He Strikes at the Hotel

Chapter Fifty

My legs were now burning intensely from the pace at which we were running; we had to be quicker than the fire which was trying to engulf the hotel, and faster than the men who were trying to engulf us...

Zachery and I flew down the stairs, holding on to the banisters for dear life, swirling round each corner we came across. Even though my dress was missing the long train at the bottom, it was still bothersome to run in, but with the speed we were going it was floating behind me the majority of the time; which made this scene look a lot more magical than what it felt.

Zachery was right behind me as we ran, successfully dodging my dress which tried to get in his way more than once. Our breathing was heavy by the time we got to the first floor landing. We were so close that we didn't want to stop, but we were both exhausted. We stood motionless for just a moment to catch our breath, leaning against the grand staircase's banisters for support. We needed the support in any way we could get it.

As our breathing started to steady, I caught myself getting lost as I gazed down to the lobby beneath us. My mind trailed back to earlier today as we first walked down this staircase; we were pristine and ready. Now my dress was ripped, dirty and had blood smeared across it. I hadn't even noticed that my gloves were now no where to be seen. Zachery's suit began the evening as jet black with tiny white pinstripes, but now it was closer to being grey with the amount of dirt on it. His exquisitely polished shoes now wept at the creation they had become. Even though his attire was now dismal and his face was covered with the turmoil on tonight; he still looked a dream.

Zachery leant up away from the banister and scooted along closer to me, seeing that my face had fallen sombre. He put his elbows down next to mine on the railing and softly budged his arm into mine as he leant his head down to lock my attention.

"You okay?" He asked as his eyes softened on me. I didn't know how to answer that question right now... Was I okay? Or was I becoming consumed with everything happening around me?

"Yeah." I lied. But it was a lot easier than trying to explain the truth and Zachery knew it. That's why instead of calling me out on my little white lie, he nodded in acceptance as he bumped my arm again.

"Good, 'cause we aren't finished yet. Shall we?" He held his arm out for me to link mine into his, just like earlier. The deja-vu hit me like a canon, knocking me out of my nostalgia as quickly as it came and just as abruptly. I sighed and tucked the stray hairs behind my ears which had fallen out of the beautiful style Nerissa gave me earlier.

"I can't wait until this is over." I said as my voice began to crack. I suddenly felt anger rise in the pit of my stomach. I was angry that any of this happened, especially that there was now a fire in my home, endangering everyone. It wasn't just about us now, or the people who would possibly go missing... Everyone's lives were now in danger. We caused that.

"This evening?" Zachery asked, dumbfounded by my blunt statement.

"Just all of this. I've had it. This is too much. We have put everyone's lives in danger simple because we thought we could figure out who was playing games with you!" I wasn't angry at Zachery, I knew that. It was just easier to project it, and unfortunately he was the one in the firing line of my explosion.

"They were playing with you too, Audrey Rose. We did this for a good purpose. Think about the people who they have tortured! You've experienced the start of it first hand. We are able to put a stop to them. This has definitely not turned out how I wanted it to, you know that. You know me well enough to know I would not want to put anyone in danger, but I have. For that, I am sorry. But I am not sorry that we have taken the opportunity to stop those two disgusting cretins." Zachery's face went red, not through blushing, but through hurt and anger.

"I'm sorry... That came out aimed at you when it wasn't. I'm just confused." I said feebly, not wanting to hurt him any more, but also not knowing what to say myself. What was this doing to us?

I didn't know what I wanted to hear from Zachery, or whether I even expected him to say anything at all. Luckily, he just gave me an understanding smile which didn't reach his eyes, as he held his arm out and ushered for us to carry on.

We weren't running now, but we still kept a quick pace in our step as we went down the grand staircase which was the last hurdle before we got the much needed back up we have been desperate for. With each step we took, I could feel the emotion inside me stirring. Every piece of anger, sadness and fear, building up and whirling around together like the leaves of a tree in a storm.

As we came close to the lobby, I started glancing over to the hallway past reception which led to the lift's entrance for this floor. It was silent in here apart from the soft vibration of sound coming from the ballroom, where everything was still carrying on as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened. "Ignorance is bliss", I thought to myself, as I was still looking through the darkness to something that wasn't there.

Then there was something there. But it wasn't Jared, nor Jeremy. It was smoke. Thick smoke.

The sound of the lift moving started to whisper to us through the smoke as a warning, letting us know that they weren't far, and neither was the fire.

Zachery placed his arm on my back and started to direct me towards the ballroom. This snapped me out of my daze, but I struggled to take my sight off of the smoke which was now crawling its way across the hall and was creeping its way up to reception.

Reluctantly, I followed Zachery's lead as we went to the large double doors of the ballroom. They were now closed, acting as a safety barrier between normality and this senseless insanity.

We ran the last little stretch ahead of us as we gripped onto the door handle together in eagerness, both pulling and pushing away at it frantically before we finally managed to sync our movements, opening the door hastily.

The beauty of the room and everyone within it was in complete contrast to us, standing in the doorway like a broken pair of lunatics. There was a band harmoniously playing on stage, spreading a joyous song across the entire room, enchanting everyone.

Once they noticed us, the music stopped.

Gasps escaped every mouth, with shock encompassing each guest more ferociously than the enchantment that they had just been snapped out of.

All eyes on us.

Then only silence.