Shadows

Chapter 1: The game has begun.

James sprinted down the the inky black hallway. That long uninviting abyss. No amount of light it seemed would be able to penetrate the darkness that overwhelmed him. It had been a dark cold december night when 26 year old James Fisher sought refuge in an old seemingly abandoned hotel. An old weathered sign ,probably 20 years old, hung on one of the windows. “Closed for Renovations. Come back soon.” James started to slowly turn around when he heard a faint click. A light had turned on. So someone was here. He walked in briskly escaping the frozen tundra called the outdoors. After poking around the lobby for a few minutes, an arthritic crotchety  man came out. His eyes were those of a hawks. They seemed to burn into you. Tried to find out everything it could about the being in front of them. Exploiting your darkest secrets would no doubt be of great pleasure to the unsettling man that stood before James. He came to his chest but that in no way made him less frightening as he hobbled angrily towards James.

“What are doing here?” The man questioned quite forcefully through a thick Irish accent.

“I needed somewhere to stay for the night, when I saw your hotel light go on I figured someone was here.” James explained as the eyes searched him.

“Are you stupid?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Thick in the head no doubt.” The hawk-eyed man let out a small spurt of manic laughter..

“I not quite sure wh-”

“Oh wait I see! You can’t read. The poor dear, whatever shall you do.” The words dripped with sarcasm and disdain.   

“Could I please just have a room for the night.”

“Fine then. The little ninny can’t brave mother nature.” The old man mumbled under his breath just loud enough so that it was audible to James. The man handed him a key and told him the room number. James found his room with ease. It was only a 30 seconds walk from the lobby on the first floor. He was a bit baffled as to why the hotel was closed for renovations. There wasn’t a  speck of dust to be found in his room and looked as though no one had ever been in it. He brushed off the thought as he groggily put on his pajamas and got into bed. The clock read 12:27 am. He definitely needed sleep. James drifted off wondering about the strange old man and those eerie hawk-like eyes of his. He awoke to the feeling of being watched. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he lay in his bed pretending to be asleep. The darkness of night masked whatever it was observing him. It was as black as a raven’s feather in the room.  Slowly the feeling left and he looked at the clock. 11:19 am. How could he have slept that long! How come it was still dark? What had been watching him? Isn’t it the middle of the night. Then it started that horrible deranged maniacal laugh that seemed to pierce ones soul. Just as suddenly as it had started it stopped. That was it. James was leaving. He sloppily packed away the few belongings he had taken out and quickly got dressed. As he was about to open door the voices began.

“It’s time to play the game.”

“He’s going to be just like the others.”

“Watch him run. Watch him try and escape this labyrinth.”

He must be having a nightmare. Cold icy fear seized him as he realized this wasn’t a dream. He flung the door open and ran. Sight and voice had failed him as he ran aimlessly through the darkness. He opened his mouth but was immediately suffocated by the somber pitch of the hall. Then it came to him yet again. His room was only 30 seconds from the lobby. Why was it taking him this long.  His foot hit a wrinkle in the carpet and he flew to the ground. He lay there flailing and trying to regain his senses.

“I wish I had light!” That was the only thing he could manage to finally choke out. It was blinding! The blazing light filled his eyes. Now that he had light there was still nothing to see. Just the burning white that couldn’t be blocked out even when his eyes were closed.

“He should be careful what he wishes for.” One of the voices pointed out.

“Please make it stop! Less light! I need less light!” James screamed as he clawed at his eyes trying to make the searing pain he felt cease. The lights leveled out as his heart skipped a beat.

“Stop toying with him. He will die anyway.” That voice belonged to him. That old, arthritic, hawk-eyed man. James took in his surroundings. He was in a long hall with other corridors coming off all sides of the hall. The eyes seemed to appear on the wall in front of him.

“You should have read the sign. You should have run from an abandoned hotel. Your own mistakes have led you here and now you have to beat the game. Find your way out of this infinite maze. This infinite labyrinth that has claimed the lives of all who have entered. Hear this warning and take note now. Beware of those who lurk in the shadows. The darkness is what you should really fear. I shall be watching and waiting for you to join them. The darkness and those who reside in it. I will not be able to hold them back once the game has begun. They haven’t a shred of pity left in their black souls.”

The deranged laugh that filled him with terror rang throughout the foreboding halls. The eyes disappeared. The light vanished. All but one candle. That pair of scrutinous eyes had already won and the game had just begun.

A.N: I have never really uploaded any of my stories let me know if I should keep going with this. It would be really cool if people read this and gave me feedback.