WE'RE BACK... Did you miss us?
Death count: Tingle, Ganondorf (not really)
Here you go; read on, lovelies. We don't own Zelda, we are simply terrible people looking fo entertainment.
"Welcome to my hotel. I fear I've been an absolutely terrible host so far," I smile, bringing the microphone to my lips. Ganondorf's eyes narrow and he gives me a nod of reassurance. "Let me explain, my pups," I walk around the small room looking at a monitor marked '1st floor, hall 3', where they all stand terrified. "This is my hotel, my Abaddon Hotel. You have all been invited here not for a lovely get together outside of office hours," I laugh slightly, "but because you have all been chosen to be a part of my art." I rub my hand across the people in the monitor, "Think of it as winning the lottery… mind you… there is nothing to be won, only lives to be ended. The prize is death."
I see Ganondorf smile and I cover the microphone as we both chuckle for a moment. I regain my composure and straighten my back. I push my white hair out of my face and bring on an official voice, "Down the halls, you will see little paper pockets set on the walls. If you have any questions or concerns, please," I smile, "write it down, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Have a lovely stay at Abaddon Hotel. Good day."
There is a click and then the microphone is off. Both Ganondorf and I watch as the group hollers and cries. One voice screams for medical assistance… something about a man being dead. "I enjoy this," I smile, rubbing the faces on the monitor one more time.
Ganondorf throws his suit jacket onto a chair, "Of course you do." His response has a hint of annoyance.
"Am I irritating you?" I ask with a slight wine in my voice. I hunch over looking up at him. My thin body is nothing to compare with his immense figure.
His eyes narrow and he shakes his head, "No, Ghirahim, you are not annoying me." He looks to the nicotine stained ceiling, "What is annoying me is this disgusting building. Could you have picked a more run down place?" His nose curls slightly making his upper lip flash his teeth.
"You gave me a budget and this is what I could get under that budget." I turn my head to the sound of a scream on the monitor as the lights flicker off in the hall and the sprinkler system turns on. I feel the corners of my mouth curve into a smile.
"You could have used the money you spent on all these cameras to get a more… classy place," Ganondorf defends himself.
"Most of these are mine," I say distantly watching as the group makes their way down the hall. I shake my head as I look to another monitor as they appear, "I only bought three… besides," I turn to Ganondorf as the group momentarily lacks my interest, "What good would it be to do this and not be able to watch?" I arch an eyebrow. His lips flatten and purse as he shrugs with half closed eyes. I smile and turn back to the monitor. I let out a shaky breath, "If they make their way down to here," I point to another monitor, "… they will be in for a huge surprise…"
Ganondorf makes his way to my side and watches. He shakes his head, "What will happen?"
"All in good time, Ganon…" I smile in a whisper as I pat his shoulder. His golden eyes slit and for a moment, I believe he will hit me. I wince as he makes a sudden move only to find him turning away from me. I grip my belt and hike up my pants. "If we can get them to make their way down this hall here," I point to the empty hall on a new monitor, "You can bet yourself it will put a smile on that leathery face of yours." I smile charmingly at him. He watches me for a moment and then smiles weakly.
"How do we do that?" he asks with a voice sounding far away.
I scratch the stubble on my chin and think. "Perhaps they hear a child…?" I smile arching an eyebrow.
"Where are we going to find a child?" Ganondorf half smiles.
"Who says we need a child?" I ask holding a tape recorder. I press play a little girl's whimpering fills the thick air of the room.
"Mama," the tape recorder cries out in an eerily innocent voice. "Mama, where are you?" Even with it just being something I recorded from a television show, it sends shivers up my spine.
Ganondorf slices a hand through the air, "Alright, that's enough." I stop it just as the child's cries become hysterical. "How are we going to lead them? Are we going to go through the walls again?"
I laugh in a patronizing way. "No," I shake my head, "we'll crawl through the ceilings—,"
"What do you mean we?" he arches an eyebrow. "I happen to be a great deal larger than you," he chuckles rubbing an overly large hand on his stomach in a circular motion.
"Fine," I flare my nostrils and shove the tape recorder back into my pocket. "I'll go alone. Probably better that way." I bring a chair to the far end of the room and climb it. I reach up and push a ceiling tile in. Unfortunately, I am too short to hoist myself up. "Well don't just stand there," I turn to him. "I need help—,"
"The great Ghirahim Nukke needs my help?" Ganondorf smiles with self-righteous eyes. He takes brisk steps towards me and wraps his arms around my legs. Soon, I am lifted high and bump my head on the ceiling tile next to the one I lifted. I reach my arms up and grip the metal supporting the tiles. I pull myself up and distribute my weight on the ceiling.
