Amongst the Order (Watchers of the Veil #1)

Chapter 6

We couldn't abandon the hotel now that we had a lead, especially since we would be leaving Alex behind also. Florence stayed in the back of my mind, but Alex's time was running out.

I leaned against the reception desk, tapping my nails along the wood. It chipped under the impact and I winced as a splinter pricked me.

The receptionist returned to her seat. I had already been waiting for a few minutes. "Can I help you?"
"Yes." I pushed myself up. "Have you heard of the name Carly Winston?"
She sighed and put on her beaded glasses, staring me down. "Are you one of those ghost-hunting people?"
Alfie's eyes widened but I shook my head. I didn't realise many were still pretending to be hunters. I ran into a couple a few years back and they were no longer in business after following me into a haunted shed. The reality of their beliefs was... shocking, to say the least. "No, I—"
"I've told you people before and I'll tell you again: we are not haunted, alright? Now leave that poor girl to rest, take your camera crew and go."
"There aren't any cameras," I calmly insisted. "I read the name in a newspaper in my room and wanted to ask what happened. Her mother died too, didn't she?"

She leaned back in her chair, looking me up and down with a sharpened gaze. I begged with my eyes for her to tell me. No matter how long she had worked at the hotel, she should have known there was something wrong. We sensed it the moment we arrived; perhaps its what made us argue so much with each other. Paranormal activity had that effect on human minds. There had to be something we could do to help.

"You don't look like one of those crazies." Her features softened and she slumped her shoulders. "Rachel and her daughter Carly passed through here once a year on their way to visit Rachel's parents. They were a small family, you see? Just the two of them. They had a close bond and Rachel was very protective."

Alfie straightened up from behind me, suddenly becoming alert.

"Carly would always ask to go in the pool but Rachel said no because she wasn't a strong swimmer. One day, when she was nine, Carly snuck out of her room and went in anyway. She... never made it out. There was no-one on duty to help her."
"What about Rachel?" asked Alfie.
"She was heartbroken. She wanted to come back to the hotel because she felt closer to Carly but would never go anywhere near the pool. One day she just did and the next morning she was found—" Her voice croaked. "She was found dead."

Alfie's hands were shaking on top of the desk but he kept silent. I reached for them and squeezed, covering his hands.

"You may not know this, but what happened to them after they were found?"
"They were taken to a cemetery close to where Rachel's parents lived."
"Together?"
"No, separately. The... grandmother requested for them to be buried together but it was never carried out."
"I see."

She knew a lot for a receptionist. I glanced down at the name badge and narrowed my eyes at her. She was the right age for what I figured with her worn skin and white hair.

"And how long have you known, Mrs Winston, that your granddaughter has been haunting this hotel?"

Her lips parted and began to shake as she tried to respond, eyes darting for the name badge.

Alfie's eyes widened. "Erika—"
"Why pretend otherwise?" I asked. "Why tell people nothing is wrong and still allow people to stay here?"
"I..." Tears welled in her eyes. "I told the owner not to let people stay here but the tragedies were not enough to make him close. I've tried to stop people coming, I really have, by making it less appealing but... some people, like yourselves, slip through the cracks and I stay awake all night fearing the worst."

It explained why she was so rude as we came in. The facilities were unsatisfactory, the rooms cold and damp, according to Alfie and no food was offered so customers could not stay for long. She wanted to protect people but not destroy her granddaughter's resting place.