Hostel M2

M2-Part XX

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There was a figure close to the open window which kept banging on the window frame as the winter breeze swayed outside. The figure stood on all four, in a still form and Henry's frantic mind tried to make out what his eyes beheld. As much as he wanted to run, he felt somewhat compelled to go further towards the dark figure, his heart throbbing all the while.

The large Labrador retriever didn't even flinch at Henry's presence instead had its eyes fixed at the unlocked window. Henry looked queerly at the dog and then at the open window. He walked over, to the window and pulled it close but there was a sudden hindrance there. He looked closely, only to see that although the window had been open, its locks were still intact. His eyes creased in disbelief.

The approaching footsteps made him turn in the direction of the stair way, his palms were all sweaty already and the hair at the nape of his neck now stood on end. Alex appeared, and then stopped half way the stairs, startled at Henry's masculine figure in the dark.

"Who's there?" she asked, walking down one step at a time.

Henry emerged from the dark living room, his movements making Alex's heart throb in fear but yet she held her grounds.

"What are you doing out here?"

Henry remained silent for a moment, unsure of where to begin. She cocked an eyebrow at his expression and then shook her head slightly at Henry's numbness before descending down the stairs.

"I think there's something wrong with Rodger," Henry managed to mutter as Alex made for the kitchen. She halted, turning to Henry with a questioning look. Thanks to the dim hallway which was only lit by the light from the kitchen, Henry didn't have to deal with what expression she wore.

"What? Where's he?" Alex brushed past Henry, hurrying in the direction of the living room. Rodger whimpered as Alex crouched next to him, running her hands over its face in concern. The dog backed off and then wiggled out of Alex's hold, scurrying away into a corner of the room. Alex picked herself up from the floor, there was a strange aura around her as her skin crawled at the feeling of eyes staring right at her. She flicked her gaze left and right, it was dark and the only visible things were the dark figures of the furniture but there was that conviction that there was something more.

Alex pushed her way into the kitchen where Henry stood at the marbled table top, wiping off spilled coffee from its surface. She stood there for a moment, staring at Henry with a disgusted look before finally breaking the words loose.

"Everyone has been acting strange since you and your friend arrived home with some stupid experiment which, apparently, nobody's allowed to know of."

"Alex-" Henry tried to answer.

"First, there's dad keeping late nights, and then the fire outbreak at school," she scoffed, "mom doesn't even talk with him anymore, and now, Rodger?"

"But-"

"If anything happens to him," she continued, ignoring Henry's attempts at replying.

"Alex-"

"Anything!" she snapped and then shook her head before walking out of the kitchen, leaving Henry to his misgivings.

Henry heaved, tossing the wet rag on the smooth surface of the kitchen table. His hand ran through his hair and down his face in dismay, the happenings of the past moment replayed in his head, even with his eyes shut. Things were going to get worse, until all of this ended.

~

Henry looked at the printed picture in his hand and tried muttering the words written below the letters written with splattered blood on the floor of the hostel's lavatory in the picture. Air escaped his lungs as he placed it back on the table, taking a quick glance at the face of the Detective who had brought them to the café where they were.

"Are you sure about this?" Professor Parker asked with a sceptic look on his face. It still seemed strange that the Detective had called for a meeting and there was every reason to sense something fishy about it.

"That came through this morning from our guy at forensics," Detective Maloney answered, "even my partner's yet to see it."

"You mean doubting Thomas, right." Chris' eye locked with the Detective's for a second.

"But what does this mean?" Henry said.

"Exactly what it says," Chris started, picking up the material again with his fingers touching on the words as he read them out, "'The wages of sin is death', how hard is that?"

"Whatever this is, it's..." Maloney paused, playing with his fingers, "...ugly. Things are not looking good at all. We got less than five days before the students return and I totally don't know where this is going."

"Why are you doing this?" Professor Parker's words were plain and simple as he spoke. His eyes rose from the picture, meeting the Detective's brown eyes.

"Miles is probably going to kill me for this but then, what we're facing is beyond normal and there are no faking things up here," he said. "I've worked on several cases and I can tell this one's different. I know paranormal when I see one, and I'm no myth buster."

"Neither are we," Chris chipped in.

"But you're on to something for sure and if not for anything, at least there should hope for the rest of those kids returning back to hostel."

Professor sighed and then pulled himself up on the chair.

"Can you help pull files about the Hostel M2 murder?" Henry asked interrupting what Professor Parker was going to say.

"Yes, those would be sitting in Miles' office," Detective Maloney answered and then paused, "What's that for?"

"That and other 'strange' cases from the Hostel," henry paused for a moment, as if waiting for the detective to take it all in. "It's like you said, we're on to something."

Detective Maloney simply nodded and then packed his things into the suitcase he had come with, leaving behind a copy of the printed picture.

"I'll try to get those across to you soon," he said, standing to leave, "Good luck."

"We can't really trust him," Chris started as soon as Maloney was out of earshot, "but it looks like we just got one bit closer to ending this."

"Let's just pray so," Professor Parker said, picking up the picture again.

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