Hotel Basylum

PROLOGUE

Under the flickering reading lamp in the empty office room, a woman is bending over the glowing computer screen with sweat glittering on her face. The desk top is littered with a lot of papers, she is typing on the keyboard with such speed her hands seems to move in a blur. In the dark corner, a girl of seven is watching her with fear and confusion written on her face.

"Mom, mom...."

"Not now, Maggie."

"I am scared, mom," Maggie says, hugging her doll tightly.

"Don't be scared, momma is going to keep you save," or she really hopes so.

"Why are we leaving? Why isn't dad coming with us?"

She stopped what she was doing and looks at her daughter, sadness written all over her face.

"We won't be ...."

She is interrupted by the sound of a heavy footstep slowly coming up the stairs. Suddenly, the light flickers out and leaves them standing in the dark with unease silence and dread.

"No, no... not now."

"Mom, what is happening? Who is that?"

"Darling, I want you to be brave and do whatever momma says you should do."

Maggie slowly nodded, as she slowly begins to grasp the urgency of the situation they were in.

"Whoever is there I have a gun,"she said as she ruffled through the piles of papers on the desk and finds a handgun, "and I will definitely use it."

The footsteps could now be heard in the hallway, not slowing down one bit.

"I am warning you, I am going to use it."

"Hahaha, whoever knew my dear darling Joan could be so fierce."

"Daddy...," Maggie whispered in the dark, Joan immediately gives her hand a squeeze signaling her not to say a thing.

"Henry, Henry... I thought you were dead, how did you survive the wreck?"

"You mean your pathetic attempt to kill me. Remember you were always asking me about my childhood, so let me tell you a story - a boy walked into the woods, his mom warned him to stay away from the woods but he went in anyway, he meets the big bad wolf and comes out with a bite," Henry's voice echoes the empty hallway.

"Oh please Henry, not another one of your boring stories," Joan says still thinking of a way out of the situation,"you know how much I hate them. I am not going back with you to that ghost town."

"Oh! But I am not here for you, I don't need you. I warned you but you went on poking your nose in where it doesn't belong. Well I can't let you live because you know just too much."

She rushes to the desk and pickes up the telephone, dials 911 with shaking hands and brought the receiver to her ear but no signal was coming through. She reaches into her bag and pulls out her cellphone,

"Oh, and please don't try calling for help because it's completely futile and no one is coming, I made sure of that."

The tone of his voice was enough to make Joan believe that he meant whatever he said. She slowly set down the phone.

"Stay away from my daughter, I won't let you get her."

"I don't think you have any control over anything that happens now," his voice getting uncomfortably closer.

She walks slowly to the side of the door and stands silently waiting for the door to open. She reaches out and pulls Maggie to her side. The door swings open and a well built man walks into the dark office slowly and looks around.

"Come out, come out - Maggie dear, daddy is here for you," madness could clearly be heard in his voice.

"Daddy..."

The word escape her mouth before Joan could stop her.

No... this can't be happening.

"Maggie, run...run as fast as you can."

She turned aiming the gun at Henry trying to take a shot at him in the dark, but he was faster and stronger than her.
He struck her hard on the chest sending her flying across the hallway, the gun had fallen away from her hands.

"Joan, remember what I told you about attempting to resist me."

Joan was sprawling on the floor, still trying to sit up. Maggie runs to her side,

"Mom, mom."

She struggles to her feet, grabbing unto her daughter's hand and heads for the emergency stairway.

"Joan, I won't let you get out of here - you are completely trapped."

Joan doesn't gets far when she feels a firm hand on her shoulder, she is shoved and sent falling down the stairs. She falls two flights of stairs before she comes to a stop.
She tries to get back up, but her body seems to have a mind of its own.

Too much pain...I can't move.

"I told you that I won't let you get away."

"Please... Maggie..."

"Where were you going to go, you know she can find you anywhere."

Joan tries to look at her husband's face just one last time to see if she might catch a glimpse of the man she fell in love with, but her body still was not in her control.

"Please...."... please...

All she sees is the heels of the boot coming down hard on her face as she passes out.

**********

In the dark empty bus stop, a phone buzzed interrupting the silence. A voice whose body was well enshrouded by the dark answered the call.

"What took you so long?"

"Just as you said, she had put up a fight."

"So is it done?"

"Yes, I have the girl."

"I hope no mistakes this time."

Hey guys, I hope you liked it. Please don't forget to vote and comments. I will be happy to hear from you, so let me know if you enjoyed it. I will be updating more chapters.
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