Chapter 7
Upstairs, the couples slept. Rose moaned softly in her sleep, but no one heard. It seemed that she too was to have her dreams haunted by visions of the past. This time, she found herself standing in Mr. Castelli’s suite. He was sitting in a large chair, sipping a Brandy as he stared into the fire. The room appeared to be empty of his bodyguards, but it was safe to assume they were not far away. A soft knock at the door caused a smile to cross his face. He didn’t get up and, after a few moments, a beautiful, young girl stepped into the room. She was dressed in a hotel uniform of a plain, black pencil skirt and a cream, long-sleeved blouse. However, the top buttons of her blouse were undone and her long, black hair swung free. Her almond-shaped, brown eyes looked worried even though her full lips wore a smile. He held his arms out for her and she settled in his lap. For a brief moment, they were wrapped in a lover’s embrace and were content. Then she pulled away, and sat in the chair opposite him with a concerned look on her face.
“Vincent, I have to talk to you.” She said as she began to wring her hands.
He sat back looking a bit concerned himself. “What is it Maria?”
She paused a moment, looking as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Her eyes welled up with tears. “I’ve been to see the doctor, and he has confirmed my suspicions. I’m with child.”
Vincent smiled brightly, speaking happily. “That’s fantastic news!”
She looked relieved and puzzled at the same time, “But what about Sylvia?”
Vincent waved his hand in dismissal. He stood and pulled her into his arms, “My wife is barren and annoying. I married her to appease my family and I’ve always wanted a child.”
Maria smiled happily. She was relieved. He sat and pulled her back into his lap and started playing with her hair. “We will get you the finest medical care to be had. I will bring the best baby Doctor here to the hotel, so you will want for nothing. The suite across the hall is yours now. I won’t have you in the staff quarters anymore, and when my baby is born, he will have my name and be accepted by my family. Italians know how important family is, and they will not reject any son of mine or his mother.”
“Thank you, Vincent. This is more than I could have hoped for.” She said with a few joyful tears running down her face, refraining from mentioning that the child had just as much a chance of being a girl as it did a boy. It made no sense to ruin his mood.
Rose watched in confusion. From Natalie’s description of this girl, she killed herself because she felt Vincent wasn’t doing enough for her. Yet they seemed very happy. The scene started to fade in front of her, and Rose assumed she was waking up until it was replaced with the same room. This time there was no fire and snow was softly falling outside the window. Vincent stood, staring out the window. He wore a scowl. A sharp knock at the door only served to deepen it. He stalked to the door and opened it. A fancy piece of work strode in. She was dressed in a skirt suit of stark black. Her platinum blonde hair was salon styled into a formal up-do. Her makeup was flawless and around her shoulders, she wore a silver, fox shrug. Her eyes were a piercing blue and her pouty lips were curved into a sneer. Rose recognized her at once-- it was Penny, the dance instructor.
“Hello, my husband.” she said her voice colder than the ice etched on the window sill.
“Sylvia.” he said flatly.
“You don’t look happy to see me. I assumed you summoned me to this dreadful place because you so missed my company.” She said with mock sincerity.
“I bought you the penthouse in New York so I wouldn’t have to endure your company.” He replied.
She feigned hurt and pouted as she pulled off her kid gloves. “Fine, what is it you wanted?”
He sunk into his chair. Lines of worry creased his face as he spoke very quietly, but very seriously. “Maria is pregnant with my child. The baby is due in the spring and after the birth, I will be taking her back to Italy to see my family.”
He glanced at her to see her reaction. Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to speak, but he held up a hand to silence her. He sat up, looking into her eyes, “Do not worry. Our loving marriage is in no danger; however this child and Maria will be welcomed as part of the family.”
She paused a moment, as if trying to decide if this was a battle she could win. After a moment, she simply nodded. “I knew in time this would happen. I will stay here a few days as I’m tired from traveling. I’ll have my things sent up.”
