"Oh, hello."
Adonis smiled at the man and woman this time a real smile knowing the Hotel can have real guests instead of dead ones.
"Hello. Welcome to the Cortez. Please, sign our guest book. May I offer the two of you a glass of champagne?"
"Ooh. Don't mind if I do."
Adonis went to get the champagne seeing Liz and Iris whisper to eachother. "I think those are the reviewers from that Internet site, Trip Adventurers. They must've heard about our grand reopening."
"I know. Can't you see the ridiculously gracious smile plastered on my face?"
Adonis smirked at the two and clicked her tongue.
"Told you guys technology makes everything better. Now aren't you happy I got this place up and running after the Countess. Honestly we make such good owners."
Adonis gave the couple the couple each a glass of champagne. The man sniffed the aroma that filled the lobby. "What is that pungent odor?"
Liz smiled at the Adonis who wiggled her eyebrows and grinned widely knowing they liked the smell she chose. "Sage. To cleanse the spirit. I'll show you to your room."
Looking up from the dead body, Adonis shouted from across the hall to Iris and Liz. "We got another one down at the end of the hallway."
"Damn it. This has got to stop. He stained the new carpet. The ghosts keep killing the guests, we're gonna end up with zero stars. It's time we had a goddamn meeting." Adonis nodded her head and pursed her lips together.
"I am so on it. I'll tell everyone, well meet you at the bar."
"Hello! Welcome! Thank you all for coming."
Adonis, Iris and Liz stood next to eachother as they looked at the small amount of faces that came to the meeting. Marcy lifted her hand causing the the others to turn their attention to her.
"Excuse me. My understanding is that you two are in charge now, and I'd like to speak to you about changing my room.
"Sweetheart, you're a ghost. You can choose whatever room you'd like." The woman nodded her head but continued on with her problem. "Well, yes, but the problem is, after I pick a room and then settle in with my erotica novels, I never know if a guest is going to check in and disturb me. I know this is Los Angeles, but I'm an old-fashioned girl and I like my privacy."
Stephen chuckled along with the other guests,"I dig it when the guests come in. It's like a free dirty movie. I'm into that amateur stuff."
Adonis clapped her hands and smiled, "Okay, everyone, please, listen. We would appreciate if you would stop killing the guests." Liz nodded and held onto her champagne glass. "It's not all of you, but we are trying to build something special here. A real destination. Look, they're gonna get two football teams down in Carson. That's 20 minutes down the 110. This place could be filled.
Iris finished the rest of the speech, "But if it gets out that people are checking in and disappearing, then obviously, that's bad for business."
"Screw you, Iris. You're the biggest killer in this room, - you bloodsucker." Adonis threw a lamp at Will letting it hit his head. "Hey! You fucking bisexual piece of shit don't talk to her like that!"
Iris brought down Adonis's arm and turned to the group again. "Maybe in the past. But every drop of blood I drink now is donated. Any murders that go on in this hotel are done by your kind."
"Excuse me, but what do you mean by "our kind"? Can we all just call a spade a spade and say you're talking about Will and I? I mean, Woo is too busy munching on Swedish fish to bother anyone. Marcy molests herself or complains all day. The lumberjack just mopes. And that hipster couple just trips around moaning about for kale. Will and I are the only ones who still get off on a little bit of true mischief. And we're not stopping. Ending some jerk-off who wastes the air that he breathes? That is the real high. I'm dead, but I've never felt more alive. Ha."
Amelie nodded her head and slowly clapped at Sally's passionate speech. "Beautifully said. And I couldn't agree more. But I like Living in a pretty clean environment you know, with no stains."
Sally lit her cigarette and stood next to Will, "Oh, come on! You telling people to stop killing is like Colonel Sanders telling us to stop eating chicken."
James came an walked in front the group looking at each one of them as he walked, cane in hand.
Adonis growled and rolled her eyes at the man.
"I'm not familiar with your military friend and his fondness for poultry, but my killing days are over. I thought the Ten Commandment killings were the beginning of my work, but it turns out that they are the epilogue. The torch has been passed, and I feel complete. But this is a practical decision, not an emotional one. This is our home. Frankly, it's the only one we've got. None of us know what is waiting for us beyond this place if it no longer stands. Perhaps, without these walls to protect us, we would all be forced to move on and face the judgment of our Maker."
Adonis looked at the crowd annoyed and angry, " Colonel Sanders is a character for a fast food restaurant demands. Who the fuck invited him? Not cool guys, not cool. Back to where we were, if we can't stay in business, all bets are off. We'll have to sell. Or get evicted."
Will slammed his hand on the bar in anger. "That's bullshit. I paid cash for this place. My lawyers will keep paying the upkeep and the taxes for as long as they have the funds."
Adonis laughed at will and leaned over the bar, "Yeah, well, that's not gonna take very long, cowboy. Sure, your business was worth a fortune when you were alive. But you're such a ducking narcissist that you never brought anyone else in to design your lines. And when you disappeared, they had zilch."
She smiled and continued on. "Now the whole shithouse has gone up in flames. Your stock is worth pennies. Sorry I had to break it down like that."
Will shook his head and yelled at the woman.
"That is bullshit! You're a goddamn liar."
Adonis walked over to the bar and stood on top of it capturing everyone's atention. "Enough! This is not a democracy! We are not in the House of Lords! We are a ship at sea! And when it comes to you spirits, I am captain! So listen up, bitches! There are six criteria that the U.S.Department of Interior uses to determine if a place is worthy of being called an historical landmark. This hotel fits them all. The one thing it does not yet possess is time. Age. August 23, 2026. That will make it 100 years that this hotel has stood. And on that day, it will earn its rightful distinction as an historical landmark. They won't be able to tear it down even if they wanted to. The killing must stop!"
Sally shook her head at her friend's words.
"Oh, hell no. Some of us can't go out into the world to find companionship, so I'm not gonna stop collecting souls until I find my soul mate."
James looked at Sally and smiled. "Sally, I don't want to get rough with you, but you and I both know there is a way to get you to do as I please. Or do you not recall the last time you disobeyed me? So, it's settled, then. The point of being dead is that there are no rules. It's the only salvation."
Sally turned to the crowd once more making her way of her room before yelling out to them. "Who gives a shit if they tear this place down and send us all straight to hell? It can't be any worse!"
Adonis sighed deeply and looked at Liz and Iris before turning to the others who stared at her.
"Look dudes I'm gonna be straight up with you all. I honestly don't give a shit where we end up in. But I do care how we keep going on. And this, it's not very nice. Will what went through your mind when you wanted to buy this place?"
"You mean it's a fucking dump."
She shrugged her shoulders and looked around below her, "And the Countess, you must be on some molly or something. Because she smells like crazy bitch from a mile away like March over here. Two bat-shit crazy fuckers that should be sent to hell. In all seriousness we should stop the murders, think of how we rot in here. Would you all really want that to happen to somebody? I wouldn't. Can somebody make me a white russian? I really need it now. And a good fuck too. I'm tired of seeing Woo's orgasm face."
