‘Nicolette, please.’
Her eyes were stained red. There was no life in there, only anger and grief. She pushed the blade against Jack’s skin.
‘Poodle, no!’ yelled Merch.
‘It’s okay, Merch.’ A calm overtook Jack. So this was it. This was how he was destined to die. Could be worse. Jack had always imagined he would get hit by a car or something. This was quite a bit better. Crazy girl on his chest, sword at his throat. Maybe he would get to come back as a ghost and haunt Black Hotel. He would be a friendly ghost, though. Not like Casper. Casper was dumb. If she only half lopped off his head maybe he could return like Nearly Headless Nick.
Footsteps brought Jack back to the moment. Two guests ran down the stairs and stopped, not expecting to see a woman with a sword straddling the bellhop on the lobby floor.
‘Ummm, we thought we smelled smoke,’ one of the guests informed Jack.
‘You do. It’s okay,’ Jack responded from under Nicolette. ‘Please exit in an orderly fashion.’ The guests weren’t sure what to do. Neither was Nicolette. In the end, the guests’ self-interest won out. They hurried past Nicolette and Jack to the exit, leaving the woman and the bellhop to whatever they were doing.
Smoke wafted up from the basement.
Jack looked up at Nicolette. ‘You better kill me now if you’re going to. More people will be coming through here.’ He paused gazing into her sad, red eyes. ‘Before you do though, I want to say I am so sorry, Nicolette. About Charlotte. You have to know I didn’t mean her to die.’ Tears welled in Nicolette’s eyes. ‘I understand if you have to get your revenge. Just know I am really, really sorry.’
Jack’s eyes drifted shut. He waited for the sting of the blade.
Nothing came.
Nicolette hesitated, distracted.
Sensing the opportunity, Merch launched himself at Nicolette, knocking her to the floor, sending the sword clattering across the room.
BLARP! BLARP! BLARP!
Finally, the smoke billowing up from the basement triggered the smoke alarms. They reverberated loudly through the hotel.
Nicolette dissolved into tears, no longer a threat. Jack jumped to his feet. Merch helped him up.
‘Thanks. You okay?’
‘Yeah. It’s just a flesh wound.’ He looked at his arm happily. ‘Be a ripper scar.’
‘Grab the extinguisher and try and get the fire out.’
Jack dashed out of the room to Miss Daniels’ nook. He grabbed the two photos of her grandparents she liked so much and ran back to Merch in the lobby.
‘What happened?’
’No dice. I couldn’t even get down the stairs. It’s an inferno down there.’
Jack nodded. ‘Take care of these.’ He handed Merch the framed photos. ‘And her too,’ he said, indicating to Nicolette.
‘What are you going to do?’
Jack puffed up proudly and put his hands on his hips.
‘I’ve got a hotel full of people to save.’
Very heroic.
43
The Fire
As Merch helped the inconsolable Nicolette to her feet and towards the exit, noise filled the lobby. Heavy footsteps. Yelling. Train enthusiasts rushed into the lobby, all in their PJs, dashing for the exit. Almost bowling Jack over.
‘Everyone stay calm. You’re not in any danger.’ Jack announced as he pushed against the tide of people, towards the Grand Staircase.
Smoke rose steadily from the basement into the upstairs corridor. As Jack moved, he was overcome with an immense sense of calm. Despite the urgency of the situation things finally made some solid sense. This was why he was here. Right here, right now. This was what it was all about. This was his mission and for a person who had never had a purpose, purpose felt particularly good.
Time to be the hero. Save the day.
Upstairs Jack strode assuredly from room to room, knocking on doors.
‘Fire! Everybody out!’ The few people who were left looked at him with stunned faces and sleepy eyes.
‘Stay calm. The situation is under control. Please exit in an orderly manner.’
‘Help! Help! Please! Somebody!’ The voice was coming from Room 15. Mr and Mrs Dake. Jack tried the door. Locked. He stepped back and kicked the door in… Except again, the door remained resolutely intact, steadfastly refusing to budge. Jack yelped in pain. ‘Hold on! Be right there!’