At first Vincent looked relieved. He had expected more drama out of her but her lack of scene actually caused him more worry then if she had carried on. She walked silently out the door. Rose felt herself following along behind her. She walked down the hall to the elevator. Her face now showed her fear. Despite his assurances, she had no doubt once this whore and her brat got into the family and she promised more spawn, Sylvia would be displaced. She needed a plan and she needed it quick. When she reached the Lobby she found it noisy and irritating. She wandered out to the garden and sat by the fountain. After a moment, it seemed like she was speaking to someone but Rose was unable to tell who it was. She saw Sylvia talk adamantly with her hands, showing her frustration, but she wasn’t able to hear what was being said. Whomever she was speaking to must have given her something to help ease her mind, because she walked out of the garden with a calm and slightly disconcerting smile. She walked into the Lobby and up to the desk. She asked for a piece of paper and scribbled out a note. She asked that it be delivered to the presidential suite. She quietly slipped through the ‘Employees Only’ door and up to the staff rooms. Given the time of day, the halls were empty. She crept into a now empty room and waited. Rose watched as Maria, heavy with child, entered the empty room. She was in the room but a moment when Sylvia was on her. She wound a nylon stocking around her neck and tightened it squeezing the life from the terrified girl. Maria fought back, but the weight of the baby made her unwieldy. Sylvia overpowered her and after a few horrifying moments, Maria’s eyes closed forever. Rose watched in horror as two young lives were lost.
Sylvia slicked her hair back and straightened her dress. Not an ounce of remorse showed on her face. She stood and prepared to leave, but the door flew open as a frantic Vincent came rushing in, holding a crumpled note in his hand. He surveyed the scene for only a second before he pulled off his belt and mercilessly wrapped it around Sylvia’s throat. Quickly and brutally he choked the life out of her. When she was dead, he tossed her to the side, taking Maria in his arms. He smoothed her hair as his tears fell. Rose’s heart broke. She wanted so much to comfort this man, but she knew these shades could not be touched. She closed her eyes as she felt herself spiraling up toward the world of consciousness.
She awoke. Staying still for a moment the tears slipped down her cheeks for all that had been lost. How truly sad this place really is she thought and as she turned her head toward the curtains she saw sunlight sneaking in.
She slipped quietly out of bed, glancing at the clock. She was surprised to see it read almost 9 AM. She slowly pulled the curtains open, allowing the room to be filled with the warm sunshine. She heard movement behind her, and turned to see everyone else starting to stir. Adam pushed himself up with a groan.
“Now, that has to be one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.” he said, staring out the window.
“Same here.” Eric said.
Faye sat up with a brief smile, but did not comment as last night’s dream was still fresh on her mind.
“Is something bothering you Faye?” Rose asked.
Faye nodded, taking a deep breath. She told them about her dream and some of her theories. They all listened intently.
“I can certainly see your points and thoughts. All I can say, is I hope it isn’t true because I have no other idea on how to save us.” Rose said sadly. She wanted so much to believe the child, but Faye was right. Perhaps the Old One was counting on that.
“I would like to try to talk to Phillip, but I have a feeli
ng he is afraid to speak outside of dreams due to the Old One’s influence.” Faye said.
“After his performance in our room the other day, I’m inclined to agree with you.” Adam said.
“What do we do now? Our carpet of certainty has been pulled out from under us.” Eric said angrily.
“We don’t know for certain that she was lying to us.” Rose said. “However, I think we need to come up with our own plan.”
“Yes I agree. So, when they start their parade, we go out the side door and make a break for the car. If she did set us up, they will be looking for us to go out the patio doors but at a later time. It might give us a bit of a head start.” Adam said.
“I like that idea. There is, however, one small problem with your plan.” Eric said and lifted his leg out from under the covers. His ankle was now doubled in size and a patchwork of red and purple splotches.
“I haven’t put any weight on it yet but I have a feeling that it’s not going to support me walking much less having to run.” Eric said sadly. There was a deep sigh from the group and Faye’s brow furrowed in thought.
Adam thought of the promise he had made the night before.
“Wait! That day that Rose passed out on the porch Natalie had Henry bring us an antique wheelchair. If we can get that for you, then we can wheel you out. It won’t slow us down that much.” Faye said excitedly.
Adam felt a rush of relief wash over him.
Rose closed her eyes and images of the infirmary splashed into her mind. She hoped it was not that chair that they would bring. She kept silent. No one needed the extra stress of those thoughts.
“What an excellent idea! We can just tell them that I need it to go to the ball. We all know they wouldn’t want me to miss that. Can I have a couple more aspirin though? This thing is excruciating.” Eric said as he laid back. Relief was evident in his voice.
“Faye and I will go down and get the chair. You guys order us a big breakfast with lots of meat. I’m starving this morning.” Adam said as he carefully stood upright. The pain in his side made him wince.
“Ok but hurry back please. I don’t want to have to come looking for you.” Rose said as she handed him three pills as well.
They dressed quickly and headed to the lobby. They passed several couples strolling toward the front door and they were both thrilled that they looked normal. The knowledge that they were walking corpses was enough without having to see how they became so. They walked up to the front desk. Phillip stood there, glancing over the sign- in book.
