Chapter Two:

Arriving At The Spring Blossom Resort

Grim set his chest in the back of Harold's car, looking at his surroundings gloomily. He could think of several things that he would prefer doing rather then going on vacation with Billy's family. Particularly if that vacation was in some prosaic place set aside for idiotic American family's to come for "romantic" getaways with such great attractions as minigolf, cliché French restaurants, and a never ending supply of souvenir shoppes employing some adolescent college student ready to pierce or tattoo anyone dumb enough to allow it in a place where the even the employees are so clearly infected by their own handiwork.

"Hey Grim…excited?" Billy said as he came out from behind the reaper carrying a large suitcase (or rather, dragging a large suitcase) with his tongue stuck out and his eyes set in determination.

"Not really." Grim said, while crossing his arms. "What have you got in there anyways, boy?" He asked as Billy finally managed to hoist the bag into the trunk.

"Everything I'll need for the most coolest vacation ever!" He said, while punching the air…and Grim by mistake.

Grim set his skull back into place, glaring at Billy in reproach.

"Oh yeah?" He said through his teeth. "And what's that, Billy?" More and more often Grim spoke his name like a curse. This was mostly because he had grown to really hate the boy…and because Billy could definitely be more terrible then anything the underworld could dish out.

"Mostly stuffed animals and string…but I gots some tacos in there too." He smiled as only a true idiot could. Grim sighed.

"What about Pjs…or a swimming suit?" Grim asked, while raising his brow.

" Nah…I'll just swim in my clothes and I sleep in the nude!" He said as he began to try to hoist himself on the top of the car.

"Remind me to bring my sleeping mask…what the hell are you doing?" Grim asked as Billy lay back on the roof and started to gather up a couple of ropes set aside for ski equipment and other things that Billy's family could not afford. (Billy's college fund had already been spent years before…and every time it began to grow again Harold would spend on something he didn't need.)

"I have to ride on the roof…dad says otherwise I distract his driving." Billy said as he buckled himself in. Grim shrugged, and felt slightly more upbeat now that he didn't have to put up with Billy in the car the whole time.

Mandy headed up the street carrying a pink suitcase. When she saw Billy she didn't seem to question why he was strapped to the roof of the car. She had known him for a long time and just accepted things now. She threw her suitcase in the back of the car and then stood gloomily glaring at Billy as he kicked the roof of the vehicle excitedly.

Shortly after Harold and Gladys emerged from the house, and headed across the lawn. Gladys was left behind considerably because she had most of the luggage. Harold, who was only carrying a camera and a small cooler, chuckled stupidly as his wife fell over and was bombarded with the bags she had to carry.

"Women...always in need of a man's strength eh Grim?" He nudged Grim, who gave him a crinkled up look of distaste.

Finally, after Gladys hoisted herself up and dragged the luggage to the back of the car, everyone, save Billy, Squeezed inside and found a seat. Harold and Gladys sat up front. Harold started the car and after backing up unnecessarily and running into the mailbox, they were off.

Shortly after they headed out Grim pulled out a large book titled Horrifying Flesh Eating Creatures And Where To Find Them and began flipping through the pages. Mandy, who was sitting next to him, sat back and crossed her arms. It was going to be a long drive, especially with Harold playing little kid's music and Glady's shouting at him every ten minutes. Grim sighed and tried to focus on his book. He couldn't imagine how much more annoying Billy could be on this drive…no…wait…yes he could.

The Dando...a pack of black dogs led by the departed Priest of the name Dando...haunt church goers on their way to sunday school. Grim read. He was distracted when Harold swerved drastically, sending the cooler the oafish man had set in the back window flying out towards grim. It hit him on the back of his skull. He growled to himself.

"Do you think you could be a bit more careful, Harold?" He said bitterly and opened his book again to a picture of a large creature with entirely too many eyes.

The Beholder...a creature with great power...he didn't get far before The car stopped suddenly, sending Grim foreward and his book sliding out of his hands. He reached for it after it hit the floor and glared up at Harold as he opened his door.

"What are you doing, dear?" Gladys asked, looking as though she were losing her patience as well.

"Gotta go, Gladys...besides...Billy fell off the roof a half a mile back and I think it's only fair that we let him catch up."

Grim shut the large volume with a sigh and set it neatly beside him, deciding that it was entirely too much work to stay focused in a car with Billy's family. He happened to glance up at Mandy when he did, who had somehow managed to fall asleep. She was leaning against the window and the sunlight was falling in and bouncing off of her blonde hair.

She looked rather peaceful…and almost beautiful in that state. One could almost forget that she was a tyrannical little brat when awake. Grim found himself fixed on her; the way the sun made her skin look so soft and the little blonde hairs strewn over her shut eyes and brow. Her hands were folded gently in her lap and her perfect feet were together, her sandals kicked off and set aside.

Grim didn't realize that he had been watching her until Harold got back into the car and slammed the door. He was shaken from his trance and quickly looked towards his window. If Mandy caught him staring at her like that she would…well, she would probably just insult him and then force him to do some embarrassing and demeaning task to entertain her. Still, he couldn't imagine what came over him.

"Mkay, I've got Billy strapped securely to the roof again, turns out his foot got stuck on one of the wires and we dragged him most of the way out of luck. We'll be at the Motel soon." He started the car back up and sped down the Highway.

XXX

The Spring Blossom Resort was nicer then expected. Usually free vacations had a catch of some sort…but this large suite seemed to be completely indoors, it had indoor plumbing, the walls in the hallway were not dripping with any unknown substances, it was carpeted and the wallpaper was entirely intact.

The lobby was almost entirely empty when Billy's family arrived along with Grim and Mandy. Gladys paused for a moment to pick the branches out of Billy's untidy hair and to spit shine his face before they approached the desk, where a weary looking man was filing his nails.

