The Eighth Sin

Episode 12.5 - Superstition

Y/N watched from her younger sister from afar as she and Emer talked in an easy banter in front of her. They were all walking to the hotel, and Y/N could see the tension in between growing steadily until they were walking in awkward silence. Y/N trailed behind the couple, catching almost every detail in her surroundings. She was growing more and more uneasy, and wasn't looking forward to spending the night in this town while her sister and her boyfriend were at odds with each other.

Once they arrived at Lake Inn, Emer and Ellie headed straight up to their room, still not speaking. Y/N sighed and looked at the old man who sat behind the desk. She walked over to him and leaned against the desk. "So, I'm here with them." She said, waving her hand towards the couple down the hallway. "They said my room was 107? Can you point me in the direction of it?"

The old man didn't acknowledge her. Y/N sighed. "Hello?" She asked. "Can you help me?" She tapped her fingers against the desk.

The old man looked up and smiled. "Hello, and welcome to the Lake Inn. My name is William. How can I help you today?" He asked her. Y/N put on a fake smile.

"Yeah, a couple checked in earlier today? I'm accompanying them, and I was wondering where room 107 was?" 

William slowly pulled open a drawer and took out a book. He flipped to the last page written on and dragged his finger down the paper. He read the last line and looked up at the girl. "Yes, they did ask for an extra room. However, we don't have any extra rooms, we're very sorry."

Y/N frowned. "How could you not have any extra rooms? I didn't exactly see any other tourists around earlier today. Plus, I have a key."

William closed the book and repeated, "We have no more rooms. I'm terribly sorry." His eyes narrowed and he snatched the key from Y/N's hand.  

Y/N groaned. "Fine. Do you know where else I should stay the night?" She asked him impatiently. He shrugged. Y/N groaned again and walked towards the room that she saw her sister disappear into.

"Not enough rooms?" She mumbled to herself. "Who filled up the rest of them?" She knocked on the door. After a minute of silence, she knocked again. 

"Ellie? Emer? Will you let me in?" She asked, tapping on the door once again. No one answered. "I'm going to open the door." She called. She pulled it open and looked inside. It was a small but sweet room, laced with a tinge of uneasiness, much like the rest of the town. She closed the door behind her and looked around. Neither Ellie nor Emer were there.

Y/N turned around to check if they had been hiding behind the door. They weren't. "Where are they?" Y/N asked. "There's nowhere to hide here, and I didn't see them when I was in the lobby." She sighed and sat down on the bed, looking out the window.

Something shifted beneath the clear waters. Y/N sat up and and pushed open the window, leaning out. The pebble path began to crumble, the glazed look falling apart. The buildings' wood seemed to rot in front of her eyes, and moss grew over the stone. The grass dried out and lost its color. The people seemed to evaporate into mist. The entire village deteriorated within a minute. The lake was now murky, however it emitted a soft green light. Y/N hesitantly swung through the window, her toes dangling just above the ground before she dropped to the ground.

Y/N made her way to the lake, walking through falling apart buildings. The village's sudden change in appearance was unsettling, and Y/N found herself jumping everytime she saw the wind sweep dry leaves along the now empty streets. With every noise that sounded slightly out of place she paused, poised to defend herself. She made slow progress until she got a couple of yards from the lake. Y/N then started to jog, getting steadily more nervous.

After she jogged around the circumfrence of the lake, she sighed and mumbled, " I really hate swimming." She walked into the lake as far she could and then started to swim towards the center. Taking a deep breath in, Y/N dove to the bottom.

The lake was surpringly shallow, and Y/N reached the bottom quickly. She touched the bottom, expecting to feel stones, smooth from years of water brushing over them. She quickly withdrew her hand when she felt sand instead, and surprisingly, air. She paused for a moment, confused, but then dove underneath the sand.