“Good Morning!” Faye said with a smile.
He looked up at them and his brow furrowed. “Good morning. How can I help you?”
“Well, you may have heard or noticed last night that Eric injured his ankle. He can’t walk and of course he doesn’t want to miss this evening’s festivities. We were wondering if Henry could bring us a wheelchair so that he can get around easier.” Faye explained with a false cheerfulness. She was having a hard time getting the picture of the bullet wound in his forehead out of her mind.
“Ah, yes. I’ll have him bring it up right away. I’m sorry he has been injured.” He said and picked up the phone to fill their request.
They looked at each other and shrugged and headed back to the elevator. The hall was more filled then she had ever seen it. People sat at almost every table chatting. There was an air of anticipation among them. Some stole concealed glances at them as they walked by while others just stared. Faye grabbed Adam’s hand and picked up her pace back to the elevator. Once inside, they both sighed softly.
“I felt like dinner.” Faye said quietly.
“Well, essentially we are. To them, we are what keep their world turning. Some of them probably still remember what it’s like to be like us. Some never were us, but they know in order to keep their paradise, we have to fill the hourglass.” Adam said with a shrug.
They exited the elevator. It was easy to think of them as evil beings who wanted to kill them however, if you looked at it from their point of view, they were just trying to ensure their own survival. None of them asked for this existence, but it was all they had. She felt sorry for them, but not sorry enough to give them her life or the life of her unborn child. They walked back to the room and knocked softly, waiting for the door to open. Rose let them in after a few moments. They walked in. Adam was disappointed to see the food had yet to arrive.
“They are going to send the chair up.” Faye said.
“I ordered a big breakfast. It will take a little bit longer than normal because of how much I ordered.” Rose said.
“Did anyone ever stop to think where the food they feed us comes from?” Eric asked.
“I’m guessing the hotel is part of the realm and is renewed as they are.” Adam replied.
“I like that idea. Let’s just go with that ok?” Faye said, her voice a little edgy at the thought of the food being anything else. “I’m going to take a shower while we wait on breakfast.”
“Please leave the door open.” Adam called after her.
Once the water was running, Rose walked over and sat on the bed next to Adam.
“How is she?” She asked with a low voice.
“I’m worried. This is a lot of stress at a very early stage of the pregnancy. We have no idea what kind of damage the wreck caused, and it’s going to be a bit before I can get her to a proper hospital.” Adam said, running his hands through his hair.
“We will get out of here and the baby will be just fine.” Rose said reassuringly.
“I do hope you’re right.” Adam said, lying back on the bed. While they waited for the food, they took turns taking showers. Rose and Eric took one together so that she could hold up him. Conversation was scarce as they all pondered their situation. The rain had stopped and the sun was shining. It was hard to fathom they were in a hotel full of dead people and that when that beautiful sun set once more, it was very possible that they would be fighting for their very lives. Every fiber in Adam’s being wanted to take off and go. To just sit here, and wait to see what fate brought them was very hard for him to handle.
There was a knock at the door and a delicious smell came wafting up from underneath. When Faye opened the door, an unknown waiter pushed the cart in and left it without saying a word. It was significantly larger than the other carts had been. There were a number of covered dishes, a large carafe of orange juice, and one of ice water.
They all pulled their chairs up to the cart and ate voraciously.
“There’s nothing like fear to give you a good appetite.” Eric said with a smile.
“You would think the opposite, but I agree with your assessment.” Adam said. He stopped eating long enough to ask, “So what do we do? It’s eleven o’clock now. We have nine hours until the Ball starts.”
“Technically, we have about seven hours. We do have to get ready.” Faye corrected.
Adam laughed loudly and leaned over to kiss her cheek, “Even in a situation like this, you want to look your best. I love you honey.”
Faye smiled. She usually got annoyed at his little jibes, but it was nice to have some kind of normalcy in this mess.
“I’m going to say a stroll through the garden is out.” Eric said with a wince as he lifted his leg.
“I doubt our gracious hosts want us going outside anyway, too much of a risk that we might run.” Rose said.
“I’m sure we are under close surveillance. We have all seen their ability to become invisible.” Faye pointed out.
They suddenly realized that they had better censor what they discussed as it may tip off the opposite faction that they were on to them.
“I think we should spend the day relaxing so we can party all night. I mean, we have been told this Ball is unforgettable.” Faye said with her false cheerfulness.