In a flash, Jack was back at the reception booth. He grabbed a spare key for Room 15 and took off up the stairs again.
As Jack approached the corridor, he was aware the smoke was getting thicker. He was also aware he had probably taken the stairs too quickly for his fitness level. Too bad.
Coughing and spluttering and puffing and panting Jack opened Room 15 to flames. Smoke poured out of the door. He hadn’t realised the fire had spread to up here.
He rushed in, struggling to see.
Mr Dake lay on the floor not moving. The window was smashed. Mrs Dake dangled over the edge, only visible by her fingertips.
‘Help!’
Jack dashed through the smoke.
‘Please, don’t let me fall!’
And immediately Jack realised where he knew Mrs Dake from. She was the woman who had appeared on the floor and slid into the pantry. When he was eating Maria’s brownie.
‘I won’t let you fall.’ Jack grabbed Mrs Dake hand and pulled. She was heavy. Jack pulled with all his strength. Straining mightily.
‘You… have to… climb.’ But he couldn’t hold on. Mrs Dake slipped through his fingers. Jack snatched at her wrist. It was no good.
Mrs Dake screamed as she fell. Jack turned away before she hit the ground. He still heard the sickening thud.
The good feeling, the sense of purpose and things being right, so strong only a moment ago, drained from him in an instant. What was he doing? He was no hero. The smoke immediately seemed 10 times thicker. The flames bigger. No time to think. He scooped Mr Dake from the floor and half carried, half dragged him out.
Thick black smoke clogged the lobby. Jack dragged the man towards the exit.
Outside the hotel, the guests looked like an odd ensemble, a sea of stunned looks and pyjamas. Sirens approached.
Jack stumbled out with Mr Dake. They fell to the concrete.
‘Is everybody out?’ Jack gasped at no one in particular.
‘I think so. Good job.’ It was Merch. Jack strained to see him, his eyes red and sore from the smoke. He fought to catch his breath. The sight of Merch triggered something in Jack’s brain. Something he had forgotten. Someone. His heart sank.
‘Shit! Jennings! The demented magician!!’ Jack forced his way to his feet. The building well alight now.
‘Jack! Don’t do it!’
The crowd around murmured in agreement, all urging Jack not to go back in. Jack didn’t listen. He dashed back inside.
Jack could barely see the lobby for the flames and smoke. The fire roared on all sides, consuming the hotel.
Jack fought his way up to the corridor, through the debilitating smoke. He reached Jennings’ door. Oh, shit! He’d forgotten the key. Had he and Merch locked the door when they left? He couldn’t remember. He reached out and tried the handle, hoping against hope. The metal knob was white hot, burning his hand, but mercifully the door was unlocked. Jack stumbled inside.
No flames in here. Some light grey smoke lingered but not the thick black smoke of the other rooms. Jennings lay on his side on the floor. Still restrained to the tumbled over chair. Very much alive. Squirming desperately to get free. He writhed frantically as Jack approached.
‘I’m so sorry.’ Jack tore through the binds, freeing him. ‘Come on.’ He helped Jennings to his feet ‘Let’s get out —’
CRUNCH!
Jennings levelled Jack with a shattering punch to the nose. Jack fell to the floor hard, seeing stars. Jennings moved swiftly, binding Jack to the chair. He gave Jack a casual salute.
‘See ya, Sport.’ And headed for the exit.
> Door open, smoke poured into Jennings’ room. Jack lay there and for the second time in the last few minutes he knew unequivocally he was about to die. However, this time it didn’t seem fair. In fact, it was terribly unfair. He didn’t want to die tied to a chair in a fire. He wasn’t sure why this seemed so wrong yet having his throat slit in a sibling revenge killing by a crazy ghost hunter’s daughter had seemed okay. It’s the way it was. Smoke swam down his throat, burning his lungs. No. He wasn’t going down like this. He might die tonight but not like this.
Jennings had been in a hurry. Maybe he hadn’t managed to secure Jack properly. Jack struggled but only succeeded in tightening the ropes.
