With the way the floor underneath me sank with each step; it was just a matter of time before it collapsed altogether. Each creak it made sounded like it was shouting in pain, begging to be put out of its misery. I couldn't help but relate.
I know that sounds melodramatic, and hypocritical if you considered how many times, I had given my little sister shit for sulking so much, but it was hard not to be in such a sorry excuse for a building. It was like that entire place was contaminated with a depression causing disease, a Blight if you will, that you were damned to catch if you stayed there too long.
From the looks of it, my dad had already been infected. I don't think I'd ever seen the man so heartbroken. He seemed more tired than usual, which shouldn't've been possible. His golden eyes had no life in them and neither did any of his movements. Yet he apparently had enough energy to speak.
"So, she doesn't remember anything about the isles?".
"It's more than just that. It's like he's erased every good thing that's happened to her in the last couple months" I began to rant before I noticed my father's confusion.
Right. I'd completely forgotten both of my parents didn't know about Amity's efforts to change for the better. Yes, they knew she was friends with Willow again, but everything with Boscha, Amity's part in building a new portal, all of the Eclipse Lake situation, they had no idea any of that ever happened. And Titan forbid they found out about my little sister's love life.
We were all mainly worried about our mother's reaction. She tried to kill Luz just for being friends with Amity. If mom found out the human was dating her daughter, who knows what kind of hell she would put her through. Dad seemed to be a lot cooler about the whole Amity being social with a human thing, but we couldn't risk him telling his wife, accidentally or otherwise.
"Why would he only care about the last couple months? Is there something I'm missing?".
I was ready for my father's question. There were plenty of other things that happened to Amity in that timespan that didn't involve her relationship status.
"Her, Em, and I sort of reconciled during that time. We've been working on being more supportive of each other" I answered coolly before my anger peaked back in. "But he erased her memory of all that".
"You three have been fighting? Since when?" my father responded, completely baffled.
"There's been a mini war between me, Emira, and Amity for years now" I explained. "Em and I would just be trying to have a little fun and then suddenly, there's Mittens coming to chew us out".
"I'm sure most of the time you and Emira were doing something you weren't supposed to".
"You know it. But we still didn't like how prissy she was being so…". I stopped for a moment as my rising shame struck me. "Emira and I tried to get back at her in ways we're not proud of".
I looked back towards my father to see his reaction. I expected him to be angry with me. I didn't tell him any details, but I had just admitted to hurting my younger sister. But instead, he echoed my shame. It looked like he felt just as guilty as I did.
Thank Titan we reached the door to Emira's room before dad could prod any further. Admitting everything to Gus was hard enough. I really didn't want to go through that again.
When Vee answered the door, Emira's voice was set free into the hallway. Though she was able to talk a lot faster than she could two weeks back, my twin's voice was still hoarse in exhaustion.
"Is someone else visiting Emira right now?" the older witch beside me murmured, careful not to interrupt the conversation inside.
"No one living," the basilisk hissed as she rubbed the side of her arm. She grimaced at the situation. "It seems she's gotten into a fight with her dead family members".
"I hate to break it to you, Uncle Josiah, but your death not being an accident doesn't mean you weren't one" my sister scoffed. Emira paused to listen to the ghost's response.
"That's great, but I couldn't give two shits in a handbasket. I mean can you really call me a disappointment when you died by choking on your fiftieth birthday cake".
Emira suddenly flinched. Reactively, she brought her hand up and held it to her cheek. Wait a minute. Did…did one of the ghosts just slap her?!
But, like Emira said she couldn't, she didn't give two shits in a handbasket. She actually began to laugh.
"You know, for someone who dishes a lot of dirt, you really can't take a hit".
"Should we come back at a different time?" my father whispered to the Vee.
Before the demon could answer, Emira's attention wandered over to me. She waved at me welcomingly. By the way that she smiled, I could tell her pain meds had finally kicked in.
Well, it was too late to turn back now.
"Hey, Em" I greeted while walking through the door.
"Hey, Ed. I thought you were supposed to be working?". Instantly forgetting what she said, Emira then asked, "Who's that with you?".
Dad's ears went flat. The pain in his eyes made them much sharper.
