CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE DARK MYSTERIES WITHIN HOTEL DEL ESTRELLA (LET'S DO THIS!)

Raine continued to walk towards the corridor, hoping to see some clues to solve the murder mystery.

On her way she encountered the dead man's body being carried by the nurses towards their ambulance. His whole body was covered with blanket which became bloody because of his blood.

"You here that everyone. The hotel's in lockdown," said the owner's elder brother towards the crowd gathered around the corridor, "Now head back to your rooms and tell your love ones you'll be staying here for a while."

Raine paused, waiting for her friends to come back. As the two passed by, their arguing began echoing throughout the corridor.

"I told you to hurry!" Lani exclaimed.

"You're the one who's behind me," replied Zane.

Being interrupted by their arguing, the two didn't noticed Raine who was standing in front of them. Seeing her, they both let out a scream immediately cut off by Raine covering their mouths.

"Hey, it's just me! There's nothing to worry about," she shushed.

"Raine," said Lani, "so it's really you! I thought a was just hallucinating."

"So, you said that you're on a vacation. Whose with you?" Raine asked.

"Uhh... just-" Zane replied, immediately interrupted by Lani pinching his hand. "We're with... Dad!"

He and Lani gave her a sly smile. Seeming to hide something behind it.

"Okay. Good enough for me," replied Raine with a slight of doubt in her mind.

"We're heading back to our room now," said Lani, "'cause you know, Dad might be worrying now especially that something just happened a while ago." She let out a smile and grabbed her brother's shoulder.

"Let's go," she whispered as they head back downstairs.

"I guess we'll see you later," Zane spoke.

Raine watched them as they ran downstairs. After a while, Vanessa came touching her shoulders.

"Let's head back inside," Vanessa spoke.

As the two went back to their room, they didn't noticed a person walking towards the murder room. His wearing a cap and a black attire all over him. He silently entered the room, taking a camera out of his pocket.

After a quick snap, he opened the window and jumped down the bushes. After landing safely, he ran straight to the backyard.

There he came to his secret hideout. Grinning.

He turned the lights on. Making the two persons he tied up inside visible.

"Where is it?" he asked. Removing the handkerchief that was preventing his hostages stop talking.

"Where is what?" asked one of the persons in front of him that is tied up on a chair who was apparently Simon.

"Stop pretending that you didn't know! I'm not born yesterday!" the mysterious man exclaimed, "Tell me or I'll do the same to you what I did to that man!" He shoved on his pocket and took his knife.

He leisurely walked towards Simon. Trying to hold his anger.

When he was about to cut off the boy's skin, his companion let out a cry. "Don't do it! He's just a kid just like you!"

"I don't care! You two will just interfere with my plan!" he replied. Leisurely he continued what he wants to do on Simon.

"Please!" the man begged, "Whether he tell you where it is or not, nothing bad will happen. No one knows about it's location except for us!"

Meanwhile back to Room 302, overlapping questions from Raine echoed around the room.

"Auntie, what happened back there?" asked Raine. "Who was the murdered man?"

"Raine, I can't answer that question. We're here for vacation. Besides, we need it," Vanessa replied, "For now, we just need to stay in here until the investigation's over, okay?"

Raine sighed. Accepting the fact that her aunt's got a point. "Okay."

"Now let's go to sleep, shall we?" her aunt spoke, "Besides it's already late!"

"Yeah, you're right. Goodnight," replied Raine. Going to the comfort room to change her clothes.

After having herself ready, she heard a strange sound coming from the window. As she moved around the room, she realized that her aunt was already asleep. Probably exhausted from their long trip.

She silently walked towards the window. Not letting to let out unnecessary noises that can wake her aunt up.

From there her attention was caught by a light coming from one of the trees at the backyard. It was there shining brightly but at a blink of an eye it suddenly vanished.

Raine sensed a strange feeling. A strange feeling that something's fishy might be going on around the area. To prevent any more accident, she knew she have to solve this mystery just like every other mystery she solved in the States.

She waited for a little while. Hoping to see a thing that'll support her suspicions.

She remained standing by the window. However, all she saw was darkness. There's no light appearing anymore.

"Maybe I'm just hallucinating. Maybe I'm just exhausted," she whispered. Rubbing her eyes.

She walked towards her aunt and hoped on her bed. She took off her glasses and turned off the lamp.

Darkness suddenly enveloped the whole room. The stars and the moon gave it a little light which was peaking at the window.

Hours passed but still Raine cannot get herself to sleep. The mystery about the man's death haunts her mind making her stay awake.

She can hear the clock ticking. The scream she heard before the death of the man near their room. The warnings from the hotel staff at the lobby.

Just in case something unusual happened,  don't go out of your room and lock the door, she remembered the staff spoke to them hours ago.

She turned on the lamp again. Hoping to make herself sleepy by scrolling her phone.

A little while later, eyelids began to shut down. Minute by minute she began to feel sleepy.

All was going well so far. Not until she was woke up by her phone vibrating. Worried that she might wake up her aunt, she immediately answered it and wore her glasses.

"Hello?"

"Raine, how are you feeling? Are... Are you okay?" the girl behind the call, Shaira, asked in a worried voice.

"I... I'm okay. Wh- Why did you ask?" Raine asked, trying to stand up from her sleepy feeling for a while.

"I heard that a killing happened there making you all in a lockdown. When I heard that on the news on the television,  I immediately worried," Shaira replied, "especially now that Simon's not picking his phone up."