"Ash? Ash? Ashlynn!"
Cierra's voice sounded muffled to Ashlynn's ears, like she was underwater and Cierra was talking to her from above the surface. When she opened her eyes, Cierra was gripping her shoulders, staring at her. "Cierra?" she asked softly.
"Jesus, Ash, you scared the shit out of me! You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I'm sorry," Ashlynn said, her voice sounding not quite her own.
"I- - no, you don't have to apologize. It's my fault. I left you, and I know how you can get."
Ashlynn bit her lip as Cierra let out a sigh, squeezing her arm. "You okay?" she asked, and Ashlynn managed a nod.
"You know what? Let's go to the bar. Let's help you relax, okay?" Cierra offered.
"Okay," Ashlynn said after a long moment.
Cierra took her arm, leading her out of the hotel room. Ashlynn kept her head down as they walked, staring at the crimson carpet. "There's no cell reception here," Cierra saying. "I guess that's why the phone's in our room. No Wi-Fi, either. Where are we, the dark ages?"
She laughed at her own joke, sparing Ashlynn a glance before continuing walking.
The bar was nearly empty, save a young man, whose head was down as he sipped from a glass. They approached the bar, settling into stools as Cierra looked to the bartender.
It was a woman, bald, and dressed in a long black dress with a blue scarf that hung to her heeled feet. She had on blue eyeshadow with heavy, winged kohl liner that reminded Ashlynn of Cleopatra. A cigarette dangled between her fingers. "May I see some I.D., ladies?" she asked, surprising Ashlynn with her masculine voice.
Cierra obliged quickly, nudging Ashlynn as she did so. The woman examined Cierra's I.D. first, nodding. She took Ashlynn's next, a faint smile creeping onto her face. "Happy birthday," she said.
"Thanks," Ashlynn replied, trying to stop her hands shaking as she took back the I.D. card.
"What would you like?" the woman asked, looking between Cierra and Ashlynn.
"Rum and coke," Cierra said quickly.
Ashlynn bit her lip, trying to think of what her mother ordered when they went to restaurants. "Gin and tonic," she offered, though it sounded more like a question than she had hoped.
The woman chuckled. "Coming right up," she said, turning to the small pyramid of assorted bottles behind her.
Cierra squeezed Ashlynn reassuringly, offering a smile. "You're okay," she said.
"I'm okay," Ashlynn replied.
The bartender finished Cierra's drink first, nodding stiffly as she handed it over. "Thanks," Cierra grinned, before she moved down the bar, occupying herself with the man.
Ashlynn took her drink with a weak smile. "Thank you," she said.
"You're welcome," the bartender replied. "Word to the wise, a gin and tonic isn't the greatest choice if you've never drunk before."
"You can tell?" Ashlynn asked, chuckling weakly.
"Of course I can. I can also tell you don't want to be here."
"Intuitive," Ashlynn replied simply, and the bartender laughed.
"Well, you're a sweet little thing. What's your name?"
"Ashlynn."
The bartender nodded, reaching across the bar to shake hands. "Liz Taylor," she said, and Ashlynn giggled despite herself.
"Like the actress?"
"Well, if I'm choosing my own name, I might as well choose a good one."
Ashlynn nodded. "I guess that makes sense."
She looked down the bar at Cierra, who was laughing at something the man said. "God, I hate her sometimes," she mumbled.
Liz raised an eyebrow. "Why spend time with her, then?"
"She's the only friend I have, really. She's just always making me do stupid stuff. I shouldn't have even come to this hotel, you know? I was fine celebrating my birthday with my parents."
Liz shrugged. "Friends always make us do stupid things. That's what they're for."
"Well, I hate it."
Ashlynn took a small sip of her drink, wincing at the taste. "God, I don't understand how people can drink this stuff," she said.
"No one does," Liz replied. "Do you want some water?"
"Please."
She had a glass ready in barely any time at all, and Ashlynn took a deep drink, grateful of the crisp taste. "Thank you."
"No problem. Besides, one of you needs to be sober to navigate this place, and it doesn't seem like your friend is up for the job."
She looked at Cierra again, shaking her head. "I wish she'd just leave me alone," she admitted, and Liz offered a kind smile.
"Why don't you go on back to your room? Your friend seems occupied, and you don't want to be here."
"I don't want to leave her. What if she needs help?"
Liz leaned forward on the bar, shaking her head. "If your friend needs help, I can help her."
"What if- -"
"Ashlynn," Liz said firmly. "It's all right. Just because a place is new, doesn't mean it's dangerous."
That may have been one of the biggest lies Liz had ever told, perhaps alongside pretending to be something she wasn't her entire life. The hotel was a cesspool of things that would turn the poor girl in front of her into a fearful little creature for the rest of her life. Horrors lurked around every corner, and though Liz had grown far used to them, she knew they would ruin Ashlynn.
The hotel had its own allure. A grandeur of sorts that lured in unsuspecting victims, only to have their throats torn out or their bodies mutilated horribly the moment night arrived.
But Liz smiled as she watched Ashlynn rise from her stool and leave the bar, even though the smile hurt.
The Hotel Cortez and its inhabitants had their own plans for Ashlynn Harding, and it was only a matter of time until those plans were set in motion.