Hotel of the Dammed
CHAPTER 8
The first room Kayla found was definitely the fathers, she ignored the room to find the daughter's wit the black cat still in her hands. She walked into the room, the door was wide open. After flicking on the light, Kay looked around and saw that there were exposed beams on the ceiling, a short length of rope was still hanging from the middle beam. This room was definitely the coldest. There was an old antique iron bed in the corner, with pink sheets and a few teddy bears that lined the head of the bed, a few dressers with childhood keepsakes and things that a young lady would have.
Still rubbing the cat's chin in her arms as she looked around, she walked up the desk and began to look through the books. One of them had caught her eyes. It was an old book, Kay had a copy in her library as well, she really didn't know of any witch who didn't have one. It was the first book that any one witch would get when it was time to learn the craft.
Kay gently placed the cat on the soft bed and grabbed the book from it's place, she sat back down on the bed as the cat walked up to her purring and meowing for more attention. She instantly began petting the cat with one hand as the other opened the first page of the worn and well read book, she smiled at the inscription just behind the cover.
To my darling Clair, I hope this brings you more understanding of the gift your mother left with you. Love, Aunt Caroline.
"Cool…" It was starting to make a little sense, "Clair was a witch too."
The cat meowed louder, Kay turned to smile at the familiar, "You're a witch's cat, aren't you?"
The cat sat still with just her tail moving slightly behind her, a small meow from her as she began to purr again and rub itself all over Kay's arm.
"Yep, you are a familiar…that would explain why you're here." Kay placed the book down and picked the cat up on her lap.
"Kayla?"
"In here, Mark."
He entered the room and handed her a photo, Kay looked it over at the young dark haired and pale eyed young lady in the black and white photo. Had to be at least sixteen, and very attractive.
"So that's what Clair looks like." Kay smiled at Mark, "She was a witch."
"A witch? Why did she take her own life?" Mark asked as the cat hissed at him again, Kay rubbed the animal's back, the hissing had stopped.
"I don't think she killed herself, Mark. I think she was murdered." Kay couldn't help the answers that seem to lurk at each corner.
"Where did you get that from?" Mark looked around the room, he spotted the hanging rope from the bean, then looked back at the grinned on Kay's face.
"No." Mark said in that stern cold dark voice of his, "I will not allow this woman!"
"Aw, Mark, please, I know if I cast the spell on that rope, it could tell me what happened to her!"
"No." Mark had to be firm, Kay seemed to not have limits when it came to her curiosity, she would risk herself for the truth every chance she got and it seemed that she didn't care if she got hurt.
"Mark, I can guess that Clair's mother was a witch and her father didn't know, just like how I was raised. Now, even though she didn't have anyone to teach her how to use it, this book explains the basic of the craft, helping secluded witches with their own training. I doubt at her age and her expertise in magic had anything to do with her death."
"Kay, hon, you're rambling…make sense of this for me." Mark crossed his arms in front of his chest as Kay explained it more clearly.
"Ok, My first though was she was a little on the touched side, maybe, but this room doesn't feel like someone who would just kill herself." Kay continued.
"It looks like a bedroom." Mark starred at her, his form unmoving.
"Yeah, but, I'm getting this feeling that she didn't kill herself. But, I do know if a witch dies a horrible unjust death, sometimes they can come back to haunt the place where they have died. And if Clair was as untrained as I think she was, then the rip could have been caused by the curse born of untamed magic upon death. Yes, that would make sense, but I have to touch that rope to see if I'm right."
"No, and if you ask again, I'll burn it." Mark growled, "I'm sure that you can find another way to proving your theory. You take way to many chances Kay, you scare the shit right out of me and I never thought that could happen."
"I'm sorry…" Kay kissed the top of the cat's head, "Sometimes I just do and not think things through."
"And that gets you in trouble, but I love you for it." Mark leaned over and kissed her as the cat hissed its disapproval, Mark turned and growled at the cat, "Knock it off, it's getting old."
The cat hushed, still in Kay's arms as she got up and looked around the room again, "One of them is responsible for it, I'm sure of it…"
"Are you getting a feeling again?" Mark asked.
"Yeah, let's go back and ask them a few more questions. I don't think Janice has anything to do with this, but Johnny or Arnold must know something, they are stuck here too."
Kay and Mark left the apartment, but Kay still had the calm cat in her hands as they made their way back to the dining room. She felt bad for this little creature, yes she knew it was a ghost, but it still felt cruel to be locked up in that room by itself. Mark just kept a watchful eye on the cat as they entered the room, he was going to anticipate every move that thing made before it could sink a claw into Kay's skin.
Kayla smiled when she saw Johnny and Janice still at the bar, "Hey guys, I need to ask you a few more…"
The cat caught sight of Johnny, a cried of terrifying anger roared out of the cat as it leaped from Kay's arms and began to transform in front of them.
It was no longer the sweet little cat anymore, the black fur was replaced by a greenish black rotting skin, its back bones were exposed for lack of skin in certain areas. The animal had grown much larger in size, like a large dog with larger than normal teeth and razor sharp claws. It raced with unnatural speed towards the terrifying bartender who ran in fear of the creature.
Kay turned to Mark and tried to smile a shy grin, "You're right, it is the beast."
It was his turn to give her a dirty look, "Why don't you listen to me?"
"Why did you let it out!" Janice shouted as she ran towards them, Johnny was still running down the hall, trying to escape the wrath of the beast, "it's going to kill him!"
"She didn't seem to be a danger at the time." Kay looked around the room, they had been left alone, but they could still hear the screams of terror and the haunting roar of the undead creature's hunt through out the hotel.
"You have to get it back in there!" Janice shouted, "It's the monster that haunts our dreams, keeps from forgetting your wrongs! You have to get it back in there!"
"I don't think so, Lady." Mark replied, "Has it ever attacked you?"
"No, just Arnold and Johnny. It leaves me and Carl alone. I guess because we didn't work here or something like that. I really don't know."
"Ah…" Kay had that I told you so look on her face again, "So miss Kitty only goes after Johnny and Arnold…"
Mark just grinned and shook his head, "I love you Kay, but I hate it when you're right. So, If Johnny and Arnold had something to do with Clair's death, how to we still stop this curse and get out?"
"I'm not that smart." Kayla began to think, "I don't think the cat can kill them. I'm sure it has gotten out before, but the guys are still running around. I think it's just here to torture them, I think they may be the ones that killed Clair."
"What are you saying?" Janice was shocked to hear that her trapped companions that she was known for years under these circumstances were killers.
"You're sure about this?" Mark asked.
"Oh yeah." Smiled Kay, "But I still have no clue on how to stop it."
To be continued.