Dishonor From Nightmares

Chapter 14

Stepping out into the open air, Aysha grappled with a sense of déjà vu as she crossed the threshold again. Inside, the exterior seemed to hold little intrigue, prompting a tinge of disappointment to gnaw at her hopes. Yet, as she ventured within, her aspirations rekindled—expecting the interior to hold the secrets she sought somewhere.

A sigh escaped her lips, tinged with a hint of frustration. Despite her efforts, success had eluded her, leaving her wondering whether her search could have been revised. Just as her resolve wavered, a glint of something caught her eye—a door tucked behind the bellhop's table, almost concealed from view. Curiosity was rekindled, a spark that ignited a renewed sense of purpose.

Pausing, Aysha's gaze darted around the room, assessing her surroundings in seconds. With a calculated movement, she swiftly ducked behind the table, crouching low. Her instincts tingled as she contemplated the absence of the bellhop, an observation that added an undercurrent of tension to her actions.

Beneath the table's sheltering cover, Aysha's breath came in measured bursts as her gaze landed on an unexpected sight—an M1 carbine, accompanied by a bayonet that gleamed with an ominous edge. Emotions rippled through her—a combination of intrigue, unease, and a flutter of trepidation. Shaking her head as if to clear the haze, she gulped, her resolve unwavering as she retrieved her lockpicking tools.

Time was of the essence, and Aysha knew it. Fingers deftly manipulating the tools, she engaged in a dance of precision and skill, a silent struggle against the confines of the lock. It was a race against time, a battle of wits and finesse. And, against the odds, she emerged victorious—the lock yielding under her expertise.

Upon unlocking the door, anticipation coursed through her veins. Yet, what awaited her within was not what she had envisioned. A collection of VHS tapes adorned the space, each label bearing a date and a room number—an enigma wrapped in cryptic packaging. Confusion tugged at her thoughts, leaving her to ponder their significance and potential relevance to her quest.

With a wary glance cast around the area, Aysha's instincts kicked into overdrive. A quiet determination filled the air as she locked the door behind her, a physical barrier to the unknown. Facing the door that beckoned, a palpable sense of being watched enveloped her, a sensation that pricked at the edges of her awareness.

Drawing a deep breath, Aysha's knuckles rapped lightly against the door's surface—a cautious signal, a test of the unknown. Silence greeted her ears, and a decision was swiftly made. Locks yielded to her skill, and the door swung open, revealing a concrete corridor that stretched ahead. The cold wind brushed against her skin, sending shivers down her spine—a physical manifestation of her apprehension.

Aysha hesitated on the threshold for a moment, her flashlight clutched in hand like a lifeline. Darkened corridors loomed ahead, promising answers but shrouded in uncertainty. With a resolute step forward, she ventured into the unknown, her flashlight piercing the shadows as she navigated the maze of concrete walls.

In this realm of obscurity, Aysha's heart quickened, her every step a testament to her determination. Her flashlight illuminated the path before her, casting eerie shadows that danced along the walls. A symphony of anticipation and tension played in the air as her pursuit of answers led her deeper into the heart of the enigma that had engulfed her.

With each step, the echoes of her footfalls reverberated through the corridor, a testament to her solitary journey through the dimly lit passage. Uncertainty hung in the air, a palpable reminder of her challenges. Yet, she pushed onward, her resolve unyielding, as the darkness whispered its secrets and the walls seemed to guard the mysteries ahead.

After some time, she spotted a room and peered inside with a grin, only to be met with a depressing sight. A soiled mattress in the corner with just one blanket, some old needles, and a faded photo. She cautiously entered the room, eyes scanning the row of men in the photograph. When content, she continued down the hall, only to find that it ended abruptly. She circled back to the entrance just as she thought she heard footsteps outside. She stiffened as she scanned the corridor, darted down one, switched off her headlamp, and ducked around a corner as the door opened. She inhaled deeply as she heard someone enter the room and shuffle across the cement floor before leaving for the darkened mattress room. After an eternity, Aysha returned to the left hallway and switched on her light. As she headed down the hall, she begged for a chance to escape. She had given up hope of finding anything when she spotted a tripod's leg. Aysha raised her head, and the flashlight bulb revealed a large video recorder with an 80s motif aimed at the wall. She followed the camera's direction on the recorder and found herself staring into a hotel room. It appeared to have been destroyed, with rotting food splattered across the floor, but it hadn't been there for very long. Her brow furrowed, and she looked out into the hall, where shards of broken glass caught the light. After hearing the crunch of glass, she turned her nose up at the foul odor coming from its source. The sight of a skeleton with a putrid stain around it and a gunshot puncture wound just above the eye socket caused her to nearly leap out of her skin. Aysha felt nauseated and covered her mouth and nose before peering inside the room. She cautiously entered the room and saw dried blood splattering the dresser and cut ropes on a chair. Aysha took a deep breath and a few throat clearings before they started looking around the room. She frowned, walked toward the exit, and then doubled back to take another look at the space. Her gaze returned to the bed, where she saw that the sheets were arranged unusually. After flipping the mattress, a hollowed-out bedframe and a worn-out backpack were her first welcome items. She grabbed it with a gleam in her eye, pleased with her find. She bolted out of the room and across the parking lot to her room, where she locked the door behind her.