The Jacobs Hotel (Haunted)

3: Rat

The old hotel was beginning to come together. It was amazing what a lick of paint here and there can do, Mersey thought looking around the lobby. She had opted for a pale yellow to brighten up the dark walls of the building and was happy with her decision, noticing how much lighter the room looked. As she turned towards the receptionist desk, newly varnished and complete with a bell for service, a computer and all the keys lined up neatly behind, her eyes were brought to the ghastly painting. She had asked the workers to have it taken down but they said it was nailed tightly into the wall and they'd have to come back another day. It was a horrific thing, Mersey thought, she had no idea why Michelle admired it so much. The way it made her feel when she looked at it, the cold eyes of the previous owners staring back at her. She knew the reason she probably didn't like it was because it made it seem like this hotel was still theirs and Mersey was defiant to make it her own. Yet, that didn't explain the chill that ran up her spine when she looked at those faces...

Ever since she had heard that screaming Mersey had been feeling unusual. She wasn't sure how to explain it but she had nightmares of the screams and often woke up in bed hearing a distant shrieking, before rubbing her eyes and breaking out of her trance. She knew the medication she was taking could be playing tricks on her but the cries had seemed so real.

Michelle on the other hand was beginning to feel at home in Lakeside Villiage. She loved wandering the rooms of The Jacobs Hotel and exploring its vast entities. It was so old and full of mystery she could spend hours lurking around and imagining all the lives that had once lived here. She mostly hung around with Adam when she did this, something she was not used to back home. She had spent a lot of time out of school from her mother's illness and couldn't remember the last time she had a real friend. A week after their move however, her mother was determined to get her back into education.

"You'll be fine, I promise" insisted Mersey as she cut the crusts off a sandwich she was making for her lunch. Michelle sat across from her on a stool in their kitchen and realized what her mother was doing.

"Please don't tell me you're packing me a lunch. Mum, this is college, I can't walk in with a My Little Pony backpack and eat your de-crusted sandwiches. I'll be a laughing stock."

"Well I was just going to put it in a tupperwear container but if you want My Little Pony..."

"Ha ha." said Michelle in a flat tone then looks at her watch  "seriously mum, I'll just grab something when I'm out. I've gotta go, I'll see you later"

She kissed her mum on the cheek and left her mum alone with the half made packed lunch.  As she walked across the lobby and reached for the front door, her foot crunched against something.

"Ugh!" she said as she looked down and saw a brown rat lying dead on the welcome mat.

"Did you say something, Mish?" her mother called from the kitchen. Michelle hurriedly kicked the rodent corpse outside, closing the front door behind her before her mum can suspect anything. Outside in the daylight, the creature looked even more horrific, it's black eyes were open and staring, it's body bloated and stained with blood. Michelle held her breath and reached down toward it, using her two fingers to pick it up by the tail. Putting a hand over her mouth as to avoid contracting any awful diseases it may carry she swung her arm back and throws the rat across the road as far as she can. The last thing mum needs is too think we have a rat invasion, Michelle thought to herself, she'd been stressing enough lately. Wiping her hand on her jacket, she heads towards the bus stop.

As she approached,  a familiar face was there to greet her. Adam smiled cheekily, his dimples showed vividly in the daylight.

"What are you doing here?" says Michelle pretending to not be as pleased as she is to see him.

"I just wanted to come and wish you luck on your first day."

Adam moved aside so that Michelle can sit next to him at the bus stop. With her arm pressed up against his and she can't help the flips her stomach does from being so close to him.

"Well that was thoughtful of you." Michelle said unable to hide her smile "I have to warn you though, I've got germs. I just picked up a dead rat."

She lunges at him with her hand and laughed as he jerked out of the way as she tried to touch him with her hand. Adam made a grab for her arm in an attempt to avoid her touching him but instead ends up pulling her close towards him. Their faces were so close Michelle could smell his minty breath and his body gently pressed up against hers. She could not help but secretly wished that he would kiss her.

After a few seconds of the pair looking at each other, seeing who will make the first move, the sound of an engine came up beside them, braking Michelle out of her trance. She moved away from Adam, putting her hand out for the bus.

"Don't chat up any blokes" Adam teased her and she turned back to waggle her finger at him rudely out of the window, to find that he had already gone.