Hotel Le Grand

iii

After a long, grueling three hours drive to the hotel, pulling into the rundown parking lot to the equally as rundown hotel was as close to heaven as I probably would ever get.

As soon as Faye parked the van, we all clambered out and proceeded to walk around, raising our arms above our heads and welcoming the space. "Dang," Violet murmured suddenly. "This place is..."

"Old?"

"Creepy?"

"Dusty?"

Violet looked at Jace, "Dusty?"

He shrugged and wrapped his arm around Faye's shoulders, "Felt like I had to contribute to the conversation."

"By saying 'dusty'?" I asked, picking up my suitcase and lifting up the handle.

"Yup."

I raised my eyebrow at him and rolled my eyes before turning to everyone else, "I don't know about y'all, but I need sleep after that mess."

"Mess?" Faye questioned, slipping out from under Jace's arm to grab her bags from the trunk as well.

"Mess," I confirmed, heading towards the doors and into the large, grand lobby. Inside, compared to the plain, red, faded brick and dingy plants of the outside, was magnificent. At some point in the last ten years, they must've remodeled because there was up to date technology and decent looking vintage furniture. I wandered over to the front desk and rang the little bell that sat on the corner and looked like it was as old as the brick outside.

A door behind the desk opened and a woman wearing a long, black dress with beautiful gray hair pulled back from her face and tied in an elegant knot appeared, carrying a large book and a pen. "Hello," She smiled, looking me over as she placed the book on the counter. "Welcome to Hotel Le Grand!"

"Hi!" I said, trying to act more alive than I felt.

"How many rooms?"

"Umm..." My eyebrows knit together in thought. "I think two twins will work." Hopefully Jace, Jared, and Levi wouldn't mind sharing a room while us girls shared the other.

"Oh, goodness. I'm sorry but we only have single bed rooms here. How large is your group?"

That's... weird... I thought. The website said otherwise. "Seven."

"We can cut you a deal if you'd like. Same cost as two twins for seven singles."

"Okay..." I murmured. Confusion etched through my mind. The website had said that they had two bed rooms and suddenly now they didn't. Although, at the price deal, I wasn't too concerned. "One night, please."

The woman smiled, revealing millions of tiny smile lines around her eyes, "Yes, miss..."

"Temperance Collins."

"Oh, how lovely. That was my grandmothers name, you know." She said as she typed our information into the computer.

"Really? Mine too! My mother and her were really close so I was named after her. Grandma Tempie."

"How sweet. Now if you and your friends could just sign this here book," She gestured to the large brown leather book she'd brought out earlier, "That'd be wonderful!" Then she handed me the plain, black pen and I scribbled down my name onto the book and told everyone else too when they walked in with their luggage.

After everyone had signed, the woman handed us each our keys. "Room 666," She said as she handed the old, huge key to me. "Room 665," She handed Levi his key.

"Room 664," She went on, handing Jared his key.

Each room was on the same hall, just a number above the other. 663, 662, 661, 660. "Now y'all have a nice night, alright?"

We all nodded and wished her the same before heading to the elevator. With all seven of us, the elevator was slightly cramped, but, to make us forget that fact, Faye started jamming out to the terrible classical music.

"C'mon, guys! We made it to the last hotel before our destination! California!" She swayed her hips and bumped them against Violet and Kayla. "Be happy!"

I rubbed my hands up and down my arms, an involuntary shudder coursing through me, "I'll be happy when we get the hell out of this hotel."

"Another one of your famous bad vibes?" Levi teased, nudging my side with his elbow.

"I don't know. I've just got a weird feelings." I said, watching the floor numbers roll. 3, 4, 5. The elevator reached six and shuddered to a complete halt, the old doors sliding open with a loud creak. Now in front of us was a long, barren hall with blood red carpeting, with a few scattered white chairs at the ends. I stepped into the hall first, looking around. "It's... red."

"Definitely," Kayla murmured, grabbing her bag and following me out. She looked down at the room key in her hand, the number dangling off the keychain. "Whose 664?" Jared raised his hand and she grabbed his arm, "Looks like we're neighbors!"

Jared looked at us in horror as Kayla began to drag him away in search of the rooms. Faye stuck her tongue out in response and looked at the rest of us, "I guess we're trailing behind the parade?"

"You could say that," Jace said, wrapped his arm around her waist and pulling her down the hall. Levi leaned down and kissed my forehead before taking my hand and following after them. Behind us, Violet cursed, "I hate being single."

It took multiple turns and dead ends for us to finally find the hall where our rooms were located. Kayla immediately shoved her key into the lock and opened the door, "God. These rooms are... odd." We all dropped our bags and walked over to look into the room.

Inside there was a single bed wrapped in a terrible brown comforter, a small lamp on a dingy, little bedside table the same color as the comforter, and a little bathroom that had the door open.

"Maybe there's more to it," Faye offered optimisticly. "Like... a secret passageway."

I scoffed, "Where? Behind the toilet?" Picking up my bag again, I walked over to my room and smirked. "Hey, Vi."

Violet turned, "Yeah?"

"Number 666, baby!" I threw my fist into the air and laughed at everyone else's faces. "Only you guys," Faye rolled her eyes and opened her own door.

Yawning, Jared stretched his hands above his head, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm pooped. Goodnight, all!" He promptly disappeared into his room and slammed the door, earning a jump from Faye as the sudden noise scared her.

We all agreed with Jared and waved goodbye to each other before disappearing into the rooms.

I threw my bag onto the bed and flopped down beside it, scowling when the springs groaned beneath me. The beds were as old as the hotel itself.

In my pocket, my phone vibrated. I took it out and snorted when I saw:

Levi- WHATS WITH THE BEDS!?

I laughed and tossed the phone beside me. Levi was used to the luxury of a memory foam mattress it seemed.

Soon after the text, I shut my eyes and sunk into the stiff bed, the exhaustion of the car ride finally taking hold and pulling me under into the world of glorious sleep.

Little did we know, by closing those doors, we started the reaction.

The reaction that made us want to run for our lives.