Pocketing said phone, Roland had one more mission to accomplish before he left. Stepping up to one of the catalog computers, Roland typed in the name Jake Ziegler and waited. Running his hand over his chin as nothing came up; Roland took out the first name and hit the search button again.
In seconds, a list of books came up that ran through three pages. Mouth dropping open, Roland scrolled through and found that every one of the nineteen books was credited to the author J.L. Ziegler. Memorizing the code for the section of the library he needed, Roland wandered deep into the back corner of the building.
The light over this corner was starting to burn out and was blinking in an ominous manner as Roland walked to the end of the isle and had to kneel down to see the bottom shelf. Grabbing one of the many thick, dust covered tomes, Roland looked over an artist’s rendition of a young boy facing off with a dragon, wielding only a tiny dagger. Grabbing for another, Roland saw a monstrous looking mermaid with mossy hair and long talons dragging a screaming maiden into the ocean.
Flipping the back cover open, Roland came face to face with a picture of the man he had spoken to the night before or, at least, some version of him. This picture was a woman with long black hair and dark makeup adorning her grim looking face. Cocking his head to the side, Roland pulled all the books off the shelf and watched as a transformation took place.
Book by book, each picture changed. The long hair got shorter and paler as the makeup got lighter. Jake’s features became sharper and stubble started to appear. In the most recent book, he looked like a much cleaner version of the man Roland had met the day before.
“Well, I’ll be damned.”
Looking over each of the books, Roland grabbed one that had a picture of a Minotaur on the cover and made his way to the front desk to check out. As he walked back to the hotel, Roland had to physically restrain himself as the urge to attempt to read and walk simultaneously would inevitably end in him face-planting into the concrete below his feet.
Walking through the revolving front door of the Moorsfield Hotel, Roland was surprised as he was addressed by name.
“Mr. Gaona!” The man who had hired him spoke warmly, “Have you had any luck on our mission yet?” He ran a hand over his greasy, slicked back, salt-and-pepper colored hair.
“I’ve found nothing definitive yet, Sir. I’ve just been to the library to look at the blueprints of this building and it was very educational. I’m sure I will have a better investigation plan by nightfall.”
“That is great! If you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to let me know.” The man tilted his head to the side and pointed to the book in Roland’s hand, “Research?”
“Nah.” Roland held up the book, “Entertainment for down time. The spirits only come out at night in most cases and I like to read to calm my mind.”
The man’s eyes ran over the cover, “Oh, I see you’ve met one of our permanent guests.” A look of distaste crossed his features.
“I’ve met a few, actually.”
“Well don’t let her get you down.” The man picked up a previously untouched newspaper from behind the desk, “If you want to read something by her, I recommend you waste less of your time and read today’s absolute drivel.” He flipped out the horoscopes page and thrust it toward Roland.
“Oh um… I normally wouldn’t contradict someone who hired me, but Jake is a man.” Roland took the newspaper as his mood shifted to an uncomfortably edgy one.
Mr. Vanhousen scoffed, “She wasn’t when she moved in.” He sat on a stool behind the desk, “It’s a shame really. When Jaclyn moved in, she was a ten; hotter than Barbie herself. I don’t know why she went and ruined that.”
“Himself, Sir. I do not believe you get to choose another person’s gender.”
“Yeah, well, the name on the checks hasn’t changed so she can just deal with it and so can you.”
“I’ll talk to you later, yeah? I’d like to take a closer look at these blueprints.” Roland realized that he would never get anywhere with this man unless he wanted to risk losing his job. He had learned over his years in the business that trying to change the mind of a bigot was a waste of time, especially when he had a job to do.
“Get on with it then.” Mr. Vanhousen grunted and waved Roland off.
Heading up the stairs, Roland couldn’t help but feel awful for Jake. The guy hadn’t been friendly per se, but he had in no way been mean either. Slowly starting to understand why the man avoided talking to the staff of the hotel, Roland tried to shake off his creeping pity as he hit the sixth floor landing.
“Focus, Roland.” He commanded aloud to himself as he stepped into his room to get ready for that evening.
~~~
Jake was staring blankly at his computer screen when a soft knock at his door tore him away from his stupor. Looking down at his watch, Jake couldn’t fathom who would be looking for him at ten at night. Standing to gaze through the peephole, Jake scoffed and rolled his eyes as he spoke through the door.
“What do you want?”
“I want to ask you for a favor you don’t owe me.”
Jake opened the door to reveal a nervously fidgeting Roland, “That is not a strong way to word a request.”
“Well, I’m here to bargain really.” Roland held up a bottle of Patron, “I’ll trade you this for your assistance.”
Stepping aside, Jake wished his curios nature wasn’t so strong, “Come in to talk, alright? People already think I’m a piece of shit. There is no need to make them think I’m a hooker too.”
Roland stepped into the room that was an absolute mess of empty fast food containers, stacked newspapers, and dirty laundry, “Thank you.”
“So, what do you want?” Jake crossed his arms over his chest and looked to Roland who appeared to be having trouble maintaining eye contact.
