The Hotel Cortez - Do Not Disturb

Chapter 14

I woke up, my eyes aching and my head banging. Everything blurred into an unfamiliar haze as my memories faded together. Where was I? What had happened?
Then it clicked. Sally. She must've drugged me or some shit. But why? It was so confusing. I would call her Judas but that would make me Jesus and... Well that doesn't exactly work. So, I'll go for the Shakespearean comparison and just say a simple 'et tu Brutus'
"SALLY?" I screamed from the top of my lungs. A sound reminiscent of a banshee or when ones mother isn't pleased with your housework.
Instantly I saw her scurrying towards me.
"Sh sh sh" she said with a frown.
"Then tell me what the hell is going on RIGHT NOW."
"It's okay, it'll all be over soon. I didn't expect you to wake up that soon, the amount of shit I put in your drink was enough to knock out an elephant." she whispered.
"Well, I'm a witch. Speaking of which, get me out of here before I fry this goddamn room." I replied, anger burning through my veins.
"Just calm down. This will all be over in a minute. I just can't lose you like I lost him."
My eyes narrowed, "That John guy you were muttering about before?"
Her eyes widened and then her face contorted into a sorrowful nod.
"March took him from me and then he died outside the hotel. This wouldn't have hurt if you'd just stayed unconscious...." Sally said, pulling out a sharp needle.
"Sally wait! Stop! I'm not gonna die just stop!"
But everything had already gone black. An intense pain shooting through my chest was the last thing I felt before I felt nothing at all. It was just and endless abyss. No pain, no fire, just emptiness. Darkness as far as the eye could see. It was terrifying. It was so much worse than devil's with sharp sticks and firey damnation. It was an emptiness that I never wanted to see again. It was nothing at all.

My eyes opened suddenly as I jolted up, inhaling deeply. I was back in room 64. Good. It must've just been a dream. It had to have been a nightmare. A sigh of relief spread across my face. That was until I saw James walk in with the most solemn of faces. He looked as though he was about to tell a five year old that he'd hit their puppy with a car. However, I knew that whatever he was about to say was so much worse.
Liz, Elizabeth and Iris stood in the doorway, not daring to move. I wasn't sure if they were scared or upset.
"Darling, you're awake." He smiled at me.
That smile would've washed everything else away had it not been for this lingering sickness in the pit of my stomach that told me everything most certainly was not okay.
"James... What's going on?" Concern laced through my shaky voice as I spoke. I felt like I was about burst into tears at any moment. What was happening?
He motioned for the other three to leave us. Liz and Iris scurried off instantly. Elizabeth refused to move but she sauntered off eventually giving me a sad smile before she left.

"What's wrong?" I asked.
He held onto my hand reassuringly before speaking, "You're dead, dear."
"I'm what now?" I spoke more harshly.
"When we found you, it was too late for Elizabeth to turn you... You were murdered."
I clenched my teeth, rage filling my soul once more. "Sally." I said through gritted teeth. "It was Sally."