Chapter 9 Familiar Faces, Synonymous Circumstances
Standing in the room Beth seemed to be a pillar, a beacon of strength and hope for Morgan. She had managed to do something so determined, so spontaneous, so entirely insane that it was almost something to look up to. Not a bullet had fired, clips were full, officers stared at their guns almost shocked. The silence that had come over the room covered the pantomime confusion as the officers studied their guns.
"I said," Beth said breaking the silence like a bullet would break her flesh. "Do you believe me now?"
"Yes… yes damn it," Officer Chase said.
"Good. Now you're going to do something for us. You're going to take us to find these people," Beth said.
"Why would I do that," he said.
Beth fixed her aim a bit.
"We made you believe us, you can help us," she said.
Beth's strength started to slip away as she talked more and more. Back came her childlike weaknesses and her insecurities.
"Please," she said.
"Beth we don't need him. Come on we have the names and they all lived around here right? I mean we can check the bus station for Aisha's family, and then we can look in the phone book for the rest all right. Now come on," Morgan said.
"No Morgan. No," Beth said.
"Beth this is-," Morgan started.
"Is anyone there, we got a suspect who needs to be put into lock up," a radio said in between crackles of static.
Beth dropped the gun and turned away from officer Chase.
"This is insane," she said.
"Come on, we'll go now," Morgan said.
Morgan gave Beth her hand and clutching a list of names the two walked out of the room and down the hallway. The officers were still dazed over their broken guns and no one paid attention as the pair clicked the controls next to the elevator doors.
"Beth," a voice said.
Morgan and Beth turned. Officer Chase started down the hallway after them.
"Look we're not desperate and we're not cheap sluts all right. We got you to believe us now let us go," Morgan said.
He reached the end of the hallway as the doors slid open.
"I want to help you," he said.
"No you want to help yourself after you made an ass of yourself in there," Morgan said stepping into the elevator.
Beth followed.
"No, you really did prove something in there. I mean if this is true then-," he started.
Beth touched the door shut button and the doors slid closed.
"You really think he believes us," Beth asked.
"You stopped a lot of guns from firing back there, you proved that Death doesn't want us to go yet… but I still have to wonder… why wouldn't he just let us die now," Morgan asked.
"We ruined his plan twice so far – I don't think he'd let us ruin it for a third time," Beth said.
"We avoided the gas station, and then I averted your suicide and you helped me dodge the electrocution-," Morgan said thinking.
"What do you think his plan is," Beth asked.
"Retrospect," Morgan said.
"What," Beth asked.
"Hindsight is twenty twenty, he's going to come back for us in the opposite order we were supposed to die. In my vision you were going to die last, then me, and then… I think it would be Aisha but… the people in the car were pulling in too so it might be them…," Morgan said.
"What about the old woman or the man in the car," Beth asked.
"It couldn't be the man in the car – he would be the first to go in my vision so the last one now," Morgan said.
The doors opened and the two walked out.
"So it would either be Aisha, the old woman, or the people in the… speak of the devil," Beth said.
Sitting behind the desk talking to the office clerk was Mallory McBride, the girlfriend of the man in the car. And walking towards the elevator in cuffs followed by two officers was Chris Cutler.
"What happened," Beth asked an officer.
Morgan approached the desk as the officers brushed off Beth and took the passenger to the basement. As Morgan reached the front desk Mallory did a double take to look at her. Her eyes was black and she had a bruise on her cheek, a small cut across her arm.
"Morgan," Mallory asked.
The office clerk looked over curiously.
"Mallory? What happened," Morgan asked.
"Chris… Chris and I went back to the hotel we were staying at and he left for a while so I stayed in. When I came back he was really drunk and he tried to attack me saying that I drove him to drink by telling him to go get gas. He flipped out and attacked me with a lamp but I got out of there really fast," Mallory said.
"Obviously not fast enough, your face," Morgan replied.
"I went to the front office, check-in, whatever and I told them. They called the cops and now I'm here," Mallory finished and turned to the officer. "What are they going to do with him?"
"Well they're putting him in lock up until trial. You're free to go," the man said.
Mallory got up. She wore a white tank top and tight black jeans. She headed for the door.
"Mallory," Morgan said.
Mallory turned to her.
"We're all in danger," she continued.
"What are you talking about," Mallory asked.
"Did you ever hear of Clear Rivers," she asked.
"The girl who survived the plane crash and then all those people got killed right," Mallory answered.
