face.
The door on the right was numbered 20. Just as she had expected, it was a rear door to the first room on the balcony.
Cora found it locked. The door on the left, 21, also failed to open. She muttered, ‘Shit.’
‘Is anybody else dying?’ Abilene asked.
‘Pussy,’ Finley said.
‘Getting a lot of good footage?’
‘Bite me.’
‘I don’t think we’re gonna find any of these unlocked,’ Cora said, walking on. She stopped at the next set of doors, 22 and 23. She rattled their knobs.
‘Try knocking,’ Finley suggested.
‘Don’t,’ Vivian whispered.
Chuckling, Cora rapped on the door of room 23.
A low, husky voice said, ‘Who is it?’ The voice came from Finley.
‘Very cute,’ Vivian said. ‘You gals are a riot.’
Then from behind the door came a quick scratchy scurrying sound that sent cold prickles up Abilene’s spine.
Silence.
‘What was it?’ Helen whispered.
‘Let’s get out of here,’ Vivian said.
‘Probably just a rat,’ Finley said.
‘Oh, shit.’
‘It sounded awfully big,’ Helen said.
‘I told you not to knock on the door.’
‘Good thing it is locked,’ Abilene said.
‘You know,’ Finley said, ‘rats are like nuns. They never travel alone.’
‘Probably some right here in the hallway.’
‘Ouch! What was that?’
‘Piranha,’ Cora muttered, sounding disgusted. ‘You two oughta take your show on the road. Come on, let’s check the rest of the doors.’
‘Watch your step,’ Finley suggested.
‘It sounded too big for a rat,’ Helen said, as if worried that they had missed her observation the first time around.
‘Drop it, huh?’ Cora stopped at the final pair of doors. She shone her flashlight on 24. But didn’t reach for the knob.
Finley did. The door didn’t open. Neither did 25.
‘We’re in luck,’ Abilene said. ‘Now, let’s go find some fresh air.’
They hurried back to the center corridor and walked to the light of the door. Cora snapped back a bolt. She twisted the knob and jerked the door. It creaked, crackled, and popped open with a squeal, fanning fresh air into the corridor.
‘Careful,’ Vivian warned.
Cora kept a foot on the threshold, held onto the jamb, and shoved her other foot against the floor of the balcony as if testing the safety of a frozen river. Satisfied that the floor was stable, she stepped out.
The others followed. Abilene stood motionless for a moment, relishing the soft breeze. She scanned the rear grounds. The entire area was now in shadow. Sunlight didn’t even brush the tops of the trees. She looked for the kid, but didn’t see him.
Then she went after Finley, who was sneaking along the balcony toward the window of room 23. The window was broken. ‘See what made that noise,’ Finley said. She leaned forward, peered into the room, then lurched back. ‘Oh my God! ’
‘What?’ Helen asked, looking as shocked as Finley.
‘It’s… too horrible!’
Abilene gazed through the window. Resting on its haunches near the center of the room, bushy tail curled in a question mark, sat a gray squirrel munching on a nut.
‘What is it?’ Helen asked.
Abilene shook her head. ‘Don’t look. It’s hideous!’
Cora kept her distance and watched them, arms folded across her chest, legs tight together, face pale.
Vivian glanced into the room. ‘Jesus!’ she blurted. ‘Thank God it didn’t get us!’
Cora and Helen looked at each other. Helen sighed. Cora smirked.
‘Yeah, right,’ she said. ‘Must be something monstrous like a kitten.’
‘Close but no cigar,’ Finley said.
Cora stepped up to the window, bent forward and
The door on the right was numbered 20. Just as she had expected, it was a rear door to the first room on the balcony.
Cora found it locked. The door on the left, 21, also failed to open. She muttered, ‘Shit.’
‘Is anybody else dying?’ Abilene asked.
‘Pussy,’ Finley said.
‘Getting a lot of good footage?’
‘Bite me.’
‘I don’t think we’re gonna find any of these unlocked,’ Cora said, walking on. She stopped at the next set of doors, 22 and 23. She rattled their knobs.
‘Try knocking,’ Finley suggested.
‘Don’t,’ Vivian whispered.
Chuckling, Cora rapped on the door of room 23.
A low, husky voice said, ‘Who is it?’ The voice came from Finley.
‘Very cute,’ Vivian said. ‘You gals are a riot.’
Then from behind the door came a quick scratchy scurrying sound that sent cold prickles up Abilene’s spine.
Silence.
‘What was it?’ Helen whispered.
‘Let’s get out of here,’ Vivian said.
‘Probably just a rat,’ Finley said.
‘Oh, shit.’
‘It sounded awfully big,’ Helen said.
‘I told you not to knock on the door.’
‘Good thing it is locked,’ Abilene said.
‘You know,’ Finley said, ‘rats are like nuns. They never travel alone.’
‘Probably some right here in the hallway.’
‘Ouch! What was that?’
‘Piranha,’ Cora muttered, sounding disgusted. ‘You two oughta take your show on the road. Come on, let’s check the rest of the doors.’
‘Watch your step,’ Finley suggested.
‘It sounded too big for a rat,’ Helen said, as if worried that they had missed her observation the first time around.
‘Drop it, huh?’ Cora stopped at the final pair of doors. She shone her flashlight on 24. But didn’t reach for the knob.
Finley did. The door didn’t open. Neither did 25.
‘We’re in luck,’ Abilene said. ‘Now, let’s go find some fresh air.’
They hurried back to the center corridor and walked to the light of the door. Cora snapped back a bolt. She twisted the knob and jerked the door. It creaked, crackled, and popped open with a squeal, fanning fresh air into the corridor.
‘Careful,’ Vivian warned.
Cora kept a foot on the threshold, held onto the jamb, and shoved her other foot against the floor of the balcony as if testing the safety of a frozen river. Satisfied that the floor was stable, she stepped out.
The others followed. Abilene stood motionless for a moment, relishing the soft breeze. She scanned the rear grounds. The entire area was now in shadow. Sunlight didn’t even brush the tops of the trees. She looked for the kid, but didn’t see him.
Then she went after Finley, who was sneaking along the balcony toward the window of room 23. The window was broken. ‘See what made that noise,’ Finley said. She leaned forward, peered into the room, then lurched back. ‘Oh my God! ’
‘What?’ Helen asked, looking as shocked as Finley.
‘It’s… too horrible!’
Abilene gazed through the window. Resting on its haunches near the center of the room, bushy tail curled in a question mark, sat a gray squirrel munching on a nut.
‘What is it?’ Helen asked.
Abilene shook her head. ‘Don’t look. It’s hideous!’
Cora kept her distance and watched them, arms folded across her chest, legs tight together, face pale.
Vivian glanced into the room. ‘Jesus!’ she blurted. ‘Thank God it didn’t get us!’
Cora and Helen looked at each other. Helen sighed. Cora smirked.
‘Yeah, right,’ she said. ‘Must be something monstrous like a kitten.’
‘Close but no cigar,’ Finley said.
Cora stepped up to the window, bent forward and
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