"It's me, sweetheart…your father" he tensed.
"Really… I don't remember you being so… mussy".
"You don't remember a lot of things," I pointed out, prompting my sister to shrug.
"How are you doing, right now?" our father continued as he went to the side of Emira's bed.
"Well, the first thing out of her mouth this morning was, "I want to die", so…" Vee jumped in.
"And I did," Emira huffed in response. "You know how hard it is to sleep when your brain feels like it's about to pop?".
"I can relate" dad reassured softly. "Now that I think about it, there's this certain tea that your mother fixes me whenever I get a headache. Perhaps that will help you feel better".
As the witch spoke, Emira's eyes slowly shifted to me. They widened, a frightened and crazed look taking over them. Half of her mouth raised to reveal her tightly gnashed fangs. She kept digging her nails into the covers beneath them.
"What?! What is that?!". Her screams were shrill and strong. "What's that on you?!".
"Easy, Em. What do you see?".
It had gotten easier to stifle my horror over the prior couple of weeks. It wasn't any easier to see Emira in such bad shape. Seeing my sister get so scared and confused out of nowhere would always hurt no matter how many times I saw it happen. But I had plenty of experience with seeming calm so I wouldn't make her panicking any worse.
"Filth! It's human filth! It's swarming around you like a bunch of flies! It's…".
Emira's breath suddenly hitched before she began to hyperventilate. With all of the energy she had, she pushed herself against the bed stand and tried to slide up the wall.
"Get away from me!" she snarled like a cornered wild animal.
Her eyes wouldn't leave me. They left me a terrified yet savage message that was both a plea and a threat. Instead of taking a step back, like I should've, I stepped closer to my sister.
"It's okay, Emira. I won't hurt you".
"Griffin shit" Emira caterwauled. "I'm warning you! Get away!".
Just like the first time, I ignored my sister. I couldn't just leave, not while she was like this!
"I won't, I promise. Now, take a few deep breaths".
My father opened his mouth to give me the same warning Emira did, but my twin struck first. Before anyone could stop her, she reached towards the bed stand and grabbed the pen resting on top of it. We had all been very careful to not bring anything Emira could use as a weapon into the room. But it only took one little mistake for things to go sour.
I only had a second to react, and I wasted it by standing there stunned. In spite of her temporary lack of strength and her bad balance, she leapt towards me and jammed the sharp edge of the pen into my cheek.
That's when I finally stepped back, or more fell back. From the floor, I skittered away from my sister. Fear made my eyes shoot wide open, while my pain left me gapping in shock.
It wasn't the first time Emira had attacked me in her delirious state. She'd scratched me a couple times with her nails. But this was much different. This attack was a lot more violent.
"Get out!" she roared as our dad and Vee held her back. "Before you end up getting me killed!".
I'd learned my lesson. I shouldn't have gotten so close, let alone stayed in the room. When Emira said "get out", she meant it.
I flew through the door and didn't stop running until I hit the stairwell door. All the while, my hand was pressed against my injured cheek, fresh blood running through my fingers and dripping down my arm. When I entered the lobby, I was instantly greeted by Mrs. Camila, Eda, and Luz. The former had noticed the blood on my hand, while the other two followed her in concerned curiosity.
"Joven! What happened?" Luz's mother asked while gently pulling my hand away from my newest wound.
"Someone left a pen on the bed stand in Emira's room. I got a bit too close, she panicked, and she stabbed me with it".
All three women in front of me reflected my aching. Camila touched my shoulders, while Eda's head fell and she sighed. I met Luz's gaze, despite how hard it was to look into her eyes. Ever since my little sister had passed, her eyes were constantly yelling out for help. Now there was pity thrown into the mix.
"Hey. It's alright" I told the smaller human with a very weak smile. "I sort of deserved it".
"Nobody deserves this, young'n" someone rasped from the dining area.
A broad, ogre-like witch hobbled over to the middle of the lobby. Her back was permanently hunched, her frail white hair shouting to everyone around her that her prime was far behind her. A singular tinged fang stuck out of her mouth like a tusk.
"I'll take care of his wound," she told the human healer. "You go eat your breakfasts. I've just put them on your table".
