The Neverland Inn

Michael Would Be So Disappointed

We get to the upstairs hallway and decide we'd test out just placing the phone in the center of the hallway.
"Ready?" Shania asks before pressing the play button.

"So wait? Are we just booking it downstairs after it starts playing?"
Faith asks suddenly before Shania presses the button and we both nod,

"That's essentially what Jan said, I guess. I guess we'll find out." I said shrugging.
Shania places the phone carefully on the hardwood and presses the play button. The song begins to play and immediately we race for the downstairs theatre. The songs rhythm and beat fills Neverland's hallways and strangely I felt almost the entire energy of the house change. The hallways we bolted down became darker. The air became almost colder. I looked around and saw the light which shone into the windows and saw it starting to fade.
Before I could slow down to investigate I hear Shania shout from up ahead

"Come on you guys, we gotta get down there before he starts the verse!"
I shook away the thought and focused on getting my feet to go faster. Neverland was like a maze and still after a month we were unfamiliar with its intricate hallways and corridors. Getting down to the doors for the theatre, we all rush in panting hard. I closed the door and upstairs we heard the songs first verse begin. The song was very very faint and distant from where we stood, but I could still hear the lyrics. We listened along for a second or two and Faith whispers,
"I forgot how creepy Michael made this song."

Shan nodded and almost disappointed she says,
"I'm not hearing anything to be honest."
I knew I felt the same, but a part of me didn't want to give in so quick. I listened more to the door and as I heard the chorus begin to start. I let the door open again and sighed, "Maybe it was a one time thing for Janet. Come on guys lets get back to work."

The looked down, the both of them in a sad way and we started back up the hallway. Before we turned the corner I hear very clear and vivid from the theatre.

"THE GHOST OF JEALOUSY!'..."
We all looked to each other with eyes the size of saucers. We slowly treaded back the theatre and heard the stomping on the seemingly empty stage. It was Michael's capella voice singing to the song as it played on Shan's phone. Just like Janet had said. Instead of being freaked out like I assumed we all would be, we were all smiling. Ear to ear we were grinning. It was the first time we had ever even gotten a taste of pure vocals from Michael. Alive or dead.
The voice echoed until the song faded into a quiet void. The stomping ceased too, just like it was on que. We all began to giggle like hens as we realized how ironic the song choice was until our laughter was interrupted by a loud banging to the main mansion door.
I looked to both the girls and they looked confused,
"This is private property. Nobody is supposed to be here."
We all hurried towards the front parlor then to the foyer to check out the window. Outside stood men in suits and ties. They held briefcases that seemed to be very bland and dull.
"Who the hell are these guys?" I asked muttering over Shan and Faith's shoulder, Faith scoffed,
"I know how they got in."

I looked to her confused.
"How?"

"Look at the gates.." Shan says frustrated and I see the broken padlock lying on the pavement, torn in two. I clenched my fists livid with rage and swung open the front door.
"Who are you?! Why is the lock on the ground broken!?"

The men turned to face me and politely put on their kind mask.
"Good day Madame. My name is.."

I held up my hand to stop the one who spoke up,
"Yeah, yeah. What do you want.."

I see Faith cover her mouth to keep from laughing and the man in the front continues,
"We've come to discuss the fine print on the Jackson Estate and the deeds to Neverland mansion..."

I furrowed my brow telling him, "There's nothing to discuss, when Michael passed away he left the estate to his family. Janet Jackson sent us here as tribute to Michael's last wishes to have Neverland restored..."

The man winces and pulls out a large stapled bundle of papers with the Jackson emblem stamped onto the top.
"I'm an attorney for the Jackson's and their affairs may I come in?"
I took the papers from his grip swift and spiteful, the top line reading, "DEBT REIMBURSEMENT DENIED. PROPERTY TO BE SEIZED."

I gasped and Faith comes over my shoulder snarling,
"You sir, may come in while we still have daylight, but alllllllllllllll the rest of y'all are gonna go fix that gate you tore to shit, get me, oh here, I'll help y'all pitiful things."
She comes by me, pushing through the men but my eyes stay fixated to the paper. Shan lets the man in as I hear Faith begin to rant from the outside. Debt reimbursement denied? Michael was in debt before he died, but the bank wasn't willing to let his death stop them from getting their money. Of course. Anything for money, right?
"Forwards and to the left.." Shania says to the man as we begin into the front parlor.

He looks around and goes following her directions. I show Shania the papers and her jaw drops as she scans over the words with her eyes.

We sat there in the parlor, pleading and begging the man to let the house
be finished before we get into subjects of financial security. But we found no compromise. As he exited I broke down in tears muttering hurt ,
"What are we gonna do Shan? This is Michael's home. We can't even clean it up for him without some bastard wanting money. All it is, is money!"
Faith comes to my side hurrying and rubs my shoulder,
"Dee....you guys what did he say?"
Shan looks to her explaining as I try to get ahold of myself. I took in deep breaths to calm down then took over, "Bottom line is... we don't have the means to get Michael's estate out debt. And until the house is out of debt our business's ass is grass." I sniffle and finish,
"Michael would be so disappointed and it hurts me..."

Faith hugs me close as I let another tear fall down my cheek and she says , "What about Janet's budge funds? Would that cover the debt?"

Shania shook her head speaking up as I wiped away a tear, "Michael is over 35 million in debt. There's no way."

"DAMN MIKE." Faith says loud as she looks around the house.
Shan and I smiled watching faith stand up to gawk at the amount.

"Okay....umm.." Faith says calming herself, "35 million definitely isn't any pocket change."

Her tone changes to an almost depressed mutter as I watch the ideas disappear from her mind,
"Guys what do we do?"
I shifted the weight in my chair and shrugged,
"We're backed against a wall. I'm out of ideas. Dick face, attorney at law, will be back in a week."

"A week?!" Faith says astounded and Shan replies,
"Yeah, that's crazy right. How are we gonna get 35 million in a week..."

I shook my head knowing the truth. I sighed hard and rubbed my head. I closed my eyes to let the last tears fall, "Its plain and simple girls. We won't."
I fell back into the seat and the room grew painfully quiet. I see Shan stand up and begin to pace, knowing she was thinking. She turns around swift and says,
"Who could use a drink, moonwalker ladies?"
Faith and I chuckled taking a deep breath, "I second that notion."
"And I third it."

Shan smiles and says, "Come on, let's go to LA, get a drink or two to calm our nerves and we'll call Janet in the morning."

We all nodded and went through with our plan. I locked up the mansion being the last to leave but the agonizing thought racked my brain that we had let down Janet, the fans, and even Michael. It tore my mood to shreds the rest of that night.