Author's note: The way the story is told will change depending on which character is being focused on. Sometimes, it'll be told in first person, while other times, it'll be told in third person. I hope this doesn't confuse you readers while you check out the latest chapters. Enjoy.
"Ow…" I groan as we had finally made our way down the stairs. "Nice save, I guess, but really, there could have been a much more painless way to haul our asses out of there- at least for me…" Quickly, I propped myself back up, still feeling some pain in my hindquarters.
"Well excuse me, that guy was gonna spot us, so we had to move away quickly enough." Bright huffed, folding her arms and pouting. I gave her a look and shook my head, then trotted over to her side.
A bit unnerved, I placed my cardboard-like arms at my sides. "True…" I trailed off. "Anyways, we should try and figure out how we're going about getting souls from the guests here." I added, having an odd feeling of being watched. When you think about it, this place has a ton of guests, enough to make you think you're never safe. Bright nodded. "Maybe we should go to the lobby and start from there?" I ask.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Bright replied, swishing her tail around once more. My eyes narrowed slightly. Did I hear some sort of clicking sound way behind us? Hopefully it was just my imagination. "…What's up?" My partner questioned.
I hesitated for a second. "…Did you feel like we were being watched?" Bright looked at me as if I was diseased or something.
"Not really, no." She then muttered, "I wouldn't be surprised…" Sighing, she cut the conversation. "Let's just get to the lobby, as you said."
"Okay…" I responded, now being the leader once more.
It didn't take us too long to get to the lobby, seeing as we only had to pass through one hall and turn to make our way over there. The only thing accompanying us at the moment would be the candles sitting on the walls, illuminating the halls.
"So," I began, still a bit shaken up from before, "What I'm thinking is that we really should work on our own and have occasional meetings." I raise my arms and point around, gesturing that this place is a bit too big to just be handled with us accompanying each other the whole time.
"Okay. You have a point, but, it's still nerve-wracking."
"Then we'll take on the easier tasks first. Why don't you go to the library and see if you can find any useful information?"
"And READ? You're kidding."
"Unless you want to go downstairs where the basement dwellers are..."
"…Library it is!" With that statement, Bright was immediately off and speeding off to the library. This made me smirk. However, I couldn't trust her with staying in there very long, but it doesn't matter. We both need to be independent.
Curious, I turned my head to gaze over at the front door. It usually was deemed to be the exit... Would we really have to go through so much pain and suffering when the answer was right in front of our face? In silence, I approached, examining it. There wasn't a lock to look through... Maybe if I listen into it? Gently, I pressed the side of my head against the door. The only thing I could hear was the whistling of the wind. It almost sounded like the painful moaning of lost souls, drifting endlessly in this world of darkness and chaos. My gaze lowered slightly, now feeling sympathy for the souls. It'd be good to help them...
"What are ya doin'?"
I jump, almost about to scream and turn around, my heart about to jump out of my chest. My shocked expression then became one of annoyance; however, I was honestly relieved. A mouse that was smaller than Gregory stood before me with a cheeky grin on his face. He had violet eyes just like him, along with blonde hair. At least he didn't look as ugly as the old rat... He also wore a red and yellow striped shirt, along with brown shoes. Freckles gathered at the center of his face and his fur was of a beige color. It was easy to tell who this boy was.
"Leave me alone, James." I replied in an irritable tone. The child sneered at me, now walking around to stand in front of me.
"Hey, how do you know my name?" He asked, however did not seem fazed at all.
"I-uhm-" I hesitated for a second and then came up with a quick answer. "Well, your grandfather told me all about you. He told me about how...charming... you are, as well as being...'well-behaved.'"
The rodent boy snickered a bit, knowing clearly that he was most certainly not well-behaved at all.
"Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go..." I turn around and start to leave, but the little delinquent started following me. Sooner than I knew it, he was throwing all kinds of questions at me that I didn't feel like answering.
"Do you know why you're here? Why do you wear glasses? How old are you? Do you know anything else about this place? Do you wanna play? Hey, hey, hey, hey. Hey, lady. Is your favorite color black? Are you easily depressed? Hey, are you listening to me?"
