‘Do. It’s not right.’
They abandoned the search for the ball and hence the game too.
17
Confronting Hector
The more Jack contemplated the situation, the more he decided Merch was probably right. He had no problem with the hotel being haunted, but they should have at least warned him before he took the job. Full of purpose he marched up to Hector, determined and ready. But Hector was on the phone so he had to wait, losing a bit of steam. He stood about awkwardly, waiting for Hector to finish. Finally:
‘What’s up?’
‘Is there something you’re not telling me?’ Hector gave Jack a quizzical look. ‘About the hotel?’ The look stayed on Hector’s face.
‘Look, I know, all right? There’s no need for the charade. I’ve seen them.’
‘Seen them?’
‘The ghosts. Roaming the hotel.’
Hector stared blankly at Jack for a couple of moments then burst out laughing. ‘Dude, you are gold. You’re like the best employee ever. You can’t ever quit, okay?’ He wandered away, a big smile on his face. Perplexed, Jack had to hurry to catch up.
‘No. Seriously.’
‘You’re serious? That’s even better.’ Hector stopped without warning and gave Jack a great big hug.
‘You’re like a present at the end of my shift. You’re so much fun.’ He straightened up, trying to be serious. ‘So, you think…’
‘The hotel is haunted.’
‘Wait. Is this something to do with that little girl? Oh, no! She’s not a little girl at all, she’s the ghost of a little girl?’
‘Yes. Maybe. I don’t know exactly.’ Jack tripped over his words. He considered telling Hector about the demented magician but was already feeling foolish enough.
Hector smiled patiently. ‘Sorry, Jack. The hotel is not haunted.’ They wandered into the lobby, Hector on his way out.
‘Would you tell me if it was?’
‘Yeah, absolutely.’ He clarified his response. ‘Actually… I would tell you if I worked here… but I probably wouldn’t work here, if the hotel was haunted. Why wouldn’t I tell you?’ Hector’s mind ticked over. He chuckled. ‘Wait… Do you think it’s some conspiracy? That I am in league with the ghosts somehow? The hotel is haunted, and I know something about it, but I am deliberately keeping it from you?’
Jack felt very small and increasingly wished he hadn’t bought it up.
‘Why am I keeping it from you? Why don’t I want you to know about the ghosts?’
‘Well, when you say like that, it sounds…’ His voice trailed off.
Hector placed a comforting hand on Jack’s shoulder. ‘I can tell you absolutely unequivocally there are no ghosts in this hotel.’
‘How can you be sure?’
‘Because there are no ghosts. I’ve worked here 10 years. I’ve done hundreds of night shifts. I’ve never seen a ghost. Never heard a ghost. No ghosts have ever been reported by guests.’ Hector’s eyes lit up, in an increasingly familiar manner. ‘So unless these ghosts are new… I haven’t checked any ghosts in. Have you been checking ghosts in? Do ghosts need to be checked in?’
Jack had no response. The look of delight faded ever so slightly from Hector’s face. ‘Should I be concerned?’
‘Concerned?’
‘You’re seeing things in the hotel. Are you okay to do your shift?’
‘Yeah, yeah. Course.’
Hector didn’t appear convinced. ‘Why are you still here?’
‘It’s… time for my shift.’
‘No, at the hotel at all. Why don’t you want to leave? If you are convinced the hotel is haunted?’
‘Well,’ Jack tittered. ‘It’s not a bad thing, necessarily. It’s kind of interesting.’
‘Right.’
‘What about Room 8? What is the significance of Room 8?’
‘Room 8 is very significant. It’s the closest to the top of the stairs.’
Jack stared back blankly.
‘When a new guest arrives, we check them into Room 8. It’s the easiest.’
Like a balloon with a hole in it, the air had well and truly gone out of Jack’s argument. Hector appeared absolutely certain in what he said. Certain there were no strange goings on at the hotel. Countering that was Jack’s own experience. Jack knew what he had seen. And heard. There had to be some explanation.
‘What about all the old nightshift people?’
‘What about them?’
