Hotel California
Chapter Three: There were voices down the corridor...
A/N: So sorry to all waiting for TTWH, but when the muse strikes, you gotta go with it, ne? I promise it's coming up next! And now for some Sanzo characterization and some Goku seriousness! Special thankehs to NekoMegumi-chan for her idea with the mirrors. Definitely the thing to add to the craziness. ::winks::
Time to get spooky!
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Hakkai went immediately to see Kannon. Gojyo offered to go with him. The brunette seemed very nervous about meeting her, and he felt the need to try and help lessen this. Hakkai refused adamantly.
Gojyo crossed his arms. "You sure? You look freaked."
"I'm fine," he lied, smiling. "I'll be right back. It's nothing."
Goku frowned. "But Hakkai--"
"Goku," the older brunette interrupted, "why don't you go feed Hakuryuu, please? Take Gojyo too, give him something to do."
The boy nodded, dropping whatever he was going to say. "I'll take him to see Sanzo. I haven't talked to him since breakfast."
Now inside once again, the three stood in the lobby. "Please try not to agitate him anymore than he already is?"
"Maaaaa," Goku slumped his shoulders sheepishly. "I promise I won't Hakkai. Come right up when you're done, alright?"
He nodded. Then they separated, Hakkai to the left wing of the lobby, and Goku and Gojyo up the stairs. Walking down the hall, Gojyo stuffed his hands in his pockets, something he did when in deep thought.
He frowned. "What's the deal with Hakkai and Kannon?"
"W-what are you talking about?" Goku stammered.
"Don't play dumb with me, monkey," he cuffed the boy lightly on the head. "Anyone could see that the chick freaks him out bad. So what's goin' on?"
Goku suddenly found a loose thread on his shirt utterly fascinating. "I don't think I'm supposed to talk about it."
The redhead groaned. "Here it goes again with the cryptic shit. Whatever guys. Forget I asked, okay?"
Goku opened Hakkai's room door, looking critically at Gojyo as he did. He looked away long enough to reach under the desk for the bag of cat food, before returning his gaze to the newest guest.
Finally Gojyo met his gaze. "What?"
The boy's face flushed for a second. He shook his head. "N-nothing! Let's go see Sanzo!"
Gojyo raised an eyebrow. He decided not to ask, merely watching the brunette as he poured some food in the cat's dish and changed the water in the sink. Then he followed him to the door and into the hall once again.
Sanzo's room was across the hall from Hakkai's, and unlike his friend, he kept his door locked. Goku knocked on the door. "Sanzo! Hakkai told me to come see you!"
After a few seconds, the lock clicked and the door opened. Sanzo looked at the two with the same emotionless face Gojyo had seen on the blond at breakfast. It seems he had two moods: mild displeasure and pissy.
He frowned. "You've been around the cat."
"Oops. We went to feed Hakuryuu before we came here. Is it gonna make you sneeze?" Goku looked up at the blond with pleading eyes.
Sanzo sighed in resignation. "No. I suppose you want to come in?"
Goku nodded. Gojyo shrugged. "I'm just killing time."
"Don't you wanna get to know Gojyo?" the brunette asked Sanzo.
"Ch," he rolled his eyes, walking away from the door. It was the closest thing they'd get to an invitation inside. "I could care less."
Goku pulled Gojyo inside, closing the door behind them. "Hakkai told me to take him with me. I think Hakkai was afraid he'll get lost, seeing as he doesn't know his way around too well yet..."
Gojyo crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "Talk about me like I'm not here why don't ya?"
Sanzo pulled out a cigarette from a pack on the nightstand and lit it. "And where is Hakkai?"
Goku looked uncomfortable at this question. "Well...um...Kannon asked to see him, and..."
He looked at the boy. "Kannon? What happened? Were you involved?"
The brunette shook his head.
"He was with me," Gojyo spoke up, "Hakkai, I mean. I went outside trying to find a way out, and he came with me. Somehow we walked in a straight line and wound up right back here."
"You can't get out," Sanzo spoke quietly around his cigarette, "Hakkai must have told you that."
"Yeah, but how the hell could that be? There's -gotta- be some way out."
"You're an idiot."
Gojyo clenched a fist. "Where the hell do you get off--"
Sanzo didn't let him finish. "Hakkai tried to warn you, I'm sure. Kannon must've found out you went outside. Now it's your fault Hakkai's in trouble."
"Trouble? For going outside?" Gojyo pulled himself off the wall. "How the hell else am I gonna find a way out?"
Sanzo, by this time, had moved closer to him. Now he grabbed the redhead by the collar, pulling him close to his face. "Don't."
Gojyo wrenched his shirt free, narrowing his eyes. "I don't think I asked for you advice, thanks."
"Gojyo..." Goku moved to stand between the two.
"If you feel the need to go snooping around, do us all a favour and leave Hakkai and Goku out of it. If anything happens to them because of you, I'll personally see to it that your life is a living hell."
"Forget this," Gojyo rolled his eyes. "I'm outta here." He left the room, slamming the door behind him. Who did this guy think he was? And what did he mean by trouble?
