Auntie's Hotel

Chapter 10 All the Cook's Horses

The swim was refreshing, but not at all enjoyable, considering Don Cook spent most of his time mulling over how he had received the call or who had called. No one was brave enough to challenge him. No one could break through his security. Who would dare?

The day burned on with no answers to his ponderings. No more odd phone calls came in. All of the people he called in, arrived. All, of course, with the exception of Officer Brian Jensen.

Mr. Cook set up everyone to care for the estate and its guests as if there were a party taking place and everyone would remain here through the night and long into the next day. His security team walked the grounds, changed shifts randomly and more often than normal.

It was still incapable of helping to ease the edge riding on his nerves. He jumped at everything. Everyone was the voice to him. Anyone could be. Yet, no one said anything to him, which triggered any more suspicion. No one went where they weren't wanted or needed. These were all the people he knew. One of them had to be... one of them had to make that call.

As the night hours approached and the temperature dropped, a light fog rose across the grounds. At first, the fog was simply a mist rising from the damp ground, making it so the ground was invisible. Then it became a thick blanket, rising waist high and giving off the impression that people were floating as they moved across the grounds. As the night hours passed, the fog created a thick wall no one could see through.

The fog was followed by a series of erie noises. They were random, like the chirps of crickets and owl hoots in the night. Then, they became distant howls and growling dogs. Finally came the sound of scraping of metal against metal.

"Who's there?!" one of the guards yelled so that attention could be brought to the creepy sounds and the possible presence of someone or something in the area. "Where are you?" as if someone would reply.

"It's over here," another shouted.

"Where?"

"I can't see anything!"

"Oof."

Thud...

"Noah!"

"Get inside!"

"Go! Now!"

These commands came from every direction. Finding a building to get into was more difficult than expected. The fog had them all disoriented. Some managed to safely retreat. Some accidentally moved further away from the buildings. Others stood and waited, afraid to move, for fate to take its course. These people believed that since they could not see what was moving, how could what was moving see them?

Inside, Mr. Cook saw his people coming back in, panicked. They seemed disorganized and confused.

"Stop!" he commanded. "It's just fog!"

His words were worthless. The panic was already set and they weren't listening to any reason. They ran every which way. The creeping fog surrounded those unsuspecting individuals who decided to flee the home due to the panic they saw on the guards' faces. Everyone ran. They scattered themselves throughout the estate, were lost in the fog, and lost within the halls of the estate trying to find a room to hide in. Hiding could not help them... if what was coming wanted to find them.

"I told you!" the voice from the phone boomed throughout the halls of the mansion. "Now, we are here!"

"Where are you?! Stop playing your games and face me!" Mr. Cook demanded, backing himself up against the fireplace. Snatching a gun from a brown box on the mantle, he was going to make this spot where he stood to protect whatever they were after.