The Jacobs Hotel (Haunted)

8: Dreams

Michelle waited outside the hospital and rang Adam's mobile phone.

"Hello beautiful" he said cheerily on the other line.

"Don't you dare" said Michelle "you've got some explaining to do."

"What's the matter?" Asked Adam, he sounded very worried and Michelle was glad.

"You lied to me. There was never any article about us. Why did you lie?"

The other end of the line was silent for a long time.

"I can explain. Not like this though, I need to talk to you in person."

Michelle chewed her lip. She wanted answers now, but maybe it would be better to talk face to face. "Fine. You can come over tonight and do exactly that."

She shut off the phone call before he could say anything else and turned her phone off before entering the hospital. Mersey was ready and waiting for her when she arrived, sitting patiently at the end of the bed with her bag in her lap. Michelle was glad to see she had some colour back into her face.

"You look well."

"Thanks" said Mersey "I think I needed that rest. Although I'll be honest, I'm sick of these white walls."

Michelle laughed and shook her head. She almost forgot about everything with Adam, she was so relieved to see her mother. They drove home in a cab service and it wasn't until they stopped outside the hotel that everything came back to her.

"You go inside mum, I need to make a little detour. I won't be long."

Michelle had the cab service take her to Lakeside College. She hoped Kestrel hadn't left yet, she fidgeted in her seat wishing the car would go faster. It was ten minutes past the time lesson would be over when Michelle finally reached the classroom. To her luck, Kestrel was inside still packing her things away.

"I'm so glad to see you" Michelle said approaching her.

Kestrel looked up and was unsurprised to see Michelle standing before her. She probably saw me coming, Michelle thought.

"Lesson is over. You missed it." Kestrel said picking up her satchel and swinging it over her shoulder.

"I know" said Michelle "I came to see you. I wanted to apologise."

"What for?" Asked Kestrel, bemused.

"For not believing you. You really did see me coming, I see that now."

Kestrel smiled shyly "oh that's alright. Most people don't believe a thing I say, apart from dad. But thanks."

Michelle was relieved that Kestrel accepted her apology, she had grown to like the strange girl, and hoped they could grow to be good friends. "I also wanted to ask you...why you ran off the other day."

Kestrel looked at the floor before answering "I think maybe its best that I show you."

Kestrels house was just a five minute walk from the college. It was a small bungalow and painted blue, which Kestrel said was a good colour for keeping out bad spirits.

Her room was even more unusual. Dream catchers hung all about her ceiling and a chain of garlic was strung along her window. There was clutter everywhere, cups and books and little bottles of ointments. Kestrel had her reasons for all of these things and explained as Michelle listened about ghouls, spirits and fairies. There were drawings on the wall. Most of them were done in thick black charcoal. Some were in colour, but not many. This is what Kestrel had wanted to show her. As Michelle stepped over the clutter, she had to do a double-take when she focused on the dream wall. Drawings of Adam were plastered everywhere. His face. His eyes. His shadow. She noticed too, it was all his pictures that were in black.

"That's Adam. My boyfriend" explained Michelle "he's been in your dreams too?"

Kestrel appeared to not like looking at the drawings of him, avoiding her gaze from the direction of those pictures altogether. "He's been in all of my dreams, ever since we moved here. Bad dreams. His face, in the darkness. And blood. So much blood. He is the nightmare boy. I used to wake up crying to the sound of a terrifying scream after seeing his face."

Michelle couldn't believe it "that's crazy. He's the nicest guy. Trust me."

Kestrel looked at her sternly and said "No Michelle, trust me. When I saw him that day...imagine your worst nightmare coming to life. An evil spirit...right before my very very eyes."

Michelle looked at the pictures on the wall, his beautiful face in black and white stared back. In some of them he looked younger, no more than ten years old.

"So how do you get rid of evil spirits?"

"Well that's easy" said Kestrel "you just have to soak them with holy water."

Of course, thought Michelle flatly.

Kestrel walked over to her  bedside and rummaged through the pile of ointments on her end table. She soon emerged with a small see-through bottle with a cork for a lid.

"You don't really expect me to do this, do you?" Said Michelle when Kestrel placed it into her hand.

"Just take it. To be safe. You never know."

Well thanks. I better go anyway, but I'll see you tomorrow?"

Michelle walked to the door and was about to leave when Kestrel called her name and untacked one of the picture from the wall, a colourful one. She put it into Michelle's hand. A bald lady with a bandana stood in the middle of the picture smiling. A huge rainbow is scribbled with crayon above her head.

"She's going to get better" said Kestrel "you'll see."