Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

As the van pulled up to the front of the impressive facade of the hotel, Sam stood and turned to face the group.

"Welcome to the Hotel Utica," she said, before referring to her cell phone. "According to the internet it was built in 1912. It's where the first beer was sold after the repeal of Prohibition. Judy Garland, Mae West, Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Amelia Earhart and FDR, just to name a few of many, all visited here."

"Well, finally. We're going to be treated to some decent accommodations," Alice said.

"It does look good," Harper agreed, shading her eyes against the afternoon sun as she peeked out the window at the building.

"And, in keeping with our show, Hotel Utica is reputed to be haunted," Sam continued.

"Of course, it is." Natalie sighed.

Reading off her cell, Sam said, "Calls come in to the front desk from unoccupied rooms, lights in the lobby turn off, guests see a housekeeper wandering the halls at two a.m., figures have been seen in the kitchen, and plates and salt shakers move on their own."

Sam lowered her cell and glanced up.

"This will be where you'll be eating and sleeping until we get the pipe repaired at the Stanley. But don't get too excited. Production will continue as scheduled. Dress appropriately for tonight's filming. It could get cold in there. You'll get your room assignments and keys when we're inside." She looked like she was done, but then she said, "Oh, and the televisions and phones have been removed from your rooms. The rule regarding contact with the outside world stands."

With that bit of bad news, Sam climbed out of the van.

"That's not a problem for us, is it?" Alice grinned.

Natalie widened her eyes and glanced around. "Alice. Shh."

"Don't worry. Nobody listens to us old ladies. I can do or say anything and no one cares," Alice said before gathering her purse to her chest. "Now, who has a dollar bill for me to tip the bellboy to carry my luggage?"

Natalie, Harper and Alice were—no surprise—assigned to share a room. Walking inside, Natalie saw there were two beds and an open-up sofa. So much for her dreams of a real mattress.

Being generous, she said, "I'll take the folding bed."

"Sounds good," Alice said with a bounce as she landed on one of the two beds and promptly withdrew her illicit cell phone from its place inside her bra.

"We can switch off and take turns if you'd like," Harper offered.

"It's all right. I don't mind." It wasn't as if Natalie was getting a whole lot of sleep anyway with all the worries and thoughts swirling through her mind. Her choice of bed wouldn't change that.

"What do you think about those ghost sightings Sam told us about?" Harper asked as she hoisted her suitcase onto the luggage rack.

Natalie lifted a shoulder. "I don't think there's a historic hotel in the world that doesn't have a few ghost stories attached to it."

Harper snorted. "I'm sure Letisha will have lots to say about them."

"No doubt." Natalie's laugh died on her lips when a dark shadow pressed close to her.

Unlike the usual ghost encounter, there was no face. No human form. Just an overwhelming feeling of dread. Like a weight compressing her organs, making it hard for her heart to beat. Impossible for her to draw breath.

She struggled to get air into her lungs and couldn't. Hand pressed to her chest, she opened her mouth but no sound came out.

"Are you okay?" Harper asked, concern furrowing her brow.

Natalie shook her head and stumbled for the door. She heard Harper say her name one more time but didn't wait. Didn't respond.

All she cared about was getting away from the entity, whatever it was. If that meant leaving the hotel, literally running outside into the street, then that's what she'd do.

She stumbled into the hallway and debated where to go. What to do.

Being trapped in the elevator with whatever that thing was seemed about as bad as being in a deserted emergency stairwell with it. Neither was ideal but they were on an upper floor and short of going out a ninth-floor window, there was no other way out.

Glancing up, she saw the black mass coming down the hallway after her. She'd have to make a run for it. Spinning away from the apparition, she crashed directly into Madame Letisha.

"Um, excuse you," Letisha said with a glare as she punched the button for the elevator.

Now was not the time for rivalries or sniping. Any other human being was an ally at this point.

