The Hotel Cortez - Do Not Disturb

Chapter 2

My eyes fluttered open to the unusual sound of swing music on the radio. I smiled, not really bothered by the music as I'd always loved older tunes. The song glitched, sending shivers up my spine. A part of me felt like someone... Something was there. I just couldn't shake the feeling I was being watched, like a predator watches it's prey.
I got up, looking around the room. No one was there. I let out a sigh of relief. However, before I could fully calm down, my door creaked open. I could've sworn I'd locked it! My heart raced. This was beginning to feel like something from a horror story.
I pulled my boots and jacket on and made my way, as quickly as I could out the door. I locked it shut, not wanting to go back inside. So, I went to the only place I knew would help - the bar.

As I made my way to the bar, I noticed the figure of a woman sitting at one of the bar stools. I sat a few stools from her, wanting to give her privacy or whatever.
"What can I get for ya Bell?" Liz asked. I smiled, hearing her call me by my old nickname.
"Whiskey, thanks Liz." I sighed.
My rest had helped me clear my head but now all that was left was a banging pain in my temples and clarity that I really didn't want.
"You look... Lost" The woman from the other side of the bar spoke, me still knocking back glasses of whiskey.
"And you are?" I rolled my eyes.
She chuckled in a mildly maniacal tone.
She looked like one of the grunge people from the 90s I'd listen to as a kid. She had frizzy blonde hair that was almost to her shoulders. Messy makeup covered her tear stained face. She was wearing a choker and a long black dress with a large fur coat and ankle high boots.
"I'm Sally" She spoke with a voice that sounded like all she did was smoke and cry.
"Belladonna..." I nodded back. I really wasn't in the mood for this right now.

"You have so much pain in you... " She sighed, moving closer to my stool.

"What's that to you?"

"Be careful... The place you're staying, room 64, it's hell." She whispered into my ear.
When I turned to look at her, she was gone.

I sat for the following hour just smoking and drinking on my own. Liz just gave me the bottle and left me to it.
As the clock struck three and darkness covered the city, I heard a voice from below. Some dude was being a total ass to Iris. Nah. That ain't gonna happen.
I stumbled down the steps to the reception and leaned against it, barely being able to stand on my own at this point.
"Ya know... You shouldn't talk to people like that." I sighed, taking another swig from my bottle.
Iris looked at me, concerned. She seemed like quite a maternal woman.

"And what are you? The hotels resident prostitute. Ha. Probably the only good thing about this hotel." He sneered.
My blood boiled. At this point in the night, I really didn't have any issues with wasting this guy. But, I was nice, so I gave him one last chance.
"Hm I think you should leave while you still can."
"Or what? You gonna hurt me, little lady?"
That was the answer I was hoping for.
"Don't say I didn't warn you." I whispered. He looked at me quizzically before his jacket set alight. He ran screaming as I just slowly made my way to the elevator. He had it coming.
As he toppled to the ground, dead, I heard clapping coming from across the room. Iris went pale as she looked up at me with an expression telling me that is should run.
"Bravo" The voice spoke. He sounded like a 1920s presenter. I've got to admit, it was kind of cool.
However, something wasn't right about him. Normally I'd just say he dressed and acted like someone from the 20s... But in this cases I was more inclined to think he was actually from the 20s!
But that couldn't be possible, right? He only looks as though he was a little older than me.
What was going on?
I didn't have time to ask before everything went black. My head hit the carpeted ground all I could hear were faint indistinct voices before the whole world went silent.