"Be careful," he warns looking up at me. "The tiles alone won't hold you; you need to keep your footing on the bars to keep from falling." I nod and slid myself in a proper, more conventional position for moving. "Well, aren't you a light, little thing?" Ganondorf laughs as I make my way across the ceiling.
I step over the wall and continue my army crawl along the ceiling. It doesn't take long to get in the hall I want my pups in. I rip a hole through the ceiling tile and dangle my hand out with the tape recorder. I turn the volume all the way up and press play after rewinding it to the beginning.
"Mama," it repeats, "Mama, where are you?" Sobs scream through the hall and then a loud scream. "I want to go home!" the whine continues, "Leave me alone! Someone! Anyone! Help me!" More screams race though the hall.
I close my eyes and relax as the tape continues to roll. I wipe sweat off my brow with my free hand. It is dreadfully hot up here. The air is damp and hard to breathe in. Suddenly, my hand loosens and the tape recorder falls. I look through the hole I have created and watch helplessly as the mechanism hits the ground. I hold my breath as silence fills the air. I breathe again when a blood-curdling scream charges through the walls.
I wipe more sweat off my face and watch curiously as I hear running footsteps leading to the hall. A young woman with auburn hair looks wildly for the source of the voice. She takes a step closer and sees the tape recorder. She lifts it and stops the cries with the push of a button and a definite click.
I keep my eyes on her, waiting for her to trigger the rig. She takes one more step and stops short as she hears me rustling above her. She looks up, sees my ghostly skin and dark eyes and screams. She puts her hands in front of her to protect herself and steps back, landing directly on the trigger. The trigger snaps and then there is an ear-bursting bang. I close my eyes tightly as she falls to the ground.
When I open them, all is calm and tranquil. The young woman lies on the ground with a fearful expression and a wound oozing blood out of her forehead. The wall gun worked, and I feel like a better person for it. Aside from the heat, I could get used to the bird's eye view of the ceiling.
"Malon," a voice calls from the hall. I shift myself in the ceiling and hold deathly still. The gun only had one bullet. I look down through my peephole and see a young woman with blonde hair, her skin softer than silk and eyes brighter than sky on a sunny day.
She collapses to the ground as she sees the young redhead lying on the carpet. The young woman's small, frail hands wrap around the other woman's. Tears slowly drip from her chin and onto her small chest. I smile and feel my leg stiffen into a cramp. I move it slightly, trying to delay the cramp, but in the heat of the moment, the ceiling creaks and shifts slightly.
"Who's there?" the young woman asks in a shaky voice. She drops the corpse's hand and rises to her feet. I keep silent, watching, breathing, loving the moment. Her eyes rise to the ceiling and set on the small hole I made for my hand. I hold my breath as her sapphires stagnate on the hole, as if she sees something. "Who are you?" she growls. "Show yourself!" she demands.
I keep in the shadow, adrenaline pumping in my veins loudly. Whether it was stupidity or curiosity that led me to do what I did, I will never know. I slide up the ceiling further, and rest my head on the tile with my eye piercing down at her; just my lone, black eye and white, dull skin looking down at her. The young blonde lets out a scream and scampers away.
I smile and turn myself over, looking at the pillars above me. The old rusted, forgotten nails sticking out as if not even they wanted to be in this place, the wood slightly rotting, bringing an old, musty smell to my nose, almost like that of old books, but more wet and soggy. I take a long pause and a deep breath before making my way back to my dear friend and fellow fiend.
…
Zelda turned the corner at a jolting sprint and slammed headlong into someone, her face crashing into their chest. She stumbled and fell onto her back, the room spinning around her as she stared at the ceiling. Her breathing sounded long and heavy in her ears, and her hands trembled where they fell on the ground. A blue face entered her vision.
"Zelda? Is… is that blood?" Ruto asked, her voice shaking. Zelda didn't answer. She could only think about how Malon's body was still warm when she had taken her hand… It felt so hot, it was almost like she had a fever. Another tremor rocked her body when the image of that single dark eye staring at her through the ceiling hit her again, terror drowning out her horror, and she shielded her face with her hands when more of her coworkers bent over to inspect her. She felt warmish smears drip onto her face, but she didn't care. Several other people were already covered with blood, so she would blend right in. A stunted sob escaped her throat right before it seemed to close over.