"The cut isn't that deep" I interjected, "I can clean…uh...".
The elderly witch silenced me with an icy glare. Her eyes were weak in exhaustion but strong with emotion.
"Thank you, Oxana," Mrs. Camila nodded appreciatively. "Make sure to clean it well. Staying on the third floor's put him at a higher risk of infection".
Oxana flicked her mostly shredded ear to signify she understood. Before leading me to the nook in the hallway with the ice machine, she rummaged through the janitor's closet and pulled out the largest bandage she could find.
"So your sister's the one who did this to you?" she questioned while dabbing the gash on my cheek with rubbing alcohol.
"I'm sure she didn't mean to. She hasn't been herself since she hit her head" I clarified in between my hisses in pain.
"She's always been herself, hun," the elderly woman argued. "Her mind may not be working quite right. She may have grown more violent lately. But she's still your sister. That's what makes it hurt so bad".
Oxana was right. I wished she wasn't, but I couldn't deny that she was. Emira hadn't died like Amity had, but it felt like I had lost both of my sisters. Sure, they were both still there in the hotel, but Amity thought she was a human from "sand-iego" and Emira… Titan! It was like one moment she was just kind of cranky and the next…
"I don't know what happened!" I cried while what little walls I had left crumbled. "She looked so happy to see me one minute, and then she started to freak out! And I didn't want to just up and leave, but she was screaming at me to get out!".
The old woman in front of me brought me back to reality by firmly grabbing one of my shoulders. Her commanding stare planted me in place.
"Now listen closely. I won't say what you did was right; it obviously wasn't. But you shouldn't blame yourself. Your sister didn't know what she was doing and neither did you.
What you should do, now, is be more careful. You're very lucky that she only injured your cheek. If your sister would've aimed a little lower, I wouldn't be talking to you right now".
"I think the safest thing to do is to keep my distance" I responded as I sighed out my distress. "But Emira needs all the help she can get".
"Help can be given from a distance, young'n".
"How can I do that?".
My question made Oxana's ears fall flat. She swallowed the sorrow that suddenly clumped in her throat before giving me her honest answer.
"If I knew, I swear I'd tell you. But just because I don't know the answer doesn't mean there isn't one".
When the elder finished sterilizing my cut, she quickly placed the large bandage onto my face and turned to go back to the lobby. I leapt forwards, bringing the witch's attention back to me by tugging her arm.
"Wait" I called. "The hotel owner–".
"I hope you're not planning on trying to press information about him out of me" Oxana grumbled.
"I know, you can't risk angering him. But he lashes out at you too, right? He hurts you?".
The witch sank. I could tell by the slight shimmer in her cloudy yellow eyes that she was dying to spill everything to me. She bared her fangs in a miserable frown, holding them tightly together to prevent any secrets from escaping.
"Is he… also not in his right mind?". It was a hard question to ask. Insinuating that my twin was anything like the killer was completely unfair to Emira. But I could tell that Oxana had made some sort of connection between what happened this morning and her own situation.
"I can't say for sure," she uttered after a second of hesitation. "I'm no expert on the matter".
"Then why don't you take him to one? They'd be able to help him".
"That seems like the smart thing to do, doesn't it? But that's much easier said than done. He adamantly believes that he's moved on from those few days and is now doing the right thing. And you know I can't force him to do anything. I can only beg and begging never seems to work".
I probably shouldn't have pressed any more. The older witch was already putting herself at risk by talking to me to begin with. But my curiosity pushed me to keep going. After all, any information about the man keeping all of us locked in was probably very interesting.
"Those few days"?" I repeated. "What happened in "those few days"?".
Oxana was again hesitant to answer. She carefully mulled over my question, deciding what was safe to say.
"Are you allowed to say?" I added after a few moments passed.
"Let's just say he's also got experience with being hunted by a killer. And that killer ended up inspiring him". Oxana decided to end our conversation there, though she did have one last thing to say. "Tread carefully, son. And be prepared to throw your heart to the wayside".
…
The next couple hours were grueling. Time was moving slowly and so was business. I didn't know what I was expecting. Since everyone was already settled into their rooms, my job was basically standing behind the counter just in case they had any concerns.