‘You said all the nightshift people had disappeared. You told me that my first night.’
‘They have. But there is no mystery there. The nightshift sucks. It’s a shit job. Disappeared may have been overstating it a bit. They all quit. You’re the only one who likes the job.’ Hector smiled, placing a hand on Jack’s shoulder. ‘Please, never leave us…’
Hector wandered away chuckling happily to himself. Jack sank into the reception booth, somewhat deflated.
‘Tell you what. I’ll ask the day staff.’ Hector said, turning back. ‘I’ll ask the day staff if they’ve seen any ghosts. And the Expo is coming up so Miss Daniels will be about. She spent her life in and around this hotel. When I see her I’ll ask her if there are any ghosts.’
Hector exited, whistling contentedly.
As the silence engulfed him, Jack felt decidedly foolish. He waited. And waited. Of course, nothing came. Well, that’s typical, he thought to himself miserably. How did he get himself into these situations? It wasn’t unusual for him to feel and act and be different to most people. He merely was different and that was okay. When he was a teenager it bothered him more, these days he was used to it. This wasn’t just the same old thing though. He was right. And he knew he was right. Hector could think it was all in his head as much as wanted. Maybe it was. But why here? Why now? Being different and unique and occasionally a bit odd had never involved seeing ghosts before. Unless Hector was lying to him. He couldn’t understand why Hector would though. He couldn’t see any endgame there. Besides Hector’s reaction to the mention of ghosts had been one of genuine surprise.
Jack looked about. He wanted to see something again. To prove whatever they were there. To prove he wasn’t crazy, in his own head at least.
The next few night shifts pressed on without incident. Was Hector right? Had he made the whole thing up? A combination of tiredness, boredom and energy drinks. And he hated the thought. But he couldn’t make the ghosts appear on cue - Amanda, the little girl, the woman in the kitchen or even the demented magician.
The night shifts found a level of normalcy. Still good, but less exciting. One night Jack sat at the desk reading when a brand new sound disturbed him. A whistling. Loud and chilling. Slicing through the silence. Jack jumped to his feet and moved stealthily around the lobby searching for a source.
‘Hello?’
Nothing. Something about the whistling sent shivers down his spine. The whistling seemed to be all around him yet not coming from anywhere.
The whistling died away, replaced by a woman’s voice, calling to him.
‘ Ja - ck … Ja - ck …’ The voice was sing-songy and malicious. ‘ Ja - ck …’
‘Who’s there?’
‘ Ja - ck …’ the taunting voice continued.
There was no one there. No one whistling. No one calling his name. Jack spun about on the spot looking in all directions. It was as though the walls of the hotel itself were talking to him. Goading him.
‘ Ja - ck …’
He hurried about the hotel, searching for some sort of explanation. Desperate to see something. He entered the dining room. No one. The kitchen was empty as well. Jack flicked off the kitchen light when he heard a lady scream.
Jack switch the lights back on. A woman lay on the kitchen floor. The same woman he had seen on the dining room floor. With the light on, Jack had a much better view than he’d had the other evening. The woman appeared to be in her 60s or so. A large woman with short hair, she gave the appearance of a schoolteacher. Jack eye
d her with uncertainty. She looked up and seemed to be able to see him, her eyes focused on Jack.
‘Help me! Please! Someone!’
Same as with Amanda, there was little to suggest the woman wasn’t a real person, aside from the fact she had appeared from nowhere, materialising seconds before. Jack carefully made sure not to look away, convinced she would disappear again if he did.
He edged closer and squatted beside the woman. Help me, she’d said, but how?
‘Don’t let me fall! Please!’
Her eyes bulged with furious desperation. Jack wanted to help but wasn’t sure what he could do. The woman was already lying on the floor. Where could she possibly fall to?
‘I won’t let you fall.’ He reached out to take a hand. Without warning the woman was ripped away. She "fell", sliding backwards along the floor very fast, letting out a piercing scream as she went. She slid rapidly all the way into the darkened pantry.
