head to catch my eyes, showing me the resolve in his stare.
“Fine,” I mumbled, breaking our connection and folded my arms over my chest again. It was becoming a familiar position in the presence of Ryan. He didn’t let me take control of everything like I was dying to. Some part of me had to recognize that this was something I needed because after pouting, I usually got over his desire to take charge where he could and accepted his decisions without another thought.
“Well, I think I’m dry enough to head out, how about you?” Ryan asked after a few minutes. “The sun looks like it’s getting ready to set and we should get to where we’re going, get settled and maybe find some dinner.”
“Sounds good to me,” I agreed, pushing myself up and dusting off my now only slightly damp clothes and following him back to his truck. After plugging our destination into his GPS, Ryan and I headed off toward our next stop.
I’d never been to Jerome, but had always wanted to go. I didn’t share this with him, though. I liked that he saw me as the “expert”. Though, the truth was now that we’d flown through the two places I’d been outside of the Valley since I was born, I was just as much a tourist in this trip as he was. I hoped he wouldn’t realize it as I guided him to the other places I’d always wanted to see in my home state.
Chapter 7
As we drove through the mountains toward Jerome, the monsoon thunderheads that had moved out that afternoon returned with a vengeance. That was the usual patter, storms in the morning, storms in the evening but perfect, if not too humid, afternoons. The streaks of light in the distance provided an amazing show as we trekked toward our destination.
“Have you ever been here before?” Ryan asked after a particularly loud clap of thunder. Luckily, our hotel loomed in the distance, looking forebodingly ominous from its hilltop position. It had a stately presence that reminded me of a giant, creepy mansion in most house based horror movies. The quickly darkening sky with crackling thunder and bright bursts of lightening only added to the spookiness of the atmosphere.
“No, and I’m excited, if not a little frightened,” I answered, truthfully. I wasn’t a wuss when it came to tales of horror and ghosts. There were plenty of real evils to be scared of that the glorification of the fake stuff felt a little silly. Yet, there was something about that building that sent a shiver down my spine. At least, I could bank on being able to stay awake that night, because I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to ignore any signs of haunted activity, should we actually encounter them. “I’ve heard all the legends, though.”
“Look at that place,” he remarked, as we started up the hill to the hotel. “It looks like it’s frozen in time. This was an awesome idea,” he grinned at me like an excited little boy ready for a new adventure. The storm broke as we exited the truck. Large droplets of warm rain fell on us as we raced for the lobby.
Looking back at the valley, I couldn’t hide the grin taking over my face. Dark clouds were casting shadows on the town below, making the view even more breathtaking than before. I must’ve gotten enraptured for more than just a moment, because the next thing I knew I was being yanked through the door and my previously sun dried clothing was dripping on the historically restored and retro-carpeted floors, leaving a puddle.
The musty rain from outside mixed with the iron rich smell of blood, reminding me of the hotel’s previous life as the town’s hospital. I’d heard stories about the hotel’s distinctive smell, but I always doubted that it was possible for the place to carry the scent of blood for that long. I mean, my trailer didn’t smell like blood anymore and it hadn’t even been a decade since my mother died there. Now, however, I knew it wasn’t just possible, it was true. This development added another bullet point to the
“Fine,” I mumbled, breaking our connection and folded my arms over my chest again. It was becoming a familiar position in the presence of Ryan. He didn’t let me take control of everything like I was dying to. Some part of me had to recognize that this was something I needed because after pouting, I usually got over his desire to take charge where he could and accepted his decisions without another thought.
“Well, I think I’m dry enough to head out, how about you?” Ryan asked after a few minutes. “The sun looks like it’s getting ready to set and we should get to where we’re going, get settled and maybe find some dinner.”
“Sounds good to me,” I agreed, pushing myself up and dusting off my now only slightly damp clothes and following him back to his truck. After plugging our destination into his GPS, Ryan and I headed off toward our next stop.
I’d never been to Jerome, but had always wanted to go. I didn’t share this with him, though. I liked that he saw me as the “expert”. Though, the truth was now that we’d flown through the two places I’d been outside of the Valley since I was born, I was just as much a tourist in this trip as he was. I hoped he wouldn’t realize it as I guided him to the other places I’d always wanted to see in my home state.
Chapter 7
As we drove through the mountains toward Jerome, the monsoon thunderheads that had moved out that afternoon returned with a vengeance. That was the usual patter, storms in the morning, storms in the evening but perfect, if not too humid, afternoons. The streaks of light in the distance provided an amazing show as we trekked toward our destination.
“Have you ever been here before?” Ryan asked after a particularly loud clap of thunder. Luckily, our hotel loomed in the distance, looking forebodingly ominous from its hilltop position. It had a stately presence that reminded me of a giant, creepy mansion in most house based horror movies. The quickly darkening sky with crackling thunder and bright bursts of lightening only added to the spookiness of the atmosphere.
“No, and I’m excited, if not a little frightened,” I answered, truthfully. I wasn’t a wuss when it came to tales of horror and ghosts. There were plenty of real evils to be scared of that the glorification of the fake stuff felt a little silly. Yet, there was something about that building that sent a shiver down my spine. At least, I could bank on being able to stay awake that night, because I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to ignore any signs of haunted activity, should we actually encounter them. “I’ve heard all the legends, though.”
“Look at that place,” he remarked, as we started up the hill to the hotel. “It looks like it’s frozen in time. This was an awesome idea,” he grinned at me like an excited little boy ready for a new adventure. The storm broke as we exited the truck. Large droplets of warm rain fell on us as we raced for the lobby.
Looking back at the valley, I couldn’t hide the grin taking over my face. Dark clouds were casting shadows on the town below, making the view even more breathtaking than before. I must’ve gotten enraptured for more than just a moment, because the next thing I knew I was being yanked through the door and my previously sun dried clothing was dripping on the historically restored and retro-carpeted floors, leaving a puddle.
The musty rain from outside mixed with the iron rich smell of blood, reminding me of the hotel’s previous life as the town’s hospital. I’d heard stories about the hotel’s distinctive smell, but I always doubted that it was possible for the place to carry the scent of blood for that long. I mean, my trailer didn’t smell like blood anymore and it hadn’t even been a decade since my mother died there. Now, however, I knew it wasn’t just possible, it was true. This development added another bullet point to the
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