Another knock at the door caused them all to jump. Henry stood outside the door with the wheelchair and another bucket of ice. He smiled sadly and handed the ice bucket to Faye. He silently motioned her ou
t into the hall indicating that she should shut the door. She pulled it closed as a puzzled expression came over her face.
“I know, right now you’re a might confused. But just be ‘membering who bin helpin’ you all along” He said. His country accent and speech pattern were unmistakably redneck.
Faye shook her head in confusion at everyone’s behavior so far today. Carrying the ice bucket in one hand, she opened the door with the other and rolled the chair in. She kept going over Henry’s words in her mind.
“Eric, your chariot has arrived.” she joked.
“Thanks! Perhaps I can put playing cards in the spokes?” He replied with a laugh looking it over. It was made of multi colored whicker with huge wheels.
“Speaking of cards, I happen to have a deck in my bag. We could while away some of our free time with a poker game if you like.” Adam said.
“That sounds better than sitting here staring at that clock.” Faye said.
“I’m in.” Eric said.
“I don’t really know how to play, but I will try.” Rose said.
For the next few hours, they played several games of poker, gin, rummy, and in the end, go fish. Conversation was kept light though they could feel the pressure of their situation hanging over them like a dark cloud. As distracted as Rose tried to be, she couldn’t help but think of her dream of the infirmary and wonder how many people had been subjected to the horrors of that room. How many of them still wandered these halls after dying at the hands of that butcher? She thought back to the Ballroom last night. She didn’t recall seeing a pregnant woman. Rose knew Maria had died here and she couldn’t even fathom the idea of being stranded in this isle of the dead, perpetually pregnant. As she pondered Maria, she thought back to the voice she had heard while she was choking. It must have been Maria. Perhaps she had been granted some small dignity of becoming a regular spirit instead of the walking dead here. Perhaps some souls are so pure they cannot be held in body like the others here. They were still caught in limbo, but they could not be forced to hold body and carry on this distressing charade of life. Rose played automatically as she delved through these thoughts and many more.
Across the table Faye sat in thought as well. She was trying to fathom the situation they had found themselves in. Was something like this even possible? Perhaps this was all some dream and she was laying in a bed in a coma somewhere. As pleasant as that idea was, she knew it wasn’t true. They had been tricked into coming to a place of true terror, where their fear was only the top layer of thousands of other fears and tears that were held in these walls. She pondered how and why were they chosen? She looked at her cards, not really seeing them. She glanced around at the other faces, wondering what thoughts lay below the rather blank expressions everyone wore. The time passed at a decent rate, however as the sun started to sink, everyone felt the tension grow.
Around five, an audible growl was heard from Adam’s stomach. Faye laughed.
“I think time has come for dinner. Would we like to order up or go down to the restaurant and stretch our legs?” Faye asked.
“Nothing odd has happened all afternoon. Let’s not jinx it, shall we?” Rose said stretching.
They nodded in agreement. After surveying the menu, they each ordered a dish.
“I’m going to start setting my hair.” Faye said, pulling her rollers out of her bag.
“I’m going to put my gown in the bathroom to steam it. Would you like me to do yours as well Faye?” Rose asked.
“Yes, please. We did kinda pack quickly.” Faye replied with a nod.
Rose nodded and carried the two gowns into the bathroom.
After watching Faye twist her hair up into curlers for a few minutes, Adam spoke. “Once again, I’m so happy to be male. I shave, slip into my costume, and escort Beauty to the Ball.”
Faye smiled at him with a wink. Just as she finished putting her hair up into rollers, there was a knock on the door. Faye got up and answered it. Natalie stood there with the cart. This time however, her eyes went wide at the sight of Faye and she suppressed a giggle. “The price we pay for beauty huh?” Faye said with a wide grin.
“Indeed.” Natalie said with a smile. She turned to leave and then paused, turning back.
“I hope you make it. I’m praying it’s the end of this ordeal for all of us.” She said. Before Faye could reply, Natalie disappeared into a swirling black cloud and flew down the hall out of sight.
Faye stood for a moment, confused. How did Natalie know? She thought back and recalled seeing her leaning over the desk talking to Phillip, and the light bulb snapped on in her head. She pushed the cart back in.
“I know who Natalie was! Phillip too!” Faye said excitedly.
“What do you mean?” Rose asked
“Do you remember when we went on the tour and she told us about the gangster and his young bride? He was shot in the head, and out of grief she threw herself from the window. Phillip had the bullet wound in his head, and remember when you saw all those cuts on Natalie and the broken glass at her feet? She was trying to warn us!” Faye said.
