Hotel Midnight // Shawn Mendes (✔️)

Twenty-Two

"Who the fuck are you?"

For some reason, those five words spill out of my mouth before I can even register in my head what's going on. When I had turned around, I didn't face some mysterious figure with a black cape.

Instead it was a teenage girl, who looked just a little younger than me. The strange part was that I could see she was chained up by her arms and legs, but the chains were long enough that she could stand and walk a certain amount of distance.

I haven't watched a lot of horror movies, but I know for a fact that if you're chained up it's for a good reason. So before the strange girl even opens her mouth to respond, I make sure I'm far enough that she couldn't reach me if she tried.

"Who did that voice sound like to you? To me it's my friend, calling out to me and telling me that she came back for me, that she didn't leave me here to stay for the rest of my life. Who's it for you?" She asks, completely ignoring my question.

"Excuse me? If you could flat out just tell me what point you're trying to get to, I swear it would be way better than what's happening right now. Not that I'm not loving this whole mysterious vibe, it's great. But I've got a little mission to do, so..." I tell her, not bothering to finish my sentence.

I was getting way too used to all this creepy stuff.

"Someone is getting impatient. Listen, it's not Marcus. No matter how much it sounds like him, it's not him."

"So Marcus is the friend who left you here?" I ask, my words full of absolute doubt. Marcus wouldn't do that.

"Ha, no. I don't hear Marcus. But you do. I bet he's telling you to come over to him, isn't he?" She asks me, and slowly, I nod my head. Her voice was calm, like she had said these words millions of times.

"How do you know it's not Marcus?" I ask her, and her answer comes quickly.

"If it was Marcus, he wouldn't be here. Last I recall, he got banished to become a worker."

"And?" I ask her. She was wasting my time on purpose.

"And when you're a worker, you're not allowed to leave your floor."

My eyes widen at her words. She was right, Marcus couldn't leave his floor  if he wanted to.

So who was calling my name?

I felt goosebumps on my arms as I realized all of this, and took a breath.

"Who is it then? And what do they want?" I ask the girl, and she shrugs like the answer is simple.

"They're hungry." She tells me, as if it's no big deal.

First off: They. Plural. Not just one. Second: Hungry for what exactly?

"Have you forgotten about your little tattoo?" The girl says when I don't respond, and I follow her eyes to my wrist.

Oh no.

"They're here? How?!" My voice drops to a whisper and my eyes widen in fear.

"Well, I'm guessing they came through the same way you did. I gotta say, you're kind of screwed right now. She tells me that there are at least seven of them here, and while I'm totally safe, you are not."

"Who exactly is telling you this?"

"The Hotel. We've bonded, due to my ever lasting time here." As she speaks, I watch her arm go up, and my eyes widen even more when I see her wrist.

She's one of The Chosen too.

"Hey, I'm really sorry to burst your bubble, but if anything, I'm way more safe than you. I can run, and you're stuck in these chains."

"Actually, these chains are a blessing in disguise when it comes to these wonderful hungry things."

"Alright, I'm pretty sure I'm going to die in the next ten minutes, so a solid explanation on how you got in those chains would be pretty nice." I tell her sharply, and she shrugs before nodding, like she has nothing better to do.

"Before I got in these chains, there was another person. I was with my friend-you know, the one I told you about before? Well, we were searching for the key, and I saw this guy all chained up. So we both go ahead and walk over to the dude, ask him what he's doing here.

"And so my friend, she's all over this guy, despite the fact he's one of The Chosen. She asks on how we can free him, and he tells her the solid truth."

"Which is?" I ask, waiting for her to continue.

"True loves kiss." The girl replies, staring off at the ceiling.

"Wait- really?" I ask, and instantly her facial expression turns deadpan.

"God no. Does this look like Snow White to you? He would have to touch one of us. And before you start thinking all dirty, you're thinking wrong. Just a simple tap on the hand and he would be free. Of course he forgot to mention the whole 'we switch places' part, but it's just a minor detail, right?

Well, my wonderful friend isn't exactly dying to get her hands on this dude. And I'm confused as hell about it too. Jokes on me, because she knew all about the switching spots part."

"So you shook the guy's hand and they both ran off?" I ask, finishing up the story.

"As if. When the guy saw me reach for him, he stopped me and told me what happens. My friend was pretty pissed that he didn't stop her when she was about to reach for him before, so she decides that the best option for her is to push me on him."

"How kind." I say, although I was in shock. What kind of friend is that?

"My exact thoughts. But anyways, they both walk away from poor old Cora, and live happily ever after."

"So why exactly haven't you grabbed my hand and put me in your place yet?"  I ask her, and she laughs.

"You're smart. But sadly I can't, because you need two people. Don't ask why, because I have absolutely no clue."

Now I know why Mother Reenie told me that only one of us could go. I couldn't imagine either Shawn and I stuck here forever.

"Well, story time was really great, honestly. But I was just wondering if you knew how to get them out of floor Zero? Maybe a little hocus pocus? Some salt and garlic?" I ask the girl, and she shrugs.

"Sorry, but the only time they disappear is when Mr.Rush is in the room. Which, as we both know, won't be happening anytime soon."

I take a deep breath and shut my eyes for a moment, before accepting my fate.

"Well, it was nice knowing you-" I stop, realizing I still had no idea what her name was. Thankfully, she finishes the sentence.

"Coraline. But my friends called me Cora."