The Jacobs Hotel (Haunted)

6: Perfect

White shafts of light cut through Mersey’s eyes as she opened them. She shut them quickly and her heart started to thud inside her chest, where am I? She thought to herself. White Light. Am I in heaven?

Slowly, she let the light slip through the curtains of her lashes until it no longer stung. Eventually she could open her eyes properly, although they took a few seconds to adjust. A white ceiling stared down at her, the sound of a heart moniter beeped beside her steadily. This place was all too familiar to her. Hospital.

She tried to move but her body ached and there were all sorts of wires attached to her so that it took an enormous amount of effort just to sit up properly. As she did so, a nurse entered the room.

“Excuse me, what is going on, why am I here?” Mersey asked her desperately.

“I’ll go and get the doctor” said the nurse.

“No wait” said Mersey, the nurse stopped and turned at the door. “Please. Just get my daughter for me.”

                                                                         *

Michelle was overwhelmed with happiness when she entered the room and found her mother sitting up in the hospital bed as right as rain. She rushed over to Mersey, clutching her in an embrace as hard as she could.

"Ouch!” Complained Mersey, but she was grateful to see her daughter.

“How are you feeling?” Michelle said finally releasing her and taking her mother’s hand in hers.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Just a little confused. The last thing I remember is being in the lobby and looking at that ugly painting.”

“You collapsed” said Michelle “we found you lying there on the floor, unconscious. You’ve been over-working yourself mum. It’s not good in your condition.”

Mersey rolled her eyes and tutted, she hated it when people said in your condition, especially her daughter. “I’m fine missy. I just had a funny turn. Once I get back home, I’ll try to relax a bit though, I promise. I don’t want you to worry about me.”

Michelle looked at her mother, her skin stretched tightly over her cheekbones she looked almost skeletal. “Mum, the doctor said you have to stay in hospital for a few days. You need rest.”

Mersey let go of her daughter’s hand. “What I need is to stop being told what I should be doing. What I need is to get back to this hotel and take care of you like a mother should.”

The beeping on the heart monitor began to increase rapidly.

“Mum, please calm down. Your blood pressure…”

Mersey took a deep breath. Yet, how could she calm down when there was so much she needed to find out. The sound of that scream was like a tune in the back of her mind constantly playing. It haunted her.

“You can’t stay there by yourself, Mish. It’s not safe.”

"I won’t be by myself” Michelle smiled as the door opened and the golden-haired boy entered “Adam will be with me.”

Adam entered with a look of utmost concern spread across his face “Mrs Jacobs, I hope you’re feeling better.”

Mersey smiled at the boy with an effort, as fatigue began to take its toll. “Hello Adam, I feel much better, thanks for asking. I appreciate you offering to stay and take care of my daughter but I really have to get back home.”

Adam took a seat on the bed and leaned in close to Mersey. She is surprised when he took her hand in his and said softly “you’re not going anywhere until the doctor says you are well enough. I promise you, Michelle will be safe and sound with me.” He squeezed her hand and Mersey almost winced with the pain. Maybe I am weaker than I think I am, she thought to herself. “Just a few days then. Keep all the doors locked and ring me if anything weird happens. Promise me.”

“I promise” Michelle said leaning in and kissing her mother on the forehead. They wave goodbye and before they are even out of the door the darkness closes over and Mersey falls asleep.

                                                                      *

Michelle lay with her back against the living room floor smoking a cigarette. Beside her lay Adam, his body aimed in the opposite direction, their heads touching. They listened to the sound of the night, the sedative creaking of the old hotel.

“Maybe I should go back to the hospital; I don’t want her to be alone tonight.” Michelle said blowing a puff of smoke into the air before stubbing it out into the coke can beside her.

“Don’t be silly” said Adam pushing himself up from the floor and resting himself onto his elbow so he could look Michelle in the eye “she’s on a lot of medication; she’ll probably sleep through the night. Just relax okay, she’ll be fine.”

Michelle reached up with her finger and gently touched the dimple on Adam’s cheek. Her hand grazed the line of his jaw “what would I do without you here with me?” she said, she was surprised to hear the break in her voice.

Adam looked down at her, his beautiful smile was enough to make everything better, she thought.

 Adam had never seen anything so perfect, he thought as he stared down at this girl. Michelle's eyes were shiny with emotion, her dark brown hair spread across the floor. Slowly, he leaned towards her and kissed her gently on the lips. It was the first time he had ever kissed anybody. He was afraid, more than he’d ever been afraid of anything, that she would be repulsed and reject his kiss. Instead, she pressed her lips into his and pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around him fiercely.

When they finally released each other, Adam said  “I’ll always be here. I’m never going anywhere" something in the way he looked at Michelle when he said this, told her he was telling the truth.