Jack bolted after her, lunging for the light switch. Nothing inside the pantry except food stocks. The woman had disappeared.
A broad grin settled over Jack’s face. He should probably be concerned but it was all pretty cool. Pretty exciting. And the ghosts weren’t harming him, so what did it matter?
18
Lollipop
Jack exited the dining room to discover smoke slowly filling up the lobby, wafting up from the basement. Fire alarm, fire alarm! He raced over to the alarm, but stopped. What if this too was all in his head? He didn’t want to lose his job because he had called out the fire brigade unnecessarily. On the other hand, he didn’t want the hotel to burn out either. Decisions, decisions.
He stared at the smoke. There was something about it. The smoke appeared too stylistic to be real. Not that he’d had much experience with fires. He reasoned that if it were real the smoke detectors would be sounding and they weren’t. He decided not to touch the alarm. For now.
He crossed from the floor to the middle of the lobby. As he did so an unexpected noise filled the space. Heavy footsteps. Yelling. Panic. As though a stampede raged around him. Except there was no one there.
Just as quickly the noise disappeared to nothing. Jack glanced about in the silence.
Moments later he was surrounded. A flood of people burst into the lobby from all directions. Dashing for the exit. Straight towards Jack. Jack crouched into brace position, cradling his head in his hands, certain the panicked people would bowl him over. The multitudes streamed past him. Then they were gone, leaving Jack alone in the silent lobby, crouching down, clutching his arms around his head.
‘Excuse me.’
The firm voice cut through the quiet, making Jack jump. He peered out from between his hands. An old woman stood in front of him. Stern looking and 80 if she was a day. The type of woman who gets stronger as she gets older. A force of nature. The lady appeared older than the demented magician. Prim and proper.
‘What are you doing?’
Jack stood slowly. She couldn’t be here. The door was locked. He hadn’t let anyone in.
‘I’m trying to figure out if you’re real.’ Instinctively he reached forward and touched the old lady’s face. Her skin felt warm and surprisingly soft. Jack’s hand retreated quickly, aware he may have done something quite stupid.
‘Ummm, sorry. Did you see all those people?’
The old woman’s scowl softened and her voice became slow and flowery. Condescending. ‘Oh, I’ve heard about you. You’re Jack.’
Jack nodded haplessly.
‘I’m Edwina Daniels. I own this hotel. All of it.’
‘Miss Daniels.’ Jack repeated softly.
‘Yes.’ Miss Daniels nodded in an exaggerated fashion, her eyes wide. Like she was talking to a four-year-old. ‘I am delighted you have come to work for us, Jack. Very happy.’ They shook hands, Jack confused by her tone.
‘I’m… happy too.’
‘Good then.’ Miss Daniels turned and scurried away.
‘Umm, Miss Daniels?’ But she was gone. She moved fast for an old lady and Jack had to motor to keep up. He followed her into her office. ‘Umm, Miss Daniels?’
Reluctantly she stopped, a patient smile plastered across her face. ‘You just go along with your shift, Jack. Don’t mind me. Pretend I’m not here.’
‘Okay. But I just wanted to ask. Has anyone died at this hotel?’
‘Now, Jack, there wouldn’t be a hotel in the world where someone hasn’t died. Dying is a fact of life.’
‘No. I don’t mean, I mean, More specifically. Like a little girl. Or a demented magician?’
She arched an eyebrow at him. ‘Demented magician?’
‘Or a fire? Was —’
‘I have something for you, Jack.’ Miss Daniels fossicked through her handbag, coming up with a lollipop. The lollipop appeared to be very old. It was probably about Miss Daniels’ age in lollipop years. ‘Would you like a lollipop?’
‘Well, I wouldn’t say no.’
Miss Daniels handed him the sugary treat and pushed him towards the door. She was surprisingly strong.
‘Now you go right back to your job and stop worrying your head about death and dying. No one is going to die. I promise.’ She smiled as she slammed the door in his face. Jack looked down at the ancient lollipop.
Jack waited in the booth when Hector arrived for his day at work.
