The Hotel

The End?

  Chapter 23

T h e E n d ?

The first few minutes of the car ride were dead silent. After they got out of the forest though, Ally turned the music on. They all sang and talked and had a good time. They just wanted to leave the week's events behind them. They took turns driving and eventually came to Claire's house.

Hailey had apparently seen their car drive around the corner. She looked somber. When Claire stepped out, her expression changed to anger. "Well, looks like I have some explaining to do." Claire laughed as she turned back to her friends. She ran to her front door and hugged Hailey.

As they drove off, Ally honked the horn to Claire. Haily gave them a scowl before rushing Claire into the house and slamming the door behind them. They had decided that Charles would live with Julia until he could find a home for himself. It made the most sense because of how close they were.

Ally dropped Julia and Charles off at Julia's home. They waved and went inside, their smiling faces staying in her memory. She drove home, and everything seemed the same. It was almost as if she had never left.

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A couple weeks went by and the group hadn't seen each other face to face because Claire was grounded. But when she finally could leave the house, they all planned a picnic at their local park.

They all caught up like old friends. Claire had been sneaking out to meet a guy named Andrew, Julia and Charles were officially dating, and Ally started practicing fencing. But when Claire reached for the bread inside the basket, she immediately dropped it with a panicked look on her face.

The confusion of the others didn't last long. They looked inside the basket, and the bread wasn't bread at all. It was flesh. Fresh human skin in chunks splattered inside the basket. Everyone jumped back. Charles' open water bottle spilled onto the towel and started to turn a reddish-brownish color. It was blood.

Apparently the terror of Caspet Hotel had followed them home.

The End. Or is it?