"Zelda, what happened?" She heard Link's voice rise above some of the other cacophony, including Ingo's loud scream when he found the body of his niece in the hallway over. Gentle, damp hands pried her hands away from her face by her wrists, and her eyes watered when the surreally bright lights hit them. She shook her head and closed her eyes, her lips pressing into a thin line.
"What killed Malon?" Ashei called out. Someone else shouted something about there being a hole in her forehead, but they were cut off by the new sound of an intercom.
"It was a gun mounted in the wall, and it worked stupendously, if I do say so myself," the voice from the walls said in a bright voice. "Might want to watch where you step… Oh, and I wouldn't bother trying to talk to Blondie." Zelda's eyes widened in fear, and her stomach turned threateningly when the man once again confirmed that he could see their every move. "It's Zelda, right?" the voice drawled, and she let out a squeak, covering her face with her hands again while everyone else burst into incredulous mutters. "I'll take that as a yes. But dear Zelda had a just a little shock…" There was another harsh, sadistic chuckle, then the speakers cut out again, leaving the hallway in dead silence yet again.
"He… He knows my name…" Zelda said hoarsely. "How does he know my name!?"
"I think a better question is what are we going to do now?" Nabooru said, pushing her way through the small crowd surrounding Zelda and towering over her, offering her a hand. She took it, her hands still shaking slightly, and hauled herself to her feet, stumbling a little before regaining her strength and standing as tall as she could. Everyone else backed off a little, as if she had a disease, but she shot them all a quivery smile. She held her bloody hands in front of her.
"I'm fine, you guys…" she said faintly.
"No, you're not." The speakers crackled off again after the voice was done speaking. Everyone shot the walls a dim look of annoyance.
"Shut up already!" Sheik shouted at the ceiling. "Haven't you done enough?"
"Dear boy, you could not be more mistaken." There was a sound of heels being propped up on a table. "I'm just getting started, and by the time I'm done, you will be begging for me to end you." The voice was nonchalant until he hit the final two words, and then his voice slipped into something deeper and more sinister. Sheik shot Midna, who had taken a step forward, a warning glance, but she ignored her boyfriend, wrenching her arm out of his grasp and marching towards one of the cameras.
"Listen, psycho. I don't know who you think you are, but when I find you, no amount of guns and spikes are gonna save you. I will fucking tear you apart, hear me?" she hollered, pointing at the lens with a bluish pale finger. There was the sound of near hysterical laughter, and it seemed to echo around the hallway for minutes after the man on the other end had stopped. Several people shivered and looked around fearfully, even though they knew that he was nowhere near. The rest looked in astonishment at Midna, who was now waiting patiently for the man to complete his fit.
"Wow, I like you! I think I'll be saving you for the end, Midna!" She looked a little disgusted, but not surprised after he used her name. His happy tone only seemed to piss her off more. She stomped her foot like a petulant child, her face twisting in anger.
"Shut up! We're not some godsdamn toys you can just play with until we break-" A loud, blaring horn cut her off, and she jumped, her eyes opening wide.
"That's enough! And who's to say I don't see you exactly like that? Toys to play with until I break… You have a way with words, dearest. I like it. You put my thoughts into words magnificently." The voice simpered. Midna's face turned beet red, and she opened her mouth to yell again, but the speaker clicked off before she could speak. She instead satisfied herself by screaming several vile curse words at the wall, stomping her feet furiously and shrieking herself hoarse.
"Midna, just calm down…" Sheik soothed, clutching her shoulder gently and pulling her back. She continued to stare at the junction between the ceiling and the walls, murder in her eyes.
"I'm gonna get him…" she muttered darkly. He nodded.
"Of course. But screaming at him and calling attention to yourself is not going to do you any favors." He leaned down and whispered something in her ear, inaudible to the rest of them, and Midna's shoulders sank suddenly, her head sagging on her long neck and her high red-orange ponytail drooping. She turned to him and kissed him gently on the cheek.
"Thanks, babe." He hugged her to his chest, smiling slightly.
"No problem." They turned to the rest of the group.
"So what's next?" Midna asked with a sigh. "Do we just wait around to be killed, or do we do something about it?"
