Rose's POV
Summer 2005
I confessed everything I knew to Jimmy - both of us still soaking from the bath water that clung to our clothing from Jimmy's suicide attempt. He needed to understand - he needed to know - the truth about everything, his father, the hotel, the reason why Hugo died, why I did it. My heart lurched with pain and sorrow as I explained it all...
Only to be greeted with anger once again.
Jimmy jumped from his spot on the bed, pacing the room furiously, "Is that what I am, then? Demon's spawn? Made for nothing good in this world?"
"That's not true!" I shouted at him, "That was all Hugo's doing and you know it. It's not your fault - none of it is."
"The Hell it is!" Jimmy's voice took on a tone I had never heard before.
It had grown darker, more high pitched - same as the Asmodai's when I first met him all those years ago by Jimmy's cradle, same as Hugo Punch's when he was enjoying torturing his audience with those foul words of hate.
Jimmy clasped his hands to either side of his head then, his voice seemingly small, "Shut up! Shut up!"
"What's Hugo saying, Jimmy?" I asked, suddenly concerned.
Jimmy only shook his head, falling to his knees and crouching into a small ball, repeating "shut up" and "be quiet" over and over.
I never knew what it must be like to fight an inner demon. The strength of the Asmodai must've been over powering - forcing Jimmy to close his eyes and let him take over on numerous occasions. It made everything seem so easy, to sit back and let it take over - allow it to call the choices and force the other half to live with the consequences.
"Jimmy," I spoke softly, "Please... look at me."
When he managed to, his eyes were shifting in and out of focus - he was trying to fight Hugo, but it seemed the demon was winning.
"Jimmy, listen to me, I know it's hard to with that thing whispering in your ear, but you know that everything leading up to this point was not your fault," I spoke, my voice strong for the first time in weeks, "Everything that has happened has been because of me and my misjudgment. I allowed you to become hurt while in my care - I ignored the signs. I should've done more to protect you - to get you as far away from here as possible - I was selfish, wanting to keep you close to me. As for Hugo-"
I saw Jimmy's eyes darken - my mind knowing fully well that I was talking to the demon side of him, "- You have no qualms with me. Jimmy hasn't done anything to cause you to place so much hate on him. If you wish to cause harm to him - do it to me."
Hugo was silent, eyebrows raised in a cocking manner before a dark smile spread across Jimmy's features, "You forget, 'mother,' you still have the protection mark from my father."
A long finger came up, touching my forehead where the Asmodai had kissed me before departing, "This mark - as temporary as it may be - still is in use. I can't harm you should I wish to - I'd harm myself and your son in the process!" the wicked laughter rolled out, "However - as much as I enjoy this little game of self torture you bring upon yourself - you can't do anything to protect Jimmy from me. As of tonight, my father and myself, included, intend on making your son your own worst enemy. My father warned you that in time your son would become his - it is now that time."
"What do you intend on doing to him?!" I growled.
"Ease up on the anger, Mrs. Hall," Hugo's voice taunted me from my son's lips, "I intend on doing nothing - currently. Quite simple - I wish to see where you buried your husband after that interesting little encounter in the basement a little over twenty-five years ago. My father is buried with him - I ought to pay my respects to the demon that lived under your husband's skin."
I shook my head, "You won't find it - You don't have the keys."
"Ah, but you do," Jimmy's hand was held out, waiting patiently, "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way... I'd rather not have to use my strength on you in attempts to get the keys, should I unintentionally hurt your sweet boy's body. I wonder how he would think of that - his own mother thinking she was trying to protect him by hurting him to keep the truth about where his own father was buried... I'm even curious about what the press would have to say about that?"
I felt my teeth grind together, "You wouldn't."
The demon said nothing, flicking his fingers slightly. I sighed, pulling my keyring out.
The one key he wanted was old and rusted - neglected of use since that horrible day when I buried Hugo under the hotel. It took a bit of time to free it, but I eventually handed it over - dropping the offending item into the demon's hand as the fingers curled around it, a smug smile resting on his face.
"Thank you, mother," the demon's lips connected with my forehead, a reminder of the promise his father had given to me years ago, "I appreciate you thinking this through."
***
Jimmy's possessed form had gone down to see Hugo's grave. I paced the ground floor, hands clutched to my head as my mind whirled.
I knew that it would only be a matter of time until my protection seal wore off - nevermind that I wasn't even sure if Jimmy's demon had given me one. But I didn't want to stick around to find out. I was now alone - I had no one to blame but myself for everything that had happened.
The hotel's reputation had gone down the lue, guests were few and far between, Jimmy's demons were making it harder and harder to keep everything under control - even the last of the staff members were planning on leaving the place. I couldn't blame them for everything.
I knew what I had to do.
The bottle of turpentine and the lighter were still in Harvey's room from the fire. I knew that Jimmy had stashed them down in the basement after the incident with the Bell family and that Jimmy had started the fire in the boiler room. I had half hoped the fire would've spread to the secret room and burned Hugo's body in the process - but it didn't.
It was only wishful thinking, after all.
Taking the bottle and lighter, I made my way to my own room - the room that I had raised Jimmy in from the day he was born.
Room 207.
Once inside, I locked the door behind me, feeling the fresh tears of pain begin to prickle at the corner of my eyes. This was my only way out, my only means of escape from Hugo's wrath as a spirit - my only escape from the Asmodai that now lived in Jimmy.
