fascination ; James Patrick March

01

The click clacking of heels hit against the marble floors of the famous building, The Hotel Cortez.
The empty lobby was now filled with the huge number of one singular person, who was making her way to the receptionist.
She was a beautiful woman, long legs, honey brown skin, stunning eyes and a gorgeous smile. Some would say, she had not one imperfection.
Although something more beautiful than her appearance was her personality, which could be described as delightful.
A girl who always said please and thank you, a girl who held the door open for the elderly and a caring and friendly human being in general.
Her name?
Miss Carmella Miller. A twenty one year old unemployed female, with the hopes and dreams of becoming a teacher.
However, beneath her perfect personality and looks was the unhappiest of people, just after recovering from an abusive relationship, where every night she contemplated ending her life in hopes of escaping the sick and twisted reality she lived in.
Now she was searching for peace, for a fresh start. And that's how she ended up in the lobby of Hotel Cortez.
Carmella walked up to the empty receptionist, she looked around a bit to find a person but decided to press the bell.
Behind her were her suitcases which carried her clothes and belongings.
After a minute of waiting she hesitantly hit the bell again, waiting for someone to show up.
"I heard it the first time Jesus Christ!"
An old woman who looked to be in her mid fifties walked up to the counter and studied Carmella.
"You booked?"
The brown eyed female shook her head, "No, is there rooms still available?"
"Of course there is, the time this place sells out of rooms will be the time everyone inside is dead."
Carmella raised an eyebrow, not noticing and sarcasm in the woman's tone, but assumed it was very unlikely she was being serious.
"Ok, um.. any room will do for me."
The woman turned around thumbling through several keys, eventually removing one from the shelf.
"My names Iris, oh and, you're room number 63. You will find an ice machine on your floor and that's all you need to know."
Carmella nodded and took the key, she gave the grey haired lady a smile and walked to the lift, punching in the correct numbers to the floor she needed to be on.
Elevators gave her anxiety, it was the feeling of going up, and this one was no exception, the oldness of it made it rattle, so when the lift stopped and the doors opened the took a breath of relief.
She walked through the hallways and stopped at Room 63, beside it was Room 64, and for some reason she could not pinpoint.
There was something weird about that room.
She got a vibe, something strange, but tried her best to push it away.
Carmella twisted the key in the hole and opened the door, she walked in and was pleased with her surroundings.
It wasn't like she had been used to anything nice anyway.
The most she could afford when her boyfriend gambled and drank all their money was a dodgy apartment in a dodgy street.
This looked safe and welcoming, and how wrong was she.
She set her suitcase on the bed and opened it up, taking out her clothes and underwear and putting it in the nearby wardrobe, next she took out some photo frames, she was only staying here for a few days, a week at most. But being reminded of the face of her late mother gave her happiness.
Carmella sat on the bed and smiled at the picture.
"Oh mom... I miss you."
Thud.
Quickly alerted Carmella stood up, the noise came from outside, almost like someone was banging on a door.
She had two thoughts. Was this a crazy lunatic, or was this someone who needed help.
The thudding came closer and soon, her door was getting pounded at, for what seemed like hours Carmella sat there in fear, then it just stopped.
There was an eerie silence outside her room, no more thudding.
She stood up and walked, her hand twisted the handle and she pulled open the door.
In front of her was a man, but he was standing backwards.
All she could see was black hair, it was short, and a suit, it looked classy, something from the movies.
Swiftly the man turned around, he had a handsome face, a noticeable moustache and a grin.
"Sorry dear, some kid was running across the hallways banging on the doors. Very noisy. This will not happen again."
"A kid? Where did he go?" Carmella questioned, she peeked out the door looking at both sides seeing nobody.
"The nuisance of a boy ran away when he saw me. Kids these days never learn, the names James Patrick March, but I prefer just being called James. How about you?"
"Oh hi, eh James... my name is Carmella Miller."
"Haven't heard that name around here? Are you from the state!"
Carmella shook her head, "No, I'm from Texas, first time being here. I'm just, getting a fresh start you could say." She smiled at him, a lot of people said her smile was infectious.
And that was very true, because not long after a smile crept onto the face of James March.
"Anyways, I'll not interrupt whatever you were doing before. I'll see about talking to you later young lady."
"Ok, goodbye!" Carmella shut the door and stood against the wall, that was a confusing conversation. But he seemed nice, very old fashioned but nice.
•°•
"Anyways, I'll not interrupt whatever you were doing before. I'll see about talking to you later young lady." James said.
"Ok, goodbye!" The girl spoke and eventually shut the door.
James stood by himself and turned around looking at the dead body of the hooker he had just killed, it was a miracle Carmella hadn't seen it behind him. However she seemed gullible, too nice for her own good.
He smirked to himself, she was beautiful though, and even if she was too nice. It was delightful to have someone around that could make him smile when inside, he was truly, and literally dead.