I swear I would prefer space core over this any day. This guy was able to ask all of these questions in a mere ten seconds. Thankfully Death could hear my inner cries for help; I'm sure, because as soon as we approached one of the halls that branch out of this one, he took a turn there. Finally, I was left alone.
It always felt spooky to roam these dimly lit halls. For sure, it was much more suspenseful when witnessing the terror on your own, rather than just having a blocky character on a screen do all of the walking and screaming inside a television screen.
An odd sound like the movement of mechanical limbs grabbed my attention. Now by the second hallway which branched from this one, I caught a small glimpse of something circular and copper-tinted, as well as a golden swirl close to it. An anonymous stalker took off in a flash, leaving me bewildered.
"I better tell Lost Doll that she has a couple of new playmates... She'll be thrilled."
The unknown being trotted up the stairs, now in search of the little girl to tell the news.
Finally, I started to see more doors come into view. They weren't what I was looking for, but it's good to know your location from small things like that. From behind me, there was the click of a door opening. It was coming from the room of the Mummy family. My heart stopped, but my body refused to stop moving and helped me to a small indent in the hall, which was a good place to hide.
Footsteps were heard close by. Cautiously, I tip-toed to the corner of the indent and peeked over while listening in to their conversation, just to look and see if they had anything interesting to say. A mellow voice reached my ears.
"Well, it's time to go back to your mother, son. She's been waiting for us."
"Yay! Picnic in the garden!"
I always did wonder how undead dogs could actually devour anything, but that wasn't important right now. It would be good to make my way to the basement to see if there were any supplies I'd need which could be located down there. Hesitant, I removed my hands from the edge and turned, focused on getting downstairs.
My glance kept switching sides often. I felt as if I could be jumped any moment now. A few beads of sweat trickled down the side of my head as I began to pass Catherine's office. There was giggling from the other side of the door. I refrained from gasping. Reluctant, I turned around and headed over there. Maybe a peek wouldn't hurt.
With my arm shaking, I gripped the knob and turned it slowly...slowly...
...Empty. For all I knew, no one was in there. Then what did I hear...? Maybe it was just what I wanted to hear. It's possible I may have desired a thrill. That's how this hell hole worked, right...?
...right?
Without even daring to open the door any further or step foot into the office, I pulled the door back softly, which clicked when it was back in place.
I probably should get downstairs immediately, before anything else happens. As I neared the basement entrance, I could hear that accursed giggling again. I glanced to the far right, not bothering to turn my head around. Go downstairs, now.
Through the rusted archway, I head through and went down the dusty stairs which lead into the basement.
Erica's orange-furred friend arrived at the door to the first floor library, glad that she didn't have to witness anything utterly horrifying or terribly annoying on her way there. Casually, without peeking, she opened the door, finding no one in her line of sight.
Without much of a care for books, however following instructions, she began to scoop up a couple of seemingly interesting novels and guidebooks from the table and the shelves. She wandered around the corner, about to look into the next rack of shelves until she bumped into somebody.
"Excuse me!" The female cried out, turning with an angry expression upon her face, until it softened, realizing she was in the presence of a newcomer. "Oh...!"
Bright stared, now not very pleased with her decision of taking the library task. A beige dog with a buttoned yellow gown floated in front of her with white angel wings on her back allowing her to flutter in midair. The hair on her head was of a magenta color and her pupils had an array of rainbow dots as if they were mosaic glass windows. A lightweight wand was grasped in her right paw, and she gave a warm smile to the stranger. Bright's ears twitched.
'Not this bitch...' She complained in her head.
"You must be new here~!" The dog chimed, twirling her wand around in glee.
"Well, yeah. We probably got here at least a few hours ago... maybe even more."
"'We?'" She questioned, blinking. "How lovely. We don't usually get more than one new guest at a time... If you ever need help, I'll be sure to be there to guide you!"