Gojyo stormed down the hall, muttering curses to himself. He heard footsteps running behind him. Goku ran down the hall to catch up with him. "Gojyo!"
"Forget it monkey," the redhead kept walking, "me and Blondie there aren't gonna play nice, so I'm making it my priority to avoid him."
"I'm sorry. Sanzo's really a good person once you get to know him, but he's really mean at times." Goku tried to keep up with Gojyo's quick pace.
"No shit..."
Goku, trying to focus on keeping up, tripped on the rug. Gojyo turned to see if the boy was all right.
"Yeah, I guess," he muttered, embarrassed that he'd been so clumsy. "But it wasn't the rug I tripped on."
Gojyo was at the boy's side. "Then what was it?"
Goku picked up the rug, moving to the spot where he had been. A cord ran underneath, so slight they wouldn't have noticed it, had Goku not tripped over it. The two followed the cord until it hit the wall, and seemed to go through it. Curious, Gojyo started feeling along the wall.
"What're you doing?" Goku asked.
"I think there might be a passageway here," the redhead replied, letting out a surprised noise when he found a crack in the wall.
"But Sanzo said--"
"Fuck Sanzo. There's something going on here and I wanna know what it is." He turned from the wall. "Wait here. I'll be right back."
He ran down the hall into his room. Goku waited as instructed, glancing down the hall from time to time, in case someone was coming. Finally Gojyo returned with a flashlight and a screwdriver. He fitted the tool into the crack, using it as he would a crowbar. After a few minutes of doing this, something clicked, and the wall opened like a stone door. Gojyo switched on the flashlight, grinning at him.
"Oh no," Goku shook his head, taking a cautious step backward. "I'm not going in there, no way."
"Che," Gojyo put one hand on his hip, grabbing the boy's wrist with the other. "It's just a passageway. It's not like it's gonna kill you."
He frowned. "But it's all dark and...spider-webby."
Gojyo raised an eyebrow. "Spider-webby? What are you, ten? It just hasn't been used in awhile. Now let's go."
The redhead pulled the monkey inside the tunnel. Goku stopped for a moment, fishing through his pocket. Gojyo watched as the boy pulled out a typewriter ribbon.
"And just what are you gonna do with that?"
"We can use it to mark our path," he explained, tying the loose end on the wall hanger. "That way we won't get lost, y'know, if there's turns and stuff."
Gojyo blinked, deciding not to ask why he would have a typewriter ribbon in his pocket. "Hmm. Might be onto something there, squirt."
They started down the corridor, Gojyo holding the flashlight forward, Goku unwinding the ribbon behind them. The walls, unlike the rest of the hotel, were made of stone, and gave off a creepy old cellar atmosphere. It was damp with moisture from some dripping water somewhere, which could be heard in the background.
Goku wrinkled his nose. "It smells funny."
"It's old and wet," Gojyo replied, "it's bound to smell a little musty."
Their footsteps echoed down the passage, almost making it seem like they weren't alone. Gojyo shook the thought from his head. No need to make Goku anymore paranoid than he already was.
The flashlight beam bounced off something ahead of them, reflecting the light back at the pair. Goku hid partially behind his taller friend.
"What's that?" he whispered.
Gojyo shrugged continuing on. Goku followed, albeit a few steps behind. After another minute or so of walking, the tunnel expanded somewhat, allowing the two to walk side by side. Once the corridor had grown, the walls began to show signs of human disturbance. The air wasn't as thick or wet as it had been, and they could see handprints marking the dust on the walls.
They turned the corner to the next part of the passage. Here, both walls were lined with mirrors, reaching from floor to ceiling. At the end of this hall, about ten yards away, was a tall thick-looking wooden door.
"What's with all the mirrors?" Goku asked as the two entered the hall.
"Dunno," Gojyo didn't really look at them. He was examining the door as they headed toward it.
Goku stopped suddenly, staring into one of the mirrors. "G-Gojyo..."
Noticing the boy's sudden halt and frightened voice, the redhead turned. Goku's eyes were wide, trained on the glass he faced.
"Goku?"
Goku didn't even seem to notice him anymore. He watched the mirror, as if something was happening inside it. Gojyo looked from the boy to the glass, seeing nothing but Goku's shocked reflection.
The brunette shook his head in disbelief, whimpering. He looked down at his hands, as if something covered them, Gold eyes moved to the floor in the mirror. He gasped.
"...Sanzo..." his voice cracked as he fell to his knees.
"Goku!" Gojyo grabbed the boy's shoulders, shaking him. He gasped again, finally tearing his eyes from the mirror to his friend.
"Gojyo? Wha..." Goku looked bewilderedly at him, blinking a few times.
"Goku, what the hell was that? Are you okay?" He let go of the brunette gingerly; afraid he might repeat the incident.
The boy held his head, breathing heavily. "I...I-I-I-"
"Whoa," Gojyo interrupted, helping him to his feet. "Chill, squirt. Let's just go back. You're not lookin' too hot."