‘How you going? Any more ghosts check in?’
‘No, but I met Miss Daniels.’
‘Ah.’ Hector grimaced, his face creased with guilt. ‘How was that?’
‘She gave me a lollipop.’
Hector shook his head. ‘Geez, I’m sorry, man. She’s old.’
Jack looked back blankly.
‘Miss Daniels. She likes to know about all the staff. So she was asking about you.’
‘Yep.’
Hector appeared slightly embarrassed. ‘Well, I did my best to explain…’ He gestured, indicating to Jack ‘You, to her.’
‘Okay.’
‘She’s old. She’s from a different generation. Someone like you. She ended up thinking you were special. You know.’
‘Special?’
‘You know. Special needs. Simple.’
‘Right.’
‘Well, you… How you are, to an old woman.’ He shrugged. ‘She’s old. Once she gets an idea into her head. I think that she was actually quite pleased that the hotel was hiring someone with a disability.’
Jack sucked on his lollipop, not sure whether to be offended or not.
Outside of the hotel to Merch waited in his car, singing along to the radio. He turned it down as the passenger door opened.
‘Any developments?’
Jack climbed into the passenger seat holding up the remains of the lollipop. ‘I got a lollipop.’
‘Bonus. They buying you off with treats?’
‘Possibly. There are no ghosts at the hotel apparently. Or so they say.’
‘You think they’re lying to you?’
‘Maybe. I am not sure. There is definitely something going on.’
Merch revved the engine and slammed the car into gear. Jack watched Black Hotel get smaller as they zoomed off up the road.
Jack slumped on to his bed when his phone rang. He examined the screen. His Mum. That didn’t make him any more inclined to answer. Then again, if he didn’t he’d just have to ring her back later. Easier to get it over and done with.
‘Hi, Mum.’
‘Jack, this hotel you are working at. What did you say the name was?’
‘Black Hotel.’
‘I thought so. I was chatting with Susan this morning…’
‘I don’t know who that is.’
‘Yes, you do. Susan, with the three daughters.’
Jack didn’t but he didn’t push the point. ‘So?’
‘Susan was saying she thought Black Hotel was owned by Edwina Daniels. As in Freddie Daniel’s daughter.’
‘I don’t know who her Dad is, but yeah, Edwina Daniels sounds right. Why? Is
she a friend of yours?’
His Mum scoffed into her end of the phone. ‘Yes, Jack, Edwina Daniels and I are best friends. We holiday together in the Swiss Alps.’
Jack furrowed his brow. He shouldn’t have answered the phone. ‘I know you’re making some joke, but I don’t get it.’
He was too tired for his Mother right now.
‘Do you really not know who Edwina Daniels is? She’s the sole heir to the Daniels fortune. You’ve never heard of Daniels Metals? Daniels Mining & Trucking? Her father Freddie was a magnate.’
‘Okay.’
‘Edwina Daniels has more money than the Queen.’
‘What does the Queen need money for? She’d never have to pay for anything, would she?’
‘It’s an expression. What’s she like?’
‘Miss Daniels? Old. She thinks I’m simple.’
‘Yes. I can see that.’
Time to head off. ‘Mum, I gotta go.’
As he hung up Jack finally felt like the dutiful son. Working at the hotel had finally provided his Mother with some fertile gossip to share with The Community. He could see it now. ‘Oh yes, my son is working for Edwina Daniels.’
19
The Thing Roaming the Halls
When Jack arrived for his shift the following evening, he was surprised to find the hotel a hive of activity. Sometimes there were a couple of stragglers just leaving, but generally, the day staff had gone by the time he arrived. On this occasion half a dozen faces looked back at him as he entered, before continuing on with whatever they were doing.
Jack moved from the lobby down the staff corridor. More faces. Some nodded hello. It wasn’t like the place was packed out, but when the hotel was usually empty, the contrast was definite.
‘Hey, Hector. What’s going on?’
Hector didn’t bother to look up from his paperwork. ‘Not a lot. What’s going on with you?’
‘No, I mean, who are all the people?’
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