The Hotel - 1

My name is Austin. I'm the founder of a small theatrical troupe that travels to homeless shelters and senior centers in the city, putting on shows for those who are unlikely or unable to visit a legitimate theater. Sometimes, to help make ends meet, we hire out for special performances. This was one of them.

* * * *

It was mid-Tuesday afternoon and we'd been on the road for at least an hour. I was driving the refurbished school bus we used when we needed to transport the entire troupe and our gear at the same time.  We were almost forty miles from the city where we lived and worked, and hadn't seen any signs of civilization in the last fifteen minutes, other than a tiny town off to the side of the two-lane highway. Soon after passing by it, we'd turned off the highway onto a narrow one-lane road. As we went around the last curve leading to our destination I exclaimed, "You have got to be kidding me."

I stared at what I'd been told would be a house that had been turned into a small hotel, sitting on the edge of a mountain lake. There were definitely mountains, and a lake, but what I saw was not just a house. Well, not my definition of a house. It was a damned mansion, or close to it.

"It's big enough," Ramsey said as he peered out the side window of the bus.

Phil snickered. "For an army."

"At least there should be more than enough room for all of us," I commented.

"It's three stories," Caitlin said, using her finger to count them. "So there better be."

"Us and the ghosts." Noah made a 'woo-woo' sound.

"Stop that!" Caitlin swatted his arm.

By then, I had pulled up in front of the hotel. Everyone piled out, heading to the large porch. The door opened, revealing a burly man with wiry graying hair and Edwin Delaney, the man who'd hired us.

"Welcome, Austin," Mr. Delaney said. "I'm pleased you and your company could make it. If you'll give Logan—" he nodded to his companion, "—the keys to the bus he'll take it around to the lot and bring your bags inside."

I did as he'd asked then said, "It's not often we get a chance to work in such lovely surroundings, Mr. Delaney. In fact, I can safely say this is the first time."

"I'm looking forward to your show. As I told you I would, I've set aside one of the larger rooms for your use. Oh, and please call me Edwin." He stepped aside to let us enter. "For your information, Logan Goodman is my general factotum. He's responsible for the upkeep of the hotel and grounds. His wife, Sophia, is the housekeeper, and their daughter Brenda's the cook."

"Only the three of them?" Caitlin asked, looking around the large entry hall. There was a dark mahogany reception desk with a very modern computer sitting on it. Wine upholstered sofas and several chairs ranged along each of the side walls between the doorways to other rooms on the ground floor. A huge chandelier hung high above the desk and there were sconces along the walls to light the area.