Travel // Shawn Mendes

eleven

"The most famous one, if you look here, is right above the first entrance. It says, 'Arrête! C'est ici l'empire de la Mort'. Which translates to 'Stop! This is the Empire of the Dead'."

"Je n'aime pas cet endroit. This is creepier than when we visited Notre Dame." Annalise whispers to me as we follow the tour guide who begins a story, and I look at her, confused.

"First, I have no idea what you just said. The only French I know is french fries, Anna. Second, what was creepy about Notre Dame?"

"Nothing, it just reminds me of the movie. Effrayant."

I had been in Paris for four days already, and the places I had gone to were absolutely breath-taking. However, there were still two more places I was just dying to go to. The Eiffel Tower, and Les Catacombes de Paris.

In all of the years that my friend has lived in Paris, she has not once gone to the catacombs. Why? It might have to do with all the skeletons and death, but don't quote me on that. However, I wanted to visit the place more than ever, so I forced Annalise into joining me on my adventure underground the "City of Love". I even offered to pay for her ticket, since my admission had no cost to it. (Being seventeen has its perks sometimes.)

Fast forward and here we both were, standing side by side with millions of bones surrounding us and twelve other people, including our tour guide that Annalise was currently eyeballing. At the beginning of our trip down here, she had said it was because he "reminded" her of someone, but even I wasn't that gullible. Thankfully, she quit the act about ten minutes in to talk about how hot he was when he spoke about the history of the catacombs. Her words, not mine.

"And the legend goes that their ancestor's ghosts remain down there, to protect that treasure. There, they actually killed someone." Our guide says, and my friend pinches me lightly, before he turns away from us and continues to speak.

"Did you see the look he gave me?" She whispers into my ear, and I raise an eyebrow shortly before smiling.

I saw absolutely nothing, but it wouldn't kill anyone if I helped her in giving her something to dream about for the night. Plus, if I answered with honesty, she would explain to me what it was he did and how it was he looked at her, which I wasn't about to listen to while he was talking.

"Yeah, I saw. Now shush, I want to hear this!"

It's not that I'm a history geek or anything, but I love ghost stories. I mean, if there's a book with even a slight paranormal experience, I'll be the first to read it. And don't get me wrong here, I don't wear heavy black eyeliner and skip second period to conduct an exorcism either. But while some people are suckers for all things cheesy romance, I'm a sucker for all things ghost related.

"They found his body eleven years later, and could identify him because he still had the keys to the hospital with him." The small audience gasps in awe at the ending of the story, and he smiles a bit at our reaction before we continue to walk through the catacombs.

"He's got to be in his early twenties. I turn twenty in three days, that works! What do you think he's doing as a tour guide for this place?" Annalise questions, unknowingly pushing me a bit so that her skin doesn't make contact with the walls made of skull and bone.

"Maybe you should ask him instead of whispering to me about your crush."

"Oh, yeah, I'll ask him. Thanks, but you're one to talk. Where was this advice when that boy helped you with your bag at the airport and you wanted his number?" Okay, good point.

"Yeah, well, whatever. I'll never see that guy again anyways. You, however, live in the same city as this man!"

"We'll talk about this later. We're behind everyone, and I don't want to be buried here next." Annalise says, before rushing over to catch up with the rest of the group and her new crush.

An hour later, we had exited the catacombs, and I inhaled the fresh air deeply as Annalise shut her eyes, probably in prayer.

"If it wasn't for that tour guide, I would have been out of there." She exclaims, and I raise my eyebrows in disbelief.

"Mhm. You have to admit, he made that place seem insanely cool."

"Oh, yeah. I was interested in him for sure."

"Well, thank you. I do try my best to make the catacombs seen interesting." A new voice joins our conversation, and I give Annalise a look before we both turn, seeing the tour guide we were just speaking about.

I watch as my friend's cheeks turn a bright red, and knowing her, she probably wasn't going to be the one to speak next, so I spoke for her.

"Yeah, it was a great tour. The stories are probably going to keep me up at night, though."

The guy laughs, before turning to look at Annalise.

"So, you guys liked it?" He asks, but the question is obviously directed to her.

"Oui- uh- yes." She says, and I hold myself back from smiling.

"Oh, parlez-vous français?" Do you speak French?

I didn't know the language of France, but I was all about being prepared. Before I even began to pack my bags for my travels, I made sure to learn at least the basics of each place's language that I would visit. So, I knew what the guy meant by that, and I made sure to always answer with 'non' to that question. Clearly, though, he wasn't talking to me.

"Oui." She says again, and they begin a conversation in French, that might have lasted longer than the tour of the catacombs.

I watch as they speak, and notice Annalise point behind me, then saying the word "cafe". Using every Nancy Drew skill inside of me, I knew well enough that she had just invited him to join us in lunch.

Five minutes and a phone number exchange later, the conversation is finally over, and Annalise and I are walking towards the cafe, that was between the catacomb exit and the Metro station, which is how we would be getting back to her apartment.

"So?"

"His name is Jonah, and we have dinner plans Tuesday night an- Oh no."

"What?" I ask, concerned on the sudden change of tone.

"I'll be leaving you alone! Ugh, I'm such an awful friend, I-"

"Anna, seriously? It's one night. I'll be fine staying in for one night. And who knows? Maybe I'll find my soulmate here too, and we'll have dinner that night." I joke, and she smiles at me before giving me an unexpected hug as we cross the street.

"Now, are you ready to eat? Because I'm starving."

question, because I'm vry interested: How many of you are reading this but have NOT read Hotel Midnight?

also the tweet in the pic is from my twitter (livemendesx, if ur not following wyd sis??) and I'm sHOOK if this perfume thing is fr I'm gonna yodel.