Hotel Ruby

by Suzanne Young

  I followed his line of sight and saw that my mother wasn’t in her office. She wasn’t with the group. Mom had left for school a half hour before Ryan and I did; she should have been there. But my mother never made it to school. She had stopped to pick up coffees for the office, something she did when she was in a good mood. At the counter of the Coffee Break my mother had a stroke. She stumbled a few steps before collapsing in a heap near the trash can. She was in a store full of strangers, but I was told that several of them tried to help her. One older lady held her hand even though she was unconscious. That same lady came to my mother’s funeral, but I didn’t thank her. I should have thanked her.

  The school had been notified right away. My father was on his way to the hospital, and it was up to the staff to break the news to me. Looking back, I like to think that I sensed her pain, had a small headache of my own—but I know that’s probably some psychosomatic bullshit.

  I stopped in the middle of the hallway, my stomach lurching. I quickly scanned for my mother’s messenger bag on her office desk, any sign that she had arrived. The smell of floor wax was thick in the air, filling my nostrils as I started to tremble.

  “Audrey, what’s wrong?” Ryan asked, touching my arm. Before I could answer, Mr. Powell turned, his eyes locking on mine.

  His jaw snapped shut, but then he covered his mouth with his palm, as if he’d seen a ghost. He must have murmured something, though, because the entire room of teachers turned to look at me. The Spanish teacher squeezed her eyes shut, and the coach put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

  I’m not imagining this, I told myself as the principal rushed toward me. This is really happening.

  And as I stand here now, in the lobby of the Hotel Ruby, I’m telling myself the same thing: This is really happening.

  Kenneth’s smile widens, splitting wider than possible—a Cheshire cat. I scream, loud enough to crack my voice; the sound sputters away. My head spins with horror and fear. The people around me stare, and yet others continue by as if it’s completely normal for a girl to be standing here covered in blood.

  Unable to comprehend, I feel my natural instincts kick in and I bolt for the front door. My feet can’t carry me fast enough, and my sandals flip off, my arms pumping at my sides. I have to get out of here. I have to find help!

  I expect to be attacked at any moment, and I launch myself against the door, sending it flying open as I rush through into the fading sunset. But the minute I cross the threshold, I skid to a stop, tearing flesh from my bare feet on the marble floor. I’m just inside the door of the lobby. How . . .

  Kenneth chuckles, and I see one of the other guests put her hand over her mouth to hold back her own laugh. I turn, frantic. Did something push me back inside the hotel? I have to get out of here!

  I open the door, running out, but once again I find myself running into the lobby. As if the door only leads one way. The door only leads into the Ruby.

  My body shakes uncontrollably, my sobs nearly silent and my throat aching from my screams. I cry, and when I wipe my cheeks, my hands are smeared in blood—Kenneth’s blood, even though he’s standing before me, perfectly intact.

  This time I don’t run. I walk hesitantly to the door. “Please,” I whimper. I pull the handle and look outside, at the world beyond. I see the roundabout for cars, the long driveway that brought us here. I cast a glance back at Kenneth, who is waiting patiently. I walk out, but the world spins, sending me right back inside the door once again.

  Tears drip over my lips. “I want to go home,” I say, earning a sympathetic tsk from a woman sitting on a chair near the fireplace. Kenneth is no longer smiling. “Please let me go,” I say, although my voice is only a strangled whisper.

  “That’s not up to me,” he says curtly. “Now, if you’re quite through with this tantrum, I believe you have a party to get ready for. I’ll send your invitation up to your room.”

  I need to find my brother. My father. I trip forward, catching myself. I stare down, surprised there’s blood on my feet. My pants and my shirt. The room starts to swirl, or maybe that’s just my mind. People appear and disappear from my vision, and I blink my eyes quickly, trying to get my bearings. “Daniel?” I call, even though I don’t see him. My arm begins to hurt, and I rub it absently and take a few steps forward. Words are too big, and too few, to work for me. A shadow passes over the room, and I’m afraid it’s Kenneth, growing larger, looming over me with a sinister shade. I start to fold in on myself.

