Hope in Beacon Hills

Chapter 18

Hope was sitting in Phil Castillo's police car, looking out the window at the dark forest. 

"Sooo, how've you been?" Hope asked, trying to break the silence. "No talking," Phil said, annoyed. "Okay, sorry. Just trying to have a conversation" Hope said. "I said no talking." "Okay" Hope mumbled. 

Few minutes later they arrived at the address Lydia had sent to Hope. "Get out" Phil said with a blank expression. "Okay fine" Hope said, getting out of the car. 'Jesus, he's not in a good mood' Hope thought as she walked into the motel her friends were staying at. 

"Omg, thank god you're here" a voice said from Hope's side. She turned around and saw Lydia run up to her. "Good to see you too," Hope said. Lydia reached Hope and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Why did you call her?" Allison asked when Hope and Lydia were back in their room. "Because, this place is creepy and I'm not staying in a room without a werewolf." Lydia replied. "Seriously? That's the reason you dragged Hope all this way?" Allison asked.

 "Did you know that this place has the most guest suicides in all of California motels?" Lydia said, sounding uneased. "198 to be exact." "198?" Allison and Hope asked in unison. "Yes," Lydia replied. "And we're talking 40 years. On average, that's 4.95 a year which is.." Lydia paused. "Actually expected. But who commemorates that with a framed number? Who does that? Who?" 

"All suicides?" Allison asked. "Yes. Hanging, throat-cutting, pill-popping, both-barrels-of-a-shotgun-in-the-mouth- suicides" Lydia answered. "I don't know about you two, but me, I..." then Lydia stopped, mid sentence. 

"Did you hear that?" Lydia suddenly asked. "Hear what?" Allison questioned. Lydia looked at Hope who just shrugged. "I didn't hear anything and I have enhanced hearing, remember?" But Lydia didn't answer, instead she stepped onto the bed, staring at a small vent. 

"Lydia?" Allison asked with concern. Lydia began to tremble. Hope and Allison exchange a concerned glance. Suddenly Lydia put her hand to her mouth and took a step backwards, looking terrified. "What is it, Lydia?" Allison asked "what happened?" Hope added. 

"Didn't you hear that?" Lydia asked, sounding like she might start to cry at any moment. "Hear what?" Hope asked, her concern rising. "The two people in the other room, they shot each other" Lydia answered, her voice trembling. Then she ran past Hope and Allison, who both looked confused because neither one of them had heard a gunshot. 

They followed Lydia out of the room. Lydia walked to the door leading to the next room. She opened it slowly, "hello?" No reply. She tried to turn the lights on but they didn't work. 

She slowly walked in, her breath heavy with fear. "Lydia what are you doing?" Allison asked. "Hello?" Lydia asked again, ignoring Allison's question. Allison and Hope followed Lydia inside the dark room. Lydia then found a lamp and turned it on, the room lit up. It looked like it was being painted. 

"It had to be right here. It was a guy and a girl, and they sounded younger, but..." Lydia stopped and faced Allison and Hope. "They were here," she said finally. "I believe you," Allison told her. "After everything we've been through, I believe you." "And so do I," Hope added.

"You know, there is something seriously wrong with this place" Lydia said when they were back in their room. "We need to leave," she added. 

"But they were suicides, not murders, and it's not like this place is haunted, right?" Allison asked. "You never know," Hope said. "Maybe it is. You know, I bet that couple made their suicide pact in that very room. Maybe that's why they're renovating. Maybe they've been scraping brain matter off wood paneling" Lydia said, starting to freak out a little. "Maybe we should find out," Allison said. "Maybe someone died right here in this very room," Hope added. "Not helping, Hope," Lydia told the girl. "Sorry" she said in a low tone.

"Well, there goes that" Lydia sighed when no one was at the check in counter. "Didn't you say the sign said 198?" Hope asked. Lydia and Allison looked at the numbers hanging above the counter, now, instead of 198 it said 202. "It was 198. I swear to god it was 198." "Okay, what does that mean? That there's been four more suicides?" Allison asked. "Or four more about to happen" Hope said.