Halo Effect//S.M.

Katherine and Coffee

The next hotel, or motel actually is a small non too shabby place called The Independence Inn with a striking resemblance to the famous Bates Motel from Psycho. Although Independence Inn wasn't abandoned like the last one we'd visited, it wasn't too far from it.

The moment we walked in to the place I was overwhelmed with a musty smell that had a feeling that went with it. Like sitting in the sun on the hottest day of summer, a sickly sweet feeling encroaching.

The room was empty and clearly not expecting a visit. A shelf of brochures sat untouched advertising events that'd had happened months prior to now. It felt like something out of a movie. I tapped the bell on the counter and waited. Eventually a women around seventy with curly grey hair and plaid pajama pants came around to greet us. Her cheeks curled up in a smile, wrinkles outlining her eyes.

"I can't tell you the last time someone has actually rung that bell." She continued to smile as she came behind the desk, scribbling some things in a book.

"Ma'am, I'm Shawn and this is Meredith and we were wondering if we could ask you some things." Shawn countered her smile with one of his own, just as cunning.

"Why yes, yes of course. Do you all like tea or coffee maybe? I'll get some started."

"Coffee would be great please." I accepted her offer and watched her frail body rush off to get some started.

"Do you think she lives here all alone?" Shawn looked down at me his eyebrows furrowing.

"I don't know, Shawn. I guess so." He sighs as a reply and my heart fills with sympathy for the old women. It's hard being alone.

She returns, balancing three cups of coffee in her hands and bouncing with enthusiasm as she leads us into a room with a small couch and some chairs.

I take a seat beside Shawn sipping the steaming coffee cautiously. "Now what was it you wanted to ask?"

"Well you see miss-"

"Oh please call me Katherine." I smiled at the women who's legs were crossed and swaying.

"Alright then Katherine, we're looking for our friend. He's gone missing and we have reason to believe he might be here or somewhere like here." Katherine's eyes stay focused on mine as I speak her eyebrows knitting together every now and then.

"Well you see I can't be of any help to you if I don't know the full story so if you don't mind if like to know about your friend please."

Shawn starts up before me

"His name is Matthew, he hasn't got any family and he's always been the adventurous, reckless sort, he loves stories, mysteries most of all. We came here from London, because we think he's left us clues as to where he's gone."

Katherine nods her head, tapping her red nails against her coffee mug.

"These clues, what were they exactly?"

This time I spoke, rushed and anxious feeling, "His dorm was spotless and all of his belongings were tucked away except for an old Eagles record and an empty journal. I know it seems like nothing but with Matthew nothing is just nothing. So being the person I am I went out searching for him, first at a party he'd mentioned the night before. That's how I found the first clue. Written in the journal in ink that only showed up under black light were the words-

"Track 7 // "If you stare at the centre of the universe, there is a coldness there. A blankness. Ultimately the universe doesn't care about us. Time doesn't care about us. That's why we have to care about each other."

And so immediately after finding the words we headed for a music shop with a record player. We set the needle to track 7 and listened. The song was of course, Hotel California."

Katherine's eyes widened and we all sat silent for awhile, giving her time to think things over.

"Meredith, you remind me of myself at your age, young, determined, prideful, naive."

My shoulders slumped forward at naive but she didn't give me time to ask why she thought so.

"There are easily over a thousand hotels in California."

Katherine takes another sip of coffee and I stay silent watching Shawn and his reactions. It's hard to tell but I think he's just contemplating her words. My worst fear is that he's mad, that he resents me and thinks I forced him along to witness my idiocy.

Katherine clears her voice and smirks a little giving the impression that she's about to lay her ace in poker. "Lucky for you I know exactly where your friend might be."

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Idk where I'm going with this tbh😅

Comment opinions please💖