  There’s a whistle, a sharp whip through the air, and I dart my eyes to the other side of the lobby. Joshua stands there in his valet uniform. He has one arm outstretched to me, while the other is holding open a door that reads STAFF ONLY. He nods his chin, urging me forward, before he slides his eyes in Kenneth’s direction, looking ready to run if he has to.

  Is this a trick? Another trick that will spin me back into the lobby? But when I turn to Kenneth, he’s staring at Joshua, his mouth pulled taut and strained. Kenneth doesn’t approve, and that alone is enough to send me running for Joshua. I expect Kenneth to yell for me to stop, but there isn’t a sound behind me.

  When I reach the other side of the lobby, I peer through the doorway, finding a narrow hall instead of a room. I want to ask what’s going on, but this is the time for action, not explanation. My thoughts are starting to clear, and I regain control of my limbs and mouth. The pain in my arm fades away.

  I don’t look back at the front desk; I rush inside. The door slams shut behind me, and I jump, terrified. But then Joshua is next to me, pulling me by the wrist, and then to the side. The hallway has deep red carpet and is impossibly long and windy; every turn exactly the same. There are no doors. No end in sight.

  Joshua’s fingers are wrapped tightly, crushing my wrist as I continue to run with him. I stare at the side of his face, and I must be slowing us down, because he shoots me a look and then slows. “What?” he asks, slightly out of breath.

  “Are you like him?” My voice is still a whisper, burning my throat with every syllable.

  “Kenneth?” Joshua spits out. “Hardly. But we have to keep moving, Audrey, or the Ruby will start rearranging things. Then we’ll never get to the fifteenth floor.”

  I pull my arm out of his grip and swallow down a shaky breath. “Why are you taking me to the fifteenth floor? What’s going on, Joshua? Please tell me I’m not crazy.” I stop. “Or tell me that I am. None of this is possible.”

  Joshua rolls his eyes and roughly grabs my wrist again. “Not now.” He yanks me forward. We’re running again, and I contemplate how I can escape, get my father and my brother and leave this place, when I can’t even get out the front door.

  Joshua and I reach the end of the hallway, and the valet lets go of my arm. I rub my bruised skin and turn to find the front of the old-time elevator we took last night. I have no idea how we got here. We ran for too long to end up in the same place we found so easily the night before. Joshua slides the gate over and puts his palm on my back, pushing me inside. He climbs in after me and slams the gate closed once again. I press myself against the back of the elevator as he operates the gear.

  “Why didn’t he die?” I whisper to myself, grasping the golden railing. The elevator shakes to life. “I saw her kill him. I have his blood on me.” I lift my hands, spreading my fingers to prove that there are splatters of red everywhere.

  The first floor passes, and Joshua turns to me. He takes a moment to evaluate my appearance. “I know you’re terrified and probably have a million questions, but I assure you, I don’t have the answers. I just work here. I do know that we have to keep moving, because if Kenneth catches me when he’s this pissed off, I’ll end up worse than Lourdes.” He turns away. “I don’t intend to let him catch me.”

  Beyond the gate, I realize, the hallway lights are going out the minute we start to pass the floors; the darkness is racing us to the top. I’m scared we won’t make it. I’m worried that we will.

  “So this place is
haunted,” I state. “By Kenneth? Is he the one who can rearrange things?”

  Joshua shakes his head. “Kenneth is the asshole in charge, but the Ruby runs the place. She decides who to take in. This is a hotel,” Joshua says, adjusting his uniform. “It’s meant for guests. But sometimes the wrong people slip in. You should have just kept your mouth shut and enjoyed yourself. Now you might be stuck here.”

  I want to laugh, his statement’s pure madness. A hotel can’t keep me. Then again, I just watched my friends murder a concierge, only to find him smiling moments later behind the front desk. I tried to leave and ended up reentering the lobby, over and over. I’d be the mad one if I denied any explanation at this point.

  The elevator jolts to a stop and I stagger sideways, bumping my shoulder into the wall. Joshua rips open the gate and quickly walks out. I follow behind him, glancing up at the dial to check which floor we’re on. The dial has stopped on the fifteenth floor. Joshua points ahead to a gray metal door.

  “Back entrance,” he explains. “Now hurry before Kenneth shows up with a dagger of his own.”

