❝Your miseries will lead you to great discoveries.❞
- A. Abraham
PENELOPE'S DROWSY EYES STARED UP AT THE NEON SIGN HANGING ABOVE HER HEAD.
The fluorescent lettering burned itself into the deepest parts of her clouded mind, like a distant memory that was desperate to be remembered. The fog that hung over her seemed to thicken with each passing second, and those once vibrant hazel eyes tried to blink it away. Perhaps it was the painkillers she swallowed before boarding that excruciatingly boring flight, or the ones she popped while sitting in Los Angeles traffic for an hour and a half. Whatever it was, Penelope couldn't wait to collapse on a soft surface and rest until it disappeared.
She heard the sound of excited squeals, and glanced over her shoulder, those unfocused orbs landing on the practically bouncing figures of her traveling companions. Lily Sommers, the master mind behind the spur of the moment trip they were on, appeared at Penelope's side with a grin that resembled the Cheshire Cat's. The other girl, who had a boarder lining friendship with Penelope ever since elementary school, was named Darcy Hanley.
Both, Lily and Darcy, were filled with enough enthusiasm to fill an entire football stadium as they entered the lobby, while the brunette of the group only had a mild interest. The strap of Penelope's heavy duffle bag dug into her shoulder, and the stinging sensation reminded her of the aching in her chest. Her slender fingers went to her neck, fiddling with the thin silver chain that hung there. It was a type of safety line that was able to keep the dangerous thoughts from reeking havoc in her tender brain.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Darcy gushed with her hands clasped together. "Oh, look at those light fixtures! Aren't they just to die for?"
That's one way to put it, Penelope thought, that familiar frown finding its way back onto her soft features. The decor of the hotel was extremely dated, so much that she wondered if they had time traveled into a different era. But, there was something else. Something - sinister.
But, Penelope was yanked back into reality by the sound of her name being called. She flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and spun around to see Lily, who had been calling out to her, looking at her concerned. Lily's sparkling hazel eyes reminded Penelope of the way someone else's used to shine almost too brightly, "Are you feeling alright, Penny?"
"I'm fine," Penelope stiffly nodded after flinching, again, at the sound of her nickname. She gave her friends, as well as the frail looking receptionist, a tight lipped smile, "Just tired from the plane ride, that's all."
Lily nodded, though she could see through the barely believable smile, "Well, we're almost finished checking in, but you need to sign your name, too."
Penelope moved to the front desk and dropped her duffle bag by her feet, ignoring the rattling pills in their containers. The receptionist, Iris, eyed the tall beauty as she pushed her dark hair back, tucking the shorter locks behind her ear. It was obvious that it had been recently cut, seeing as the ends were even and rid of natural split ends. Her almond shaped eyes and perfectly symmetrical features was what made her stand out from her friends.
Iris sighed to herself, thinking, she's too pretty for this place.
"Where do I sign?" Penelope quietly asked, her eyes fluttering from the haze still covering her. It was obvious she had ingested some type of narcotic, and Iris had a feeling that it kept her from tearing at the seams.
Iris pointed towards an empty space in the check in book, and watched as Penelope signed her full name gracefully, "There's one issue, though. We're having some maintenance done in different parts of the hotel, and there's only two rooms available at this time. We're all booked up it seems."
"That's alright," Darcy interjected, standing a bit too close to Penelope when she approached the desk. "We don't mind sharing a room."
Lily knew how the dark haired girl felt about sharing a room, especially with someone she didn't necessarily favor. With everything that's happened to Penelope, the least her friend could do was give her the space she so clearly yearned for. Lily moved quickly, snatching the key to room 48 from Darcy's eager fingers, and grinned, "Darcy and I will share. We have a big day tomorrow, and wouldn't want to keep you up, Penny."
"No worries. I don't mind being alone," Penelope shrugged, a knowing and grateful expression trying its best to cover her real feelings.
The smell of peaches flooded her nostrils when Lily pulled her in for a hug, and her fingers dug into her friend's back as unwanted memories began to flicker. Peaches used to be her favorite midnight snack, but now, the mere smell of them could send Penelope spiraling into the abyss. The same tight lipped smile adorned her face as she waved, watching as Lily had to practically drag Darcy into the elevator.
Once the elevator began to ascend, Penelope turned back to Iris, who had a sudden look of dread on her aged face. The ancient looking key was a gold color, and it had a metal rage attached to the end that assigned it's room. Penelope's brows furrowed, "What room will I be in?"
Iris flinched at the softness in her voice, "Room 64; the heart of this hotel."
IRIS FELT A PAIR OF BEADY EYES ON HER BACK AS SHE CLOSED THE DOOR TO THAT SPECIFIC ROOM AFTER SHOWING MISS O'HARE TO IT.
When she turned, Iris was greeted by the figure of a certain man. Incredibly handsome and frighteningly morbid, James Patrick March, former owner and creator of the Hotel Cortez, stood a few feet from the receptionist. One of his signature suits adorned his muscled body while a silk ascot shielded his neck region from prying eyes. As always, his archaic hairstyle was gelled back and that odd-looking mustache freshly trimmed. James looked as if he'd stepped through a portal to another time.
Iris silently gazed at him, fighting the reaction her body so desperately wanted to have. She wanted to flee, but the terror she felt held her in place. Mr. March was a dangerous, sinister man who had no moral compass. It was inevitable to run into the ghostly fiend, but Iris wished it wasn't in that precise moment. There was a lot that was unnerving about the hotel she resided in, but the most disturbing was the silent made standing before her.
"Who was that with you?" James asked, his peculiar accent softening uncharacteristically. A man such as himself wasn't known to produce anything that was considered gentle. Iris' brows furrowed at the drop in his tone, but didn't have the time to pondered over it when those dark eyes snapped in her direction. "Well?"
"P - Penelope O'Hare, sir. She's here with her friends, spending some time in Los Angeles," Iris quickly said, her aged face morphing into a confused expression. This was the first time in nearly twenty years that the owner of the Cortez had noticed the receptionist, much less engaged in a conversation.
A sound of interest flooded James' chest, "And her friends, what floor are they staying on?"
"The fourth floor, sir," Iris gulped, her light eyes widened at his curiousity.
It was unlike Mr. March to wonder about the many guests that came to stay in his hotel. Perhaps, it was the fact that the girl in Room 64 was on the brink of self destructing, or that the aura that seeped from her pores was an inky black color. It could have been the fearlessness Penelope carried with her, and James knew that it had to do with her dark past. From the way she carried herself, he came to the conclusion that she was searching for something, whether it be something she lost, or the person she used to be.
Penelope O'Hare was an odd girl, and it just so happened that James had a certain craving for odd things.
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FIRST CHAPTER IS DONE, WHAT DO YA'LL THINK? I THINK IT SEEMS KINDA SHORT AND RUSHED, BUT IT'S SOMETHING. JAMES MADE AN APPEARANCE, HOW DID THAT MAKE YA FEEL?