"Try again." Carson stood and raised his hand to look at his watch. "I'd give her an hour before she freezes to death."
I fled the suite, tossing the horrific sight of Carson post-suicide out of my mind and focusing on finding Laney. I pulled my coat on and took the back door, shoving it open and screaming her name.
"Laney!"The wind howled in response, covering my screams. It was snowing and blowing so hard, panic for Laney's condition set me forward. I braced myself and sprinted into the darkness, calling her name as I went.I went through the maze, skipping over Moth's body. I looked at the trees surrounding the hotel. Perhaps she'd gone to them for shelter from the wind. I ran in that direction and continued my search. Carson had given her an hour, and it was getting close.
I was moving into full panic mode when suddenly, I heard a small, croaky voice.
"Here."
I turned, looking for the source of the sound. "Laney!"
"Here."
I continued calling, moving toward the sound until I found a dark mess of hair covering a body that had huddled against a tree for warmth. Without a second thought, I pulled off my coat and put it over her. She lifted her head weakly. Her eyes were tired and her lips were blue. Her hair was frozen, and her eyebrows had begun to ice over. I bent down and lifted her into my arms.
"It's okay, I'm here."
"Priest." Her voice came out so small, so... exhausted. I had to get her inside.Tired, I pulled through and exerted myself, pushing through the wind and snow. I reached the back door I'd come out of and found it locked. Despite Laney having my coat, she was still in need of actual warmth and shelter. I went around the building, trying every door as we went, only to finally burst through the front.
The lobby was surprisingly busy, with people heading to the banquet room. They stopped and watched us with curious eyes as I stormed up the stairs and hurried to our room.Laney's teeth rattled and her breath came shallow as I unlocked the door and flew to the bathroom. I lowered her into the tub and looked at her. Would it be better to keep her clothes on or off? Fuck it! I turned the bath on with her still clothed. She groaned as the warm water began to thaw her body, and slowly, her eyes opened.
She was going to be okay. I turned to look for soaps or something to fill her bath and then stopped when I caught sight of something in the mirror. I gulped and tried to move slowly, to not disturb it. It couldn't be. It made no sense. I stared at the reflection, waiting for the figure to do something, and finally, it turned and waved. The blood ran from my face.
Laney.Laney looking healthy, dry, and happy.
How could it be? Quickly, I spun around and a scream escaped my lungs. The figure standing in front of me wasn't Laney at all. It was a rotted corpse, and when my eyes flicked to Laney in the tub, her eyes were just as wide as mine.
She saw her too.
Rule 33 - Priest
Don’t ever lose your final girl.
Istood, frozen on the bathroom floor. The rotting corpse turned her head to Laney, still in the tub, and then back to me. Her skin made a sickening wet sound as she moved. Getting a grip, I straightened and took a step toward it. Then, as if I didn't even exist, the corpse walked forward, going right through the wall and disappearing.
"Priest?" Laney's voice came weak and confused. "I'm scared."
I hurried to her, sitting on the edge of the bath. "It's fine. I mean, it's not, but I'm here. I'm not going to let those... things hurt you." I shuddered inwardly, thinking about... everything I'd seen in the last twenty-four hours. What was going on in this hotel? None of it made any sense.
"I think this place really is haunted."
I remained silent. She was scared enough. I didn't need to make it worse. I swallowed my terror and turned to her. "How are you feeling? Warm enough?"
She smiled softly. "Getting there. Thank you. I think I would have died if you hadn't come."
She would have. Carson had made it clear that was hisintention when locking her out. But why would someone already dead want to kill someone else?
"How did it happen?" I asked. She sat up, her clothes, now soaked from the bath, clung to her skin. I could see every curve, dip, and point. Despite being in the hot bath, her nipples were cold and poking through her clothes.
"I'd gone swimming, and when I got out of the pool, Carson was there. You know, your old friend from school?"
I stood and went to the back of the tub, urging her to sit forward.
"I've seen him. He's one of them."
"Well, he came and told me I had to take a different door because I'd get the carpet wet. Then when I went to the door, he shoved me out and locked it. I was outside, in just this." She lifted her arms and then shuddered. "My toes are still frozen."
I dipped my hands into her bathwater, now lukewarm. Her temperature must have diluted the heat in the water. I reached for her shirt and slowly pulled it upward. Realizing what I was doing, Laney lifted her arms and allowed me to take her shirt off. I tossed it on the ground and reached for the strings on her swimsuit, pulling them loose. It dropped into the bath, and I scooped it up, tossing it in the pile.