Speaking of which, one of our guests apparently had one. She rushed up to the front desk as fast as she could. The red head looked anxious, as if she were risking her life every second she stood there.
It had only been two weeks, but I didn't think I'd ever get used to seeing my sister in her human suit.
"Hey" she drawled with a nervously forced smile on her face. "I know our last couple conversations have gotten a little heated but…".
"Now you want something from me, right".
"… yes". My laughter turned my little sister's unease into pure desperation. "Please, Edric. I really need your help".
"With what exactly?".
The bear quickly paused. She had to think about what to say next, and how to not sound like a hellhound while saying it.
"I want to order something for lunch, but I'm afraid, if I order it from room service, I'll… um".
"You'll be poisoned" I finished while my amusement faltered. Amiyah nodded.
"I was hoping that you could take my order personally and tell the kitchen not to poison it".
"Why don't you ask Camila?" I suggested. "She's not one of the chefs but she helps around the kitchen all the time".
The fabricated human continued to gaze at me unsurely. Without knowing it, she grabbed a lock of her long hair and began to fiddle with it.
"Can I trust Camila?" she murmured.
"I think so, but then, do you trust me?".
"I do," Amiyah admitted with a huff. "I don't know why I do, but I do".
Well, that was quite the surprise. With how angry she was at me the other two times we talked; I thought I would be the last person Amiyah would trust. But, then again, Amity would get pissed off with me at least once a day, and I'd like to believe that she trusted me.
"Maybe it's because I remind you of your brother". The mention of the bear's older sibling, or you know, me, made her scowl in annoyance. She gritted her teeth, flashing the fangs she no longer had.
"Who said I trusted him?" she scoffed. "That unsympathetic jerk would probably just put sneezing powder in my food instead. Or who knows. Maybe he would poison it so he wouldn't have to deal with his goody-two shoes sister".
Amiyah's words really hurt. She didn't know she was saying those things right in front of her older brother, but that didn't make it sting any less. Hell, it may have actually made what she said hurt more.
Did she really think I'd do anything to hurt her? Okay, sure, I had done it before. But I didn't know how badly it was affecting her back then. I thought Emira and I were just having a little fun, and that Amity got mad because she's a killjoy. I never wanted something actually bad to happen to her, especially something that would end up killing her.
"But you seem different" my sister went on. "Don't get me wrong, you're obnoxious. But there's something deep inside of me that says you'd never do anything to hurt me".
Okay, so Amity did trust me. That gut feeling of Amiyah's had to have been residual trust from when she was her, right? I guess all of that trust didn't exist before the library incident.
"Well, Amiyah" I breathed out. "Let me give you some advice. If you're unsure about who to trust, then just ask them about Amity".
"Amity? The witch who died in the elevator?".
"That's the one. If the witch or human suddenly gets sad, or all nostalgic, then you can trust them".
"And what are your thoughts on Amity?" Amiyah hmmed.
I chuckled before responding, "she was a big dork who took life way too seriously". I then teasingly added, "Does that sound familiar?".
"But you miss her, don't you?" the bear questioned sadly.
"Yeah" I sighed. "She may have been pretty annoying sometimes, but she was a good sister".
Whatever irritation Amiyah was feeling earlier faded away. She shared my sadness, despite not knowing who Amity was.
"I'm sorry" she uttered softly.
"Don't be. Everyone else is sorry enough" I muttered. "But like I said. If you're looking for poison-less food, go ask Camila".
I think my heart cracked even more while watching Amiyah walk away. Her talking about poison was a painful reminder of the killer's plan for her. Losing her once was hard enough, but now I had to watch her die over and over?
At least she didn't have to go through that hell alone, I suppose. I wasn't allowed to help her survive, none of us were. It was her job to be murdered in front of all the hotel's temporary guests. But I'd never been one to follow the rules, haven't I?
Believe me, I didn't forget Oxana's warning. I knew that the consequences of going against the hotel owner were dire. But if he thought I was just going to sit there and watch both of my sisters die, he was sorely mistaken.
I would find a way to help my sisters, or I would die trying.