Natalie glanced over her shoulder to see the shape moving closer. Turning back, she gripped Letisha's arms with both hands and gasped, "Get me out of here."

Letisha frowned until her gaze moved to the hallway behind Natalie. Then her eyes widened.

Could she see it too? If this thing was big enough, evil enough, that even a fake medium could see it, Natalie didn't want to stick around to learn more.

She was just about to flee for the stairs when the elevator door opened.

"Come on!" Letisha pulled her inside by one arm and punched the button to close the door.

Natalie stared at the gaping doorway, waiting for the doors to slide closed. Dreading the sight of the entity closing in on them before then.

Then, just as the dark shadow came towards the elevator, the doors slid shut.

When the car began its descent and the entity didn't come through the brass doors, Natalie collapsed against the back wall.

Finally able to breathe again, she looked at Letisha next to her. "You saw it too."

Letisha nodded.

"What the hell was that thing?" she asked. Letisha might be a faker when it came to being a medium, but she'd seen this thing too and that was good enough for Natalie.

"It felt…demonic," Letisha said, pale and looking as affected by the encounter as Natalie felt.

"Yes!" Natalie nodded. "Not like the other ghosts. They are just there . Like regular people, just dead. But this thing felt truly evil. Like I could actually physically feel its presence pressing against me."

The other woman watched Natalie with narrowed eyes as the door opened onto the lobby floor then, Letisha tipped her head. "Come on. I think we could both use a drink."

Natalie nodded and stumbled out after her former nemesis. The events of today definitely called for a truce.

Letisha raised one hand to the bartender and said, "Two bourbons, neat." Then she collapsed into one of the chairs.

Natalie flopped into the other chair, her legs still wobbly, and accepted the bourbon even though it wasn't her drink of choice.

"These go on the PNC account," Letisha said with such authority the bartender didn't question them, just nodded. Then she downed a good bit of the liquid in the glass held in her trembling hand.

Natalie did the same and felt the burn travel down her throat, causing her to cough, which earned her a raised brow from Letisha.

"Sorry. Went down wrong," Natalie said, then set the glass down on the table next to her chair.

"What's your deal anyway?" Letisha asked.

Recovering, or maybe just feeling brave from her shot of bourbon, she said, "I could ask you the same. What's your deal?"

After a pause, Letisha said, "I've felt ghosts since I was a child. It's like a presence. I can sense them. But I've never felt anything like that thing upstairs. And I usually can't see them either. It's a rare occurrence I see a full body apparition or even a shadow."

"Excuse me. I didn't mean to eavesdrop but did you ladies say you saw something upstairs?" the bartender said as he approached with a bowl of pretzels he set on the table between them.

"What do you know?" Natalie asked the man.

"Just that you're not the first. And it's not the only thing haunting this hotel."

Natalie shook her head. "We heard all about the ghost of a maid and flickering lights and mysterious phone calls and moving salt shakers, but this was nothing like that. This was?—"

"Evil," Letisha supplied.

"Yes." Natalie nodded.

He shook his head. "Sorry. I only started working here this year. But I can ask around—Oh, excuse me. Customers."

When the bartender took his leave, Letisha's gaze pinned Natalie. "I told you my story. Your turn."

Letisha wasn't a complete fake. At least according to her own story. She just wasn't as skilled in communicating with the dead as she claimed.

Since they were bonding and all, this felt like a time for the truth.

Natalie drew in a breath. "I was electrocuted last year and technically dead for three and a half minutes. A doctor—my boyfriend actually though he wasn't back then—performed CPR and when I came back to life I could see ghosts."

"And talk to them?" Letisha asked.

"Yes."

"And they talk back to you?"

"Mm-hm. One of them back home in Mudville, Gabe, is my best friend actually."

Letisha's eyes narrowed. "You know what, Natalie? You don't have to like me. But you don't have to lie to me either."

With the shake of her head, Letisha stood and stormed off across the lobby, nearly taking out Alice along the way.