Chapter-3-the hotel
978 Words
The road curled into Pendle Village as the sun dipped behind thick clouds, casting long shadows over the stone cottages and quiet streets. The place felt… untouched. Like it hadn’t changed in decades.
“Looks like we time-travelled,” Callum muttered, glancing at the crooked shop signs and empty footpaths.
Zaira leaned forward in her seat. “It’s kind of cute though. Peaceful.”
Maisie made a face. “Peaceful or haunted? I can’t tell.”
They pulled into the hotel’s gravel car park — a tall, ivy-covered building that loomed like an old photograph. It had charm, but in that eerie, antique kind of way. The tall windows looked like they were holding secrets.
As they stepped inside, a little bell jingled above the door. The air was warm, musty, and smelled faintly of old wood and dried herbs.
At the front desk, an older man looked up from a guestbook. “You must be the ones who booked the two doubles.”
Bryan nodded. “That’s us. Zaira and Maisie in one. Me and Callum in the other.”
The man slid two heavy brass keys across the counter. “Pendle’s quiet this time of year. Good for rest. Though… the hills can be strange after dark.”
Zaira raised an eyebrow. “Strange how?”
The man smiled politely. “Old tales. Witch and Spirits legends. Odd lights. You know… folklore.” He said it like a joke, but his tone felt just a bit too careful.
They headed upstairs to the second floor. The hallway was long, dimly lit, and creaked under their steps. Zaira and Maisie’s room was across from the boys’, each with a small window that looked out toward the woods.
Zaira dropped her bag and walked straight to the window, staring at the fog rolling over the hills in the distance. “It’s beautiful,” she murmured.
Maisie flopped dramatically onto the bed. “It’s weird. I still can’t get over the old woman. Her whole vibe was cursed.”
“She just needed help,” Zaira said, frowning. “You didn’t have to mock her the way you did.”
Maisie snorted. “Oh please. You three were acting like she was the Queen of the Forest. Bryan even gave her his jacket. Was that for her, or for you?”
Zaira turned sharply. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Maisie frowned obviously she was jealous. “Nothing.”
Across the hall, Callum and Bryan were unpacking. Bryan stood at the window, staring at the tree line.
“That old lady’s voice is stuck in my head,” he said. “‘I hope nothing happens to you three.’ That wasn’t normal.”
Callum nodded. “Especially when there were four of us.”
Bryan looked at him. “Exactly.”
Back in the girls’ room, Zaira finally pulled away from the window. “She seemed sweet. I just… I don’t know. Something about this place feels strange.”
Maisie rolled onto her side, sighing. “You’re all just spooked because it’s quiet. No phones buzzing. No cars. It’s just... a boring, creepy village.”
Zaira didn't respond. Outside, the sky grew darker, clouds sliding over the moon. The night settled heavily over Pendle, the hotel creaking softly with age. Maisie was already asleep, curled up with her earbuds in, facing the wall. But Zaira couldn't rest.
No matter how many times she closed her eyes, the old woman’s voice echoed in her head.
"I hope nothing happens to you three."
The room felt too still. Too quiet.
Eventually, Zaira slipped out of bed, threw on her hoodie, and crept downstairs. The lobby was empty, dimly lit by a single lamp behind the desk. Drawn by the cool night air, she wandered out the side door to the narrow balcony overlooking the trees and distant hills.
She paused.
Bryan was already there, leaning on the railing, arms folded against the breeze.
He glanced back. “Couldn’t sleep either?”
Zaira gave a small smile and stepped beside him. “Yeah. It’s too quiet. My head won’t shut up.”
They stood side by side for a few quiet seconds, the breeze brushing Zaira’s hair back gently.
“I keep thinking about that woman,” she said finally, her voice low. “She seemed nice… but I think that blessing wasn’t just kindness.”
Bryan turned toward her slightly.
Zaira continued, “It felt more like a warning… or maybe protection. Like she knows something.”
Bryan nodded slowly. “Yeah. I’ve been thinking the same. Especially the way she looked at us when she said it.”
They both fell silent, watching the dark outline of the forest. There was a strange peace at the moment, like the kind that comes just before a storm.
Zaira glanced sideways. “Also, I meant to say… it was really sweet of you. Giving her your jacket.”
Bryan smiled faintly, a little shy. “Didn’t feel right just walking away.”
“Well,” she said, nudging him slightly with her elbow, “you’ve officially earned your good human points.”
He laughed, quietly. “Glad to know I’m not completely useless.”
Their eyes met again, softer this time — no teasing, no awkwardness. Just something unspoken and warm between them, even with the cold all around.
In the distance, an owl called from the hills. The wind rustled through the trees below — and just for a second, Zaira thought she saw a shape move in the forest line. Not an animal. Not a bird.
Just… something. Watching.
She blinked, and it was gone.
“Let’s go back inside,” Bryan said gently.
She nodded, but cast one last glance at the woods before following him in.
Behind them, the hills stayed silent.
But they were not asleep.
- Writer