I opened the bottle and dumped the remaining contents on my body, covering my hair, face, clothing - everything - until the bottle was completely empty. Tossing it aside, I pulled the lighter out.
I clasped it between my hands like it was a rosemary, praying for God to forgive my sins and accept that I was a broken woman looking for salvation. I asked to be free from these chains that bound me to a demon's wrath, to be free from the pain that I knowingly and unknowingly caused. I crossed myself, promising to love and respect in the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit - then I turned the lighter on.
Flames jumped onto my fingers as I dropped the lighter to the ground, the hot fire licking up at my skin like wind on the plains - eating away the flesh of my body. I didn't feel the pain until much later - the fire now consuming to my bones. I let out loud screams and refused my body to move - too afraid I would spread the fire into the hallways and through the hotel.
I could hear feet running and hands pounding on the door - Jimmy's crying had returned to normal. But I could also hear a little girl's tears - crying for her mother and father. I could hear Dr. Bose's rage after swallowing the glass shards that had been placed into his meal. I could hear Harvey's final cry as Jimmy took his life.
And I could hear Hugo's cries - fighting for the life that I had taken in order to protect my son.
My vision turned black and I felt myself fall - the last thing I heard being the door to the room opening and Jimmy screaming in fear.
***
Kylie's POV
My hand pressed into Rose's, the skin feeling cold and clammy - but also rough, like it had been burned. I had been unable to look at her as she told her story, the visions too graphic - even for me.
But she never commented, just continued and allowed me to hide my face in shame.
"Now you know the truth," Rose's voice was thick and heavy, filled with smoke, "You know the whole truth about what happened years ago. Why everything turned out the way it did..."
"Does it still hurt?" I felt myself ask, finally looking up at the spirit, "Even after all this time?"
Rose's face was unreadable - her features had become melded together as she talked about the end of her lifetime. The skin on half of her face had completely melted away, leaving nothing but old bone showing with muscle still attached to her cheek and jaw. The other half was mostly scorched skin, deep red with some pieces melted like wax on a candle. Her clothing had also changed - torn with burn marks embedded into the clothing, ash covering her entire frame. Some of her once beautiful curled hair was gone, leaving bald patches from the fire that had consumed her.
Eventually, Rose spoke again, voice still thick with a bit of smoke pouring from her mouth, "It never stops hurting - the guilt of not protecting Jimmy, not telling Harvey the truth until long after, enduring the pain of the abuse on both sides... the fire that eventually killed me in the end. I doubt it will stop hurting, even if I'm forgiven for everything..."
"And now, I need to make a choice, is that right?" I asked.
Rose looked at me, her lifeless dark eyes brimming with sadness, nodding, "You will find yourself with two options placed before you - one is life, the other is death. But it is not only your fate you will be choosing, it is all of us - Amy Bell's, Dr. Bose's, Harvey's, Jimmy's, mine - your choice will decide our fate."
"Which one do I choose?" I asked.
"That is up to you to decided," Rose stood, her body creaking from the pain and exhaustion, "both choices will lead to a death, but also both choices will lead to a life. Maya refused to make a choice, so she ran. That was her choice."
"So, no matter what I choose, someone will die?" I asked.
"It depends on the choice of who dies," Rose answered, "but, yes, someone will die - that's just the cause of it."
'Absolutely sounds like Phantom of the Opera, at this point!' my mind grumbled, but I pushed it aside.
"Will I be able to tell which one is which?" I asked quietly.
"My son will give you an ultimatum," Rose's voice was soft, sadness filling her, "Choose a life as the next barer of an ancient curse, or suffer the same fate as I did."
I felt my stomach lurch, "Why does he want me?"
"Kylie," Rose knelt before me, her hands clasping mine, "I know you are afraid, I am as well. The only other time he's made this offer to anyone was Maya. He was trying to trap her into thinking there was no other choice but to remain here - to make her think that she was trapped with him forever.
"That's not the case. Jimmy - not Hugo, mind you - does, indeed, care for you and wouldn't want to hurt you in any way. Hugo - the demon - is running out of time like we are. He has to have a mate by tonight in order to continue the Asmodai line. If he fails to capture a mate, that's the end of his race. Any child, if there are any, will not be born of demon's blood - it's why Jimmy has tried to stay alone for so long.
"But, when Maya and her friends showed up, Hugo saw it as the perfect opportunity to get his claws on what he wanted. But, Maya ran away - she was able to escape, but unable to help the few of us that still remain. That's why I'm asking you to make a choice - if not to save yourself from a life of suffering like I had endured, but to help us spirits move on from this place."
Tears fell from the spirit's eyes, dropping onto my skin as she sobbed, "P-Please... help us... help us, Kylie. You're our last hope..."
I felt my arms come around the ghost of Rose Hall, pulling her into an embrace.
I'd be lying to say I wasn't scared of what would follow after this. I was scared shitless - to be the wife of a demonic hotel owner or to be a freer of trapped spirits - it was a bit much to take in. Heck, it was overwhelming to the point that I felt tears prickle my eyes.
But I was the same as Jimmy - I could see that now.
Whereas he was the one who created the spirits, I was the one who could help them move past everything - be able to start over in a new life.
"I will try, Mrs. Hall... I will try..."