"W-we should guh-g-gather intelligence!" Shad piped up, stammering in the grip of his terror. He hadn't stuttered in years, and his heart sank as his tongue flapped uselessly. "K-k-knuh-knowledge of where we are can h-help us later." His pale face flushed bright red once he was done speaking, and he ducked his head when a couple people shot him curious looks, Ashei being one of them. She elbowed his ribs, grinning, and then her hand shot in the air, waving wildly like a child trying to answer a question in elementary school.
"I second that motion!" Several other people muttered their agreement, and Nabooru looked around, sighing.
"Alright. Let's split in half," she said. "Divide yourselves up." After a couple minutes of shuffling and quiet discussion, two clear groups were standing in the hallway, facing each other.
In the first, there was Shad, Ashei, Rusl, Auru, Rauru, Ingo, and Telma. The second group, composed of far younger people, was made up of Saria, Sheik, Midna, Zelda, Link, and Ruto. Nabooru nodded.
"Somehow, I thought this was how everyone was going to split themselves up," she said wryly, walking over to the younger group. "This group looks like they need babysitting." Several of them scowled, but accepted her into the small fold. The two groups stared at each other blankly, unsure of what to do.
"Do people have watches on both teams?" Saria ventured. A few people in each group nodded. "Then why don't we meet back at our rooms in a couple of hours? To take stock, you know?" she ended awkwardly, the rest of her sentence hanging in the air – To see who's still alive…
"That sounds good to me." Nabooru nodded, then crossed her arms furtively. "Alright. See you guys later?" Everyone nodded uneasily, giving their coworkers final glances and look-overs; would this be the last time they saw each other?
Auru was the first to turn and start to amble his way down the hallway, his hands shoved in his pockets and his head bowed towards the ground, and then everyone else from both groups started to trickle down the hallways, keeping in the middle of the walls that stayed silent for now.
…
I stand from the desk and sigh loudly; it is a breath of accomplishment, of power. I close my eyes for a moment, thinking about what the night will bring.
"They're splitting up—," My eyes shoot open at the words and land directly on Ganondorf. He points to a monitor. "They're splitting up," he repeats.
I take four brisk steps to the wall of screens and furrow my brow. I watch as the group slowly but surely divide as if they are a cell going through mitosis. I feel my hands rise to my mouth and I smile slightly.
I turn to Ganondorf with a new energy, a smile growing on my face. "Looks like this will be a much more eventful night." His perplexed expression makes me feel obligated for a further explanation, though I do not indulge in such a thing. Sometimes vague is good, not to mention, Ganondorf was never one for deep clarifications. I pump my fists in the air as if I have won a marathon. I turn to him with a small chuckle escaping my lips and shake my head. "It's going to be a wonderful weekend."
Ganon narrows his eyes and makes his way to behind the desk. He bends for a moment and stands back up with a water bottle. For an instance I am confused, but then I hear the sliding of the desk drawer closing. He was the one in charge of stocking. I turn to the monitors and watch the little pups on them. They seem utterly terrified, the way they scamper at the sudden movement of each other, their eyes wider than saucers.
I see some of their mouths flap open and shut, looks are exchanged, more mouths flopping, more looks—some ignorant, others filled with shock—then they drift off in opposite directions of the hallway. I let out a long sigh. Everything seems to be rolling smoothly, no speed bumps, not even a slight rock under our wheels of progressing.
"Do you want anything at the store?" I hear the tings of keys on a chain and turn to Ganon. He stands spinning the keys on his finger—a slight annoyance to his eyes, but a small grin on his wide lips.
I shake my head and stomp over to him. "You can't leave." I shake my head. "You were supposed to stock the drawers with food and drink—what do you need at the store anyway?"
"I just—," he shakes his head and grabs the keys in his palm, "—I need to get out of here for a little bit." I feel a crease form between my brows.
"We need to stay in here." I narrow my eyes. "How else do we stand by with our alibi?" Ganon's eyes widen and for a moment I think I may have stopped him. His golden eyes flash with a fleeting thought.
He makes a face. "No one will know who I am—if the police begin questioning, I`ll just be another face to the person behind the counter—,"
"Really—," I raise my eyebrows, "—a male Gerudo being just another face?" I lower my head and slightly mumble, "Frankly, Ganon, you have a better chance at no one noticing you if you were a walking potato." I look back up at him and grab his cheeks patronizingly. "You are a one in a million. A one in a million does not go unnoticed, Ganon." I lower my hands and purse my lips—Ganondorf was not made to be cooped away. His brow furrows and then a sigh of defeat emit his lips. He tosses the keys onto the desk and lowers his chin.
