Hotel of the Dammed

CHAPTER 5

Serena Bautista was a kind and loving person, she would spend hours in her garden, tending to her lilies and roses. She never had a harsh side to her, never raised her voice in anger. She was loved by her Covent as well as her normal family, even if they didn't know she was a witch.

Kayla would spend hours with her in her garden, learning to grow the necessary herbs and other spell components. She taught her daughter all she could, until it was time to send her off.

"Why do I have to leave, mommy?" A little nine year old Kayla had asked as she watched her mother cut off some dry twigs off one of the rose bushes.

"Because, Kay Baby, I think you would learn to use your powers better if Matron Shalla taught you, wouldn't you like to be around people that can do what you can?" Serena knelt down and touched her young daughter's face.

"How long will I be gone for?"

"It'll be like going to a private school for witches, you'll come back for holidays and the summer. I couldn't stand it if you were gone longer, sweet pea."

"Can David come and visit me?"

Serena pulled her daughter close and hugged her, "No Baby, David can't go visit you there, remember, we witches have to keep our powers a secret. Your daddy doesn't know about it either. It's the law of our world, baby. We have to obey it."

The young mother stood up and smiled as her little reflection of herself, except that Serena's eyes were grey, Kayla had her father's eyes. She wiped a tear from the child's eye.

"Don't be sad, sweet pea. I'm come every night for the first week to make sure you're ok, alright?"

Kayla nodded, "Do I have to go?"

"Yes, you've learned all I can teach you, and your inner power isn't working right. Shalla can teach you to use it better than I can, I know you'll like her…"

Kayla did like Shalla, she became a second mother to the young witch when she first came to the Manor. Event though Shalla couldn't help the girl with her inner power, she had taught Kay how to boost up her spell work to compensate for the weak power.

But the power was never weak, just sleeping until it was needed. The four elements had blessed Kayla since birth, making her a very special child in the eyes of the Covent. Even though Shalla had never told her of her true path, Kayla seemed to always find it on her own. Her attraction to puzzles and quests grew as she did, sometimes Shalla would tell the girl that her curiosity would get the better of her one day.

But Kay's curiosity didn't imagine the disillusioned form that was making its slow way towards her, she couldn't move as the monster made it way towards the terrified girl. Not a witch, never the goddess, at this moment, Kay was powerless to stop the creature from attacking her.

Kayla closed her eyes, tears still streaming down her face, "I'm sorry mommy…"

Just as the rotting had was about to touch her head, the zombie was grabbed by her twisted neck and held high into the air. It wailed in anger as it tried to release the hold, but it was no match for the Reaper.

"Dam it woman, I can't leave you alone for five minutes with out you getting in trouble!" Mark shouted as he forced the illusion to dissipate into the air.

Kayla sat still on the floor, her eyes still screaming with tears. Mark moved beside her and touched her face with his cool touch.

"Kayla?" He asked, she tuned to him and fell on his lap crying.

"Oh baby…" Mark whispered as he began to rub her back, "…what was that thing?"

"My mother…" She sobbed, "I lead them to her…"

"Lead who? What are you talking about baby?"

Kayla looked up at his eyes, the tears were still coming, "I lead the Dark Ones to my mother's soul…I preformed forbidden magic on her corps…"

"What?" Mark starred at her, still confused with what he had just heard.

He lifted her up and tried to shake her out of her misery, "Kay, tell me what happened…"

"I unburied my mother's coffin, on the night of Wrestle Mania, you were going after Dave for the belt…I had to know the truth, Mark. I needed to know if you killed them. I used Death Magic, Mark, witches are never allowed to use that kind of dark magic, it could attract the Dark Ones. And I lead them to my mother…they have her!"

Mark wrapped his arms tightly around his love, her little body was still shaking in fear and depression, and most of all, guilt. Mark could feel the guilt overtake her logic thinking, he had to snap her out of it.

"Kay, that wasn't your mother, it was an illusion. I didn't feel anything from that thing. Kay, you're mother's not in any spiritual hell, I can assure you of that."

He wiped the tears from her face and lifted her chin up to look at him, "Kay, I'm taking you out of here right now, we are not going to fuck with this place until you're better."

He pulled her up on her feet and held her tightly, "We're going now."

"Ok…" She was too emotionally drained to argue with him, she allowed herself to be help in his arms as Mark disappeared from the room.

Kay stood around in fear, Mark had just gone and she was still in the room. He didn't take her with him…or maybe he couldn't.

"MARK!" She shouted franticly, the Reaper appeared before her with a look of fear of his own on his face.

"What the fuck?" Mark growled as he pulled her close to him, "I can get out Kay, but it won't let me take you out of here…"

"Why is this happening…?" Kay looked around the room, why was it torturing her?

Mark had to get Kay thinking again, her detection skills were needed more than ever. They had to figure out this puzzle, or Kayla might be stuck here forever.

"Kay, I want you to recite to me the words of the song." Mark asked as he moved her on the bed and sat her on the edge.

He knelt on the floor in front of her and looked into those sad brown eyes, "Kay, tell me the words to the song, please…"

She nodded, "On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair. Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air. Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light, My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim, I had to stop for the night…"

"There she stood in the doorway; I heard the mission bell, And I was thinking to myself, 'This could be Heaven or this could be Hell' , Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way , There were voices down the corridor, I thought I heard them say..."

She began to sing the song, Mark smiled as he listened to the words and the life her sweet voice brought to the song. It seemed that Kay could sing very well, he wondered at what other sweet talents the woman had hidden.

"Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year, you can find it here

Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat.
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget

So I called up the Captain,
'Please bring me my wine'
He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine'
And still those voices are calling from far away,
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say...

Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place
Such a lovely face
They livin' it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise, bring your alibis

Mirrors on the ceiling,
The pink champagne on ice
And she said 'We are all just prisoners here, of our own device'
And in the master's chambers,
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can't kill the beast

Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
'Relax,' said the night man,
We are programmed to receive.
You can checkout any time you like,
but you can never leave…"

Kay stopped and starred at Mark with a calmer expression, her eyes were clear of the tears that were there moments ago. He kissed her lips gently, then smiled.

"What is it?" Kay asked.

Mark grinned, "The song is the key to getting out, I know it! Kay, you have to solve this mystery or else you can't get out. The Eagles did it, now you have to."

To be continued