The Monsters of the Mind

Part 28

As soon as I spoke, Rose was gone. She had faded away like all of the others - vanishing like smoke from a flame and leaving me to my own devices.

But even if the ghost was gone, the memories of a painful past remained.

I could still visualize the sight of finding Jimmy unresponsive in the tub, the ache of regret, the painful truth - the beatings from Hugo Hall. My skin shivered at the thought of Jimmy's young baby skin covered in bruises - I could only imagine what Rose's own injuries had done to her mental and physical state as well.

But the truth of everything still remained - the past had brought about to a destructive future.

Jimmy Hall's mind had begun to fracture - like broken mirrors - over time, slowly making way unknowingly to the much darker part that lived within him. The dark part, eventually, became the face of Jimmy Hall with no one able to pinpoint exactly where one of them started and the other ended. In a way, it really was like I was living in a revised version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - only it seemed 'Mr. Hyde' was more inclined on making sure his demonic presence prevailed over the course of the next several decades.

I stood from the bed, trying to figure this all out in one sitting.

Something had to be done in order to not only free the souls of the hotel, but to put that dark side of Jimmy hall to rest as well. But I knew that would be no easy task. And it, may potentially, rest on what my choice was at the end of it all.

'I suppose the best place to start would be to find Jimmy,' my mind supplied, 'or Hugo Punch, if that's the name we should use...'

I had to agree. Finding Jimmy would be the first of many steps - we would worry about the next step when we got there.

I headed for the door, listening just in case Jimmy had made his way to the floor in hopes of finding me.

I took notice of the time then - 1:48 am.
'Rose's story must've taken us a while to get through,' my mind supplied.

"That, or this hotel has a way of playing with time on us," I answered quietly, opening the door and tip toeing into the hall. I closed the door to Jimmy's room behind me with a soft click before looking around.

The hallway was the same as it had been when I first entered Jimmy's room - same eerie old wallpaper and flooring, same creepy black and white photos in black line framing, same lighting. But it felt - different.

Like the walls had grown eyes and were watching me as I slowly made my way around the corners, heading toward the lift. It felt as if the hotel had come alive - the short breezes that occasionally wafted through the dimmed hallways sounded like breathing, every creak of the floorboards beneath the carpeting sounded like grunts or groans. I felt the hair at the back of my neck stand on end when I came around another corner - half expecting to come face to face with Hugo himself.

"Is anyone there?" my voice felt shaky, coming out softly that I doubted anyone heard me.

"Talking to the dead, Kylie?" a familiar high pitched voice called out.

I jumped at the sound of Hugo's voice, my mind whirling, 'What do we do now?!'

I forced myself to slow my heart as I tried to focus again, Hugo's laughter resounding off the walls - coming from everywhere and nowhere, "Did you think I wouldn't notice your little adventure while you were staying here? Clever girl that you are, you must know how that boils my blood - strangers snooping around in places where they don't belong."

"I know about your little problem myself," I called out, willing myself to sound strong, "Your mother told me everything."

"Oh, did she now?" Hugo's voice had an edge to it, but sounding much closer than before, "That woman told nothing but lies - I am the only one who can tell the truth. After all, you trust Jimmy as much as he trusts you - why can't you do the same for me?"