"The girls become a fucking legend with you people. Get off it will you," the desk clerk stated. "The Clear Rivers legend is exactly that – a legend. There's no design for death it happens when it happens."
"You should know better than that," Morgan said walking towards him agitated. "You saw Beth save me from that light."
"What I saw was your friend running from a bathroom and bumping into you. Get off it will you? You survived aren't you going to be happy with that? You're alive. It's better than the other people who are dead," the clerk said.
"Look I can't take this right now," Mallory said turning towards the door.
"You have to take this – it could save your life. You could be next… death might be coming for you next Mallory and we could be the only people to help. There are signs Mallory," Morgan said as Mallory stopped walking towards the door. "There are signs that you may notice and they can save your life. You're a beautiful girl why would you want to end your life when right now you can save it."
Mallory turned, tears streaming down her face.
"Stop it Morgan. Stop it. You were the biggest pessimist of us all before and now you're preaching about saving our lives – don't you remember what Aisha said," Mallory yelled.
"You could be next Mallory. It's you or Chris or-," Morgan started again.
"Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up! Shove it up your ass Morgan cause I'm sick of taking shit from people like you, people who are telling me that they can give me something better. That they can help me! That they're there for me! My parents aren't there for me, Chris isn't there for me, why the fuck would you be there for me! I don't care if I'm next or not – I have nothing left to live for Morgan. You and your friends were going on a trip, I was hitching a ride with a fucking alcoholic trying to get somewhere… to go somewhere better. You can't help me! You can't help anyone so stop trying cause people will do what they want to do without any consideration for anyone else Morgan. And who am I to you? Some dude's girlfriend. I'm a throw away and there's no use in trying to help me Morgan. So go away and let me live the rest of my life – my life – in peace," Mallory said.
"There are signs please Mallory don't do this," Morgan yelled.
Mallory burst through the doors not listening to anything Morgan yelled. Beth stood off to the side watching the action occur. The desk clerk broke the tension.
"Another one of the survivors called," he said.
"Who," Beth asked.
"The old woman. I think her name was Diana, she wanted to know if anyone had seen something… I could give her your address if you think that she's not safe," he said.
"Yeah, sure," Beth said approaching the desk.
The man pulled out a piece of paper.
"Now fill out the form."
Standing in the room Beth seemed to be a pillar, a beacon of strength and hope for Morgan. She had managed to do something so determined, so spontaneous, so entirely insane that it was almost something to look up to. Not a bullet had fired, clips were full, officers stared at their guns almost shocked. The silence that had come over the room covered the pantomime confusion as the officers studied their guns.
"I said," Beth said breaking the silence like a bullet would break her flesh. "Do you believe me now?"
"Yes… yes damn it," Officer Chase said.
"Good. Now you're going to do something for us. You're going to take us to find these people," Beth said.
"Why would I do that," he said.
Beth fixed her aim a bit.
"We made you believe us, you can help us," she said.
Beth's strength started to slip away as she talked more and more. Back came her childlike weaknesses and her insecurities.
"Please," she said.
"Beth we don't need him. Come on we have the names and they all lived around here right? I mean we can check the bus station for Aisha's family, and then we can look in the phone book for the rest all right. Now come on," Morgan said.
"No Morgan. No," Beth said.
"Beth this is-," Morgan started.
"Is anyone there, we got a suspect who needs to be put into lock up," a radio said in between crackles of static.
Beth dropped the gun and turned away from officer Chase.
"This is insane," she said.
"Come on, we'll go now," Morgan said.
Morgan gave Beth her hand and clutching a list of names the two walked out of the room and down the hallway. The officers were still dazed over their broken guns and no one paid attention as the pair clicked the controls next to the elevator doors.
"Beth," a voice said.
Morgan and Beth turned. Officer Chase started down the hallway after them.
"Look we're not desperate and we're not cheap sluts all right. We got you to believe us now let us go," Morgan said.
He reached the end of the hallway as the doors slid open.
"I want to help you," he said.
"No you want to help yourself after you made an ass of yourself in there," Morgan said stepping into the elevator.
Beth followed.
"No, you really did prove something in there. I mean if this is true then-," he started.
Beth touched the door shut button and the doors slid closed.
"You really think he believes us," Beth asked.
"You stopped a lot of guns from firing back there, you proved that Death doesn't want us to go yet… but I still have to wonder… why wouldn't he just let us die now," Morgan asked.
