Backwards Into Hell

Part Three: Everybody Dies

Jake's Diary

Saturday 30th October

The rest of the day passed in a tense but quiet fashion. No one bothered to check in on Darren. We simply moved him into a corner of the lobby and let him sleep. David escaped to his room with Caleb and, I assume, spent much of the day sleeping and renewing his plans for escape with relish.

I spent time with Lottie in the evening, but playing cards felt wrong now Lily was gone, so we sat in the candlelight and chatted.

It would be our last night together. But she didn't know that.

'It's strange. It feels so empty now,' Lottie remarked.

I frowned. My hands rested on the table, and I interweaved my fingers.

'It's always harder to be left behind,' I said.

'Yes, I'm starting to believe that.'

I rested my forehead on my hands. 'Can I ask you something?'

She furrowed her brows.

'I've noticed something.' I glanced at the door before continuing. 'Everyone here seems to have a secret. Delilah, Darren and Anais, Harriet, and sorry, but even Abe.'

Lottie played with the hem of her cardigan.

'Hmm,' she said, and her eyes played in the light. 'So what's yours?'

Caught off-guard, I chuckled.

'You must have one.' Lottie put her elbows on the table.

'No, it's... it's nothing.' I shook my head.

'Oh, come on. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours.'

At this, my heart thudded.

Lottie—the one remaining enigma.

'Alright, but it's sad.'

'I can deal with sad.'

I sighed. 'My wife died.'

'Oh,' is all she said.

'Car crash—no one's fault. She broke down on the motorway and never made it to the hard shoulder.'

Lottie took my hand. 'I am sorry.'

I'd never spoken to anyone about Rachel before and I found myself unable to stop.

'This holiday, it was meant... it was meant—'

'To be a distraction?'

'Something like that.' My grip on her hand tightened. 'And then, of course, I met Lily. Now she's gone too,' I choked.

Before I could stop her, Lottie was on my side of the table, and yanked me into an iron hug.

'Don't you feel bad about that. She would've wanted you to move on.'

She would have wanted me to move on.

We stayed there for a while, me crying into Lottie's chest and her doing her best to comfort the Greek sorrow that slept in me.

After that, we said goodnight and escaped into the privacy of our rooms, and as I climbed the last flight of stairs alone, pretending Lily was beside me, I realised Lottie hadn't told me her secret.

Damn.

She was clever.

I crawled into bed, not even having the energy to change out of my clothes and buried my face in the pillow.