Midnight Hotel

For a second Terry considered turning back, but Larissa pulled him forward. Where was a mask when he needed one?

“Good night, we'd like a room,” Larissa told the receptionist.

Terry had been praying that Gail would not recognize him, but when she lifted her head from the computer and saw him, her mouth dropped.

Wasn't it the Bible that said God doesn't hear the prayers of the unrighteous?

“Terry?”

“Gail!” He forced a smile.

“You know each other?” A surprised Larissa asked.

“We went secondary school together,” Terry and Gail blurted at the same time.

An awkward silence followed, as Terry contemplated which hotel he would use next time. The problem was, Moonlight Hotel remained the top hotel for a reason. Cheap rates for deluxe rooms.

“How is Candace?” Gail finally broke the silence. “Yall still married?”

“We’re divorced,” Terry lied, as sweat trickled down his neck.

“And we’re getting married,” Larissa said proudly, showing off her ring and doing a little happy dance.

“Isn't that lovely,” Gail said with a smile that didn't meet her eyes. “I saw Candace recently and she didn't mention yall were divorced.”

“Probably because that's personal info,” Terry said. “By the way, how recently did you see her?”

“That's personal info,” Gail replied sweetly, reaching for a key. “I have the perfect room for you.”

While she dug around, Terry pulled a giggling Larissa close and swung her around. His wife, for Candace was very much still his wife, was at work. Once she didn't run into Gail again in the future, he would be safe.

At least until he was finally forced to choose. The past or the future.

The key was finally discovered and handed over. After explaining how to find the room, Gail returned her attention to her computer screen without another word.

Larissa hooked his arm with hers and practically pulled him along the hallway, as if they were on an Easter egg hunt instead of looking for room 304.

They finally reached the room. Terry was forced to reach around Larissa as she squealed with laughter and tried to hide the key.

“You play too much,” he grunted, finally snatching the key from her and opening the door.

Before he could reach for the light, there was a commotion in the dark, the creak of a bed and something lunged at him. Terry heard Larissa scream. The next thing he knew, he landed hard on the floor and the back of his head bounced off the wall.

The light snapped on, temporarily blinding him. When his vision finally cleared, the first thing he saw was a strange man standing over him.

The second thing he saw was his wife's horrified face swimming into view. For one wild moment he thought her head was floating in mid air.

Belatedly, he realized that the cream colored bed sheet Candace had snatched up to her chin, matched the wall behind her.