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Maria didn’t remember being stabbed, but she felt a stinging sensation in her stomach that felt like she had been.
She was too afraid to check under her shirt (or to even so much as put her hands near that place) to see if there was some kind of gaping wound or-
Don’t think about that right now Maria, you’ll make yourself sick. Focus on where you are right now.
Window, fog (typical), rain, bed, woman- What the.
The woman (she looked familiar, but Maria wasn’t sure) was standing by the window, looking out wistfully with her head in her hands as if nothing was wrong.
Maria contemplated going near the woman. What if as soon as she’d step towards her, she’d turn into a monster?
In her head it sounded silly, like something a child would think.
But, in this town, anything can happen.
Maria figured it would be safer to wait. Maybe she’d just- disappear. Like James always did.
Realization hit her like a freight train. This woman was Mary. James’ Mary.
“I didn’t see you there, miss.” Maria froze. She tried to stammer out a response, but the words were stuck in her throat like rocks.
As the woman stepped closer, Maria could definitely see the quaint young woman she had seen in the photograph. The smile plastered on her face was even the same as the photo.
Maria quickly, awkwardly tried to back up as Mary stepped towards her. Every frightened step back, Mary followed with that same undisturbed stroll.
Great. First, I’m hounded by monsters, now I’m being followed by that guy’s wife.
His dead wife.
“Are you okay?” Mary raised a ghostly hand, but quickly retracted it, probably noting the terrified expression on Maria’s face.
Maria managed to calm herself down long enough to speak, though still shaky. “I’m...” She warily noted her surroundings. Same as before.
“I’m fine. Thanks.” Maria took a deep breath. In, out, in, out.
“What’re you doing here, anyway?” Maria winced at the slight sound of venom in her own voice.
Mary didn’t seem to notice it, the now almost dopey-seeming smile still on her lips as she spoke.
“James is here, isn’t he?” Maria’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name. “I could say the same for you, miss.”
Maria was starting to think the “miss” was patronizing. Just a little.
“I don’t think James is here.” Maria silently added “at least, not yet.”
“Oh.” Mary’s tone was plain. Maria instantly felt bad for letting her down like that.
“I- can help you find him, if you’d like.” She gingerly held out an arm.
A hint of blush shone through Mary’s cheeks, as if she had mistaken Maria’s invitation for help as... something else. She mumbled a “thank you, miss”, and held out her arm the same.
Maria didn’t notice the added “miss” as she grasped Mary’s arm. Her arms felt... eerily lightweight.
Almost ethereal.
Maria gulped as she led the young woman down the stairs, stomach lurching with each clang of the metal grating.
“Careful.” Maria called to Mary, who seemed to be having a bit of trouble keeping up with her, even holding onto her arm like this.
“Again, thank you.” Maria’s heart fluttered strangely. No wonder James was so desperately searching for this woman.
She was so unlike him, with her reserved tone and constant worries and thanks. James seemed so blunt and awkward compared to her.
Maria almost jumped out of her skin with a sudden cough from Mary.
“Sorry.” Her voice was a bit hoarse.
______
The two had reached the lounge after a few stops for Mary to rest. She was really starting to worry Maria.
The room was eerily cold and abandoned, except for some scattered seating and a peculiar music box.
“Beautiful. Just like how I remember it.” Maria choked, thinking that Mary was talking about her.
“Little empty, don’t you think?” Maria had no idea why she had said that now, of the times she could’ve. Everything here was empty.
Mary didn’t respond, perhaps lost in her own little world, remembering the times she and James used to spend here.
Mary snuffed another cough with her sleeve.
“Want to wait here for James?” Maria wanted to tap Mary on the shoulder, but figured she’d scare the poor woman half to death if she pulled that kind of stunt.
“I want to check one more thing, if you wouldn’t mind.” Mary was playing with that music box. Its sound was off-key and choppy, but she didn’t care.
“Okay.” Maria instinctively looked around for any monsters creeping in the shadows. “You lead the way this time?”
Even though she didn’t like leaving frail, sickly Mary to be the one heading first into danger, her not knowing the layout of this place would be just as risky.
Mary nodded slowly as she hummed to the broken tune of the music box, facing away from Maria.
Mary must’ve gotten tired of her little obsessive session with the music box, as she got up with a huff.
Maria looked over her shoulder at the music box as Mary led her away.
She had forgotten to turn it off. The tune echoed almost ominously as they walked farther and farther away.
_____
Mary sighed (well, it sounded more like a wheeze) as they reached the main hall of the hotel.
“Still so beautiful...” She said under a shaky breath.
She strolled to the front door with a newfound youthfulness, leaving Maria behind.
“Wait up-” Maria huffed. She was starting to become a bit tired- and a bit creeped out- by Mary’s constant shifts between “sickly woman” to “girl on her honeymoon”.
As she caught Mary’s arm, her stomach churned into knots as she heard the faint sound of bones going crack.
“Oh god. I’m so- I should’ve been-” Maria blinked as Mary raised a ghostly-looking hand to shush her.
“James is waiting. The garden.” Maria almost couldn’t understand her she talked so fast.
Maria hesitated as Mary held open the door.
The “garden” looked like it hadn’t been tended to in months, maybe even years. Cracked and rotten stone statues were dotted among the rotted grass and wilted flowers.
But Mary looked at it as if it was the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen in her life. Maria almost tripped over her feet as Mary yanked her out into the open.
As Maria got her bearings, she noticed Mary had... disappeared. Gone like she had been swept away by the thick fog that surrounded them.
“Mary?”
All but silence except for the whistling of the wind.
Frightened and defeated, Maria slunk back into the hotel. But, as she shut the door, she could feel a cold hand touch her shoulder.