What else could you try? If the room had been in flames, he could have tried burning the ropes off, although he didn’t fancy sticking his wrists in the fire. Jennings had tried to smash the chair, which hadn’t worked. But Jack had the advantage of bulk on his side.
CRASH!
One of the ceiling beams collapsed from the roof. Black Hotel was coming down. Now or never. Jack righted himself and jumped, bringing all of his bulk down on the chair. He repeated this again and again and again. Finally, the frame creaked and broke into pieces. Jack jumped to his feet, extricating himself from the remains of the chair.
The corridor was well alight by now. Thick black smoke. Roaring flames.
CRASH!
Another beam fell from the roof. Jack had no choice but to move. Up ahead he spotted a figure. Lost and disoriented by the fire. ‘Mr Jennings!’
Jennings turned.
‘Mr Jennings! This way! This —’
CRASH!
A beam fell, knocking the old man down. Jack struggled over to him, through the flames and the smoke. One look at Jennings told Jack he was dead. Nothing Jack could do for the old man. Jack regarded the demented magician sadly.
‘Sorry.’
No time to linger. Jack bolted for the staircase, flames licking aggressively at his heels. In his haste he missed a step, tumbling all the way to the lobby.
Jack got to his feet, aware something was wrong. He was on fire. Jack stumbled about the lobby, writhing and twisting. Disoriented and desperate to escape.
The man on fire.
All of a sudden he no idea where he was. Lost in the lobby. All he could see was smoke.
He swayed and turned but there was no escape.
The flames all over him. Consuming him.
Jack screamed in pain, desperately searching for a way out…
44
Hero
Black Hotel was quiet. Calm now. No fire. No smoke. No people. No panic. No guests. Completely intact. No hint of damage. A perfectly restored relic of time passed. The lobby. The Grand Staircase. The corridors. The rooms. All quiet.
Hector took Jack on a tour, same as that first night. Wandering slowly.
‘I can’t believe she rebuilt it.’
‘I told you. The place means a lot to her.’
Jack was convalescing well but still bore the scars from the fire. His hair was steadily growing back. The way Jack figured it he wasn’t any worse looking, just more interesting looking.
‘More money than sense.’ Jack mused, gazing about.
‘You would have done the same.’
‘If I was a ridiculously rich old woman who owned a hotel?’
They paused near the top of the stairs, Hector aware Jack needed to catch his breath. For a guy who didn’t do a lot of exercise anyway, the last several months recuperating from the fire had bought Jack’s physical activity pretty close to zero.
‘You’re a hero, Jack.’
‘That’s what Mum thinks too. She’s very happily telling anyone who will listen about her hero son.’
‘It’s true.’
Jack shook his head.
‘You saved a lot of people that night.’
‘Not if I caused the fire.’
Hector chuckled, patting him on the back. They moved slowly towards the stairs. ‘Well, Maria thinks you’re a hero.’
Jack stopped. ‘Oh, Maria. You guys would have had the baby.’
‘Yep, although not really a baby anymore. Almost six months. A healthy little boy. He was born a couple of nights after the fire actually. Crazy.’
‘So, I guess your life is pretty nuts.’
‘No, it’s quiet actually. The kid eats, sleeps. It’s pretty chill. Maria is completely overconfident. She is already talking up baby number two. Funny story though. She wanted to name the baby after you.’
Jack laughed.
‘Maria is convinced you saved my life. The way she tells it, if I’d been working that night instead of you I would have died in the fire, along with most of the guests.’
Jack smiled, thinking back to how panicked Hector became with a hotel full of guests. Perhaps he would have reacted terribly to a fire. The amusement was short lived as he reminded himself it was his fault there was a fire at all. Jack wasn’t comfortable being labelled as the hero, but he didn’t enjoy the feelings that came with being the villain either.
He lingered, noticing somebody else. Someone hiding in the shadows. Standing right where the beam hit him. Jennings. The demented magician. Burnt. Disfigured. He glared angrily at Jack. Jack offered a weak smile. ‘Sorry.’