“Phillip has been giving us warnings since that night at dinner.” Rose said causing Faye to recall what the handyman had said.
“This is very confusing. Wait, I don’t remember that story on the tour.” Adam said.
Faye and Rose exchanged glances. So much had been going on, they weren’t sure they had given their husbands all the details. It was hard to remember.
“It was when Natalie took us to all the off limits areas-- when Rose found the infirmary and the ritual area in the basement.
Both men’s jaws dropped.
“Ritual area?” Adam asked his voice bordering on annoyed.
“Hospital?” Eric asked, his voice echoing Adam’s tone.
Rose and Faye cringed at the tone and sighed.
“So much has gone on that perhaps little details have gotten lost in the mix.” Rose said tentatively.
Both men gave her looks, crossing their arms. Rose took a deep breath. She began to explain in complete detail about the infirmary and the ritual room as well as the visions she had in them. They all listened intently. Faye grimaced at the hospital scenes, feeling her stomach turn. After she finished, they took a moment to digest what they heard.
“So, you’re telling me not only are we staying in a hotel full of dead people, but they are held here by some dark pact signed by an unknown person, at some point in history?” Adam asked, his voice mirroring the disbelief Faye had conveyed at the original occurrence.
Rose once again became defensive. Her voice was angry. “Well, next time I see a vision I’ll make sure to stop it and ask for all the details just for you.”
Eric stepped up to his wife’s defense. His voice was cordial, but there was an unmistakable hardness to it, “I will remind you that Rose’s visions and abilities to communicate with the shades are the only things that have gotten us this far. She has no control over them. She sees whatever was impressed on the room in those cases so let’s try to be a bit nicer, shall we?”
Adam bristled at the lecture and Faye frowned deeply. “Listen, we are all under a colossal amount of stress here. We have to try to escape this horrible place alive and fighting amongst us is not going to accomplish anything. We are a team and we need to remain that way. Yes, Rose’s visions give part of the story and, to be honest, at this point that’s all I really want. It’s probably all she can take. Now let’s concentrate on tonight and what we are going to do.”
“Indeed, and we have a very short time to figure it out in.” Eric said.
“Let’s eat first and then we can get ready. Honestly, we are going to have to play this on gut instincts. I can’t tell who to trust and who not to anymore.” Rose said.
They sat and ate in silence. After the meal was finished, they started getting ready. Adam rolled Eric into the bathroom so they could shave while the women fixed their hair and makeup. Faye carefully arranged her curls up on top of her head, pinning he
r tiara in place. She had not been able to resist dressing up as Tatiana for the Ball. Rose brushed her long hair out, added a few curls, and pinned it back with jeweled combs. Faye could not help but wonder what character Rose had chosen.
“It took me a long time to decide on my costume.” Rose said, as if reading Faye’s mind. “But in the end, I decided to just go with Peaseblossom, a simple fairy servant”
“That’s an interesting choice. I’m sure your costume will be beautiful.” Faye said as she applied the glitter to her eyelids.
For a moment, it was easy to forget that they were living a nightmare, in which this grand place was full of dead people that were just waiting to sacrifice them to keep their world afloat. For a fleeting moment they were just two friends getting ready for a spectacular party. Faye wanted so much to drift off into that fantasy but when she closed her eyes, the leering dead man’s face laughed at her, mocking her naivety. Sighing, she finished her makeup.
“I am so glad I decided to go with slippers instead of heels tonight.” Faye said.
“I was planning to go barefoot but given the new circumstances, I think I will wear my silk slippers.” Rose replied.
The bathroom door opened and the men folk emerged.
“Make sure all the bags are packed. I’m going to hide them by the back exit door. I would take them out to the car, but I think that might arouse suspicion.” Adam said.
“I would go ahead and stick them in the car. They think they have us.” Rose said.
“Get my keys out of my bag and put them in your pocket. You are going to have to drive Adam.” Eric said.
“Good point.” Adam said nodding his head. “I will go put them in now and take a look at the mud as well as check out our escape route.”
“I don’t like you going down there alone.” Faye said anxiously.
“I’ll be fine. Rose is right. They think they have us and they wouldn’t take a chance on injuring me if I don’t try to run. If anyone asks, I’ll say we have to do an early morning check out to get back in time, so I’m just loading the baggage now to save time.” Adam said, kissing his wife.
They packed up everything in the bags except their costumes. Adam quickly left with a smile. Faye watched him leave, her expression troubled.
