“Does the room have one or two beds?” Holly asked Maude.
“There’s one bed.” Maude smiled. “But it’s king-size. Are you willing to share?”
Holly took a deep breath, hardly believing what she was about to say. “Sure. It’s only one night.” She met the woman’s eyes and shrugged. “If you want.”
The woman’s eyes widened and she stared at Holly for a beat, as if gauging if this was some cruel joke.
“I mean it,” Holly assured her, then pointed to the window. A taxi was pulling up and people were rushing out. “Make up your mind before I offer it to someone else.”
“No, I’d love to,” the woman said quickly. “Thank you, that’s so kind of you. I’d be very grateful. I just…you know, after what happened at the airport, I didn’t think you’d…” She bit her lip and winced. “Anyway, we can talk about that later. I’m Mack.”
“Hi, Mack. I’m Holly.” She wasn’t looking forward to sharing a bed with her, but it wasn’t like it could get any worse, and part of her wanted to show Mack that she wasn’t aprincess.
Maude let out a shriek of joy and clapped her hands together. “Now that’s the Christmas spirit!” She prepared another key card and handed it to Mack. “We don’t serve food, I’m afraid, but there’s a convenience store nearby, and I’ll ask housekeeping to bring some extra coffee, tea, and instant cocoa to your room. She’s on her break now, but she’ll be back shortly.”
“Thank you, Maude. You’ve been amazing.” Holly hesitated as she swung her weekend bag over her shoulder. “Just out of curiosity…what’s wrong with the room? Is the toilet in working order?”
“Yes, the toilet and electrics should be fine,” Maude said. “Just some damages to the interior, but nothing that will keep you from a good night’s sleep.” She leaned in, lowering her voice. “And don’t you worry about a thing, girls. Either my husband or I will be at the front desk all through the night. If you need anything at all, just come on down and we’ll take care of you.”
Chapter 3
Mack
Mack followed Holly through the snow-covered parking lot, her boots leaving deep imprints in the fresh powder. The storm was intensifying, and she could barely make out Holly’s figure a few steps ahead, leading the way to their shared room.
As they reached the door marked “15,” Mack noticed the peeling paint and the slightly crooked number.
Holly fumbled with the key card before finally managing to unlock the door, and they stumbled inside, grateful for the shelter from the storm.
Mack’s relief was short-lived, however, as she took in the state of the room. The first thing that caught her eye was the writing above the bed. Someone had scrawled DON’T FALL ASLEEP in large, foreboding letters directly onto the faded floral wallpaper.
“Okay…” she mumbled. “That’s seriously disturbing.”
“Totally,” Holly agreed. “I guess now we know why this room was out of the booking system.”
There was a suspicious-looking hole in the wall that had been poorly patched. The curtains hung crookedly, one partiallydetached from its rod. The next thing Mack noticed was the size of the bed, or rather the lack of size.
“Um, Holly?” she said, frowning. “That definitely doesn’t look like a king-size bed.”
The bed in question was barely larger than a standard double, its sagging mattress and threadbare comforter a far cry from what Maude had promised. “Are you sure about this? I can sleep on the floor if you’d prefer. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
Holly blew out her cheeks and shook her head. “It’s no problem. It’s just for one night. Besides, I’d feel terrible making you sleep on this floor. You might end up with a skin disease.” She gestured to the stained carpet. “It’s gross. I’ll make sure to keep my shoes on while I’m walking around.”
Mack grinned. “Thanks. I promise I don’t snore…at least, I don’t think I do.” The bedside lamp flickered ominously when she turned it on, casting eerie shadows across the walls. The bathroom door didn’t quite close all the way, leaving a gap that promised little privacy.
As Mack hung up her coat, she noticed another small hole in the wall next to the door, and peering closer, she realized she could see into the next room. Two people, both naked, were sleeping on the bed, face down. There was a half-empty vodka bottle on the nightstand and their clothes were strewn over the floor. “I think we have a peephole situation here.”
Holly came over to investigate and grimaced. “Looks like they had a fun time.” Without hesitation, she removed the chewing gum from her mouth and deftly pressed it into the peephole, effectively sealing it. “There. Lucky for you, I’m a problem solver. What bothers me most, though, is that writing on the wall. It’s giving me serial killer vibes.”
“I’m not too worried.” Mack suspected whoever wrote it had been high as a kite. “The town feels safe. It’s not like we’rein a motel along a deserted highway, but…” She smiled as an idea formed in her head. “I suppose they’ll redecorate the wall anyway, so if it makes you feel better…” She rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a thick, black marker. With a few strategic additions, she transformed the ominous message into DON’T FALL ASLEEP WITHOUT FLOSSING. “Better? Lucky for you, I’m a problem solver too.”
Holly burst out laughing. “That’s brilliant. And somehow even more disturbing. I feel like my dentist is haunting me now.”
“At least you won’t forget to floss,” Mack quipped, laughing along. The howling wind outside reminded them of the storm, and she moved to the window, pushing aside the crooked curtain to peer out. The parking lot was now completely blanketed in white, the snow showing no signs of letting up. “I was hoping for a white Christmas, but this was not what I had in mind.”
“Looks like we’re really stuck here,” Holly murmured. “What a bizarre situation.”
Mack nodded. “Let’s hope the airport reopens tomorrow, and if it doesn’t, I’ll just rent a car.”
