Hotel Midnight // Shawn Mendes (✔️)

Eighteen

"Take off your shirt."

"I like where this is going." Shawn jokes, and I watch as his eyes widen when he sees that I'm not kidding.

"Nora, are you okay? We're in the hallway." He says, but I don't answer. When he reaches over to feel my forehead, I almost feel bad at the moment I back away from him and his smile drops.

"Okay, I'm going to take my shirt off, but then you are going to tell me everything that's going on right now, and why you want to see me shirtless so badly. Deal?" Shawn asks me, clearly concerned.

I'm silent for a long time before finally nodding my head slowly.

"Deal." I say, and watch as he slowly pulls of his shirt, making eye contact with me the whole time in concern.

"Turn around." I command, my facial expression made of stone. Shawn scrunches his eyebrows together but obeys.

"What the fuck is going on?" I hear him mumble quietly to himself as he shows me his back. I feel my heart beat slow down when I still see the Hotel Midnight branding clear on his back.

"You can put your shirt back on now, sorry about that." I tell him, more than slightly embarrassed. Why did I think he was one of them? However, one thing still didn't add up.

"Nora, what illegal substances have you been taking in the past twenty four hours to make you act like this? I mean-" Shawn starts, but I cut him off.

"Why were you talking with Mr.Rush?" I question, and Shawn doesn't hesitate to answer.

"What?" He asks me, clearly bewildered.

"Someone told me you were having a pretty friendly conversation with the same guy who put that Hotel Midnight brand on your back. Care to tell me what that's all about?"

"First of all, you've been watching way too much crime tv. Second off, why on earth would I ever speak with Mr.Rush willingly, and have it be a friendly talk? Do I look mentally insane to you?" Shawn asks, clearly offended by my accusation but not showing how hurt he was.

"So you weren't speaking with Mr.Rush?" I ask, and he nods his head instantly in response.

"Of course not, Nora. Now we're going to go to some place where no one else can hear our conversation, and you're going to tell me everything that's going on right now, because I am extremely confused."

And so we did. We walked over to my room (which seems to be our common meet up place) and I told him everything Sarah said, including the story about Quinton. He asks me to clarify some parts, and it's obvious he's confused on why I would trust a word from Sarah. I'm just as confused as he is.

"So, are you going to tell me who the 'Hunters' are?" Shawn asks me when I'm finished telling him everything, and I instantly shush him, sick of that name.

"Don't use that name."

"Why, do they appear if I call for them?" Shawn asks, and I shake my head.

"No, but it's bad mojo, if that even makes sense. Like, calling out Voldemort from Harry Potter." I tell him, and watch as his eyes once again light up at the mentioning of Harry Potter.

Someone must be a fan.

"Alright, I won't say their name. But still, who are they, and what do they want from you?" Shawn asks, his face showing concern. I have to take a deep breath before answering him.

"They're this dumb group, that picks people from the wonderful Hotel Midnight and names each of them 'The Chosen One'. It's apparently a great honor to become a Chosen One, because then you get to leave and enter the hotel and you get the finest luxuries.

"How do you become a Chosen One? One of them have to shoot you, not with a real gun, but with one of there own. It hurts a lot, by the way. But then you get this beautiful tattoo!" I say, and point to my wrist before continuing.

"But anyways, you don't actually get all the luxuries of the world. You get a time limit in this hotel. In that time limit, they come and hunt you. If they catch you in your time limit, they eat you. If you do get past your time limit, then you plain out disappear. To where? I have no idea." No sugar coating is needed, but when I see Shawn's face I wish I had put a little.

"How did they choose you?" Shawn asks after a while, his voice distant.

"Originally they didn't pick me. There was a little girl that came into the hotel, looking for her parents. She was maybe five years old? But she ran straight into one of them while they were looking around for one of The Chosen. It got mad, of course, pulled out their gun, and me being the idiot I am, I got in the way of them and grabbed the girl. They took one look at me and forgot about the girl."

Shawn stays quiet, and I start to think that he's unable to speak due to shock, so I begin talking again.

"On the bright side, the girl got away, and left the hotel."

"And how long, exactly, do you have until you disappear?" Shawn asks me, and I sigh.

"Fourteen days. Although I guess it's thirteen now, because Mother Reenie said it was fourteen yesterday. So that's why I can't waste any time. I have to find a book bag, pack some food, a flashlight, and maybe a weapon? Mother Reenie said not to trust 'her', so-" I'm cut of by Shawn's voice.

"What? Nora, you can't go." Shawn says, and I shake my head.

"Shawn, I'm going. Listen, I know you think that you should go or whatever, but I have to go." I tell him, and continue speaking as he opens his mouth, about to protest.

"Or, I could just sit in my room and wait for them to eat me while I'm sleeping." I say to Shawn, giving him a doubtful shrug. He stays quiet before biting his lip and nodding.

"Fine. But if anything happens to you, Nora, I swear I'll ash myself." He says, and I can't help but tackle him in a hug.

We were both sitting on my bed, but when I hugged him Shawn had fallen back, his upper half now laying on the bed.

"Thank you Shawn. And even if I don't come back in months, don't even think about ashing yourself." I say to him, my arms wrapped around his chest and one of his arms holding my torso.

"Don't say that." Shawn says, and I shrug.

"Why not? You planning on ashing yourself the second I leave or something?"

"Not that part. The 'even if I don't come back in months' part. I don't think I could even function if I didn't get to see you in months." He tells me, and my heart beats faster as I grin at him, then planting a kiss on his cheek, which causes him to smile.

"Alright, I'll be back in one day. Or five minutes. And the key will be in my pocket. Sounds good to you?" I ask, and Shawn stops playing with my hair, which causes me to wonder when he even started.

"Sounds amazing."

"Good. Now as I much as I love the position I'm in right now, I've got to go." I tell Shawn, and watch him frown until I reach for one of his hands and hold it.

"Go do what?" He asks, and I slowly get up, then looking at him.

"I have got to go start packing."

A/N

so I was at the fair all night and I swear it was so disappointing, there were literally only three rides there (including the slide).