“Well, I found some hidden rooms on the blueprints and it is unwise to explore old buildings like this alone when you’re going through places no one would ever look for you if you got stuck.” Roland was chewing on his lip-ring again, “I was going to ask the maintenance guy to come with me but he must be out because I couldn't find him anywhere so I thought maybe you would trade your company for this totally-not-stolen bottle of Patron.”
“Totally-not-stolen, huh?” Jake couldn’t help but be amused by the medium.
“Well, ok, I lifted it from the bar, but Vanhousen should really have it guarded and also not be such a jerk about you.” Roland’s hand smacked against his mouth as his eyes widened in horror.
Jake knew that the manager of the building had an unfavorable opinion of him, but hadn’t previously known that this opinion was being shared openly with guests. Running a hand through his now fluffy, uncombed hair, Jake gave his surprisingly timid new acquaintance a once over.
“I guess I could come be your body guard for a little while,” he sighed and grabbed his key card and took the liquor from Roland’s hand, “as long as you promise you’re not going to have a nervous breakdown.”
“Ah, don’t worry about that. I’m fine. I just get anxious when I’m bothering people.” Roland readjusted one of the many bracelets on his wrist, “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.” Jake gestured to the door, “Lead the way, Miss Cleo.”
“Sure thing, but I’m a medium, not a fake fortune teller.”
“Well fake or not,” Jake followed Roland out of the room, “this had better be entertaining.”
“It should be.” Roland opened the door to the stairwell and started walking down.
“Why are we taking the stairs?”
“We’re only going down one floor.” Roland was already pushing through the door on the fourth floor, “The entrance to this unused portion of the hotel is in the back of the storage room.”
“Of course it is.”
Jake followed Roland into the storage room and paused to look around. Reaching up and grabbing a handful of free shampoo bottles, he shoved them into his pockets before meeting R
oland’s gaze once again.
“Don’t judge me! The maids won’t clean my room anymore so I never get refills.”
“No judgment here.” Roland casually grabbed a few free pens and a notepad, “Just in case I need to take notes.”
“Sure thing, Boss.” Jake gestured to the second door in the room that didn’t happen to have a card scanner on it, “Do you have a key?”
“No.” Roland jiggled the knob to make sure it was actually locked before reaching into his pocket to retrieve his key card.
Jake started wondering if he was dreaming this peculiar turn of events as he watched the medium wiggle his card between the door and its frame for only a few seconds before the bolt gave and the door swung open.
Coughing as dusty, stale air wafted into his face, Jake waved his hand over his mouth and nose before speaking, “So, are you really a medium or am I an accessory to breaking and entering now?”
Roland shrugged as he shone a small flashlight into the cramped room beyond, “Do you really care?”
“You have a point there.”
Jake turned the flashlight app on his cell phone on and looked into what appeared to be a disappointingly average break room. A card table and six mismatched fold-up chairs sat under an inch of dust in the center of the room. The sink and counter top were in a similar condition to the left, and yet another door led out to the right.
Turning to face Roland, Jake watched him clear part of the surface of the mirror over the sink off before staring into it. Jake was just about to move to the next door when he heard Roland gasp and jump backward to look frantically around the tiny, dark room.
~~~
Roland was trying to maintain his cool as he couldn’t believe the moody author had agreed to come with him on this adventure into the walls of the Moorsfield. He knew he probably would have been fine alone but the nagging internal voice of his anxiety had ‘what-if’d’ him into asking for company.
Turning to face the mirror over the sink, Roland silently noted that mirrors must have been in style in the early nineteen-hundreds as this hotel had at least one in every room. Wiping away some of the dust, Roland felt his heart nearly stop as, in the silvery reflection, he saw a woman standing directly next to Jake.
Gasping as he turned around, Roland felt a little guilty as he watched Jake throw himself into a corner.
“What did you see?!” Jake’s eyes were wide and scanning the room.
Roland held up a finger to silence Jake, “Hello?” He waited to see if the spirit was still around for nearly a minute before speaking again, “It’s okay, Jake. She’s gone.”
“She?” Jake still had his back pressed into the wall.
“I didn’t get a great look at her but I think it was a maid. She was really small and was just standing there,” he pointed, “next to you.”
Jake ran a hand over his hair nervously, “Rude.”
Roland chuckled as he stepped toward the next door, “They’re usually just curious to be honest. This does prove that my ability might be dampened, but hasn’t been completely blocked out though.”
“That’s good… I think.” Jake was hesitantly walking behind Roland who had revealed an incredibly narrow hallway behind the door.
“It’s good.” Roland shone his light around a corner before turning, “I wouldn’t know how to function without it. It would be like a normal person suddenly going deaf or blind.”
“You were born with these extra senses?”
“Yup.” Roland nodded as he looked up to see nothing but completely normal pipes overhead, “It runs in the family.”
“Then why do you seem so anxious all the time?”
Roland paused and leaned against a wall, “It’s that obvious, huh?”
“Were you trying to hide it?” Jake was floored.
