HOTEL CHIMERA.

one.

Somewhere in Nevada...

(Quinn's POV)

The journey from Virginia to Nevada was tedious, to say the least. Countless food stops, impromptu sightseeing, and unexpected car troubles had made the trip far more difficult than I had expected. Now, I found myself so close to the infamous estate—Hotel Chimera. Yet, as luck would have it, the place wasn't recognized by my GPS. The outdated paper map that sprawled across my passenger seat would have to suffice as my navigational guide.

"How convenient for my entire inheritance to be in the middle of nowhere," I muttered, my frustration mingling with a hint of sarcasm. Despite the inconvenience, there was a part of me that felt grateful for the distance it created between me and my parents—especially my so-called mother. The loss of my real mother shortly after my birth had cast a shadow over my life, and it seemed that my father had never truly moved on. I became a constant reminder of the life he believed I had stolen from him. All of my mother's hopes and dreams died on the operating table, and I was left with the weight of their unfulfilled aspirations.

It wasn't that my father was a bad parent or that he harbored outright hatred towards me—at least, I hoped not. He attended my ceremonies and games, albeit often arriving late. We never shared a loving relationship, but I had come to understand that sacrifices were made in order for me to enjoy the finer things in life.

Her face became distorted in my hands. I had folded and crumpled and torn the paper so often that she didn't resemble the same woman. Not that I knew her extremely well to pick apart her face. I knew her as much as the next person passing on the street. No characteristic stuck out from her other than the beauty mark we shared.

"And now words from her granddaughter,"  All eyes fell on me. I looked back at the pamphlet in my hands trying to smooth out the words that said, 'In Loving Memory of Jacqueline, a true friend to all.'

"Jacqueline will now take the stage."

"Um hi, I'm Quinn, Jacqueline's grandaughter and I uh.." I looked out into the crowd to see people I didn't know. The cards in my hands felt heavy, and a quick scan through them told me that no one other than my mother's handwriting.   "I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I knew her. I have no idea who this woman is, but judging by the looks on everyone's faces I can tell she really touched lives. And..."

The distinct smell of burning rubber the stench permeating the air, is what jolted me out of the memory. Glancing at the dashboard, my heart sank as I saw wisps of smoke rising from beneath the hood of the car. It was a far cry from my luxurious BMW, which had been "taken back" due to my father's financial troubles. Now, I was left with this less-than-reliable bucket of bolts, and it seemed that my journey had hit yet another roadblock.

Carefully discarding the half-eaten burger and pulling over to the desolate side of the highway, I braced myself for the sweltering heat. The barren landscape stretched out before me, devoid of any signs of life. Popping the hood, I peered into the depths of the smoking engine, feeling utterly clueless about cars. It was clear that something was seriously wrong—cars were not supposed to make this much smoke or stink so bad.

A sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach as I realized there was no cell service in this area. The closest gas station was likely miles away, and the scorching heat felt nothing short of hell wrapped in cashmere. The idea of walking under the blazing sun seemed like a death wish, but I had no other choice. The likelihood of another car passing by anytime soon was slim, and I wasn't eager to discover what nocturnal creatures might come out tonight.

With nothing but my map and a half-empty water bottle, I steeled myself for the journey ahead—a trek across this barren wasteland that fate had temporarily dubbed my "home." Each step forward felt like an eternity, the blistering sun beating down on me relentlessly. Dust clouds danced in the distance, teasing my parched throat with the mere possibility of water.

As I trudged along the unforgiving highway, the weight of my inheritance and the mysteries surrounding Hotel Chimera weighed heavily on my mind. I knew that there were secrets to be unraveled within those walls, secrets that my grandmother had left behind. The allure of uncovering the truth compelled me to keep moving forward, despite the harsh conditions and the uncertainty that lay ahead.