The Monsters of the Mind

Part 22

"I don't want that," Dr. Bose's eyes had turned mournful, pleading, "I don't want to be trapped here in the world of the living because of something that happened to me. And Amy didn't deserve that either. She needs to be home, with her family - she needs to be surrounded by those who love and care about her, not be with an old psychiatrist, a former proprietor who went mad, or a woman who had turned a blind eye for so long to what was happening."

"I'm not going to let anything happen to any of you," I gripped the ghost's hands, though faded I could still feel the cold intake of air where they were, "I made a promise that I would help you, that I would do my best to get you the peace you need. And I'm a woman of my word, I never go back on that."

Dr. Bose looked relieved, but for only a moment, "Then you must listen to everything Rose is about to tell you in a few minutes. After you enter Room 223, all the choices you make going forward will have an impact on all of us."

"Is there anything else that you can tell me?" I asked, suddenly very nervous about the fact that I might have to face the Asmodai on my own.

"I know that there will be an attempt on Jimmy's part to keep you here," Dr. Bose answered, "He tried the same trick on Maya, promising her everything and offering what he had. She was able to see through it, locking him in the boiler room for a short time in order to save herself and her friends."

"Well, that's wonderful to know," I muttered.

Dr. Bose snickered softly, "But you're a strong girl. Just remember that it's all a trick in the mind."

I nodded as Dr. Bose finished, "Eat up. I'll escort you to the lift once you are finished."

***

The ride up to the second floor felt like a death sentence. Dr. Bose, clearly, was uncomfortable about riding up with me - the two of us unsure if Jimmy would be waiting by the lift as we exited.

When the doors opened, the spirit of Harvey was waiting for us.

"Rose sent me," the spirit spoke, his blood still lingering on his throat and his shirt from the attack years ago, "She wanted me to escort Kylie to the next area. Amy's been keeping Jimmy busy on the third floor. Get him down into the lower level if you can - we all have to keep him as far away from his room as possible while Rose and Kylie speak."

Dr. Bose nodded.

I couldn't help but wrap my arms around the psychiatrist - I felt truly terrible for him and wished I could go back and fix everything.

But, that was the past. I needed to focus on everything that would happen going forward, now. Hopefully, I would make the right decisions that would help all of them - Amy Bell, Dr. Oliver Bose, Harvey Hall, Rose Hall - even Jimmy.

Dr. Bose stroked the back of my head comfortingly before I released him.

"Good luck, Kylie," he smiled, the doors closing between us.

I turned to look up at Harvey, who smiled at me and offered an arm out, "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," I answered, curling my own arm around his as the two of us walked down the dimmed hallways.

I had asked Harvey about what he meant when he said Amy was keeping Jimmy busy. Harvey explained that Rose had taken notice of Jimmy pacing back and forth a lot more than usual on the first floor - specifically outside my room. She had gotten in touch with the other spirits and the three adults had devised a plan to lure Jimmy away from my floor long enough for me to slip out and grab some food from the kitchens.

Amy - ten years old and afraid of Jimmy - was able to bring up a bit of bravery and had mimicked my voice to lure Jimmy up to the third floor. Dr. Bose and Harvey would escort me as close as they could get to Room 223 before joining Amy in keeping Jimmy occupied during the meeting with Rose.

After that, it was all up to me and the choices I made that would decide my fate.

Harvey sighed, explaining that he had wished Maya had made the choice they needed her to make for them when she was here. She chose to run - like any sensible woman who had been trapped in a hotel with a psychopath chasing her through all the hours of the night. She couldn't be blamed too harshly for that.

She was still a kid - even if she was eighteen years old. No child should make that decision. I couldn't help but laugh a little at that. It was exactly like what Amy had said. 

These spirits needed an adult who had the same gifts that Maya had. They needed someone who could live with these choices, no matter the outcome. I may not have been as brave as I was before, but I knew that I had my head and heart in the right place. I could see through the webs of lies and I wasn't afraid of the cost - no matter what followed.

Harvey stopped outside of Room 220, turning to look at me.

"This is where I leave you, Miss Martin," the ghost sighed, "you'll have to continue on alone, I cannot go any further as Rose's spirit prevents me."

"Is her spirit as powerful as Hugo's?" I asked, curious.

Harvey could only shake his head, "Rose was the last to die of all of us. By all accounts, Amy should be the strongest as she was the first. All I know is that Rose has the ability to shield and protect another spirit for a certain amount of time. As long as you are within her reach, her motherly instincts will form a barrier around you."

I nodded, thanking him again before his spirit vanished - no doubt to go find the others and help them with keeping Jimmy at bay.

I headed down the long corridor, the walls bleeding red like the plush carpet. It no longer felt warm or inviting, it felt like a murder scene.

When I came around the corner, there was a small spool of copper wiring on the ground outside the door. It was Rose's sign that it was safe to enter.

I picked it up and placed it in my jeans pocket, the spool bulging like a lump. The door was open and Rose was sitting on the bed, hands clasped together as her head raised for her ghostly eyes to meet mine.

"Miss Martin," Rose greeted, her voice soft and warm, "please come in and have a seat. There's much we need to talk about."