As he walked down the hall, the bravado he had put on for his wife and friends wavered a bit. He didn’t relish the idea of going alone, but at the same time he knew it just wasn’t feasible to roll Eric with him and he certainly didn’t want to place any more anxiety on the women. He shifted the bags so that he could stop and press the down arrow. So many things had happened in his few days here. His entire perception on life and well, life after death had been completely shifted. He almost felt sorry for the spirits here. They weren’t coming after them out of malice, but out of survival. Whoever started this kingdom of the dead had to be one twisted mind. Most were just pawns placed into a never ending loop of sacrifice to survive. After the elevator came to his floor, he struggled to slide the gate open with a semi free hand. He wondered who they should be trusting. Phillip and Natalie had been warning them in various ways since they had arrived. However Emily was just a child. How could a child be so devious? He shut the door and began to descend. He silently prayed that the elevator would descend as it should and not take him back to that hellacious hallway. He had no desire to come face-to-face with whatever beast had been making that sound. The elevator shuddered for a moment as if pulling the thought from his mind and preparing to send him back. His heart skipped a beat but then it continued to move as it should to the lobby. He struggled with the gate, glancing around as he exited the elevator.
The hall was empty, or at least appeared that way. Knowing what he did about the inhabitants here there was no way of knowing if anyone was there or not. He walked slowly and as nonchalantly as possible toward the side door. He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until he let it all out in a whoosh as the door closed behind him. He relaxed just a touch as he made his way toward the sports car, still deep in the mud. He set the suitcases down and pulled the keys from his pocket. On the way out, they got stuck on the edge of his pants and fell to the ground. He bent over to pick them up and as he rose back up he came face-to-face with Emily, her pale skin and hair setting off her blazing, blue eyes. At first, they simply regarded each other. Eric wondered if she knew they doubted her intentions. She stared at him intently before smiling a smile that caused goose bumps to rise on his neck. Then, in her sweet child-like voice, she simply said.
“Oh, yes. You will do just fine.” She said with a slight giggle. She vanished into a cloud of swirling, black smoke.
Adam stood still a moment, confused by her statement. On the surface, it seemed that she was reassuring him that he would survive this ordeal, yet something in the tone and the way she looked at him made him think that it meant something entirely different. He shook off the chills the experience had given him and opened the trunk, slipping the bags inside. He walked around to the driver’s side door. As he put the keys in the lock, he could feel hundreds of eyes watching his every move, but when he looked around he saw no one. He put the key in the engine praying for it to turn over. He smiled when its powerful engine roared to life. He pushed down on the gas and his heart sunk as she just spun her tires throwing dirt and mud several feet away. He placed it in reverse, and gently rolled her backward. He gained some ground by using a back and forth rocking motion to pull the car from the grooves it had made in the mud earlier. He carefully turned it around, placing it in a position for a quick getaway. He sat for a moment.
He closed his eyes while he ignored the pain in his ribs and pushed back the irrational urge to try to make another attempt at leaving. He knew he couldn’t place Faye in that kind of danger again. Sighing, he turned the car off and stepped out carefully. He placed the keys deep in his pocket. The last thing he wanted to do was to fail because he lost the keys. He walked back toward the door. He still felt the heaviness of multiple stares on him, but shrugged them off. He knew they were the least of the things yet to come.
Phillip watched him place the bags in the car, keeping his eyes on him until reentered the building. Turning, he glanced at the room. The small dining room was packed to the brim with serious faces. Glancing around he tried to estimate how many had managed to cram themselves into his impromptu meeting. Natalie squeezed his hand and with a reassuring smile she motioned him forward. Phillip stepped up in front of the crowd.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, you are here because you all feel it is time to stop the cycle of violence and blood. It’s time to stand up and say no, we will kill no more. You have all thought about the consequences of what will happen if we succeed in stopping the ritual. If we fail, I cannot fathom the depth of Emily’s rage at our defiance. She has a plan. I don’t know what it is and all I can hope to do is circumvent her.
When the glass is opened Emily is expecting them to run out the front across the lawn. As you all know, we are all weaker when the glass is open so it may be easier to stop the evil ones as they should not be able to dissolve and travel. This will give the living ones a chance to get away. I suspect they intend to run sooner and will go out the side door. Once the living ones are free of the Ballroom, we must bar the doors to hold the evil ones back. When the clock strikes the twelfth time, the pact will be broken and we should all move on.” Phillip explained, glancing back to look at Natalie who smiled in approval.
The crowd murmured throughout the room, all of them ready to be free, no matter what the cost.