Disclaimer: I own nothing. NOTHING!
Author's Note: Well, it's been... uh... a month since I updated this. Wow. I feel bad, 'cause this chapter is short. Um, sorry?
Thanks to Literary Alchemist, as usual.
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C H A P T E R – F I V E
Oh, God.
The Lakeview Hotel.
No… not this one again…
He stood on the dock and stared up at the third floor. At the left balcony.
Room 312.
And he walked up the path, past the fountains, up the stairs, and into the hotel.
Don't go in there!
The lobby was dim, but the music box played on. Its clanging melody was incessant. He could hear it even when he left the lobby.
There were no locked doors this time. But that made it all worse, because this time he didn't want to go up there. Yet he was walking.
Dammit! Stop!
Up the stairs. Up up up to the third floor, over over over to the one door.
3-1-2, he read from the metallic plaque on the dark wood, and his hand grasped the knob.
Please…
One twist and a push and the hinges swung the door open. He stepped inside and it swung shut again.
And here is where he would find her, as deformed and wretched as he'd seen her before smashing that pillow over her face and holding it down down down as she flailed.
But here is where he finds her, looking absolutely perfect.
And his thoughts are with his body again, as if he's been jolted awake.
But he is still in Room 312, and she is still standing there.
(She is an angel.)
The room feels so warm. It's so… nice. And she is so beautiful.
"Mary!" And he moves toward her, arms reaching out, because this is no longer a dream.
Yet she steps back, arms wrapped around herself, as if she's afraid she'll run into his arms. "James…"
He is perplexed by her hesitance. "Mary," he says again, and steps forward.
She shakes her head and moves away from him. "James, don't come and get me."
There is a hideous whispering in the room. James looks around for the source, and it is only when he looks back to Mary that he sees her cringing. "Mary, what--"
She shakes her head and shouts, "No!" She clutches her ears.
James is before her in two quick strides and attempts to embrace her, to comfort her, but she sees him coming and ducks out of the way. "Mary!" he exclaims in disbelief. "Why won't you let me touch you!"
The whispering is still rampant in the air. Mary starts to cry. "No, James, stay away! Don't come and get me!"
James stares at her. Then something clicks and he asks, "Where are you?"
She gapes at him in horror. "No!" she screams. "STAY AWAY!"
But James was never a smart one. And James will always be weak when it comes to Mary. If only others could be as unlucky to be so in love. "You're at the hotel? You're really there this time?" he persists.
She cries out in anguish at the hope in his eyes. "No!" she shrieks again. "You have to stay away!"
"Mary…"
And it's hopeless. She knows that. James will always be there for her, especially because of when he wasn't. It doesn't matter that she's forgiven him. Any chance to redeem her will always come first. She turns away, and the whispering has turned to snickering now. The tears flow faster as he walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her defeated form. "I used to love it here!" she wails.
And then it is over, and she and the room are gone.
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