XV (Part I)

It is so weird, the playground that Apphia has told us is actually located underneath the hotel. Honestly, I don't expect much of that place. I wonder what awaits us there.

The lights are out when we we have walked through the hallway as Harris flips every switches we see along the way. It is fine though, the light from the moon outside illuminates the glass top to bottom windows on every corner of the building.

"Why are you turning the lights off?" I once asks him in whispers.

"I realized that there must be someone else who has survived the tragedies we have gone to."

"Huh?" I ask confuse

It is so weird, the playground that Apphia has told us is actually located underneath the hotel. I mean, if you ever heard of a playground, then it is usually like a park, right? A place where there would be trees and grass, somewhere there are lots of sunlight and an area where people can freely do picnics and other fun family affairs. They must be wrong, they should have been referring to a playroom, the one which holds billiards, and play stations, and dartboards. Honestly, I don't expect much of that place right now because I couldn't imagine how that place can be. I wonder what awaits us there.

But yeah, that must be it.

The lights are out when we have walked through the hallway as Harris flips every switch we see along the way. It is fine though, the light from the moon outside illuminates the glass top to bottom windows on every corner of the building. We are walking towards a fire exit door at the end of this path. We need to survive if we have to wait for sunrise to wake up.

"Why are you turning the lights off?" I once asked him in whispers.

"I realized that there must be someone else who has survived the tragedies we have gone to."

"Huh?" I ask confused.

"Remember that someone shot Stacey with a gun?"

"Yes?"

"It seems like if there are really survivors, some might love to kill. These lights?" I can see a shadow of a smile form on his lips. "These will give us more stealth to move."

"Okay," I smile back to him and look at Steven in front of us. He's carrying the cold corpse of his sister on his back. I lost my smile. They look so sad and so unreal I will never think that I have to witness this type of scenario in my life. It reminds me too much of an animated movie I have watched years ago. I can even feel the burden and heavy emotion that engulfs him in every step that he takes. We do not know what lies ahead of us. We don't even know what can save us from this place. Not one of the ghosts has even told us what is actually on the playground, but they told us that we will know if there are survivors apart from us over there. How can that be? Are there people hiding there, too?

Nothing but our unsteady breathes and our footsteps echo in this silence even though we try so hard to be silent as we can be. Cautious with every pace we take as we don't know how that unseen monster approaches us along the way.

"What pushes you to survive?" We hear Steven whispers in a low voice in front of us. It is loud enough that we who are following can hear him.

Yeah, Why am I working so hard to survive?

There's no job waiting for me in reality, and my name is no longer clean.

My mom could be dead, too.

My father already has his own new family.

Why am I trying so hard to survive?

"My brother," I answer in a low voice as I remember my brother. "I have a brother, his name is Andrew. He's in 10th grade. If my mother and I die in this place, no one will take care of him and help him get into a nice university."

I feel something rub on the back of my mind. I look up at it and find that it is Harris. He then takes my hand and holds it firmly, his is warm against my cold and nervous one. I look up and find him staring intently at me.

"For me," I hear him say while still looking at me, "I will finally gain up my courage and approach the woman I love for years." I look away as I feel my heart racing.

What does he mean by that? That sure is not me as we have only met this night. Harris should stop confusing my heart.

I should also not expect too much from this because we don't know if we can leave this place. Besides, he already loves someone in reality.

I pull my hand away and cough twice. "What about you Steven?"

Silence. Steven doesn't say another word.

When we reach the door, Harris immediately pushes it open. We are a floor underground from the main entrance as the storage room is located here and we are now going deeper. I still find it weird how the playground is actually located underground. Slowly, we go down the staircase.

"I don't know," Steven says after a while. I look at him confused about what he is trying to say.

"It has always been Stacey and me as we are orphans. Our parents died in a car crash when we are younger. Since then, we have been working together to help each other out. When Melvin came into our lives, he has been a blessing since."

"But now that they're gone. I don't know."

When we reach the bottom of the staircase, we stand in front of the only door on this floor and a signboard in gold and black letters stick on it. It says, Authorized Personnel Only.

"We're here!" Harris exclaims.

"This says Authorized Personnel Only. Are they sure that this is it?" I ask him. Harris reaches out to the sign and it falls to the ground. Another signage emerges and it says Playground.

"This must be it," Steven says. "Let's go inside."

Steven shakes Stacey's body to free his right hand and take hold of the gold and round doorknob. It is not locked. He pushes it open and a dark room hides behind it. Did the Hotel's monster go here before? Why is it so pitch black?

We step inside as our eyes take time to adjust to the surroundings. Eventually, I can slightly shadows and forms. Oh, the monster hasn't been here. I notice that the floor here is soft. Definitely not concrete. I sit down to touch the ground, pick some of it and rub them against my fingers. It feels like soil. Is this the playground?

"Hello! Is there anybody here?" Harris tries to call out for other survivors.

But no one responds. Why did the ghosts tell us to come here?

We continue to move forward as I can slightly see a soft light of blue illuminating a huge portion of the center of the room. I walk towards it, the two men follow me. I look up to see where it comes from and my jaw drops to what I see as a drop of water reaches my forehead.

The Pool.

The swimming pool that has been 'under maintenance'. We are under it. It glows in the moonlight as the glass that holds it prevents it from drowning us. It serves as the ceiling of this area.

"What is this," Steven also stands in awe. If we are in a different situation, I might have appreciated how disturbingly beautiful it looks.

Blag!

A sound catches my attention. It sounds like someone has fallen on the ground.

"Who's there?!" I shout as I try to walk backward to Steven who is beside me.

"It's just me, Amy," I hear Harris' voice. "Be careful. It seems like there are humps on the ground everywhere."

I look down and finally see what the pool has been lighting up on to. There are piles of rectangular soil on the ground. I try to observe these things more and I notice that there is a pale woodblock on one of its ends. I reach down as I see shadows of scribbling in black ink on it. I squint my eyes to properly see it.

Luke Murrell, 2004

I cover my mouth as I gasp. Is this...

"What's wrong with you, Amy?" I hear Steven not too far away from me. I feel the hairs on my arms stand up as the tears in my eyes start to form. This place...

My legs have gone weak and I am shaking tremendously while my hands still cover my mouth. I can't believe it. How cruel is the management of this place? I never thought there could be crueler than all the tragedies we have been to.

I feel a pair of strong hands on my shoulder as it shakes me while calling out my name, "Amy! Amy! Snap out of it!"

"H-Harris... T-this place..." I try to mutter in sobs and Harris hugs me so tight I am buried in his arms.

"Shhh... Shh... Don't worry, you are not alone. We are here with you. We'll get out of this place." I hear him trying to calm me down.

I just want to wake up. This place is getting worst with every second we stay here.

"Amy," he lets me go from the embrace and cups my face in between his hands as he looks at me in the eyes. "We will wake up from this nightmare. Don't worry."

And I believe him. He helps me to stand up and, now, my eyes have finally adjusted to the darkroom. Down before us lies the bodies of those who have died in this hotel.

This place is no longer a playground as piles of freshly dug soil line up before us.

This place is a graveyard.