The Last One Alive

Chapter 4

The WELCOME

Richard: "Thomas, this is serious. Don't treat it like a joke, man," he says, clearly frustrated with the entire situation.
Sasha: "Guys, let's go and check. What if he is in desperate need or has encountered a dangerous situation?"
Peter: "Yeah, let's go," he agrees.

Everyone moves forward, but Katie starts shaking, her eyes filled with tears and a deep sense of fear engulfing her. She hesitates, unable to take a step further.

Katie: "I am not going, who knows what kind of dangers await us if we dare to step in there."

Karen: "Are you serious right now, Katie? Thomas is inside, what if he is in danger?" she says in utter disbelief

"Thomas!"

"THOMAS!!!"

Kyle: "Thomas!!, where the hell are you man, if this is some sick joke, I swear I'll wring your neck!!" he says furiously.

Suddenly, Thomas appears out of thin air in front of them and startles them all.
Peter's voice brimmed with anger as he exclaimed, "Seriously, this is not a laughing matter!"
Thomas: "Okay, I apologize. I know I shouldn't have done it, but just look at your faces," he says, chuckling at everyone.
Katie: "Seriously, enough! Knock it off, this is not amusing. Quit laughing."
Thomas: "Alright, let's put an end to this meaningless chatter. Prepare to be amazed as I unveil something truly captivating," he declares, motioning for everyone to follow him and experience a mind-blowing discovery.

Without hesitation, they all obediently step into a mysteriously dim-lit room.

Sasha: "What in the world is all of this, man? I can't believe my eyes! A doll, hospital bed, ventilator, and various other medical equipment. How on earth did these end up here in this hotel?" she asks, utterly perplexed.
Richard: "Didn't you say there was a mental asylum on this very same property, possibly decades ago? Maybe they left behind all this creepy medical equipment when it shut down ages ago!".
Kyle: "Yeah, but why did those doctors leave this equipment here after the asylum closed, and why haven't the hotel staff thrown it out yet?" he questions.
Katie: "Why do we want to know this, let's go now before something odd happens or someone sees us snooping around."
Kyle: "Yeah, let's get out of here"

Reluctantly, they all agree that it's time to leave this eerie scene and proceed with curiosity and climb up the narrow stairs. The only light source is the torch, where every creak echoed through the empty hallway, heightening their sense of unease.

Thomas: "Hey, can you hear that weird and mysterious sound coming from a distance?"
Kyle: "Yeah, but what could be making it?"
Richard: "It's coming from the upstairs room. Come on, let's go check it out and see where the sound is coming from."

They go up and find an old gramophone that is playing, but instead of a song, it's emitting a continuous and eerie 'krrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr' sound.
Thomas: "It is an old gramophone, which people of the previous generation used to listen to music," he says, approaching it. "Look, it still has a cassette on it. But it seems to be malfunctioning and playing nothing but a repetitive and annoying 'krrrrrrrrrrrrrrr' sound." he imitates the gramophone, prompting laughter from everyone.

Karen: "Hey Richard, I heard you have a gramophone in your house, is that true?"
Richard: "Yeah, but what's with the twinkle in your eyes?" he asks with a curious expression, raising his eyebrow in anticipation of her response.
Karen: "Wow, you truly grasp my thoughts perfectly. Do you recall that time when you shared the story about giving your dad a cassette tape before departing and even purchasing two copies of it?" With an irresistible mischievousness, she moves closer, standing right in front of him, locking eyes, and playfully utters, "Shall we play it now, hehehehehe?" Her excitement is evident, as she emits an unconventional giggle.
Katie: "I can't believe this, Karen. If you're really that interested in listening to it, why not buy a new gramophone?" she says angrily. "Come on, guys, let's just go to that room and end this bullshit."
Kyle: "Alright, let's go, but please calm down."

Sasha bends over and strains her ears, listening carefully to that incessant 'krrrrrr' sound, her expression puzzled, in an attempt to unravel its mysterious origins, catching Richard's attention.
Richard: "Hey, what's wrong?" he asks, his voice filled with concern as he takes notice of the fear reflected in her eyes.
Sasha pulls him down"Listen, it's not just the indistinguishable 'krrrrrr' sound; it says something more mysterious and unsettling"
Richard: "Okay let me check," he says, listening even more carefully, focusing on it. "yeah, it sounds something like..." They say together in unison, their voices trembling with uncertainty, "WELCOME."

They stare at each other, their eyes wide with fear, as their hearts race with the intensity of impending doom.

Richard: "Do you think we made a mistake by coming here?" he asks Sasha.
Just as Sasha is about to speak, Thomas interrupts both of them with a firm "HEY!!!" Thomas startles them both, capturing their attention. He crosses his arms and sternly asks, "Are you two on drugs? Don't play dumb, let's go. The idea of a 'WELCOME' is merely a figment of your imagination." With this, Thomas grabs their hands and pulls them forcefully outside.

Richard could feel Sasha's trembling hand in his, causing him to squeeze it even tighter, reassuring her that no matter what happened, they would face it together with unwavering strength and resilience, determined to overcome any obstacles that stood in their way, but the uneasy feeling never left both Richard and Sasha.