The Jacobs Hotel (Haunted)

11: Change

One year later

Michelle could hardly believe it was a year ago she had to say goodbye to Adam. So much had changed since then. Kestrel's prediction had been right; six months ago, Mersey had been cleared of the cancer virus. Michelle looked up at the picture behind the reception area with affection. A huge canvas now replaced the old painting. Her and her mother stood in front of a white background, their arms around each other. Her mother had a huge smile plastered across her face that was full of colour and life. Her hair was short and spiky - it had grown even more since the photo had been taken and the two frequently joked that soon her hair would be longer than Michelle's. The smiling woman was unrecognisable to the jittery and ailing person that Michelle had found tied up in the cupboard the night that Adam left forever. Michelle on the other hand had opted for a new hairstyle, and had it cut just above the shoulders in a new modern style. She found it disturbing to have such a likeness to the girl Adam had pretty much murdered for all those years ago, and decided it was time for a change. Kestrel said it suited her better like this anyway. She was into her second year at college and spent nearly every day with her unusual best friend; unusual or not though, the girl knew what she was talking about. Even the hotel was now open for business; Mersey had been worried that the horrors of the past would put people off staying in The Jacobs Hotel but people seemed to see it as a tourist attraction. Unfortunately for them though, no eerie screams or rats turned up anymore, it was like any ordinary, old hotel. They had finally put the past horrors of their lives behind them and could start looking ahead in their lives. Yet sometimes Michelle sometimes found herself missing Adam. She had asked Kestrel if she could take one of the drawings she had of him, she found the way he was drawn by Kestrel in his hoody and jeans felt more like her Adam than the boy in the black and white photos. She kept the drawing under her pillow and looked at it with affection when she missed him most. One night during one of their frequent sleepovers Kestrel had said to her "If you want to talk to him I can perform a seance for you? I can summon the dead, it wouldn't be that difficult."  

Michelle had been tempted but decided against the idea. "No. We both need to move on and stop looking back at the past. Besides, he's at peace now" she let out a deep breath "and so am I."