Hotel De Stella

Hallucinations

My head was just barely registering everything about the hand and my paranoia was seeping in, when the guy decided to bash this very crucial information that he was an officer right on my head.
Let's see, money laundering, shoplifting, persuasive consent to documents, illegal working hours and the classic embezzlement are on my top 5 oopsie- daises.
I'll be damned if he didn't take me to jail.

Outrunning authority is usually my kind of therapy so I'm always out of trouble from a mile away.
" Hey, are you zoning out on me?"
Except today. This is a nightmare.
I've been under the radar for so long only to be met up with a shady looking detective that thinks I'm suspicious of murder?

" Why this, kgh, lodge? " I choked up some water.
And it was a genuine question because really, why this lodge. A quick scan of the room told me it was old and rundown. The curtains were too long for the window sill, too dusty to have been maintained, too greasy to have been in the main building. The wall paint was cracking off and there was no real furniture aside from the bed I was on and some of his belongings on top of the night stand.

He looked uncomfortable for a little while before his eyes did the foxy gleam again.
" Modesty. "
A few minutes of pondering and then it made sense to me.
" You're under cover. " I started. "Supposed to be at the lobby tomorrow by noon but you're right here, at lakeside lodge where no one comes in or goes. Nothing of a major supply either. " I said, my eye lingering on top of his night stand.
His badge, wallet, gun were the only things there. And also..
" Candy?"
His eyes glared right into my soul. He definitely hated that last part of my speculation. A harsh dent to his tough nature I suppose, so I change up some of my words.
".. medicine? Yeah, must be. My eyes are kinda blurry-"
" Yes, it's candy. I have a sweet tooth." He said in his deeper voice before dropping it. " This isn't going to work. We're reaching stalemate. "

He put his badge aside and took off his shoes, climbing in directly besides me.
" So, I'm Quinstein, or Quin if you prefer. Yes, I'm under cover. Was. Until you blew it. You're an employee here, as far as I can see. " He said, eyeing my costume.
Well, he got that wrong because I don't juggle for kids on daily at the hotel but I don't want to argue so I let it sit.

" Look, I wasn't supposed to be here, you weren't supposed to be here. We both have something to hide so let's call it even, why don't we,uh,..?" He paused, for a name. My name.
I could smell his shit from up my ass.
" You're not getting my name out of me. "
" Oh, that's fine. What can I call you then ? "
" Nothing. Because I'll be leaving. " I bundled the blankets away and was off to leave.

I could see that he was up to no good. Suddenly all chummy and friendly. Who the heck is ' Quin ' and where did ' officer Quinstein Brown and you're under heavy suspicions of murder' go?

" There's going to be an investigation tomorrow anyway and you're gonna need an alibi to justify, just tell me your name already. I can help. "
I'm pretty sure he just wants my name to drag me in the mud tomorrow.
" You lot are all the fucking same. Screw the police. "
Not a smart thing to say to a detective , but I despise authority abit more than the healthy amount.

" Hey, now that was uncalled for. " He really did sound butt hurt. " It's my first day after suspension. Cut me some slack, I don't even get paid for this. "
I spun, surprised because for once, I think I heard sincerity on him.

" Oh, my bad. " I started.
I hate it when I form this sense of camaraderie out of nowhere just because I'm an underpaid worker too.
" Having the worst week of my life is doing things to me, I'm sorry. And, uh, I think you're doing an okay job for your first day. "

Quinstein beemed like a happy cat and it did seem genuine so I sit there for a while with him. Maybe he's right, we could part ways peacefully without much drama.
" Oh, I almost forgot. " He said, rummaging his jacket.
" This was beside you at the lake. I picked it up for you because it looked like a prop to your costume, also, Sick costume. "
My stomach did a tsunami of waves just at the sight of it.
What Quinstein was holding wasn't a prop.

" That's not mine. Throw it away. "
In all its glory of the missing ring finger, presented in front of me was the very hand that had tried drowning me.
" Huh? But it was right beside you when-"
I don't know if he was seeing this but the fingers were starting to move.
Reach out.
Crawl and surely strangle me to death this time.
" I said throw it away! "
Startled, the hand slipped out of his reach and fell on my thighs. Just as it did, my legs felt sore, It started twisting to the right until both my knees were facing backwards and my entire leg had turned purple.
Quinstein was screaming beside me, drowning out my own bursts of violent sobs. What stopped us both was this little tug on my skin.
From within my calves.
I looked down, horrified. The imprints of a red nail scratching and stretching the inside of my skin, making it look disgustingly translucent. Ready to tear open. And then it did.
Blood gushed out my popping veins and I could no longer feel anything knees down.
I passed out.

I woke up nearly the second after I passed out, or so I thought, but my mind was playing tricks on me. Because everything was gone. The four walls surrounding me, along with everything inside too.
When my vision wasn't as foggy anymore I noticed I was outside, a few yards away from lake Oliver, with a flashlight which wasn't mine in hand.
Exactly behind the threshold of the garden,where Quinstein had stood before saving me.

Before I could make sense of any of it, I spot something in the water.
A body, bobbing in the surface.
Motionless.
Looking oddly similar to Officer Quinstein Brown.

***