When he looked up and saw the group he gave them a snobbish look and set his file down.

"Motel 6 is down the road." He said prissily.

"We're not going there…" Harold said proudly. "We've got a free vacation here, see." He handed the man the five tickets and looked smugly at his wife.

"We don't give free vacations." He said and looked down at the passes. His gaze turned suspicious and he grabbed them off the table, turning them this way and that in front of his face. "Or…I thought we didn't…let me check with my boss." He left the counter, heading for a room behind the bar, carrying the tickets with him as he went.

"Ugh!" Grim made a sound of disgust when the man was out of sight. "Did you see the sweater that guy was wearing? It was so tacky." He crossed his arms. Mandy gave him a strange look that he chose to ignore.

After a few minutes spent waiting in silence, aside from Billy, who was playing drums with some hotel pens, the automatic doors into the motel opened and a woman stepped through. She looked confused for a moment then approached the desk carefully.

"Pardonnez-moi." She said, in thick accent. Both Mandy and Grim turned around first, Mandy regarding her with little interest. The woman smiled a little shyly and smoothed back a strand of silky black hair. "Is this ze checkin?" Grim raised his brow.

"Um…yes…it is." He responded.

"Oh, good, thank you." She said. The words almost seemed to come from her throat. Grim looked at her with interest

"Dat accent…" He started curiously, "...is it Transylvanian?" The woman smiled.

"Yes, I grew up zere." She said, while shifting the weight of her bags so that she could stretch out a thin pale hand. "I am Rhoslyn." Grim took it delicately.

"They call me Grim. It is a pleasure." He said a little nervously. Mandy, who was watching both of them closely narrowed her eyes at the woman.

"Ze pleasure iz mine." Rhoslyn said. Her eyes, a deep purple speckled with green, met his. For a moment Grim felt strange…a familiar feeling that he associated with…something, but before he could identify it it was gone as quickly as it had come. She let go of his bony hand as the desk clerk returned from the back room.

"Okay…apparently we do give free vacations and…oh there's another one. I suppose your robbing the hotel for lodge as well?" The woman stepped forward.

"No…I have a reservation." She said, smiling. The man crossed his arms.

"Oh you do, do you? Your name please?"

"Rhoslyn Amora Femi." She said. The man checked the book and then uttered a lengthened sigh.

"Alright, here you are miss Femi." He grabbed a set of keys from under the desk and handed them to her. "Have a nice stay." She paused and gave Grim a brief smirk before walking towards the elevator.

Mandy growled under her breathe.

"Pardonnez-moi isn't Transylvanian." She said broodingly. Grim shrugged, a light smile touching his skull.

"Okay…apparently these tickets are for the Spring Blossom VIP Suite…which happens to be empty…I don't mind telling you that I argued this matter ("Yeah…bet you did." Grim said under his breathe) with my boss, but since it's unoccupied he said to go ahead and let you have it." He pulled out a few keys and handed them over to Harold who was smiling stupidly.

"Enjoy your stay." The desk clerk said crossly.

"Come on guys, let's go see our suite!" Harold said enthusiastically. "I'll race you, Billy."

"Okay Papa!" Billy said as he ran after his father. Gladys shouted after them, but to no avail. She sighed and headed towards the elevator.

Mandy stopped before reaching the elevator and looked over her shoulder at the check in desk where the man had gotten back to his nail care.

"Five tickets for a resort that should be crowded with people…but isn't and we even got the suite…what's wrong with this picture?" Grim, who was struggling with both of their luggage beside her shrugged in annoyance.

"Your too suspicious, Mandy. Good things happen to stupid people all the time…that's one of the main things that's wrong with this world…do you think you could get at least one of your bags?"

"My arms are tired." Mandy said lazily as she pushed the up button on the elevator. The doors opened. Grim grumbled to himself as he stepped through the doors, balancing the weight of the bags by sticking one in his mouth. He groaned inwardly when he saw the floor number on one of the room keys Harold gave him before he went racing off with his son.

After nine floors the elevator stopped and opened. Mandy walked out with Grim who was struggling to keep up with her. When they finally reached the room, Grim edged the key towards Mandy, who took it and opened the door.

Gladys was already inside unpacking. She saw Grim and Mandy and rolled her eyes.

"Harold and Billy must be lost. I'd better find them before they destroy something." She paused in the doorway and gave Grim an uncompromising look as he dropped both his and Mandy's things at the foot of one of the beds.

"This room belongs to us…the family. There's an attached family room with a fold out couch…you two can stay there. You can sleep on the floor Grim." She left, slamming the door as she went. Grim sighed.

"Dat woman is really beginning to aggravate me." Mandy grabbed her stuff and moved into the next room.

"Stop whining…besides, do you really want to be stuck in the same room with Billy this whole time?" Grim picked up his trunk, looking considerably brighter.

"Hey…you've got a point."

XXX

Miss Femi laid a silky dress out on her bed. It was black, flowing and morbid. She smoothed out a few places and straitened out the silk, then, with a quick motion ripped off half of the long skirt. There…now it was a little black dress.

Next she went to the large mirror on the vanity table and looked at herself. She reached for the makeup she brought and began opening lipstick tubes. Finally, she found a dark purplish color and examined it.

"Yuck…" She said, and put it on. "Well, no one said it was easy? C'est la vie." She set the tube down and picked up the dress, slipping it on in a flowing motion. Finally, she stood back in the mirror and grinned with perfect white teeth.

"Parfait." She said, her crystal eyes gleaming.

XXX

Ugh. I feel terrible today…but at least I have a day off from work and had time to finish this. Hopefully you liked it. I have other things I need to update, so it might be a little while.

Thanks for your reviews!