There were so many things I wanted to say. While the idea of staying in a place where we could be free to love each other sounded like... paradise, it was no way to truly live.I shook my head.
How would she ever publish a book? How would she ever explore the world like she wanted? And what about our future? We'd never get married in a ceremony surrounded by people we loved. Any children we had would be raised here. The rest of our lives, surrounded by ghosts. Laney would have to watch guests come and go while she was trapped here for the rest of her life. I couldn't do that to her. We had to leave.
She sniffled, and her eyes grew shiny. "Okay." She looked back to Juniper. "I'm sorry. We have to go. Come with us."
"You don't get it. We can't. The hotel isn't going to let you go. Jesus Christ." Juniper tossed her hands up. "When Tristan told me who he'd picked to be the sacrifice, I knew you had to be stupid, but this is bad, even for him. How dense are you?" She stormed over to Laney and put her hands on her shoulders, shaking her violently. "You can't get out!"
Her screams echoed across the empty lobby. A loud chime of a clock startled us all. Juniper laughed and spun around with her hands in the air. One by one, all the curtains on the windows rolled down, and the doors around the room slammed shut and locked. Spirits appeared, lining the exits and walls.
I recognized many of them from the upper floors. The naked, rotting woman in our bathroom, the male leathertwins, Moth, Annie, Tristan, and finally, Carson, my childhood friend.
My blood ran cold. Could we fight them off? The room grew deathly silent, and suddenly, the click of shoes on the marble floor caused us all to turn. A man I didn't recognize came forward, but when he spoke, I knew who he was. Mr. Vincent himself.The spirit that had been inside me.
"They can leave. We just want what's due. We need a sacrifice, Juniper."
Juniper's face went pale. She began to back away. It dawned on me then. She could see the spirits, which meant... they were expecting her to die. And she knew this.
"Tristan said you needed a virgin," Laney said. "We don't have one. Is there any alternative?"
"We have one." Tristan came forward. "We always brought a backup, just in case."
The three of us stared at each other, trying to understand, and then it dawned on us.Juniper.
"You think you're going to kill me? Fat chance. I've lied, Tristan." Juniper turned to her old friend. "I've lied every day since we've met. I only used you because I wanted to come here. I wanted to see the ghosts. I tricked you!" She shook her head and laughed. "Did you really think I'd be so stupid as to leave myself open to being murdered?"
"Yes." Annie stepped forward. "You told me you were a lesbian, but you're not." She turned to Tristan. "She's lying now. She is a virgin."
"Why?" Juniper scoffed. "Just because I turned you down? Newsflash, bitch , just because someone's not interested in you doesn't mean they don't like women."
"No, but you left your computer open during one of our writing sprints and then left the room. I saw the book you’re writing about ace people living sexless, happy lives."
Juniper's lips trembled. "Ace doesn't mean I can't havesex." Her words wavered. "You sound so fucking ignorant right now."
"You're right," Annie agreed. "I'm not saying that. I read the first chapter.”
"You bitch."Juniper’s expression turned from irritation to rage.
"The first chapter is all about how you've lived a happy life never having had sex, nor needing it. Tristan, you can't believe her."
"So what is it?" Juniper tripped on her long skirt as she continued to step back. "I'm lying then or I'm lying now?"
In my eyes, there was only one way to see. The room stirred with conversation between all the spirits, and eventually, they all settled on the same opinion as me. Juniper felt the energy in the room and swore.
"Fuck all of you. I'm not dying for this place. I came, I saw what I needed to see, I'm out."
"That's not how that works, Juniper. You know that." Tristan clicked his tongue. "You know, my mother always said you'd end up being my eternal companion, and I used to brush it off, but who knew she'd be right?"
"Tristan, you can't." A tear slid from her eye. "Please, let me live."
"If you give us what is due, your bloodlines will live another year," Mr. Vincent said.
Juniper crumpled to her knees and began to cry.
"I've never seen you cry." Tristan crouched and reached for her. "I'm sorry, friend. Surely, you knew this might happen. We brought you along every year knowing you might have to be the sacrifice."
"Yes, but it wasn't supposed to!" She sniffled and glared back at Laney and me. "But you just had to invite a hot one. You always thought with your dick, Tristan. Fuck you."
"Is there anything else we can do?" Laney asked the room. She had begun to cry silently. "She doesn't want to die."