“I thought I was.” Roland huffed and continued walking, “It’s not about the ghosts. It’s an actual disorder so…”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I would never intentionally call someone out on something like that.” Jake shifted guiltily.
“Don’t be sorry.” Roland finally saw an exit door at the end of the hallway, “It’s not your problem to deal with.”
“If you say so…” Jake ran his hands over his hair again as Roland pushed through the next door.
“Now we’re talking!”
“Oh! What is it?!”
“I’m not totally certain, but it looks like one of those old smoking rooms.”
Roland looked around a sizable room that was adorned in crimson and gold like the rest of the hotel, but was in much better condition, aside from the dust. Five large, ornate armchairs were placed in a semi-circle around a massive fire place that Roland could definitely have stood upright in, even though he was nearly six feet tall. Looking up to the ceiling, Roland muttered under his breath as he stepped out from under yet another unnecessarily massive chandelier.
“I wouldn’t stand under that thing either.” Jake coughed as he walked around the room, “Is it okay if I try the light switch?”
“Oh um… Sure, as long as there aren’t any exposed wires or anything.” Roland was embarrassed that he hadn’t even considered looking for lights in the first place.
A soft click arose seconds before a buzzing noise. Looking up, Roland watched as the lights overhead blinked a few times before a soft glow lit the room. Turning back to Jake, Roland couldn’t help but be glad the other man was more observant than he was in that moment.
“You are coming on all of my investigations form here on out.”
“I will be forever known as the man who turned on the lights in a dark room!”
Roland stuck his tongue out at Jake, who returned the gesture; flashing a rainbow tongue stud.
“Nice.” Roland chuckled as he walked over to observe some of the art that hung on the walls around the room.
“So, what are we looking for?”
“You should be looking for any objects or marking that seem strange or out of place.”
“And you?”
“I am looking for any apparitions or vibes that might lead me to…” Roland winced almost as if something had shocked him.
“Roland?!” Jake felt all of the hair on his body stand on end.
Roland was staring intently at nothing in particular as he was trying to connect with a strange presence in the room. To an outsider, it would appear he was listening for a voice but, in reality, he was using his gift to search for telepathic messages or any sort of vision. Eyes widening as a strong, sinking feeling came over him, Roland shouted to Jake.
“Cover your eyes, now!”
Jake ducked just in time to shield his face from glass that started raining down from the chandelier as, one by one, the bulbs started exploding. Roland used his arm to cover his face as he started shouting.
“I demand you stop that! If you have a grievance, speak to me! I can hear you and am willing to work with you! If you want us to leave, we can’t very well do that with our heads covered like this!”
Almost as if Roland had cast a spell, the bulbs stopped exploding and the room fell silent. Looking up, he saw that Jake had curled up behind one of the chairs with his arms over his head.
“Are you okay?”
Jake didn’t move as he spoke, “I’m fine, but could you kindly get the giant chunk of glass out of my hair before I move.”
“Of course.” Roland reached down and plucked a few shards of glass from Jake’s hair before offering a hand down to help him up, “You’re not hurt, are you?”
“I’m physically okay, though, I may need to change my underwear once this adventure is done.” He seemed unbothered by this, “Did the thing give you a message?”
“Nah.” Roland glanced around the room once more, “I just know he wants us to leave.”
“So, let’s go then.” Jake looked to the door.
“About that...” Roland shifted nervously, “I understand if you want to go back, but that tantrum means we’re onto something in here and
I need to look around some more.”
“Oh!” Jake’s excitement was renewed, “I’ll help!”
“Are you sure? You could get hurt.”
“Well, if I go back to my room, I’ll just be abusing my liver anyway. I might as well mix it up a little.”
“Okay then. Would you do a huge favor for me and take all the paintings off the walls to make sure there isn’t anything behind them?”
“I’m on it.”
Roland couldn’t help but smile lightly as he spent a few seconds watching Jake lift the first painting off the wall. It was starting to blow his mind how laid back his quasi-partner was, even after two close encounters with spirits.
Shaking his head as he turned away, Roland tried to get his mind back on track as he started moving the chairs off of the rug in the middle of the floor. Once it was uncovered, Roland grabbed a corner and flipped the rug over. Letting out a sigh, Roland kicked the side of the offensively blank hunk of fabric.
“Bummer.” Jake’s arms were crossed over his chest, “I didn’t find anything either.”
Roland’s eyes were scanning the room that was otherwise empty. He was nervously rubbing his hands together as he was starting to think he might have been wrong about the exploding bulbs when Jake walked across the room and up to the fireplace.
“Give me your flashlight.”
“My w…” Roland saw that Jake was about to step into the fireplace, “Oh!” He handed over the tool, “Be careful though, okay?”
“I will.”
Jake shown the beam of light directly upward into the chimney before a quiet ‘ah-hah!’ left his lips.
“What is it?” Roland hovered a few feet outside of the grate.
“I’m not actually sure, but you did tell me to inform you if I saw anything unusual.”
The Moorsfield Hotel Page 2