"We ruined his plan twice so far – I don't think he'd let us ruin it for a third time," Beth said.
"We avoided the gas station, and then I averted your suicide and you helped me dodge the electrocution-," Morgan said thinking.
"What do you think his plan is," Beth asked.
"Retrospect," Morgan said.
"What," Beth asked.
"Hindsight is twenty twenty, he's going to come back for us in the opposite order we were supposed to die. In my vision you were going to die last, then me, and then… I think it would be Aisha but… the people in the car were pulling in too so it might be them…," Morgan said.
"What about the old woman or the man in the car," Beth asked.
"It couldn't be the man in the car – he would be the first to go in my vision so the last one now," Morgan said.
The doors opened and the two walked out.
"So it would either be Aisha, the old woman, or the people in the… speak of the devil," Beth said.
Sitting behind the desk talking to the office clerk was Mallory McBride, the girlfriend of the man in the car. And walking towards the elevator in cuffs followed by two officers was Chris Cutler.
"What happened," Beth asked an officer.
Morgan approached the desk as the officers brushed off Beth and took the passenger to the basement. As Morgan reached the front desk Mallory did a double take to look at her. Her eyes was black and she had a bruise on her cheek, a small cut across her arm.
"Morgan," Mallory asked.
The office clerk looked over curiously.
"Mallory? What happened," Morgan asked.
"Chris… Chris and I went back to the hotel we were staying at and he left for a while so I stayed in. When I came back he was really drunk and he tried to attack me saying that I drove him to drink by telling him to go get gas. He flipped out and attacked me with a lamp but I got out of there really fast," Mallory said.
"Obviously not fast enough, your face," Morgan replied.
"I went to the front office, check-in, whatever and I told them. They called the cops and now I'm here," Mallory finished and turned to the officer. "What are they going to do with him?"
"Well they're putting him in lock up until trial. You're free to go," the man said.
Mallory got up. She wore a white tank top and tight black jeans. She headed for the door.
"Mallory," Morgan said.
Mallory turned to her.
"We're all in danger," she continued.
"What are you talking about," Mallory asked.
"Did you ever hear of Clear Rivers," she asked.
"The girl who survived the plane crash and then all those people got killed right," Mallory answered.
"The girls become a fucking legend with you people. Get off it will you," the desk clerk stated. "The Clear Rivers legend is exactly that – a legend. There's no design for death it happens when it happens."
"You should know better than that," Morgan said walking towards him agitated. "You saw Beth save me from that light."
"What I saw was your friend running from a bathroom and bumping into you. Get off it will you? You survived aren't you going to be happy with that? You're alive. It's better than the other people who are dead," the clerk said.
"Look I can't take this right now," Mallory said turning towards the door.
"You have to take this – it could save your life. You could be next… death might be coming for you next Mallory and we could be the only people to help. There are signs Mallory," Morgan said as Mallory stopped walking towards the door. "There are signs that you may notice and they can save your life. You're a beautiful girl why would you want to end your life when right now you can save it."
Mallory turned, tears streaming down her face.
"Stop it Morgan. Stop it. You were the biggest pessimist of us all before and now you're preaching about saving our lives – don't you remember what Aisha said," Mallory yelled.
"You could be next Mallory. It's you or Chris or-," Morgan started again.
"Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up! Shove it up your ass Morgan cause I'm sick of taking shit from people like you, people who are telling me that they can give me something better. That they can help me! That they're there for me! My parents aren't there for me, Chris isn't there for me, why the fuck would you be there for me! I don't care if I'm next or not – I have nothing left to live for Morgan. You and your friends were going on a trip, I was hitching a ride with a fucking alcoholic trying to get somewhere… to go somewhere better. You can't help me! You can't help anyone so stop trying cause people will do what they want to do without any consideration for anyone else Morgan. And who am I to you? Some dude's girlfriend. I'm a throw away and there's no use in trying to help me Morgan. So go away and let me live the rest of my life – my life – in peace," Mallory said.
"There are signs please Mallory don't do this," Morgan yelled.
Mallory burst through the doors not listening to anything Morgan yelled. Beth stood off to the side watching the action occur. The desk clerk broke the tension.
"Another one of the survivors called," he said.
"Who," Beth asked.
"The old woman. I think her name was Diana, she wanted to know if anyone had seen something… I could give her your address if you think that she's not safe," he said.
"Yeah, sure," Beth said approaching the desk.
The man pulled out a piece of paper.
"Now fill out the form."