- Are you sure you can't do it, Zuma? Chase asked, looking out over the mountain ridge obscured only by fog
Below were plains and forest. He was breathing heavily after reaching the top, but he didn't have to. His feet throbbed but didn't hurt, he was used to the abrasions, they hurt mostly for half an hour. The mountains seemed endless, they were everywhere, seemingly endless, there were also valleys, everything was drowning in fog. Every now and then, lightning struck somewhere and the sound carried for a few moments, reflected by the mountains.
He turned to Zuma, who was sitting on the ground with her shoe pulled up and her pant leg pulled up, examining her slightly swollen ankle. He looked at her with compassion, he had had his ankle shortened more than once and he knew what pain it felt like. The stone she was standing on moved away and her foot fell there and bent, it could have happened to anyone.
- If you can't do it, we have to go to civilization. The descent here is quite gentle. It's a pity that there is no river or streams. There's a storm coming, but there should be a stream north. We have little water.
- I know. Zuma said, taking off her baseball cap
When they went on an expedition to the Romanian mountains, far from civilization, she cut off her shoulder-length hair, now it reached below them. She hissed, trying to put her foot into the shoe, and when she managed to do so, she started to fasten it.
- It won't stop hurting... She muttered... We have to go into the forest. we are high, we may be struck by lightning. They looked at the valley through which there was a dark forest
- There are no trails there... Chase muttered... but there's enough to wait out the storm. Maybe we will find caves, these areas are apparently areas where bears sleep through the winter. But we have no water
Chase crouched down next to the backpack, even though they had already eaten most of the supplies, the backpacks still seemed as heavy as they had been at the beginning of the trip, and he stood up with a groan.
After a week and a half of walking , his legs were now strong, he grabbed the thick stick he used for support and they headed down, the going was quite gentle and smooth. After several dozen meters, the wind picked up and they felt rain on their faces, they heard the thunder of lightning getting closer, this sound was undoubtedly one of the most terrible sounds that can be heard in the mountains, but they quickly descended lower and were no longer threatened by lightning.
They heard water flowing under the rocks, which gave them hope that there would be a stream somewhere lower and they would be able to replenish their water supplies.
- You can do it ? He asked, Zume visibly limping
- I can do it, but it hurts like hell... She suddenly stopped, frowned and pointed into the forest... I see the roof of the building.
- Where?
- There in the forest, next to a small clearing and dead trees.
Chase quickly located the gray patch of dead trees.
-I see now, damn it, I don't know what it could be, but it must be big. It's probably only two or three kilometers.
- Four... said Zuma... In a straight line. It's not on the maps, which is strange because this building is quite large.
They started down.
- Here in Romania they have a lot of private forests, which is probably why it is not on the maps. Chase offered an explanation
They were going as fast as possible, the clouds were as black as coal, the last time there was a storm, they had been wet for two days.
- Maybe they'll have painkillers there, or even take me to the hospital. Zuma said
- We are close! Chase shouted but was drowned out by the storm.
The trees here were black and covered with fungus. Rain drops and hail were falling from the sky as big as plums. They felt that they were wet. They knew they had chosen the right direction, dead trees were everywhere, they looked as if they could fall at any moment, many were already lying down, some were leaning against others, the building made of stone and wood seemed as dead as the trees around it, it was much bigger than it seemed from a distance , had three floors.
- It's close to Zuma, it's a shelter or a hotel.
There were stone stairs leading to the entrance, the wood was almost black with age, there was a lot of mold in it, the windows, wooden and as old as the building itself, were black, maybe because of the storm there was no electricity, the thought that they were about to take shelter from the rain and wind made their thoughts became more optimistic.
Before Zuma reached him, leaning on two thick sticks, Chase looked around, there was an off-road car in a small parking lot, he felt relieved, someone must have been inside, no one would abandon such a modern car.
- Is it open? Zuma asked
- I don't know. There is a roof over the door, it will be better than a tent.
They started climbing the stairs, they stood in front of a three-meter high door, made of wood and reinforced with metal elements, Chase pressed the door handle and it opened, they went inside.
The inside smelled as if someone had poured a barrel of vinegar on the floor, they closed the door behind them and the storm subsided, muffled by the thick walls of the building. They felt safe.
- It smells weird in here, doesn't it? said zuma
- Old buildings often do this. Chase said
They took off their jackets and squeezed the water out of them, on the left there was a padlocked door, opposite there was something that looked like an alcove with three inscriptions in Romanian, they left the small corridor, on the left there was the reception desk, there were three tables with tables placed on them. upside down chairs and an old leather sofa
- I guess no one has been here for a long time. Chase said
- There must be someone here... Zuma said, limping after him... There's a car outside. You have not seen? People are probably asleep by now
- Possibly, but look, it's all old and quite elegant. He pointed to the marble steps
- We'll find out soon. Zuma said
She stopped and took off her hat, she rang the old-fashioned bell, the sharp sound sent shivers down her spine, she looked at the wall with the keys, the hooks looked like horns or animal tusks, only three keys were missing, with the numbers 7, 28 and 33, there was a thick layer of dust on the counter , not several years, but certainly weekly, maybe monthly.
