#hazel evers

"No!" Sally demanded. "No, you stay." She took a step toward you, trying to dominate you and take control. But, like Sally, you had your own discoveries. You took her advance as a threat, because what else could your murderer's presence mean? You turned and dove through a wall. You travelled slightly down the shaft and threw yourself out on a random level, away from Sally. You had also learned not to follow the chute all the way down lest you be confronted with the recent corpses. You walked through the door, invisible to the patrons. And found the laundry room easily. The redhaired employee of the hotel regarded you with mild surprise. "Hello," you greeted. You were then overwhelmed with insecurity and confusion. "I'm sorry. What- what is your name?" 

The maid continued fold her laundry. "Hazel Evers. If I may say so, you look a fright, miss. And for such a long-term resident. I hear your foot stomps day and night, and I'm aware of your conundrum with the streetwalker, but really." With a series of scolding tongue clicks, Ms. Evers resumed her folding. "You must work on your tactics." 

You looked around at the outfits from many decades, and the other laundry linens. "Do you have any clean clothing which won't be missed?" 

With an approving hum, Ms. Evers disappeared from the room, returning with a cardboard box filled to brim with neatly folded clothes. "Several." 

Smiling, you reached for the clothing on top before noticing the state of your skin. You gawked at the filth on your hands, taking in your entirely once more. It was like you always forgot the bigger factors of your life - or death - until they were right in your face. You hardly remembered you were dead, or why you were running until you saw Sally, your reminder. When you were still long enough, you felt the sharp of her knife in your back. You tried to recall your youth, parents, but it was all blank. Focusing on your sight, on possibly controlling something, you decided you had to find a bathroom to bathe, but you couldn't take any clothes without dirtying them up with your touch. 

And Sally was clicking down the hall, calling your name. 

In the face of so many complications, you teared up. Squeezing your eyes shut to hold them back, you relaxed when you felt a touch. 

Miss Evers touched your arms, holding you at a distance. "Come with me." Taking the box of clean clothes came out into a room piled high with folded clean linen and some filthy ones Hazel seemed to want to keep around. "I'll put an assortment of garments in a single box in the bathroom while you shower."

You froze and eventually smiled. "Thank you, Ms. Evers." 

Bright lips spread in a smile. With the bob of a head, she turned away to give you some privacy, disappearing. 

It felt like you could breathe, but you knew it wouldn't be long before Sally came after. You rushed through your delightful shower and changed into the best you could make of your offerings. Part of you wondered if she engineered this outfit because it came from an era before even yours and it was the only one that fit. You pulled your hair back and looked in the mirror, finally recognized a part of who you once were. You continued your wandering, using the stairs.  Sally used the elevator, loved that cramped little space. You'd jump down the whole stairwell without a thought. You chose a door at random, enjoying the sedate pace you could take. You breathed easy. 

"Well, look at you." The voice came from an area with chairs and tables. Bar chairs. You remembered the bar, the fun evenings with Liz. You looked at the bald woman and slowly smiled, coming closer to the line of stools. "All dolled up. Feeling more solid? Present?" Liz guessed. 

You stared at her in confusion, tilting your head. 

Liz flicked her wrist. "Hell, I don't know what it's like on your end. How's Sally treating you?" It would've been basic conversation were she not the focal point of your terror. Liz was truly just trying to make conversation, but you weren't coherent enough. Your eyes grew to the size of saucers, and you stumbled back. The kind woman winced for you. "Nope, still terrified." 

You gawked at her, still horrified. "She killed me." 

Pale green eyes fell to the ground. "...I know. Do you remember anything from before you died? Right before you died." 

Eyebrows furrowed and you shook your head, confused. 

She sighed, still not meeting your gaze. "She was only just coming to terms with her own death. And you were still hysterical. Sally manifested early for a lot of our ghosts. Maybe it was you coming back, but she scared you off and found out she couldn't follow you. She called your apartment for two weeks, trying to convince you to come back. Tsk! Eventually, you did. And Sally knew she couldn't let you leave." Liz put her hand over yours. 

Your eyes explored the air like you could see some mystical shit there. "How long?" you asked. 

You knew Liz didn't want to answer. 

You made her look at you and, unfortunately, a single tear escaped your gaze and your voice cracked. "How long have I been running?" 

"Eight years. Coming on a decade." She set a glass on the bar and filled it up. 

