His voice caught in his throat, as he opened his eyes, and saw the face of a beautiful woman leaning over him. Her hand, cold and delicate, gently stroked his cheek.
"How is it possible that you got a second chance, while I got stuck here?" she asked in a calm, yet chilling voice.
Jake felt paralyzed. He couldn't move or make a sound. His eyes were wide open, staring at her, his heart pounding in his chest.
"You are my worst nightmare. Why did I fall in love with you?"
He didn't understand what she meant. Who was she? Why did she appear in his dreams and visions? What was wrong with this hotel?
The image before his eyes suddenly blurred. He was lying in bed—alone, in a neat, clean room. Morning sunlight streamed through the window, and his head throbbed with pain.
He had definitely overdone it with alcohol the previous night.
Rubbing his forehead, he got up and looked around the room. It looked entirely different from the abandoned, dusty place he remembered.
Was he stuck again in the hotel's past?
He went downstairs. The staff passed him with smiles, greeting him enthusiastically. The reception bustled with life, as if it were the height of the tourist season. Everything looked like it was straight out of the seventies.
As he passed by one of the rooms, he felt a touch on his shoulder. He turned around and stared in surprise at the woman — the same one he had seen in his dreams.
"George, my love, I've waited so long for you," she said, pulling him close and caressing his chest. "I missed you."
Jake was stunned. He knew this story. The woman was the wife of his grandfather's friend. Yet, she acted as if they were lovers.
"What are you doing?" he asked, and her face darkened.
"You're joking, right?" she said, looking at him with hurt in her eyes.
"No. I want to know why you've been waiting for me."
"If you're afraid someone will catch us, relax. No one will find out. It's our secret, we'll take it to the grave," she assured him, brushing her lips against his. "I love you, George. It's you I should have married, not him. It's your child I should have carried."
Jake felt a pang of pain. Could it be true that his grandfather had cheated on his wife with the spouse of his best friend?
"We shouldn't be doing this, Marie," he whispered. But he knew those weren't his words. Something was speaking through him. His grandfather.
Marie stepped back, her eyes wounded.
"You can't leave me. You know how much I love you."
"It's wrong. I'm betraying my family, my friend..."
"If you leave me, the whole hotel will know what we had. I'll ruin your life, George," she threatened, gripping his chin. "Because no one is entitled to hurt me. Not even you."
Jake's eyes flew open. He was alone in the room. His heart pounded wildly, and his body was drenched in cold sweat. It was just a vision... or was it something more?
***
Mason barely lifted his eyelids, as his brother shook him roughly.
"What are you doing? I've got a hangover. Let me sleep," he groaned.
"You did that to yourself with the booze," Noah replied. "Get up. Nancy's gone."
Those words jolted Mason awake.
"What? She was with me on the stairs... She wouldn't have left me alone."
"Exactly. But now she's nowhere to be found. I checked her room. I looked everywhere. She's gone."
Mason felt his heart leap into his throat.
"You think... someone took her?"
"It's possible."
Without another word, they headed outside. First they searched the beach, then ventured into the forest. The atmosphere was heavy, ominous. Every step among the trees sent chills down their spines.
"Do you feel like someone's here?" Noah asked.
"Yeah. We're not alone."
Mason noticed markings on the trees. Someone had marked a path.
"Look," he pointed to his brother. "These symbols must mean something."
"You think someone's hiding out here? And that they're behind all of this?"
"Yes. And they probably took Nancy."
"But if Daniel was killed and his body left out in the open... maybe Nancy's still alive."
"I hope so."
October 2023
Mason burst into the room like a storm. Noah sat at his desk, working on a project.
"What's going on between you two!?" he shouted, slamming the door shut. "Are you insane? What the hell did that guy do to you?!"
Noah froze. He looked at his brother with concern.
"What are you talking about?"
"You and Daniel! Do you think it's not obvious? That Dad won't find out?!"
"I don't understand..."
"That you're gay!"
Noah went pale. He looked at his brother like he was a stranger.
"What are you saying...?"
"Don't lie. I saw how you look at each other. Jennifer noticed it too."
"Mason, he confessed his feelings to me, but I turned him down. I love Nancy, but she doesn't want me. That's all."
The brunette clenched his jaw. Fury burned in his eyes.
"I'm going to kill him. I knew there was something off about him."
He stormed out, slamming the door. Noah stood frozen, trembling with emotion. He knew that if this ever came to light, his life would be over.
His stepfather didn't forgive.
And he never forgot.