Chapter 20: Ghosts
There are no such things as ghosts, there are no such things as ghosts, THERE ARE NO SUCH THINGS AS GHOSTS! Rose kept telling herself that, over and over again, in her head. The notion in-and-of itself was absurd, granted it wasn't too long ago that she found the notion of vampires to be rather difficult to cope with.
The paranormal communities had lost their minds after the original proclamation that vampires were, indeed, real. Many ghost seekers, and wanna be 'supernatural experts', eagerly sat on the edge of their seats expecting their own boogymen to be revealed shortly after. They never were, and neither was Sasquatch, chupacabras, or any other devilish spawn that populated mythology. There was nothing to say about werewolves, mysteriously, but so far nothing had been confirmed.
Rose tasted something odd and metallic between her teeth. She kept seeing things in the corner of her vision, as if there were shadows playing for her attention. She felt an awkward tension, as if someone was about to lightly poke her on the shoulder, yet Reby was standing in front of her, and there was no one else in the hall.
The lights were flickering overhead, which only added to the awkward tension. It was slowly giving her a migraine. Thankfully, the early morning sun brought some clarity to the empty corridors, but the flickering and alarms hadn't ceased. While the annoying wail of alarms did wane, the high pitch chime continued.
There weren't many things that could easily distract Rose's attention from her vampires remarkable outfit. Even with all the alarms, and flashing lights. The lace of her corset clung to the vampire's voluptuous frame, the red stitching clearly visible in the renewing sunlight. It was quite daring for her to wear anything with the color red, but Rebecca liked her games, and power games were her favorite.
Clearly she wanted the other vampires to get a small rise from the tiny lines of crimson, only to remind them that none of them could do anything about it. Rebecca's golden hair danced with each step, and sparkled with an illustrious glow. Even ready to pounce, Reby looked delightfully attractive.
Yet still, Rose had to divert her attention to something far more sinister.
The door to the stairwell was partially ajar, and slowly swinging open. It made a creaking sound as its metal hinges glided the thick wooden slab across padded carpeting. Rose froze as she smelled something sweet, like cinnamon, leaking through the doorway.
The door handle had clearly moved, Rose saw the smooth metal twirl in the light, so it couldn't have been the wind. As the door came free, and swiveled open, Rose and Reby were ready to pounce.
Rose steeled herself, terrified that another armed intruder was about to come forth. Meanwhile, her vampire was crouched with her knees planted on the floor, and her teeth bared. As she leaned forward, her corset strained to cling onto her tender flesh. Rose's eyes darted back and forth between the doorway, and her vampire's cleavage spilling out from the fabric.
The door finally parted wide enough to get a strong glimpse through to the other side. It was dark, as if the stairwell was instead the opening to a deep chasm. As the wooden door fully opened, nothing stepped through.
Not even a shadow.
For several eerie seconds, the two of them just studied the open passage, as if something insidious lurked on the other side. Rose unconsciously held her breath, her fingers twitched with anticipation. Sweat dripped down her shoulder blades, and strolled between her cleavage. Yet after thirty long seconds, nothing emerged. Even the smell had dissolved into oblivion.
"GOSTS!" Reby was the first to speak out. She jumped back, and clung onto Rose's arm with terror. Her soft chest pressed firmly against Rose's bicep, sending her a rush of endorphins and causing her heart to flutter.
"There's no such thing as ghosts Reby!" Rose snapped as she felt her girlfriends fingernails clinging into her skin.
"Than what do you call that?" Reby pointed squarely at the door. "I told you they were real! I bet this entire hotel is infested."
"Stop being over dramatic…again." Rose was just glad her vampire didn't have another gun in her hands. "Ghosts are not real…"
"How can you say that! Of course their real," Reby clung closer, Rose could practically feel Rebecca's heartbeat against her arm. "I bet they're watching us right now…just getting ready to strike."
"How is it you're afraid of both spiders, and ghosts?" It was a valid question. One that she had asked before, with no clear answer. Even after walking into her apartment one evening to find Rebecca holding an impromptu exorcism of their living room! Reby claimed a box had moved on its own, disregarding the fact that the balcony door was wide open, and the wind was fierce.
Reby's sharp teeth were poking through her lips as she continued to remain on high alert. "Of course! What if their working together."
"Reby…" Rose tried to interrupt her train of thought.
