Chapter 3

AN: Sorry this took a while to upload, but I went to Poland for a few days.

I altered my title slightly because I thought it sounded better.

The four brothers stared in horror at the hideous-looking man in front of them.

"Welcome to the Tranquility Hotel," he snarled. "My name is Charles Skullington; I was the original owner of this hotel when it first opened back in 1950."

Gordon was the first to find his voice- or some of it at least. "B-b-but that would m-m-make you…"

"One hundred and fifty two to be exact," Charles interrupted him. "But of course I still look as young as I did back then. After all, you can't age….when you're dead."

As always, Scott was the more skeptical one. "Sorry pal, I don't believe in ghosts. Now look, we believe that someone in this hotel is in need of our help, and we have to find them."

"The only people who are going to need help around here are you. If you want to get out of this hotel alive, you're going to have to listen to me," Skullington said, his eyes blazing in glee.

"Are you threatening us?" Scott narrowed his eyes, "because I'm afraid I don't take kindly to threats, and neither do my pals."

"Oh, I wasn't threatening you," Skullington snarled, "I was promising you. However, if you want proof…."

His eyes began to glow a blazing red, and Gordon gave a startled cry as he began to float into the air. He began to flail his arms and legs about in a desperate attempt to get back to solid ground.

"Let's see how well you can fly, shall we?" Skullington thrust his hand out, and Gordon felt himself flying backwards down the hallway. He gave a startled cry as he hit the far wall and slid to the ground.

"Gordon!" Virgil started to run over to see if his younger brother was ok, but he only got a few feet when he felt himself being flipped into the air.

Scott and Alan's eyes widened as they watched their brother dangling upside down, at least two meters from the floor.

"Now do you believe me?" Skullington asked, "or do I have to drop him on his head?"

Alan growled and leapt at Skullington, hoping the attack would release his hold on Virgil.

Instead of trying to evade the attack, Skullington merely laughed as Alan's form sailed right through him. The youngest Tracy brother landed on the floor with a hard thud.

Alan turned around, his eyes widening. "You really are a ghost," he whispered in awe.

"At last, someone gets it!" Skullington turned to the others, after releasing Virgil who dropped to the ground, but managed to protect himself with his hands.

"Ok, we believe you." Scott moved to help Virgil up. "What do you want with us?"

"A game," Skullington replied simply. "I want to see if you are as intelligent and resourceful as everyone says you are."

Scott shook his head. "We don't have time for games," he growled.

Virgil, Gordon – who had recovered from his flying trip-, and Alan had all simultaneously stepped backwards, putting their eldest brother between the ghost and themselves.

"Please Scott," Alan begged, "just listen to him. We want to get out of here."

Scott sighed before turning back to the phantom. "Fine, what do we have to do?"

"The rules are simple," Skullington replied. "The only way down to the next floor of the hotel, is through that door." He pointed to the other end of the corridor, where a black door had seemed to appear out of nowhere. "The door is locked at the moment, and the key is hidden in one of these rooms. All you have to do is find it."

"That sounds easy enough," Virgil said.

"Oh, it won't be as easy as it sounds." Skullington's laughter echoed round the corridor, and he vanished.

"Hey!" Scott shouted, "Come back!"

"It's no use Scott," Virgil said. "He's gone, and we're trapped here unless we find the key to that door."

"You're right, Virg," Scott replied, before turning to the others. "We'll have to split up and search for this stupid key; we'll be able to locate it quicker then. The Key has to be in one of these rooms. Alan, you and Gordon start at that end," he pointed down the corridor, "Virg and I will start the other end, understand?"

His brothers all nodded nervously, and began to walk to either end of the corridor.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Here key," Alan whispered quietly, as he searched room 1500. He was crawling on his hands and knees, searching for the much-needed key.

Approaching the king-size bed, he cautiously peered under it.

There was nothing there except mothballs.

'I hope the others are having better luck than I am,' he thought miserably to himself. 'Honestly, can anything else happen today?'

Something grabbed his ankle.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

In the room opposite Alan's, Gordon was opening the wardrobe, hoping the key would be in there somewhere, when all at once he heard a cry of terror.

Years of Halloween jokes had taught him that that cry belonged to Alan. He abandoned the search and raced into the corridor.

"Alan! What's wrong?" Gordon pounded on the door, hoping his brother was ok. Reaching down, he twisted the brass handle and the door swung open. He stepped quickly inside, and his eyes darted around the room to locate Alan.

"Gordo, help me!" Gordon's eyes widened as he finally saw his younger brother. Alan's body was half under the bed, but what made it even worse was that wrinkled, gnarled hands, were grabbing at his uniform and pulling him even further under.

"Gordon!"

Snapped out of his trance, Gordon raced over to try and free his brother from the 'monster under the bed'. He grabbed Alan under his arms, and began to try and tug him free.

"Hurry, Gordon!" Alan had tears of fright in his eyes.

"I'm trying," Gordon replied, pulling even harder. "Don't worry, it'll be ok."

Virgil appeared in the doorway. "Guys? What's wrong?"

"Virgil, help!" Alan and Gordon found themselves both crying out simultaneously.

By now Virgil had spotted the rotten looking hands, dragging his youngest brother under the bed.

"What the hell is that?" he cried.

"I don't know!" Gordon shouted back, "just help us!"

Virgil quickly made his way over to the bed, and began stomping his boots on the creature's hands. At first it didn't seem to be doing any good, but then they heard the cracking of bones, and the creature – whatever it was – let out a cry of pain and with drew its arms.

Seeing his chance, Gordon pulled his younger brother out from under the bed and into his arms.

Alan was trembling all over, tears were running down his cheeks and onto the floor. Gordon wrapped his arms around him, and tried to soothe his brother. "It's ok, Al. The creatures gone now."

Alan was still shaking, but he was beginning to calm down. "What that thing?"

"I don't know," Virgil answered honestly, "but what I do know is that Skullington was right: getting out of this place won't be easy. Hopefully nothing else will happen, and we'll get out of here without any trouble"

Oh, how wrong Virgil was.

A sudden, strangled cry, made the three brothers jump to almost a foot in the air. The cry wasn't one of terror, but of pain.

Virgil looked at Gordon, Gordon looked at Alan, and Alan looked at Virgil. All three of them were thinking the same thing.

"Scott!"

All three of them ran out the room, and up to the other end of the corridor. The door to room 1550 stood open, and another cry came from the door leading into the bathroom.

Virgil tried turning the bathroom's door handle, but it wouldn't budge. He then attempted to barge the door down, but he only succeeded in bruising his shoulder.

"What's going on in there?" Much of Alan's fear from earlier was beginning to return.

"Scott, open up!" Gordon pounded his fists on the door, but received only another strangled cry.

From inside the bathroom came the sound of glass breaking, followed by an evil laugh.

"That's it!" Virgil shouted, "stand back guys!" He raised his leg and kicked hard at the door again and again.

There was a snap as the old door fell off its hinges and crashed to the floor.

Virgil, Gordon, and Alan ran into the bathroom, hoping against hope that their older brother was ok.

They couldn't believe it.

The bathroom was empty.

There was no sign of glass on the floor, no sign of a struggle.

And worst of all there was no sign of Scott.

However three words written on the bathroom mirror in what the brothers hoped wasn't blood told them instantly that something was terribly wrong.

WE HAVE HIM.