you."
Scooter turned to look at the woman. He was still surprised by the courage she had shown. Not once had she been frightened by the bodies they had come across. The knife was still in her hand.
"All right, come with me." He turned back to the others. "We won't be long."
"Be careful," Julie warned him.
"We will."
Scooter and Marianne left the room, quietly closing the door behind them.
Chapter 5
As soon as Scooter closed the door, he turned to Marianne.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
No , it wasn't , he thought. He was starting to have second thoughts.
He kept his eyes on Marianne's, but he continued to think of her bright yellow shirt, the purse that she usually had strapped over her shoulder, the big sunglasses she wore outside. And though she wasn't old enough to be his mother, he figured that she was close enough.
What was he doing?
"It's fine," he decided. "Where should we start?"
"There might be a restaurant around here somewhere."
"Did you see one?" Aside from the lobby and reception desk - and the bodies that were scattered around it - he couldn't remember seeing anything that looked like it held any food.
"No," she admitted.
They walked back toward the lobby. They both figured that there might be a sign pointing to where the restaurant would be . If there was one . Maybe even be a map of some kind.
Once there, Marianne stopped and pointed. On the wall, it read : Restaurant, Pool, Exercise Roo m . An arrow pointed down another hallway.
"Looks like you were right," he said. He had a brief thought of what the pool must look like - bodies floating in bloodied water - and told himself not to check if they came across it first.
Side by side, they made their way toward the restaurant.
This part of the hotel wasn't much different than the other. Dead bodies. A couple of them in hotel uniforms. Holes in the walls. Over-turned tables. Blood.
"At least there are no creatures," Marianne said.
Scooter was thinking the same thing.
When they got to the restaurant, they saw that its doors were shut. There were also no windows to look through, so they had no idea of what waited for them on the other side.
Scooter raised his finger to his mouth, telling Marianne to be quiet. He placed his ear to the door and listened.
"Anything?" Marianne whispered.
"No." He kept his ear pressed to the wood for a little longer. "I think it's clear."
Marianne squeezed the handle of her knife and held it out in front of her. "I'm ready when you are."
Scooter readied his axe. "Let's do this." He pulled at the door.
As it swung open, a stench worse than they any other he had smelled before greeted them. Scooter winced. Marianne pulled back. The door closed shut.
"Fuck," Scooter said. "That's not good."
"So what should we do?"
"Fuck," he said again . They had come this far. Why not go the whole way ? "I guess we've gotta try it again."
"Okay."
"You can wait out here, if you want."
"Why?"
"Do you really want to see what's in there?"
Marianne gave him a look from the corner of her eyes. "D o yo u ?"
Of course, he didn't want to . "All right," he said. "I get it."
He placed his hand back on the door knob and took a deep breath. He nodded to Marianne, then pulled. The smell hit them again as they rushed inside.
Luckily, the restaurant was brightly lit. It meant they wouldn't have to strain to see anything. They could easily find what they were looking for and get out. Of course, it also meant that they could see all of the horrible things that had happened in there, but there was nothing they could do about that.
Scooter and Marianne searched.
They came upon several dead bodies. Blood spread across the walls, covered the tablecloths. People had forks and knives sticking out of faces and chests. Plates had been smashed. Food scattered.
Scooter only paused when he came upon a young girl. She was lying spread across the floor, her long blonde hair fanned out beneath her. A bottle had been jammed into the side of her
Scooter turned to look at the woman. He was still surprised by the courage she had shown. Not once had she been frightened by the bodies they had come across. The knife was still in her hand.
"All right, come with me." He turned back to the others. "We won't be long."
"Be careful," Julie warned him.
"We will."
Scooter and Marianne left the room, quietly closing the door behind them.
Chapter 5
As soon as Scooter closed the door, he turned to Marianne.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
No , it wasn't , he thought. He was starting to have second thoughts.
He kept his eyes on Marianne's, but he continued to think of her bright yellow shirt, the purse that she usually had strapped over her shoulder, the big sunglasses she wore outside. And though she wasn't old enough to be his mother, he figured that she was close enough.
What was he doing?
"It's fine," he decided. "Where should we start?"
"There might be a restaurant around here somewhere."
"Did you see one?" Aside from the lobby and reception desk - and the bodies that were scattered around it - he couldn't remember seeing anything that looked like it held any food.
"No," she admitted.
They walked back toward the lobby. They both figured that there might be a sign pointing to where the restaurant would be . If there was one . Maybe even be a map of some kind.
Once there, Marianne stopped and pointed. On the wall, it read : Restaurant, Pool, Exercise Roo m . An arrow pointed down another hallway.
"Looks like you were right," he said. He had a brief thought of what the pool must look like - bodies floating in bloodied water - and told himself not to check if they came across it first.
Side by side, they made their way toward the restaurant.
This part of the hotel wasn't much different than the other. Dead bodies. A couple of them in hotel uniforms. Holes in the walls. Over-turned tables. Blood.
"At least there are no creatures," Marianne said.
Scooter was thinking the same thing.
When they got to the restaurant, they saw that its doors were shut. There were also no windows to look through, so they had no idea of what waited for them on the other side.
Scooter raised his finger to his mouth, telling Marianne to be quiet. He placed his ear to the door and listened.
"Anything?" Marianne whispered.
"No." He kept his ear pressed to the wood for a little longer. "I think it's clear."
Marianne squeezed the handle of her knife and held it out in front of her. "I'm ready when you are."
Scooter readied his axe. "Let's do this." He pulled at the door.
As it swung open, a stench worse than they any other he had smelled before greeted them. Scooter winced. Marianne pulled back. The door closed shut.
"Fuck," Scooter said. "That's not good."
"So what should we do?"
"Fuck," he said again . They had come this far. Why not go the whole way ? "I guess we've gotta try it again."
"Okay."
"You can wait out here, if you want."
"Why?"
"Do you really want to see what's in there?"
Marianne gave him a look from the corner of her eyes. "D o yo u ?"
Of course, he didn't want to . "All right," he said. "I get it."
He placed his hand back on the door knob and took a deep breath. He nodded to Marianne, then pulled. The smell hit them again as they rushed inside.
Luckily, the restaurant was brightly lit. It meant they wouldn't have to strain to see anything. They could easily find what they were looking for and get out. Of course, it also meant that they could see all of the horrible things that had happened in there, but there was nothing they could do about that.
Scooter and Marianne searched.
They came upon several dead bodies. Blood spread across the walls, covered the tablecloths. People had forks and knives sticking out of faces and chests. Plates had been smashed. Food scattered.
Scooter only paused when he came upon a young girl. She was lying spread across the floor, her long blonde hair fanned out beneath her. A bottle had been jammed into the side of her
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