Bright shook her head. "No, thanks. We can find our way around here on our own. Besides, I'm sure you have better things to do than wait to be able to help us."
The angelic canine sighed, tapping the tip of her wand in another paw. "I suppose so... But if you ever change your mind, just let me know~!"
Bright cringed, knowing that this dog was trouble, even if she looked innocent now. "Uhm, okay, I guess..." Quickly, the fox bolted out of the library to avoid further conversation with the split-personality dog. Now that she found some books for her partner and herself (maybe just for her partner), she decided it was best to at least put them in the bookshelf back in the guestroom.
Everything went perfectly swell until a voice shouted to her.
"JUDGMEEEENT!"
'Oh fuckin' a-' Bright jumped in surprise from the sudden call.
From above, a scale dropped down. "Do you know my name?~" He sang. A railing attached to his violet striped cap allowed movement, while a couple of five ton weights from the bottom kept him from being too light, in case of sharp turns and stops. His head was of a scarlet color, and blonde hair hung from the sides, as well as acting as a small bang out front. Grey pupils gazed down at Bright from his mask-like eyes, with his blonde brows quirked. A fang stuck out on each corner of his mouth as he smirked, amused by the fox's confused expression. The words "The Judgment Day" were etched onto his yellow, purple, and magenta stripped torso, while two cages hung down from his metal bar arms. In his right cage, a golden nugget was trapped inside. In his left, a warm, shining heart sat.
Bright couldn't help but at least grin a little bit; however, it came out a bit nervously. "Judgment Boy...?"
Judgment Boy was rather surprised at the wisecrack of an answer, but hey, she got it right. "I'm surprised you know who I am so early." He replied.
'Well, with you singing that song all the time I'm surprised you wouldn't expect that...' Bright thought to herself. Realizing she didn't answer back yet, she perked. "Uhm, yeah. I guess I was told about you earlier... Can't remember who told me, or when I was told."
The scale nodded in understanding. "Do you know how to play the judgment game~?" He questioned, now tilting his arms side to side so the weight of both charms wouldn't hurt too much.
"I guess so...?" She answered, unsure of herself. The game had begun without her even knowing.
"Trapped in a bloodstained hotel from another dimension, you are to face many challenges and possibly witness pain and suffering. However, there is also the real world, where you already suffer the pain of a demanding father and an ill-behaved brother. There is only one place you are destined to stay. Which do you chose?"
Bright folded her arms. This answer was quite obvious to her. "Even though my dad and my brother are both a pain in the ass, I won't always be living with them. That pain will end once I find a place to live on my own. Obviously, I'm going back to the real world."
"Alright, then, let's ask the Scales of Truth!" He continued to sway side to side. "Which will it be, money or love? Only the scales know for sure..." Swiftly, he spun around, screaming, "JUDGMENT-" he stopped, tilting over to one side. "Now!" The cage holding the golden nugget opened underneath, causing the charm to fall and break. Judgment Boy remained tilted, seeing as the weights were now imbalanced.
He smirked. "Because of the suffering you had to face, you decide the real world is the place you are destined to live in. With both you and your friend Erica's determination, you both make it back to the real world, safe from further harm. That's the truth. I'll be seeing you." Judgment Boy turned, about to head back to the judgment factory when he realized something. "Oh, yes." Yet again, he faced Bright, who gave him a confused expression once more. "Word has it that you are looking for something like this, I assume?" Out of nowhere, a blue flame floated over, heading to the floor and revealing itself to be trapped in a jar. "Think of it as a little gift from me to you. Farewell!" He had himself turn once again, and the rails creaked as he moved across the halls. "Do you know who I am...?" The voice faded as he moved farther and farther away.
In glee, Bright picked up the jar, holding it up proudly as it shimmered in a bright light, and then calmed down as she brought it back down to shoulder level. "That was so damn easy." She spoke to herself. The fox then grinned, realizing something. "I should show it off to Erica- but first, maybe I should get these heavy things into the bookshelf..." The excitement simmering down, Bright opened the door to the guest room and put the books away.