Project Shady

The Hotel

Marshall was half asleep on the couch, his eyes kept dropping every few seconds but the sudden scream from the Football game he was watching brought him back to the present. He wasn't exactly alone in the house, none of his girls were there, but Clara was, although she'd only had dinner with him before excusing herself for being tired. He'd scoffed to himself thinking about what's she'd said, even he wasn't that stupid to notice she didn't want to be near him.

He was starting to doze off again when the click of the front door made him shoot straight up from his position. His first thought was that someone was breaking in but then realised that it would make more sense that someone was actually breaking out.

''Where are you going?'' Clara visibly jumped up from her position trying to open the door to whirl around at him.

''Shit, I thought you'd gone to bed,'' Clara responded, an innocent look on her face. Although Marshall wasn't fooled, he was very much confused as to why his assistant was trying to get out of his house, while she thought he was asleep.

''I am I that horrible that you feel the need to sneak out when I'm asleep?'' Marshall asked and Clara realised then how strange it was that she'd be leaving at ten at night.

''No I just didn't want to wake you up when I left. I'm meeting a friend, I ordered a taxi, look out the window if you don't believe me,'' Marshall frowned before ducking back into the living to look through the window. He furrowed his eyebrows when he noticed a taxi out the front.

''I could've just dropped you off. All you had to do was ask,'' Clara just nodded at him before turning around to continue unlocking the door so she could get out.

''I'll bear that in mind next time. I'll see ya tomorrow,'' Marshall opened his mouth to say something, but before he could she was gone.

''Ok that's it I'm googling this chick,'' he muttered to himself instead, running up to his room to grab his laptop and boot it up.

°°°

The taxi driver had asked Clara if she wanted him to wait for her, she shook her head, knowing that she'd be there for quite a while and didn't want to pay the bill at the end. So instead she got his number and said she'd ring when she needed picking up. Luckily, the driver agreed and gave her his number, before then leaving her at her destination.

The outside of the hotel was even worse than before and Clara didn't think I could have been possible. There now was a distinct soldered patch on the left of the building where the fire had occurred almost two days ago. Even more, windows seemed to have been deliberately smashed in. Now there was a wooden sign posted out front which read, 'closed,' Clara couldn't help but laugh as she read it since it was so obvious the hotel would've been closed.

The front door, was off its hinges meaning Clara had to squeeze herself between the gap it had created. For once her height and skinny stature were good for something. Once inside she took the torch she had brought with her out of her bag and switched it on. She was struck was the overwhelming smell of burnt metal and wood as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the change in light. The next step for Clara was to locate the room that she would have been staying in, the one where the fire allegedly started as a result of an air conditioning system that had overheated.

Every single step that Clara took, the stair creaked and groaned beneath her. The cracking got louder and louder as she climbed, making her feel as if it would collapse at any second. Thankfully, she made it to the top without a single foot getting stuck or even her whole body falling through. At the top of the stairs, she was met with a hallway that led off in all sorts of directions. However, the ash and burnt wallpaper was enough to lead her straight to the room that she needed to be in.