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Kim’s brows shot high. “What’s up with her?”
Luke and Dean both shrugged at the same time. “No idea,” Dean shook his head. He spied the steaming mugs sitting on the coffee table and went over and took one. “What I do know is, I’m taking my hot cocoa here and going to bed.” Taking a sip, he jerked his head towards the foyer as he walked towards it. “Luke, I put your bags behind the front desk in the lobby.”
“Thanks man. Have a goodnight.”
“That sounds like a plan to me.” Kim stood up and took a mug for herself and looked at Luke. “Before I go, what were your temps?”
“Both of us were normal.”
“Good. Yell if you need me,” she said, and headed out the room.
“Will do.” He looked at Jasmine and handed her the hangers. “You can handle this right?”
“I’m sixteen not five,” she laughed. “Of course, I can.”
“Good, I’ll go give Brit a hand. Where might she be?”
“She went to get bedding. Second floor, right outside the honeymoon suite there’s a closet.”
“Perfect. Won’t be long.” He turned and left the room.
Grabbing his backpack from behind the desk, he sprinted up the stairs to the second floor. With any luck, Brit wouldn’t smack him in the face until after he had apologized.
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BRIT WAS NOT ON THEsecond floor getting bedding, she was in her bedroom on the third floor. She’d decided to get her and Jasmine’s pajamas first. Normally, she would bundle up for bed because it was so damn cold up there but wearing flannel pj’s to sleep in front of a fireplace was out of the question. She knew if she did, she would be ripping them off in the middle of the night, which was something she really didn't want to be doing with Luke sleeping a few feet away.
Pulling open her drawer, she pulled out the coolest thing she owned. Holding it up, she looked in the floor length mirror at her reflection. A white satin nightshirt that resembled a man’s long sleeve button up shirt, that stopped at mid-thigh. Well, at least she would be covered.
Deciding to change now rather than later, she pulled off her shirt and froze when she heard the floor creak outside her door. Holding her shirt like a shield in front of her, she called out, “Jasmine, is that you?”
She shot her gaze towards the door and watched as it slowly creaked open, then a form materialized out of thin air. Brit had the pleasure of Fredrick Anderson’s ghostly affections towards her, but she had never seen this spirit before. Whoever she was, she was scary as hell. Her long dark hair flowed wildly behind her as she shifted from transparent to human-like. Brit looked on in horrified amazement as the apparition lifted her hand and pointed a long bony finger at her.
She heard, or at least she thought she did, an Ethereal voice emanating from the apparition. At first it sounded like muttering, but then words were starting to formulate, to the point that Brit could hear, “Brit, smarten up you little tramp. Otherwise, you’ll lose the best thing that is about to happen to you...just like I did.”
Brit opened her mouth and out came a blood curdling scream...
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LUKE SET HIS BAG DOWNat the top of the steps as he made his way to the linen closet where Jasmine said he’d find it and Brit. She wasn’t there. Looking down at the hall of the west wing, he saw the doors to all rooms standing open. Odd he thought but he ended up ducking his head into every room and she still was nowhere to be found. Thinking he must have missed her, he headed towards the staircase to go back downstairs. He was stepping onto the landing when something caught his eye. The alcove that hid the passageway to the old servants’ quarters stood open an inch. He’d never been up there before but knew that was where Brit and Jasmine slept.
Crossing the landing, Luke opened the door and peeked his head in and saw a set of stairs before him. Placing a foot on the bottom step he made his way up, then stopped and almost toppled back down the stairs from seeing the vision before him. It was Brit running out of her room screaming bloody murder in only her bra and underwear. And she was headed right for him.
With a crazed look in her eyes, she shouted. “Get out of my way!”
“Whoa, whoa. Hold up!” he managed to say as she tried to shove her way past him. Taking her by the shoulders, Luke held her there until she calmed down. “Wanna tell me what’s got you worked up?”
“Didn’t you see... it... her?”
Luke looked towards the top of the stairs very aware that she stood there half naked. “Who is her?”
“I don’t know her name!”
“Come on, I’ll go with you and look,” Luke said, turning her around. “Besides, you need to get some clothes on...”
Digging in her heels, she said, “I’m not going back up there!”
“Come on, it’s fine. Are there other guests up here?” Luke asked, tugging her along.