- It's probably not a popular place. What are you doing?
Zuma climbed onto the counter and sat on it, hissing in pain
- I will wake up the receptionist, and if he is not there, we will take the key ourselves, for example the one from 1, the room is probably the one closest to the exit.
- Wait.
Chase took off his backpack and opened the hinged board two meters away, he felt a greasy residue on it, like oil, in a moment he was next to her, Zuma giggled at her stupidity, she didn't have to jump over the counter.
Chase walked into a small room behind the reception desk, there was a small bed, a desk and two chairs, the place looked uninhabited, the window was open, the bed was made and the desk was empty except for a metal food tray.
He walked up to the white door, as he expected there was a small one toilet and sink, there was old soap there, he turned on the tap, to his surprise, water flowed out of it, but after a while the tap choked and the water stopped flowing, he returned to the room, Zuma had already finished searching the desk drawers,
- No one has used this room for years. she stated
- Maybe they're on a break. Although it's strange because the door was open and this car was parked in front of the building.
- What we do?
Something made them feel anxious, something tugged at their souls, they wanted to get out of here, breathe some fresh air, if it weren't for the storm they would have done it. However, they thought it was just an impression, old buildings without inhabitants always caused depression
- We take the key to the room and go to sleep. We won't disturb anyone, if anyone didn't want guests, they would lock the door. You can't break into an open building, can you? Chase said
In a flash of lightning Chase saw the photos hanging on the wall opposite the counter, he walked over to them, they were all in old and expensive frames, the first one was dated 1904 and the last one was 1984 and most of them showed men in suits and uniforms, they were Nazis in the background of the entrance stairs, then the Romanian members the communist party and, most recently, Romanian and Soviet military personnel
- What's in the photos? Zuma asked, they are searching the reception
- There was something luxurious here. Something constricted his throat so much that he didn't recognize his own voice, he swallowed
- What's luxurious?
- Some center, probably a state one, some important people have been coming here for a hundred years, generals, scientists, politicians. There are Nazis and Soviets in the photos.
- Interesting... She said and straightened up... Tomorrow we will look at these photos carefully, now we better take off these wet clothes, otherwise we will get pneumonia. Maybe there will be dry blankets in the rooms or a fireplace
- Take the key to room 8, we'll check right away if anyone is in room 7, maybe we'll find out something.
-Okay... she said... but you'll do it yourself, my ankle is so swollen that it will probably tear my shoe. She bent down to grab her backpack.
- Leave it... he said... I'll come get it.
- You are loved.
Zuma grabbed the railing and started to climb, Chase followed her but stopped, there was a black bloody piece of fur lying next to the railing, he looked up at Zuma and heard the sound of breaking glass, he quickly ran up the stairs.
- A tree branch broke the window. She said
- And this pounding?
- It's the shutter hitting the wall.
The first floor was a bar room, in the middle there was a large table made of red granite, on the sides there were four thick columns.
The bar didn't match the rest of the room, it was definitely newer, there were four high leather chairs next to it, all the old furniture was against the walls, everything was dark, the rain was playing on the steel window sills.
- The rooms must be higher... said Zuma... Then we can go down and dance, hehe, there's even something to drink. she said, pointing to the bottles on the bar.
The glasses on the bar looked used, but seeing as this place wasn't open to tourists, Chase knew that if they met anyone, they wouldn't be welcome here
The second petro was covered with red carpet, the stairs led even higher, the door 8 was ajar, there were two beds against the walls, it smelled of mothballs, it was dark because the window was covered, there was also a painting depicting a bear hunt, two coffee tables and a beautifully decorated wardrobe
- A wardrobe like this is probably worth several thousand. Zuma said, she liked old furniture.
- I guess so... Chase said... but you'd need a crane to lift her out. The walls are probably two centimeters thick, they don't make them like that anymore
Zuma fell onto the bed and started undressing
- It was a good decision. she said
- Open the window, this mothballs make me sick. He threw his backpack on the bed
He went out into the corridor, went to the stairs and looked around to see if anyone was standing there, there was no one there as far as he could tell, below him the shutter was still banging against the wall, the sound was getting on his nerves.
The vision of spending the night warm and dry made him tired, he grabbed the railing, crossed the halls and went down, stopping at a piece of bloody fur, it smelled of old sweat and something sour, he noticed a chipped spot on the railing, someone who had walked enough He could have cut himself on it, and apparently he did because he was covered in blood.
He ruled out the possibility of an animal entering the hotel, the fur had to be part of the clothes and the blood had to be human. he moved the light to Zuma's backpack on the floor, strained his hearing, the sounds of lightning, rain and wind almost drowned out everything, but from time to time he heard sounds that were definitely not the result of a storm.
Something told him that it was better to secure the front door, he entered the corridor that led to the door and his heart jumped into his throat...
The thick, heavy reinforced door was wide open, outside the wind was tearing the branches of dead trees, the door was swinging left and right. He knew well that they had closed it only a few minutes ago, and he could still hear the old hinges squeaking in ears.
The wind couldn't press the door handle, even if a branch fell on it, even such a strong wind wouldn't open it
But if not the wind... then what?