The rickety van bounced along the dirt roads toward Richard's Bay driving through rain and thunder to deliver its sole passenger, a young lady, to the Grand Hotel of the Bay. A wall of rectangular lights pierced the stormy night as the enormous structure came into view through the haze of rain. The van pulled close and the driver collected his payment before graciously walking the Hotel's newest customer past the majestic doors. He waved his goodbye and pulled his hat firmly to his head before braving the storm once more.
Anna, the young woman, lightly shook raindrops from her hair as she removed her raincoat. The inside of the hotel was just as impressive as the outside: Victorian architecture combined with grandiose style and superfluous luxury to give the reclusive hotel a rich sense of history.
Polished brass railings and hardwood floors added a rustic touch to the backwoods locale. A variety of black and white historical photographs covered the walls of the entrance hall, some of them dating back almost 100 years.
Anna combed her fingers through dampened ombre locks as she made her way to the counter. A middle-aged lady with glasses and a name tag that read "Beth" pinned to her black blouse set her book aside at the young woman's approach.
"Good evening! Quite the storm out there, isn't it? Do you have a reservation?"
Anna's bright smile greeted the friendly receptionist. "Yes, it's under 'Albright Realty.'"
"Oh, yes. Let's see here..." Beth glanced through several note cards until she found the pertinent one. "A call from 'Tom' came in an hour ago and left a message for you: He said sorry but his flight was delayed due to the weather and he will not be able to meet you here until morning." The sympathetic receptionist offered Anna the saddest, sincerest-looking expression she could muster, "I'm terribly sorry he won't make it in tonight, but the company has already paid in advance for the room. Here's the key if you'll just sign."
Thunder caused the building to sigh and made Anna shiver. It was going to be a long and lonely night. After presenting an ID and signing the necessary paperwork, Anna made her way up to her room on the third floor. It was the largest suite available overlooking Richard's Bay. Tom had promised it would be the most unforgettable get-away imagineable. His work frequently carried him across Canada and the United States on various business trips: property acquisitions and business openings, corporate realty workshops and conventions, and countless company leadership and morale retreats.
The most recent trip took him from Anna's arms for a little over a month.
Thirty-six days, Anna considered as she walked down the red-carpeted hall towards her room, 313. Thirty-seven by the time he arrives, she reminded herself. The door to her suite creaked open and lightning flashed in the massive windows across the large room, momentarily illuminating the furnishings, luxurious carpets, and polished glass and mirrors in electric light. The golden lamps in the hallway flickered in echo and the floorboards underfoot creaked with every step.
Thirty-seven days since I saw you, Tom. Anna shivered in the cool room while she set her bags and wet coat down. She walked to the sliding glass door and windows that overlooked the bay. Rain drummed the lake as lightning and thunder chased one another through the heavens. Wind howled angrily across the balcony, spraying a torrent of rain against the glass as though it was trying to get to Anna. The lights flickered again and she wrapped her arms around herself as she glanced about the large, finely-furnished room.
The bed looked comfortable, as did the couch, but Anna did not feel like sleeping right away. Old hotels always creeped her out, but Tom had hinted when they spoke yesterday that this one had a history of hauntings. It would be just like him to feed her such nonsense then leave her to cope through the first night alone. Ass.
The thought made Anna laugh. Tom was handsome, blue-eyed, strong, and had a laugh that made Anna melt, but he had a "playful" side that would downright irritate her at times. She idly played with the diamond ring on her finger. When he asked her to marry him several months ago, she hoped being engaged would mean more time together.
Instead, his job had kept him away all but three and a half weeks of the time since then. She was halfway through another pensive sigh when a deafening clap of thunder jolted her to the present. The entire building shook and the bathroom door swung slowly open, seemingly of its own accord.
Anna stared at the door and felt a chill creep up her spine clear to her neck. There was no way she was getting any sleep tonight. She wrinkled her nose at her own fears but headed toward the lobby anyway.
There were few patrons in the lobby as most were either safely snug in their rooms or out elsewhere and waiting out the storm. An older gentleman sat puffing away at a pipe near the lobby's enormous fireplace and a younger man sat on the couch opposite him, eyeing Anna curiously. Beth, the receptionist, had her nose buried in her book, oblivious to the others' presence or the thunderstorm furiously pelting the hotel outside.