  My fear once again spikes, and then Joshua is waiting for me, holding open the door. His stance is impatient, and I pause across from him in the doorway. I peel my hair back from my forehead, the strands stiff with blood.

  “Will he really stab you?” I ask in a weak voice. “And . . .” Do you want to ask this, Audrey? I wait a long beat and then swallow hard. “And what happens to you if he does? Will you die?” I’m scared of the answer. Joshua may not be like Kenneth, but it doesn’t mean he’s like me, either. His dark eyes hold mine, unflinching.

  “You’re not asking the right questions,” he says calmly. Then he pushes past me and calls for me to come on. I’m going numb; whether from shock or crazy, I’m not completely sure. But it’s offering calm when there shouldn’t be any. When we stop at room 1525, my body is shivering, even though I’m not cold at all.

  The door pulls open dramatically, making me rock on my heels. I snap out of my false calm and take a step backward, bumping into Joshua. “Catherine,” I whisper, gulping down a breath. I look behind me, afraid Joshua’s set me up. “Why did you bring me here?” I demand. “She hates me!” I’ve blamed Catherine for convincing Daniel to stay, but now I realize her intention may be much more sinister than that. Frightened, I move to run off, but Joshua grabs me around the waist and holds me fast. I scream, but he smothers my mouth with his palm.

  Rather than hurt me, he whispers for me to calm down. To please calm down. He works my body through the door, and I watch as it slams, trapping me in the room with Joshua and Catherine.

  Chapter 15

  I’m frantic, afraid they’re going to tie me up and torture me. Do terrible things that I can’t even comprehend. I thrash and dig my nails into the back of Joshua’s hand. He yelps, pulling away, and I fall a few steps onto the bed. Joshua shakes his hand, cursing at me.

  I quickly take stock of the suite. It’s twice the size of my room with a view like Elias’s. The entire place smells of flowers, hints of perfume. There’s a bright purple and pink bouquet on the dresser, gowns hanging on the outside of the closet door like she was trying to decide what to wear. And then there’s Catherine herself, sans makeup. She’s not made of porcelain. Tiny freckles dot her nose and cheeks, making her all the more real. She stands there, dressed in a white sequined dress and bedroom slippers.

  “Don’t come near me,” I say in her direction. “I want to go home.” I’m completely caught off guard when Catherine lunges at me, dress and all, and grabs me by the upper arms to drag me to my feet. Her sharp red nails bite into my flesh.

  “Are you trying to get him killed?” she shouts in my face, her eyes wild and her curls framing her face. I’m so startled by her ferocity that I don’t respond, even as her grip tightens.

  “Cathy,” Joshua says softly, taking her arms to pull her back. I flash him an accusatory look, angry that he put me in this position in the first place. Catherine tears herself away from him and points her finger in my face.

  “Your little stunt with Lourdes is going to get him punished. You knew he would try to save her. How could you put him in danger?”

  “Elias?” I ask, suddenly terrified that something’s happened to him. That Kenneth has happened to him. “Is he all right?”

  “He won’t be for long,” Catherine says. Her face twists in disgust; her hatred devours me. “At the very least Kenneth is going to kick him out of the party, and then he’ll be stuck with the fucking help.”

  Joshua’s lips tighten, and Catherine looks sideways at him without apology. She crosses her thin arms over her chest, turning back to me. “You don’t understand,” she says. “He can be locked away for a long time, just like that goddamn housekeeper.” She stops, slitting her eyes. “Did Lourdes put you up to it?” she asks suddenly.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Did she ask you to get Eli? I swear”—Catherine shakes her head—“that maid has been trying to steal him for as long as I can remember. She’s obsessed with him. She doesn’t care who his family is. She doesn’t even care about what Kenneth will do to him.”

  “You’re being paranoid,” Joshua says, watching the door like he’s waiting for Kenneth to walk in at any moment. “Maybe you’re the one who’s obsessed.”

  “Go to hell,” Catherine says, barely acknowledging him. Joshua shifts his eyes to her.

  “I think I’m already there,” he mutters.

