Hotel of the Dammed

CHAPTER 9

Kayla left Mark behind in the dining room, she wanted to explore this place on her own. Yes, she did enjoy being with Mark, but she needed to let her mind guide her to the answers she needed, it was hard when she had an over protective Reaper following her around. Not that she minded having him around, and not just for companionship. His reaper abilities had certainly gotten her out of harm's way a few times.

But she felt she needed to be alone, even though Mark insisted that he follow her. He was afraid of what the cat would do to her, but Kay reassured him that the cat wouldn't hurt her. Familiars would and have never hurt a fellow witch, but then again, there was the animosity between her own familiar and her best friend Emma's anaconda, Elizabeth.

Just as she came around the bend, she spotted the cat lurking around the far hall, sniffing around for her prey. The cat caught Kay's sent and looked up with its dark yellow eyes.

But then again, this was Kayla's first encounter with an undead familiar.

"Hi miss kitty…" Kayla could feel the hair on her back raise as the cat opened its mouth and let out a distorted version of her meow as it began to trot over to her.

Kay was a little apprehensive when the cat began to purr roughly and rub its rotting flesh against Kay's hips, the animal was much larger now.

"Nice Kitty…" Kay tried to rub its falling ear, not wanting to get to close to it, "Didn't get your man?"

The cat mewed again, this time a little softer.

"Poor thing, want to explore?" Kay asked as she rubbed the other ear, this one was more intact.

The monster cat gently pulled at her pants, it seemed that she wanted Kayla to follow it.

"Sure, you lead the way, kitty." Kay smiled as the cat as she followed it.

It didn't take the car long to bring Kay to the door of another room in the hotel, this one was room twelve.

"Why here kitty?" Kayla tried to door, it was locked tight.

The cat scratched at the door, Kay had noticed that there were other scratch marks from before. It looked like Miss Kitty had been trying to get in there for some time. It was funny how the undead cat couldn't move through walls, was she just as much a prisoner here like the rest of them?

Kayla had heard stories where a witch's familiar would haunt the area when their master had died, but they could move through walls like nothing was there. This cat couldn't, perhaps there was more to this than just a curse?

Kayla brought up her power to unlock the door, but this time it didn't move. She starred in wonder why it hadn't moved? Her power had never failed her like this before. She touched the door with her hand, a feeling of dread crept into her mind. Evil unseen was behind that door, she could feel it. It was something she had never felt before, something more sinister than the evil of the world, no, this evil was not from this world…

"Oh my goddess…" Kayla stepped back, she cold feel the hallways turn cold, the cat hissed around in all sorts of directions, unaware where the danger was coming from.

Kay's body shook as she tried to touch the door again, to feel it again, she really didn't want to, but the lust of curiosity had taken over her mind. She just touched it with light fingers, her mind was bombarded by images of a face, but not just any face…the face couldn't be made out, but the flames around it could be felt. This was not something Kay could handle on her own. She removed her hand, it felt icy to the touch.

"Who's room is this?" Kay asked in wonder, this must be were the curse was.

The cat simply mewed as Kay took a few steps back, she didn't like the feeling she got, she had never felt so much evil in her life. '"Come on, miss kitty, let's go find that big bad reaper and bring him here."

The cat hissed as it backed away from her, Kay laws a little puzzled about this. She turned around, the man dressed like a gangster was standing just before with a cigar sticking out of his mouth. The cat didn't like him, she fled down the hall, away from them. Kay didn't like that idea, what would make a ghost cat run, other than a reaper….

"You shouldn't be out here like this, kid." He smiled, it sent a not so nice chill down her spine, "You should be out having a good time…"

"Um…you must be Carl…" Kay tried to smile, but it seemed that her gut feeling was telling her to run and find Mark—FAST!

"I have to go find….my boyfriend…" Kay tried to move past the man, but he grabbed hold of her arm strongly, a little too strongly.

"What's your hurry, doll?" He asked , that same slithering smile on his face.

Them man was handsome, but to Kay, personally? No one held a candle to Mark, he was perfect in her eyes. But why did she feel it was impossible to move her stare from those cold grey steel eyes, her mind began to feel numb, as if someone was trying to pry into her mind. She pulled her arm from his grasp and gave him a star down, she was already trapped her, what more could this thing do to her?

"I have to go…" Kay tried again to move, but Carl moved to intercept her move.

"Where's the fire, doll? I just want to talk, get to know you a little better…" He moved his and touched the side of her face, Kay back up, she didn't like that touch at all.

It gave her the same feeling from within the room, this man was connected to the room, that meant he was evil…but what kind of evil would he be?

Kayla had believed that this was just a case of a curse gone crazy, but from where she stood at this moment, the more she felt that the death of Clair was just the beginning. This man, this...thing had something to do with it, but she would have to go looking for more info on this. She was still unsure what role the boys stuck here had to do with Clair's death, but she was going to find out.

"If you don't get out of my way, my big bad boyfriend will eat you." Kay grinned, then frowned in a shocked look at the man before her laughed.

"Poor little girl, think her Reaper Hero will save her from the terrible curse of the hotel? Fat chance toots! The Hotel has you, and there's nothing you can do about…we have you now…" he laughed, it seemed that his eyes grey darker as he laughed.

Kay backed away slowly, ok, now she was in trouble. This wasn't the behaviour of a ghost, he wasn't scared of Mark at all, not like Johnny was….infact, neither was Janice. She wasn't scared at all when Mark pulled the tough reaper act in front of her, that must mean that they knew what Mark was, but they weren't sacred of him. That now frightened her, if these things weren't scared of a reaper, then they must not be dead, are they? Only dead things fear reapers, but then, what are they?

"What are you?" She asked, fright in her voice.

The man smiled, his canines were unusually larger than a human's, it gave Kay more fright with in.

"No one talks about us, I guess it's because we're so bad. Good talent is hard to find." He still kept that dark smile, "You witches, Vodus, shamans, you who fear us most, because we can entangle your magic, deplete your minds, and take control of your souls. But you do keep us away, but for only a short time. You see, once in a blue moon, and I do mean blue moon, the veil tears just enough to let us out. And now we're here…waiting for you…"

"What the fuck are you…" Kay backed up, her heart pounding away as the terror of her realisation came to mind.

"My dear, I thought you would know, you are the Avatar after all…I can taste it!" he moved a step closer, his eyes turning serpent like as Kayla took a few steps back, "My…my dear…we are the servants of the Dark Ones…and we have come for you!"

To be continued.