Dancing with a ghost

Chapter 1

In the bus, some people were sleeping, their heads resting on the windows. They were too tired of their day that, they did not even felt the few shakes caused by the crooked road. However, some others were laughing, for the greatest misfortune of the driver. He had only one wish : to drive with a relaxing silence. But the jerks had drunk a lot, and were not able to have a quiet conversation. They were not even able to say a single word correctly.

On one seat, Lacy Harper was listening music. She could not sleep, she did not trust the driver enough. Actually she was lost in her imagination, while watching the landscape through the window. The night was beautiful, filled with stars as bright as each other.

Suddenly the bus stopped abruptly, and consequently, woke all the sleepers. Some people asked what was the problem to the driver, but he did not reply and went out of the bus. Lacy removed her heaphones.

"Hey are you okay ? I apologize I did not see you... What are you doing in the middle of the road ?" The driver enquired worry.

The woman with fair hair did not reply, she walked towards the driver instead. And in less than a second she attacked the poor man who started to scream.

The headlights gave a correct visibility to all passengers, who were watching the terrifying scene by the window. Lacy could not believe that, she was propably in a nightmare.

After few minutes, the atmosphere took on a heavy silence. All had heard the steps coming slowly near the bus. Lacy tried to hide as she could under her seat, as other had already done.

When the stranger came in the bus, she put her hand on her mouth, trying to hold her breath.

"Who are you !" One of the drunken boy yelled from the last row of seats. The footsteps became faster and the young boy started to shout.

Lacy ran the first to the front of the bus and went out.

She ran as fast as she could in the direction of the forest. She was not really good in sport, but the adrenaline in her veins would have allowed her to run a marathon. Luckily the moon was full, and spread its silver rays all across the land. It was much easier to avoid obstacles in the woods.

She could still hear screams which brought her tears in the eyes, but even if her vision was blurred she could not stop. She had to run !

She ran for what seemed like hours. And finally she had found a path in the woods that she followed in order to find any house.

She was really tired and her muscles were painful, but she could not stop walking. The idea that the person who had attacked the bus could be behind her haunted her. She needed help.

When she saw the sign "hotel cortez" in red neon letter a hope gained her whole body.

An hotel ! Thanks God. She thought.

When she arrived to the door, She started to cry in relief. She came in immediately.

The room was beautiful, pretty well decorated by wooden fourniture, and the lights were warm. The first thing she had noticed was the red chairs, which look really comfortable. She wanted to sit on one of them and never get up again. But she had to warn authorities, a man had been attacked under her own eyes.

When she saw the receptionist, her tears shed even more. She immediately came closer to her.

"Miss, I need help !" She said with an alarming tone.

The receptionist looked at her and frowned. Lacy was looking completely crazy. Disheveled hair, mud stains on her clothes and some superficial injuries that she did not even notice. They were probably caused by her fight with the branches of the trees in the forrest.

"I am sorry but who are you ?" The receptionist asked.

Lacy would have understood if the woman would have called security.

"My name is Lacy Harper. I was returning in a bus but me and other passengers had been attacked by something. My driver has been killed, we must warn the police right now !" She said, trembling.

"Wait I will talk to the owner."

The receptionist stood up and left the room.

She came back few minutes later with a man. The owner obviously.

They both came towards her.

"Hi. I am so sorry to bother you, I know it is really late but as I said to your receptionist something horrible had happened..." Lacy started.

The man put his finger slowly on her mouth in order to kept her quiet. The contact of his cold finger gave her chills. She suddenly felt uncomfortable, and this feeling increased when her eyes met the owner's ones.

They were dark brown which made a total contrast with his pale skin. His hair was neatly combed, and a thin mustache adorned his pink lips with elegance. 

"I apologize for that gesture my dear but I think that would be preferable to sit around a hot drink before we talk about what's happened to you." He said with a strange accent which made him even more charismatic. "By the way, my name is James March, I own this hotel."

"Oh okay." Were the only words that could pronounced Lacy.

The receptionist had already returned to her desk, doing her job again. The man walked to the bar, followed by Lacy who was silent.

He finally pulled a chair for her, and she sat as he wanted.

"May I leave you alone a few seconds ?"

He was not really waiting for her permission, it was just one his multiple good manners.

"Y..yes of course." She sluttered.

He joined the bartender.

Lacy was thinking about the bus again. The way that the driver had been savagely attacked. The terror in the eyes of all the passengers. Maybe she was the only one who had succeed to escape from that thing. 

Mr March came with two glasses. When he put them on the table, Lacy came to her senses again. When she saw the amber color of the liquid in her glass she thought it was alcohol. Some whiskey perhaps ? But the thing that she did not notice, was the drug he had put in in it few minutes before.

"My receptionnist will call the police. Perhaps they will come in the week and ask you a few questions." 

"Thank you so much."

Lacy answered to some of his questions mainly about the thing that had attacked the bus. When she told him about a blond and tall "woman" a sparkle of interest appeared in his dark eyes. But Lacy was too tired to observe it. She felt dizzy and a few minutes later, her eyes closed and her breathing became slower.

That girl did not know how excited he was when he imagined her covered by her own blood, begging for her life. That girl had signed her death warrant by coming here of her own free will.