pleading for help that was far too late. Jumping back in revulsion she stumbled striking her hip on the table’s edge, the table sliding across the stone floor creating a screech. Her mind reeled in terror over the grotesque sight. Hearing the commotion, Faye turned around just in time to catch Rose as she landed on her.
“Rose, what’s wrong?” Faye asked, her voice a mixture of confusion and concern.
Rose mutely pointed to the open file drawer, her voice still paralyzed by her fear. Steadying her against the filing cabinet; Faye made her way carefully to the open drawer. Peering inside, she became even more confused. She only saw several black scrapbooks and a guest sign-in book. She turned around and looked at Rose carefully.
“What scared you?” She asked.
Rose looked at her wide-eyed. Seeing Faye’s lack of reaction, she walked carefully back toward the drawer and looked at the floor for the pool of blood. To her shock, she saw nothing but gray stone. Rushing forward, she yanked the drawer all the way open. The drawer groaned in protest of her force. There were only books. She placed her hand over her eyes and sat hard on the table’s edge.
“There was blood, lots of blood, and a severed head … an old man, he was staring at me, and blood there was so much blood.” Her voice was weak and her expression defeated.
Faye looked between Rose and the drawer. She was skeptical, of course, as there was no trace of any blood and certainly no severed head, but Rose looked so frightened.
“I think we have had enough for today. Why don’t we head up and have tea on the porch. I think it would help you feel better.” Faye said, slipping her arm around Rose’s waist.
Rose nodded, weakly. She closed her eyes and allowed Faye to lead her up the stairs. Neither spoke as they entered the hallway. Faye flipped the lights off and locked the door. The hallway was silent as they headed back toward the lobby. Both of them were surprised to see that the light coming through the windows was that of late afternoon. Was it possible that they had spent the entire day down there? As they passed into the main lobby, the large grandfather clock confirmed that they had as it read a quarter-to-five.
“Wow, seems like we lost a bit of time down there.” Faye said, glancing at her companion’s pallor. She still looked shaky, but at least she appeared somewhat calmer.
Rose simply nodded.
“I’m surprised the guys didn’t come looking for us around lunch time.” Faye said making small talk as she walked up to the unattended desk.
“I don’t just want to leave the keys here.” She said, though it was obvious she would rather do that then deal with the clerk again. With a deep sigh, she pressed the bell on the counter to summon the clerk. A moment passed, no one came. Glancing over at Rose, she knew she needed to attend to her friend and not just stand here. She turned back to the desk and let out a small yelp as she came face to face with the monkey-faced bell boy who had appeared right in front of her. He smiled at her in a way that was almost cruel.
“Can I help you Ma’am?” He asked his voice unnatural high pitched.
“Y-yes, I needed to return these.” She stammered, holding out the keys.
His awful grin became wider and more gleeful.
“Oh, down in the archives. Did you enjoy yourselves?” He asked, concentrating his gaze on the still shaky Rose.
“Indeed, we did.” Faye said, becoming angry at his tone and ridiculous grin.
With that, she dropped the keys on the desk with a clunk and turned on her heel, striding back to Rose, her anger fueling her.
‘Who does that little creep think he is? I bet he is responsible for the sound and whatever it was that Rose saw.’ Faye thought as she slipped a reassuring arm around Rose’s waist and guided her out the front door. The late afternoon sun was welcoming warmth and the brightness a cheerful contrast to the hotel’s interior. Faye chose a table a bit away from the door and helped Rose into a large wicker rocker with soft cushions. She walked into the restaurant and ordered them both tea and some sandwiches. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until the smells of dinner preparations hit her. She sat down and looked over her companion. Her color was returning. She looked a bit more stable and less likely to faint at any moment. Neither spoke until a waitress came and sat a steaming teapot on the table as well as an assortment of finger sandwiches. She turned to leave, but paused and looked to Faye, speaking in a low tone.
“If I may say so, your friend looks a bit peaked.” Her voice was soft and had a bit of a British clip to it.
Faye looked up with a genuine smile. This was the first member of the staff who seemed normal. Her soft brown hair was pulled back in a barrette. She was rather plain looking but thankfully ordinary.
“Indeed, I’m thinking she might be having trouble adjusting to the altitude” Faye replied and added as an afterthought “Is there a doctor here?” She asked.
The waitress frowned a moment, but then nodded.
“There is an infirmary down the right wing” She said and without another word she bobbed her head in a bow and retreated into the kitchen.
Rose took a long sip of tea and a deep breath.
“I really must apologize to you for this. I must appear to be a complete nutcase.
” Rose said. Her voice was soft but it was regaining its old strength.
“No, not at all.” Faye smiled. “If whatever it was that you saw seemed real enough to you to cause such panic, then I’m not going to discount it. This place is full of strange things and strange people. I will admit your vision is a terrifying idea but we will discover its origin.” Faye explained.
Rose reached out and squeezed her hand in gratitude.
“I wonder where our men folk have gotten themselves off to.” Faye said.
“I have a guess. Remember that room we came through this morning? That smoking lounge, I bet if we go look, we will find them seated quite comfortably with a brandy and a cigar.” Rose said.
They finished their tea and sandwiches and went to see if Rose’s assumption was true. Walking back into the main lobby, the clerk gave a wave from behind the desk where he was sorting through the mail. The girls returned a stiff wave as they quickened their pace to avoid having any kind of conversation with the man. There was a light haze of smoke drifting over the saloon-style doors to the lounge. They exchanged looks and knowing smiles. Faye reached out to push the door open when Rose’s hand on her shoulder stopped her.
“I don’t want Eric to worry or to insist on going to check everything out. Can we keep today’s incident between us for now?” She asked.
Faye nodded, “Of course.”