  The first hint of a smile crosses Catherine’s lips, and she quickly tries to hide it before speaking to me again. “Have you seen him?” she asks, less hostile. “Since Kenneth returned, have you seen Elias?” Her voice is heavy with concern.

  “No.”

  Catherine’s reaction is immediate and she looks pleadingly at Joshua. He’s quick to console her.

  “I’m sure he’s fine, Cathy,” he says. “Kenneth will still want him at the party. He’s too important.”

  “He won’t let this go,” she says, her beautiful face pulled in agony. “And if he knows I’m talking to her right now—”

  “Yeah, about that,” I snap. “You brought me up here. You know Kenneth is . . .” It’s too crazy to say out loud, but I do it anyway. “Kenneth is a ghost or something. And Joshua is talking about the Ruby letting people leave.” Catherine appears bored while I’m trying to put together the pieces in any sort of coherent explanation. Helplessness sinks my stomach. “But I couldn’t get out the front door,” I say. “Can you?”

  Catherine’s posture dips, caught off guard by the question. “No,” she responds quietly. “None of us can leave. If you go out through the garden, you can get as far as the back wall. Joshua can make it to the driveway—but guests stop at the door. Unless you’re one of the other ones. They come and go as they please.”

  “Other ones?” My heart leaps.

  “The ones who don’t notice us. They’re on their own plane, kept separate. I’m sure you’ve seen them: stuck up and rude? The Ruby doesn’t touch them. But to us”—she looks over to Joshua, despair tainting her features—“she can be a real bitch sometimes. We don’t try to leave anymore. We’re all trapped here together, Audrey, so quit causing a stir. Play your part and you may even get to go home.”

  “And what is my part? How long have you all been here?” I ask. “How long will I be here?”

  “Forever,” Joshua says.

  I gasp. “Forever? I . . . I can’t stay here. I’m not staying here!”

  Catherine shakes her head. “Audrey’s on the thirteenth floor,” she points out. Joshua raises his eyebrows in surprise and then mutters something under his breath. Catherine turns back to me. “Kenneth can’t hurt you so long as the Ruby protects you. Follow the rules, eat dinner and swim in the pool, run around with Eli all you want. But you don’t belong here, Audrey,” she tells me coldly. “Hopefully, you’ll be gone by morning.”

  “I’m not waiting until morning,” I tell her. “Listen, I don’t know wh
at my floor or any of you have to do with this, but I’m getting my family and I’m getting out of here. Tonight.”

  Catherine groans like I’ve just said the most annoying thing possible. “Yeah, well, good luck with that. But if you’re going to be reckless, keep Elias out of it. You have no idea what Kenneth is capable of.”

  “I saw him choking Lourdes!”

  Catherine laughs. “That’s a slap on the wrist. You haven’t seen the pain he can inflict. You’d better hope you never see it. Now,” she continues, “you look horrid. I hope you didn’t get blood on any of my things. Wash up and I’ll give you something to wear.” She puts her hand on her hip and surveys her room like a curtain might be a good choice. “I’m embarrassed for you,” she adds.

  I scoff, not worried so much about my appearance as I am about surviving. But Catherine turns around, leveling her icy stare at me. “I’m not kidding,” she says. “If you show up like this, covered in . . . is that a piece of skin?—your father will panic. Daniel will want to help. Other guests will notice. Act like a civilized person or you’ll be assigned somewhere else.”

  “And believe me,” Joshua says, running his hand through his dark hair. “There are worse places than the basement.”

  “Much worse,” Catherine agrees. “Now go before I have Joshua bring me a fire hose to spray you down.”

  Joshua sits in the chair, putting his feet up on the desk. “That could prove entertaining,” he says wryly.

  I shoot him a disgusted look and then turn to walk into Catherine’s bathroom. Before I close the door, she passes me a pile of things and I set them on the counter. I slam the door in her face and lock it.

  This is ridiculous. I don’t think anyone will care what I’m wearing when I’m trying to—

  I stop short, seeing my reflection for the first time. I’m a horror show, bloodier than I realized. There is an arc of bright red blood across my cheek and eye, a smear of it across my forehead. My hair is matted and stiff, and leftover mascara has blackened beneath my eyes.