The Piano || 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘣𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬

|6| I'll be right back!

The group of four left the hotel, nothing special happening on the way. But before they got outside, the receptionist, Justin, called out to them.

"There's a snowstorm warning," he said, pointing out of the window. "Don't go too far and get back inside quickly. It's not here yet but it can basically start any second now."

"Sure thing," Colby replied. "We'll be right back."

Justin had been right. The snowing had got a lot worse, and when Ashley checked her phone, it clearly said that there was a snowstorm coming sooner or later.

"Well, I sure hope this won't last too long," she muttered, shoving her hands back in her pockets. Her breath raised as white clouds into the air, as did the others.

Sam handed all of them an energy drink, which they took gratefully. Their last meal had been dinner several hours ago, and even though they were not particularly hungry, they would need all the sugar they could get.

"So, how do you guys feel about all of this?" asked Sam, vaguely pointing at the hotel's front doors. "It's been pretty... interesting, so far."

"I think it's weird that Ilse didn't answer at all the entire time when we were in the ballroom, but as soon as Ashley started playing the piano, shit really started happening," said Colby.

"Yeah, it was as if that kind of 'awoke' Ilse. Like a trigger event." Kris's voice was barely trembling, even though she was definitely shivering in the cold air.

"That's exactly what I was going to say. And that she wanted to be alone with Ashley?" Colby shuddered. "Weird. I don't feel good about this."

"Maybe she wants to hear me play again," Ashley shyly suggested.

"Why would she have led us away from the ballroom then?" Sam asked, his gaze trailing off into the dark. "Something isn't adding up."

Ashley was holding her drink with her left hand. She reached down with her right hand to change her grip, but as soon as her fingers touched her left middle finger, she frowned.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"My ring," Ashley said, looking around on the floor. "I've lost it." She put her drink down to brush a little snow to the side, looking for it underneath the cold flakes.

"Turn the camera on," Sam said to Colby. He obeyed immediately, holding up the recorder.

"What?" asked Ashley. "Why?"

Sam ignored her question. "Where did you see it last?"

"I don't know... Probably when we drove here? I can't have lost it on the way. Damn it, it was one of my favorites." She crouched down, hoping to see the glint of the metal somewhere in the white mass that covered the stairs. Her fingers were freezing but she didn't stop searching for it.

"We got the word ring twice, Ashley," Sam said. She looked up, her brows furrowed.

"What?"

"Once on the ovilus, while you were playing the piano. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but then you said it while you were under the Estes method. I don't- I don't think that's a coincidence," explained Sam, looking nervously at Colby. Kris had crouched down next to Ashley, searching for the ring as well.

Ashley stood up quickly, hiding her trembling hands in her pockets. "So, what, you think a ghost stole my ring?"

"I mean, it's a possibility?" Sam looked at Colby, searching for his support. "Why else would she say ring twice?"

"I probably just dropped it. Maybe when I danced with Kris or something, she could've easily brushed it off my finger when she grabbed my hand," said Ashley. "Let's go back inside. I'm freezing." With that, she grabbed her now empty drink and walked up the stairs, back into the warm entrance hall. The others followed her quickly, not wanting to stay in the cold any longer than necessary.