"I'm sorry Ganondorf," I say in a sympathetic way. He nods slowly, absentmindedly. "Do you remember our alibi?" His ember eyes look down at me with such intensity I feel as though I am being burnt alive.
"I had to back out of the stay here due to a bug. You came over to my house at around nine with a few beers and we spent the night drinking and watching old movies. On Saturday, you stayed at my house to help me clean up and that night you left to go back home. Sunday morning, I tried calling Nabooru to see how things were going, but there was no answer. I tried multiple times, but there were no answers so I decided to phone the hotel—,"
"Which in turn had no answer as well, and that was when you decided to have a looksy," I finish. "When you found out the doors were locked, you then go to the police. That is what you tell them."
Ganondorf shrugs slightly. "Do you really think they'll take me in as a suspect?" Something about him makes me feel uneasy, as if there is despair, disbelief perhaps—or is it nervousness?
"If they do, that is why we have the alibi." I lean on the wall and cross my arms. "If things were different, I would be the one to go to police—you still being in this hotel of course." I shake my head. "But with Fi's absence and me being the only suspect to her disappearance, they would cuff me and bar me before I even showed them the hotel."
"I know," Ganon nods. He is truly the only man to have ever understood me. He does not pester me with useless questions or comments. He is my friend. He understands me and I to him. "What happens when they realize the Ghirahim I spent the weekend with is the Ghirahim with ties to the missing case file?"
I shake my head and drop my arms to my side. "You are a respected citizen in this city. If they question how you know me, you just simply tell them the truth; we were in school together."
Ganondorf's brow furrows further. He circles the desk and then seats himself in the squeaky chair. I cock my head slightly and approach him with the desk between us. "If you'd like, we can have a little role play."
He keeps his chin down, but his eyes look up at me—slightly evil, but not overbearingly terrifying. "What do you mean?" he asks.
"I could play as the officer questioning you and you can be the lead role of—," I stretch my arms out like I showing off a title of a movie, "—Ganondorf Dragmire; suspected of several accounts of murder." I turn my head to him with a smile, trying to keep the excitement and enthusiasm going. I smile drops as he stares at me uninterested. I slump over and shake my head.
"It was a good try," he says, the chair squeaking as he leans back. I invert my eyebrows and look to him with puppy dog eyes.
"Really?" I add, as if I am a child. We both know it is merely for humour. He nods and I respond with an exaggerated smile. We both laugh. Did I say our bond was a friendship? I meant more of a brotherly love. There is a scream from the other side of the northern wall that silences us.
"The walls sure are thin, eh?" Ganon examines the wall.
"Like paper," I nod.
"I wonder who it was—,"
"I'm curious as to what happened." I look to the monitors for an answer, but the group that appears to have the screaming character is only partially in the view of the camera. Somehow, I have missed a blind spot in my hotel. I glare at the monitor for a moment, out of hate, spite, and disappointment.
"Is there anything in that area with triggers?" Ganondorf asks as he stands from the desk to get a better look at the screen.
I raise an eyebrow. "Ganon," I answer monotonously, "every inch of this hotel that they can wander into now has been rigged." I look to the screen once more. "Though, I made sure each area with the contraptions was in view of the cameras." I tap my chin as I wonder what could have happened. I see as a girl runs in view of the camera—screaming loud enough for us to hear her without microphones. "Perhaps she saw a mouse—or a roach. Goddesses know what this hotel is infested with."
"I think it may be more than a roach, Ghirahim." I look back to the monitor for a better look. The girl seems to be covered in some sort of liquid. I try to jog my memory, but nothing seems to be coming up.
I open my mouth, trying to say what it could be, but I snap it back shut. I turn to Ganondorf and shake my head with shock. "I don't know what happened." I take a deep breath and release it. My eyes trace the room, running through each floor plan, but nothing jumps out at me—no reason for the blood or the screams. "I guess we'll have to listen to them to find out."
...
Hehehehehe... This took awhile. Sorrrrreeeeeeyyyy... I promise, next chapter won't take five months. Promise!
Please show gratitude with a review or a fav or a follow! Again, you make two people's day instead of just one.
~Eva