Hector retraced his steps. ‘Not still seeing ghosts, Jack?’
Jack shook his head. ‘Just a guilty conscience.’
Jennings continued to glare at Jack as he made his way down the stairs.
‘You wouldn’t have let her. Name the kid after me.’
‘Oh, yeah?’
‘You’d be too worried the kid might turn out like me…’
Hector grinned. ‘Well, I did mention to Maria that there is only one Jack. You’re one-of-a-kind, my friend. There’s no replicating you.’
As with the rest of the hotel, Miss Daniel’s office had been rebuilt almost exactly as it was. She worked away at her desk until she heard them approach.
‘Look who’s here,’ Hector announced.
Miss Daniels rushed over, arms raised. Still sprightly for such an elderly lady. ‘Jack! So good to see you.’ The little old woman gave him a big hug. ‘I should have listened to you. You tried to warn us. You said there’d be a fire.’
Jack responded with a smile.
‘You’re a brave boy, Jack. Very brave boy. ‘
‘Thank you, Miss Daniels.’
She indicated to the framed photos of Colonel Black, her grandparents and her father. ‘No, thank you.’
‘I am sorry I couldn’t save more.’
‘You saved the guests, Jack. They are much more important than some old pictures. Now, I have something for you.’ She fossicked in her desk, eventually coming up with an old fashioned lollipop. Jack accepted it with a smile.
Jack looked at the refurbished reception booth. A collection of new old-fashioned room keys hanging from the hooks.
‘So, are you sure you want to do this?’ Hector enquired.
‘Yeah, I need a job.’
Hector let out a sceptical exhale.
‘Why? Don’t you want me here?’
‘I’d love to have you back, but…’ Hector’s voice trailed away. ‘Look, I’ll hang around for a bit. Give me a hoi if you need anything.’
Hector disappeared down the staff corridor.
Jack stood alone in the lobby, lollipop in his mouth. He couldn’t believe it. The lobby and Grand Staircase all looked identical. Of course, he had heard Miss Daniels was rebuilding, but he had expected some changes. Nothing had been updated. He moved into the reception booth and sat down, all the old-fashioned keys hanging behind him.
Jack sat in the quiet, drinking in the magic of the space… Except the magic was gone. The place looked the same but didn’t feel it. Was it the fire? The rebuild? Whatever it was, Black Hotel was different. It took a while for Jack to figure out what the issue was. It was that all of the pictures. Colonel Black on his horse. The hotel throughout the years. All those old photos of the hotel.
All gone. And with them possibly the hotel’s soul.
The quiet surrounded him and nothing happened. He waited. Still nothing. It didn’t take long for Jack to be bored. He was meant to sit here all night like this? What had he been thinking?
He wandered over to the front entrance and gazed outside. All quiet and still. The dull little industrial street.
And like magic the clouds parted, revealing a glorious full moon. Brightly glowing, illuminating the night and calling Jack out to explore.
‘Wow.’ Jack gazed at the street for a few moments more, before running back towards the booth. ‘Hector! Hey, Hector!’
Merch practised Tai Chi, mimicking the movements of the instructor on his laptop screen. The door flew open and Jack bolted inside. ‘You’re early. How was the first shift back?’
‘Couldn’t do it. Too nice a night to sit in the hotel lobby,’ Jack explained breathlessly as he hurried to his bedroom. ‘But after I left I met this guy. Owns a reptile farm.’
‘Cool.’
‘He milks his own snakes. And he needs an assistant.’
‘Who would have thought?’ Merch moved his arms slowly and gracefully. ‘How much does reptile farm assistant pay?’
“Oh, not sure. I forgot to ask. Sounds pretty interesting though. He said I can start tonight. Wish me luck.’
Jack was back out the door almost before Merch had a chance to respond.
‘Have fun.’
Merch continued his slow, graceful movements as Jack scurried out into the night.
THE END
if you have a moment
I hope you enjoyed reading all about Jack and his adventures at Black Hotel. It was fun to write. There is certainly a lot of me in Jack - a dreamer who never quite manages to fit with what society wants.
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