ROSE

Chapter Sixteen - Two Faces: 2

The scenes in the forest flashed back memories of Thomas into Kimberly's mind. She tried to resist herself from thinking about the pain that Thomas was probably going through, but to no avail. Occasionally, she glanced around the forest, her mind corrupted by the previous experience with the wild animal.
 
Nicholas rolled his eyes to Kimberly. He could see the worry on her face as she cautiously treaded on the dry leaves. Every step they took reduced their proximity to the hotel. Soon they would be standing at the gigantic gate of the resort, somehow, Kimberly was nervous, she dried her sweat with her shirt.
 
Nicholas thought of an engaging topic that would fish her out of her worries. He broke the silence. "Is Thomas your boyfriend?"
 
Kimberly rolled her eyes to Nicholas, her face frowned. "I beg your pardon."
 
"I mean," he rephrased. "Are you and Thomas boyfriend and girlfriend?"
 
She squinted at him. "What gave you that thought?"
 
"I have been monitoring your reactions whenever you hear his name. It seems like there is a kind of spark-"
 
"Thomas is a good friend of mine. Maybe it's because of the love I have for my loyal friends that had you believe he was my boyfriend." She faced the opposite side as though hiding from embarrassment.
 
"Is that so?" He chuckled. "Are you aware that I was among the three people who rescued you from the jaws of death?"
 
"No." She shook her head. "Elizabeth never mentioned that, or did she? I can't remember." She tapped her forehead, forcing herself to think.
 
"Well, yes, I was the one who carried you on my back. Believe me, you kept chanting Thomas's name under your breath as though you were in a trance until you were put on the bed."
 
Kimberly blushed, her face almost turning pink. She covered her face with both her hands for a while. "You are lying. I never talk in my sleep. Even if I did, why would I call out for Thomas?"
 
"I should be the one asking you that question. Anyway, I don't blame you. I know some of your girl codes and I know you would never admit it, no matter how much I probe you."
 
Kimberly smiled but said nothing.
 
"Wow, It's the first time I'm seeing you smiling. You remind me of my sister."
 
Kimberly's smile drifted away. "Forgive me. I never even asked how you lost your family. Would you mind telling me?"
 
"I had a sister and a brother," he narrated. "I was the youngest. I never got to see my father, he died before I was born. Mother was a street performer. Somehow she managed to take care of us. Times were difficult back in the days, I didn't even know how I was going to succeed in this world. I turned to Harriet for answers because I wanted to know what the future held for me, apparently I had the vision of the pebbles."
 
He continued, "a Few weeks later, my mother saved enough money for a holiday vacation at Green Forest Resorts. When we arrived at the hotel, servants welcomed us. Unfortunately, Day after day, night after night we were haunted. My mother decided that we leave Green Forest Resorts and return home because she noticed how odd the hotel was becoming. But no sooner had it dawned than my brother disappeared. My sister was possessed by Rose and threatened to kill my mother. Mother and I escaped, but Rose was on our trail. My mother commanded me to run ahead and hide in a place where no one, not even mother herself, would ever find me."
 
Kimberly saw tears accumulate in Nicholas's eyes. "I am sorry."
 
He gently wiped away his tears from his eyes and halted abruptly. "Look," he said with a smile. "We are here."
 
They were now facing the gigantic gate to Green Forest Resorts. Kimberly squinted around the hotel. "Where is Thomas?" She inquired.
 
"Come with me." He opened the gate and motioned for Kimberly to enter and follow him.
 
Dark clouds covered the sky. She felt the sudden absence of light on her skin. Trees shook as the wind blow gently.
 
As they approached the hotel, they could see how disgusting it appeared: broken windows, cobwebs arrayed across the walls. You could see spiders crawling to the flies caught on the web and rats digging for food.
 
Nicholas opened the door, the lights were out, the hotel was dark. Nicholas tried flipping the light switch, but nothing happened apart from the monotonous sound of the light switch.
 
As they walked, the laughter of children echoed in the ceiling. Kimberly heard someone breathing on her shoulder. She turned around and saw a cat licking its paw. She turned around and continued walking behind Nicholas until he halted at the staircase.
 
Nicholas was silent, a tear streamed down his chick. He immediately wiped it with his palm.
 
"Nicholas, are you alright?" inquired Kimberly.
 
Abruptly, Kimberly felt feeble in her knees, she suffered a migraine. Her vision blurred as she felt dizzy. She dropped to the floor like a wet cloth and gasped for air. Under her breath, she called out to Nicholas for help.
 
Kimberly saw glimpses of Nicholas taking off his amulet before he walked to her. He pulled the amulet from Kimberly's neck and retrieved the bag pack from her.
 
"Nicholas, what are you doing?" she asked under her breath before she lost conscious.
 
                                                                *****

She heard a monotonous rocking. Kimberly opened her eyes. She was floating horizontally in mid-air. She could barely move her body. Her mind filmed the last few moments she was conscious. She turned her head to the sound. Rose was rocking herself on her chair while Nicholas knelt before her. Thomas was lying unconscious on the floor.
 
On the mirror, Kimberly saw blurry images of Elizabeth commanding people to hide in their houses; the clouds were even darker than before, a strong gale tornado spun around the fence. She could see the fear in people's eyes and the screaming of terror. Tears streamed down her chicks and dripped to the floor.
 
The blurry images vanished from the mirror, leaving a reflection of the furniture in the room and Thomas on the floor. Nicholas, however, had no reflection.

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Authors Note: Cheers for making it to Chapter 16. I hope you are enjoying the story so far. Please don't hesitate to drop a comment and let me know your view, or you can give it a vote; otherwise I appreciate your support.