Page 5 of A Haunting at Keystone Manor

He stares for another second before getting up and heading to the door, running a hand through his hair. “I’m exiting this conversation. Kayla!” he yells. “There’s a strange boy in here that needs to be escorted off the premises immediately. Don’t refund his money.” For a second I’m upset that he doesn’t know who I am, before remembering that I’ve literally never seen him here before.

“No listen, Kayla can’t hear you. You. Are. Dead. I saw your body.” I’m not explaining myself well.

“And who are you again?” he asks.

“Oh, I’m the cleaner here at the hotel. I’ve, uh, worked here for a few years now. Though I guess I’ve been replaced, being dead and all.” I’m babbling. “I’m Alex.” I stick my hand out hoping he’ll shake it.

Without another word he walks away from me, calling for Kayla again.

“She’s not in the lobby, Jake. Let’s go sit down in the living room for a minute. I don’t know much about being a ghost, I don’t think I’ve been one for long, but maybe I can help you.”

“Listen, I don’t know what you’re playing at, but you need to back off. I need to call my father. Was he here last night?” He runs a hand through his hair again, apparently a nervous tick of his.

“I need a glass of water.” He walks over to the sink and tries to turn on the faucet, but his hand slips right through it. “What the hell?” He tries again, and once again his hand goes right through the handle. He raises his hand and stares at it for a second, before looking at me again. “I don’t understand.”

“Let’s go sit down for a minute.” I silently lead him to the living room and sit on the couch. He sits in one of the armchairs opposite me and continues to stare down at his hands.

“Okay, I don’t know how all of this works. I don’t remember how I died either. Or when. I just know I woke up here one day, same as you, unable to touch anything. No one could see or hear me. Talk about a confusing morning. I’m here if you need someone to talk to. Maybe we can work together, try and figure out what’s going on.” I wish I could help him more, but we’re in very similar boats.

“This is ridiculous. I’m not dead. Is this all some kind of prank?” He looks around the room like he’s looking for cameras, and I know he’s not going to believe a word I say. Who would?

“It’s not a prank, I promise. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“I don’t know what’s going on.” He’s breathing hard, clearly on the verge of a panic attack.

“Try and calm down for me. Take a deep breath in and hold it.”

Surprisingly, he obeys. “Okay, now let it out. You’re doing so good.”

I talk him through his breathing and do my best to keep him calm until I hear the siren of the cop car as it pulls up, and I stand. I don’t want him to have to see his body, but it’s the only way to get through to him.

“Come with me, I want to show you something,” I say and lead him back towards his room, the dark walls suddenly feeling oppressive. Kayla is right where I left her, standing just outside the door of room three, crying into her phone. I listen to her for a second, realizing she must be talking to his parents. Fuck.

The police and paramedics are in there, and Jake stops short beside me as he watches them load his body into a black bag before placing it on the stretcher. They’re saying something to Kayla, but I’m no longer listening because Jake grabs me roughly by the shoulders and spins me to face him.

“What is going on, what is this?” he demands, before covering his mouth with a hand. “I’m having a psychotic break. I don’t do drugs. You’ve drugged me,” he accuses. I scoff but swallow my reply as the paramedics wheel his body past us down the hall. Jake watches in shock.

Kayla follows close behind, still talking on the phone while trying to answer the questions of one of the officers. The other has gone with the paramedics. “I understand, Mr. Covington. I’m going to check the guests out now and shut the manor down for now. Are you going to come up here?” After a minute she says, “Oh okay, I understand. I’ll handle it.” She ends the call and takes a second to compose herself. Her makeup is running along with her tears down her face. She turns her attention back to the officer.

“Sorry, what was your question?” she asks, dazed.

“Who all was here last night.”

“Oh. Just me, Jake, and the guests. Andrei came by—”

“Do you have any surveillance cameras?” he asks, cutting her off.

Kayla nods her head. “We do. The hardware is in my office, if you guys want to grab it.”

“Do you have any backups? Cloud?” he asks.

“No, there are no backups. We were lucky to have working cameras at all. Mr. Covington didn’t see a need… cheap bastard.”

She clears her throat, blushing. “I mean—sorry. It’s been a rough morning,” she says and rubs her temples. “I can’t believe he wouldn’t come up here for this.”

“Who all has access to the cameras?”

“Just me.”