"Thats why the seance back at the apartment didn't work, I bet those no good creepy crawlies warned them in advance! We'll have to hire a professional exterminator next time, I wonder if the landlord could bug bomb the entire complex." Rebecca was lost in her own train of thought. Pressed so tightly against Rose's arm, she didn't care that her outfit was on the verge of a wardrobe malfunction.
"Reby," Rose tried to interrupt again, this time clearly watching the doorknob twist again.
Reby just continued, "Of course, it makes sense now! The spiders saw they could no longer do anything on their own. Their unholy alliance must end! But how?"
"REBY!" Rose gently slipped her fingers through Reby's golden mane, and guided her face toward the door. They watched as it closed itself, the doorknob twisting to hold it in place.
"I new New Orleans was haunted, even this very hotel is seething with corruption." Rebecca spoke softly, as if afraid to provoke the spirits. "I must investigate, or hold a seance or call a priest."
"You watch way too many horror movies," Rose felt a surge of relief as the lights stopped flashing, and remained constant. The alarms finally stopped, easing the tension in the halls.
"They're not horror movies. They're called documentaries, or survival films." Rose was pretty sure her vampire was joking. There was a slight warmth in her voice, making it hard to take seriously.
It took a few minutes for both of them to recover their composure. Eventually, Rose felt courage enough to take a step forward. Rebecca refused to let go of Rose's arm, she had her left arm wrapped around Rose's backside as they approached the doorway. Rose could feel her vampire shivering with anxiety.
"Oh my god," Rose felt a shocking revelation.
"Don't use his name in vain," Rebecca chimed back. Even without her silver cross necklace, she took her private faith seriously. At least, when they weren't under the sheets.
"I think this is the first time I've ever seen you afraid!" Rose looked Reby in the eye. The truth was a cold balm over her senses. She had seen her vampire handle nervous situations before, but had never seen genuine terror in Reby's beautiful eyes.
Reby held on even tighter, she leaned her head against Rose's shoulder quietly. When she finally responded, her voice was shaking. "I'm sure it was just the wind…you're right, there are no such things as ghosts."
Rose gulped hearing her words. "That's right, I'm sure it was just the wind. Maybe the doorknob didn't turn on its own. Maybe the flashing lights are playing tricks on us."
"Yeah, that's right. Why don't we just pretend we didn't see anything," Rebecca was trying her best to remain calm. It was private moments like these, when Rebecca couldn't hide her sensitive side, that Rose truly cherished.
Rebecca kissed Rose on the cheek before finally releasing her. The moment she stepped back, Rebecca had to quickly adjust the strappings of her corset to keep it from falling down her stomach.
The sounds of small arms fire could be heard again from far below. Rose looked down, and listened to the small pops of gunfire. She felt the desire to return to their room, but couldn't shake the feeling that something, or someone, was pulling her forward. A thought occurred to her, one that she couldn't shake.
"Hey Reby, I know vampire's aren't like the stories, but is it possible that some of them could become invisible?" She couldn't escape the feeling that they were being watched, and Rose knew she smelled something weird coming from the doorway.
Rebecca pondered this for a moment, while adjusting her outfit. Rose walked up behind her so that she could assist with some of the straps. The heat emanating from her vampire's skin sent a shiver through her loins, and Rose struggled to resist the urge to undo the tiny zipper.
The vampire looked over her shoulder with a smirk, evidently she could tell what Rose was thinking. In response she playfully arched her rear against Rose's groin, then reached her arm back to grab a fistful of Rose's hair.
"Down girl," Rebecca teased. "Better get a hold of herself, or someone might see us."
Rose struggled to control her breathing. Her heart was racing beneath her breast. It took everything in her to not lose self-control. Rose bit her lip, yearning to let her passions fly. She resigned herself to feeling up her girlfriends bountiful chest before releasing her. It was hard not to let her fingers glide underneath the corset so that she could feel her vampire's smooth skin.
Rebecca chuckled to herself as she took a step back. The vampire wouldn't let her back face the door, but she seemed to feel better. There was a spry in her step as she thought about Rose's earlier question.
"I've never heard of something like that. Even when I turn to mist, I'm not invisible." That was true, but Reby was still discovering things she could do. Ever since she began drinking Rose's blood regularly, the vampire had unlocked a number of interesting, and eerie, abilities.
"Why?" Rebecca asked Rose with a raised eyebrow.
Before Rose could respond, the sound of glass shattering echoed from down the hall. It was followed by the sounds of screaming.