Hotel Midnight // Shawn Mendes (✔️)

Seventeen

When I wake up, I notice that I'm no longer near a fire and laying by Shawn, but instead I was back in my room, a blanket covering me and not a sound to be heard. I sit up and look around my room, confused about what had happened the night before. One question bounced up and down in my mind, and I had to have it answered or it would kill me.

Is Mother Reenie okay?

I was more than a little concerned, and although I had full trust in the Hotel when it came to taking care of Mother Reenie, I had no idea if what she said was the truth. About the Hotel saying it would take care of her, and keep her safe from them. After what I saw on the glass I can't help but be just a little bit scared.

Quickly, I go and change my clothes (somehow, got into my pajamas, shout out to the Hotel for that.). After that I brush my teeth and do the rest of my morning routine before swinging the door open and beginning to run to Mother Reenie's room. I knew it probably wasn't smart of me, because I seemed just a little suspicious racing down the halls of Hotel Midnight. I was most likely going to be grabbed by Mr.Rush and questioned for hours on end.

Which, by the way, I wasn't exactly looking forward to.

However I wasn't stopped by Mr.Rush, or anyone else in this Hotel. I made it straight to Mother Reenie's hallway without anyone paying attention to me or asking where I was off to. Slowly, I begin to walk and look at each room, searching for the one with a six-hundred eighty-nine hanging on the door frame. I pay attention to each room number, and find myself going even slower when I know I'm near her number, not daring to skip it.

"six-hundred eighty-seven, six-hundred eighty-eight, six-hundred ninety, six-hundred ninety-one, six-" I mumble, and pause when I notice I skipped her number. I start walking backwards, wondering why I had completely disregarded Mother Reenie's room number.

Because it wasn't there, I had realized, was the answer to my question. Mother Reenie's room was gone, and the door had disappeared completely. I looked between room number six-hundred eighty-eight and six-hundred ninety, waiting for her room to pop back up, but it never did.

This hotel had done some extremely strange things that made me rethink my existence, but it has never made a whole person's room disappear. And this was Mother Reenie, probably the Hotel's favorite guest. Why would it make her vanish?

Th only idea I had is that her room was gone from everyone's point of view. Just in case they would come back. "They" being the people that Mother Reenie called Diablo.

I knew I had to tell Shawn about them sooner or later, otherwise he would end up in a lot of trouble without knowing. But I just hoped that the time would come later rather than sooner, because I had a feeling the news I would have to say to him probably wouldn't light a smile on his face.

I stand still for a few moments, not thinking about anything but instead just enjoying the strange silence in the hallway, before walking back to my room, no longer in a rush.

Thinking back to everything that had happened yesterday, I try to recall all the details Mother Reenie had said about floor Zero. I knew that since Shawn and I both couldn't go down there at the same time, I would be the one trying to find the key. Not that I didn't trust him or anything, but I had been in the Hotel a lot longer than he has, and even though I told Shawn practically everything I know, he still didn't know about some things.

For example, what Shawn and I had to get away from in Mother Reenie's room.

As I'm walking back to my room, I wonder if I should go over to Shawn's, and see what he was up to. I also kind of had to tell him that when we found the entrance to floor Zero, I would be the one going in, not him. But I don't get the time to fully think that through, because at that moment I feel a hand on my shoulder, and turn around to face whoever was giving me an extremely strong grip.

Sarah.

"Oh, Nora, you're still here." She says, sounding slightly surprised. Did she really think I was dumb enough to jump straight into the ashing room? I'm kind of disappointed in how much credit she gave me.

"Yeah," I say, with a fake sweet smile on my face. "I decided I didn't feel like visiting the sauna that day. Thanks for the suggestion though, but I prefer all things cold."

"Cold?" She asks.

"Cold. Y'know, like your soul? I mean, hypothetically speaking of course, since I'm pretty sure you don't have one." I retort, fire clearly showing in my eyes. However there was none in Sarah's, and for once, I couldn't read her emotions.

"Listen, about all that. I knew you were smart enough not to go to the ashing room, but I couldn't show you where the real entrance of floor Zero was. Not with him around." Sarah tells me, spitting the last sentence like it was venom in her mouth.

"Him?" I ask, waiting for her to clarify.

"The guy you were with." She whispers, her eyes wide.

"Shawn?" I question in disbelief, unsure on whether she was high on drugs or not. What was she talking about?

"Not too loud, please. There's something wrong with him, Nora, I swear. I know I sounded like a total nut job the day you two came to me, but I couldn't tell you the truth with him there. Something about that boy makes me shiver in fear, you have to believe me. Stay away from him, please. I don't want something terrible to happen to you. I- I think he might be a Hunter." Sarah says all of this in a whisper, and I watch her hands tremble as she talks to me.

"Don't use that name." I warn, and Sarah instantly apologizes.

"Nora, I think Shawn is one of them. He has to be. I saw him the other day, speaking with Mr.Rush. Speaking, Nora. Not yelling, not getting ashed. Having a friendly conversation with him. How do you explain that? I swear I'm just telling you the truth. And it's not impossible either. Remember Quinton?"

The name brings chills down my back. Quinton pretended to be a guest so he could get close to one of the Chosen, and then steal her without her fighting back.

That couldn't be happening now, could it? I mean, Shawn wasn't like that.

But then again, I had only known him for so long.

I decided I needed to see if he had the Hotel stamp still. Mr.Rush wouldn't brand one of them.

"By the way, Nora, I'm so sorry. I don't think I ever got to apologize. But what you did was extremely courageous, and in the end that little girl got out of the hotel. You did the right thing, honestly. How long until you start to, y'know, disappear?" Sarah says quietly, the last word almost silent, and I shrug, not wanting to talk about it.

"Two weeks."

"Make sure Sam throws a killer going away party then, like with what happened with Marissa." She says, and I feel sick to my stomach. I begin to hear footsteps in the hall, and decide to end the conversation with Sarah before I throw up.

"Yeah, for sure. Talk to you later, okay?"

"Yup. And just for the record, your chosen mark looks like a sick tattoo, no lie." Sarah tells me, pointing to my wrist where the ink was. I laugh and how it didn't sound as fake as it really was, then walking away, my head staring directly at the carpet as I walk.

So when I turn a corner, it's no wonder that I bump into someone.

"Oh I'm sorry- Nora?" I hear, and look up to see who I was standing in front of.

"Hey Shawn." I say quietly, Sarah's words running through my head. He's one of them.

"So, who's the going away party for?"

A/N

SORRY I HAVEN'T DONE MY DAILY UPDATES, IM CURRENTLY ON A ROAD TRIP AND THERE ARE LITERALLY NO WIFI PLACES TO PUBLISH SINCE MY DATA IS GONE SO HERE'S A LONGER CHAPTER TO MAKE UP FOR IT .