✺ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 ✺- Josh Kiszka

Part 32

Josh led the three of us to the front of the decrepit, forlorn building ahead, attempting to explain his reasons behind bringing us here without ruining the surprise he apparently had waiting for us.

"This looks illegal," Violet stated boldly, giving the tall, metal fence that surrounded the brick structure before us an unsure once-over.

"I've done this a million times," Josh assured, "and please, as if you care about what's illegal."

Violet shot Josh an irritated look, followed by an eye-roll and turned back to me,

"You're good with this?" she asked, raising an impish, questioning eyebrow along with it.

"I mean, it seems fun to me," I replied with a smile.

"Alright," she sighed, "If I need a tetanus shot after this, you're paying for it Joshua," she added, pointing a playful finger in his direction.

"Fine by me," he replied before directing his attention back to me, "ladies first," he stated, kneeling down next to the fence and cupping his hands together, indicating for me to use it as a boost up over the fence.

~~~~~~~~

Getting to the other side of the fence only took us just a few minutes. The ground under our feet was covered in rocky gravel that looked almost black in the dusk light. It crunched loudly as we all stepped around, picking up our discarded blankets and bags.

"This is the easiest way in," Josh informed, pointing over to a beige, metal door that stood isolated in the center of the red brick wall.

The four of us followed Josh's lead when he pushed it open. A loud metallic creak of the old hinges echoing out as he did so. The inside of the hotel was almost completely dark, save for the minimal amount of pale light of the street lamps outside that flooded in through the occasional shattered window or crack in the wall.

The door closed with a clang behind us, and the space became even darker. It felt eerie and I had an uneasy feeling as we all stood for a moment in the hall, squinting into the area ahead of us trying to let our eyes adjust to the dark. I felt Josh step closer to my left, and gently interlace his fingers into mine.

It was a small gesture, but it felt nice to know Josh could sense my apprehension. I heard the sound of rustling cloth to my right, and soon after a bright light flooded the room. Sam had flipped on a flashlight and pointed it down the hall, moving the light up and down across the walls and floor. Old paintings of ships and beaches littered the walls, and piles of cardboard boxes lined the floor. The carpet was practically disintegrating and there were long flakes of paint that had long since peeled and fallen from the walls.

"Josh this is creepy as hell," Violet stated, leaning into Sam's side for comfort.

"Just down here it is," Josh replied, "come on."

Josh stepped forward in front of Sam and Violet, his figure casting a long dark shadow down the hall. I held onto his hand and followed him while he carefully stepped around the trash and other articles were strewn about.

The hall we had come down led into an open room, mostly empty except for a few upholstered lounge chairs pushed lazily into one corner, and a curved counter that stood on the other side. The room was brighter than the hall, mostly due to the streaming light coming from the glass doors on the far right wall. The carpet had ended and now we stood on spotted tiles that stretched across the room.

Josh rounded the corner and we then stood in front of a metal elevator door. The light of Sam's flashlight glinted off of it, revealing the several deep dents that covered its surface.