Goku nodded, hands trembling slightly as he began to wind the ribbon back up. Gojyo shook his head in awe, following casually behind. Finally, curiosity got the better of him. He turned around, looking into one of the mirrors.
Suddenly he wasn't looking into the glass at all, but seeing himself, like an out-of-body experience. There was someone behind the self he was watching. The figure stepped out of the darkness into the flashlight's range. It was Hakkai. But he looked different. His hair was longer, falling around him and obscuring his right eye completely. The ear clips he always wore on his left side were gone, and he had a fierce, crazed glint in his visible eye.
"Huh? 'Kai?" Gojyo was speaking, through the self in the mirror did not.
Hakkai said nothing, but raised his arm. His hand ended in sharp looking claws. He slashed down, cutting through the mirror-Gojyo's back. The redhead's breath caught in his throat. He fell down, landing backward.
Hakkai smiled, running the bloodied hand across his mouth.
"Gojyo!" Goku leapt into his view, kneeling beside him.
Gojyo choked on the breath he'd been holding. He looked at Goku, whose gold eyes were shining with tears.
"What the holy fuck was that?" he said finally, shaking his head to clear it.
"We should go," Goku pulled Gojyo's arm urgently.
Gojyo stood up, careful not to look in any of the mirrors. But the eyes wouldn't leave. "Right..." still a bit dazed, he tried to hold the flashlight steady as he followed Goku, who rolled the ribbon as they walked.
The two all but ran back to the hall's entrance, neither looking back. The trip back was quiet; neither one wanted to talk about what they'd seen. They made it back to the hotel's main hallway, and Gojyo shut the wall. He and Goku turned to go back to their rooms.
Sanzo stood there, arms crossed.
Goku yelped. "Sanzo!"
Gojyo smiled, knowing they were caught. "Hiya Sanzo. Looking as pleasant as usual, aren't we?"
"I told you," the blond replied icily, "not to get Goku into trouble."
Gojyo narrowed his eyes. "What trouble? It's just a little secret passage. Jeez, what a tightass."
Sanzo stepped closer, and for a moment, the redhead thought he might try to grab his shirt again. But instead, he shook a cigarette out of his pack and put it to his lips.
"It's bad enough you're dragging Hakkai into your messes, but I refuse to let the same thing happen to Goku."
"My –messes-? I'm sure I've asked you this before, but what exactly do you have stuffed up your ass?"
Now he did grab his shirt, but only to pull him close enough to hiss at him. "Listen. Kannon doesn't like people snooping around. That includes secret passages and trying to run away. Got it?"
Gojyo pulled himself out of Sanzo's grasp. "Whatever. Check you later, Goku."
He left the boy and his keeper, walking down the stairs and muttering to himself. He wandered into the parlor, looking for something to do. Something moved in the corner of his vision. Focusing on it, he found Hakkai lying on the couch, awake but silent.
Gojyo started to walk toward him when the image in the mirror flashed through his head. A wave of fear shot through him, remembering those eyes. He shook it off. There was no way that the vision in the mirror had been real. That evil thing wasn't Hakkai, the quiet brunette on the couch was.
"Hakkai?"
Hakkai jumped, startled. He winced slightly, but it turned into a smile quickly, leaving Gojyo to doubt he'd seen it. "Gojyo?"
He grinned. Nothing to worry about. He sat on the coffee table across from his friend. "Man, where have you been all day?"
The green-eyed man looked worried for a brief moment, but the smile stayed put. "I...spent the day with Kannon-san."
Gojyo looked down, feeling guilty. "I didn't get you in trouble, did I?"
"N-no," he shook his head slowly, "Everything's alright."
"Really?" the redhead looked up, already feeling better. He stood, offering a hand to Hakkai. "C'mon, let's find something to do."
Hakkai let himself be pulled up, before letting out a sharp cry.
"'Kai?" Gojyo held his friend steady. "What's wrong?"
The brunette swayed dizzily. "Sorry..." he muttered, letting himself collapse in Gojyo's arms.
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End of chappeh 3! Hope I got the whole spooky atmosphere pretty good. Whatcha think?
Zelgadis55: No problem. I know all about being behind. Glad you read it tho. ::grins::
Keruri1222: Memory problems are a daily thing, no worries. Yeah, Gojyo's pretty much the main character in this, narrative-wise. But Hakkai's a close second. I'm really amazed that this hightened your respect for him! ::smiles:: I'm trying my best to keep them in character while still keeping a more modern background. Sanzo seems to beh a lot more bitchy tho. Hakkai's my favourite too, being the most like myself, it's easier to write for him than anyone else. I'm so glad you're liking this, and I'll update as much as possible!
gabyou: It's a relief to meh, I'll tell you that much. ::winks::
NekoMegami-chan: Tah-dah! I just love psychological thrillers too, much more than the normal hack-and-slash. Strange thing is, I was reading one of my book after writing this chappeh and saw something very close to the mirror idea. ::grins sheepishly:: As to everything else I might use, you'll just hafta wait and find out! I'm coming up with more (hopefully) good ideas all the time!
Until next time guys!