Tales of Gloomsdale #3: Awake at Sunrise

Chapter Five

"You got my order wrong... again."

I rolled my eyes. My brothers were playing a joke on the waiter. Their usual joke where they switched places. Jason would hide under the bed after ordering while Jake, being the more devious of the two, would say he ordered something different when the food arrived.

"My apologies," the waiter replied drily, his gaze traveling down to the bed. I could tell that he knew what they were doing. "But you've eaten it, haven't you?" He gestured to the plate of crumbs. Jason just couldn't resist.

"Oh, that wasn't me," Jake insisted. "It must've been Dawn."

"Me?" I demanded.

"I'm allergic to peanuts," Jake explained. "So I couldn't eat that sandwich." I knew that for once, he was telling the truth.

The waiter raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that so?"

"It is," I spoke up. "He was once stupid enough to eat an entire plate of peanut butter cookies that Mom made for my birthday. Then he had to be taken to the emergency room." I raised my phone. "I have pictures from afterwards."

"Hey!" Jake glared at me. "Well, you got back at me for that, didn't you? Now you've eaten all of my food."

"Oh, my mistake," the waiter muttered. "I'll be sure to get the right order this time, right away."

As he left, Jason popped out from under the bed. "Let's give up the joke," he suggested. "I'm too hungry to keep it up."

Jake agreed with him. When the waiter returned with pizza, Jason eagerly wolfed it down.

"Hey! Save some for me," Jason protested.

"Like you saved some for me?" Jake asked through a mouthful of pizza.

"You're allergic to peanut butter," Jason pointed out.

I couldn't help staring at the waiter. He hadn't left, intently studying Jake with a strange expression on his face. His dark eyes twinkled, and he twirled his mustache as a grin spread across his face.

But I didn't have much time to dwell on him. The next moment, I heard coughing and spluttering. I turned to see Jake choking on his food.

"Jake!" Jason and I were at his side in an instant. Jumping into action, I instructed Jason to get Mom while I stayed with Jake.

I could see the waiter watching us out of the corner of his eye as I muttered comfortingly to Jake. I felt angry as he just stood there, observing us. Thankfully, he left when Mom returned.

She quickly injected him with the Epi-Pen, holding him close and running her hand up his arm.

Jake slowly calmed down, opening his eyes. "Jake!" Mom cried. "What on earth happened? Are you okay?"

"There must've been peanut oil in the food he ate," Jason spoke up.

"Why on earth would you order something with peanut oil?" Mom demanded.

"We didn't!" Jason insisted. "The waiter brought it to us..."

"Oh, good heavens!" I jumped at the sound of the waiter's voice. He stepped into the room, gaping in shock at Jake. I could tell it was all an act. He hadn't cared before. "I'm most terribly sorry. Something like this should never have happened. Are you alright? I had no idea he had such fatal reactions. I'll never forgive myself for not being more careful."

He apologized so profusely, Mom found herself assuring him. But his act didn't fool me for one second. I remembered the gleeful, eager look on his face as he brought the food. Had he intended to hurt my brother?

I went over the events of the day in the elevator while heading back up to my room. I had gone outside to help Dad with the car, which had calmed me down slightly as I felt the fresh air and evening sunlight beaming down on me. It was such a refreshing change from the cold darkness of the hotel. But for some reason, the receptionist had been insistent on me heading back inside as quickly as possible. Dad had been as well, though I couldn't blame him with how little help I was.

Now that I was back in the darkened hotel, the strange sounds and events of the day resurfaced to the front of my mind, causing me to wring my hair in my hands. The dim light, the looming shadows, the people who seemed to vanish and reappear. The confined space and unsteady motion of the elevator didn't help, either. I jumped at every creak and sway of the narrow, rickety old thing. I could tell this thing hadn't been used in years. I felt trapped in the small compartment.

I let out the breath I had been holding as the elevator finally came to a stop. I opened my eyes, resisting the urge to close them again at the darkness that surrounded me. I jumped as my back connected against the elevator. It reminded me too much of being awake at night, except I didn't even have my soft, warm bed to bury myself in.

The silence that surrounded me made my ears ring. I took a step forward, my footsteps seeming to echo in the silent darkness. I was surprised how dark it was. I was sure it hadn't been last time. I listened closely, waiting for the sound of the doors sliding open and the light on the other side. But it didn't come.

I reached my hand out as I stepped forward, searching for the exit. I let out a yell as my head banged against one of the walls. As I leaned against it, I realized it was the doors. I quickly pulled away and ran my hand over the crack in the center, my heart sinking as I realized the exit was still closed. I pushed against the doors with both hands and even tried leaning against them again, but they remained firmly shut.

I stepped back into the elevator, my heart racing as my anxiety increased. I glanced around desperately at the darkness that surrounded me, closing in on me. There weren't even any shadows this time. Despite my fear, the shadows had almost felt comforting, as if they were figures of people.

I sank to the floor, raising my knees to my chest. My blonde hair fell over my face as nervous tears welled up in my eyes. I quickly wiped them away. I needed to keep a cool head. I couldn't panic, even if I was trapped in the tiny elevator of this creepy hotel all by myself.

"Help!" My voice came out as a strangled, quiet gasp as I forced myself to my feet, steadying myself against one of the walls.

"Help!" I was louder the second time I called, though my voice shook just as much. I stepped forward, closer to the exit. "Help..." I trailed off, the sound of my own voice in the darkness making me shudder.

And then, a different sound made me jump out of my skin. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach, chills running down my spine. It was soft and quiet from just outside the elevator doors, but deafening in the dark silence. A sound that used to be normal and mundane for me, but was now chilling ever since I came to this hotel.

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