"I'm dead. I can't get drunk. And I've... been here too long. Sal-" 

"Is occupied. She has an unpleasant relationship with the hotel's owner. You have some time to breathe. Spend more time in the present and you'll figure more out." 

Your face rumbled. "I feel like I'm always running because she's always right behind me." 

Liz's eyes found behind you and she winced, stepping back and standing straight. 

Your blood went cold, and your shoulder burned hot as a familiar arm reached over it. As everything felt in your new state, it was like yesterday when she was wound around you, laughing in your ear. The Blue Parrot was full of life then. You still felt adrenaline, an immediate response to being reintroduced to your death. It had an odd affect in the Hotel post death. 

You could smell the cigarettes on her, combined with her perfume, the familiar scent drowning your senses. You remembered her holding you while you bled out from behind, remembered the glee identical to when you came back and when she saw you knew you were going to die. The light in those pitiful brown eyes. Your breath shuddered as you turned to look at your murderess. Her starving eyes held that light - that glee - even now. 

The identical visage scared the Hell out of you, and you tried to slide backwards off the stool. You watched the smile drop from her tear-stricken face, felt her claws dig into your shoulder. 

"Don't go." This was more of a plea than her usual screams. "Please, I haven't seen you so calm in so long. You haven't let me just see you in forever." Her voice cracked and humid breath blew on your ear. Her touch tightened and slid easily across your shoulders, down your arm, and she held onto your wrist with an iron grip. "Come to my room," she crooned, so throaty. 

Your blood had never quite gone back to an ordinary temperature. A chill wracked your frame, and on an impulse, you jerked your wrist free, smacking your chest with a fist. You fell backwards out of the seat, and Sally's space. But the paranoid spirit would never let you get far. She never let the air between you grow to more than a foot, her hand reached out quickly for your clean clothes. You kept moving away until you dove from the balcony the Blue Parrot was built on. Sally screamed in her desperation, that light in her sad eyes igniting to a blaze. She shouted her pleas aggressively, but you were gone, spun to redirect and returned to the guts of the Cortez. You had to go down as Sally would likely try to corner you in the stairwell. You went deep into the shadows of the Cortez. You had the upper hand as your blonde lover was hesitant, even frightened, to venture so deep. But she did it, for you, for her want of you. You heard her slow steps, allowing you to know where she was to evade. You ran past her and heard the scared surprised gasp. You only wished Sally were scared of you. Instead, she was again hot on your tail. It felt like lightning, the bone clenching terror. Sally's laughter echoed, following you down the halls. "Running does nothing, baby; you can't leave the hotel. You can't escape me." She sounded taunting at first, but ended it with a desperate scream. It only fueled your fear of her. "You're mine forever. Just accept it, baby!" You ran even harder to escape the love of your life. Good thing you were dead! You took a turn onto one of the few floors you tried to ignore. You never came here, and you doubted Sally would think you'd stopped off here; it held bad memories for you both. Sally used to deal off this floor and so many of your arguments when you were alive were hosted here. The end of the hall was also the window your ex was pushed from. You paused and looked at the room Sally formerly dealt out of: '64'. 

The solid wooden door swung open and a poor Charlie Chapman lookalike stood on the other side. And he knew your name. "Miss Evers shared the details of your plight and, while I revel in torment, I agree with her that an existence with no sense of rest is too cruel for me to condone. Please, come in." 

You were hesitant to, but while odd, Mr. March didn't seem malicious. You slowly obliged and shut the door behind you. Ms. Evers was already here, working. 

"Tell me, dear. What would make the Cortez easier to you?" 

Sitting across from the Master of this Hellish dimension, you were offered a wish. You looked up at him with surprised awe. He appeared to soften at you. Jumping forward, you gestured with your hands. "When it comes to transport, I can only quite manage it when I'm out of my skin scared. Is that essential?" 

James smiled. "No." He leaned forward, apparently pleased with you. He said you could evaporate like smoke as that was all an essence was. You just had to force your will. Hence the practice. He told you to practice when calm and you would be able to go wherever you desired within the hotel. You felt like you could breathe with Mr. March. To allow you more time, the two of you played cards and you won. You could feel the friendship budding between you and you were worried, but it couldn't end worse than your last relationship. 

Your peace was almost ruined by a rattling of the doorknob and then an urgent banging. Sally was yelling your name and trying to threaten you into emerging. You stood up in fear, looking around for an escape. 

James stood and held out his hand to you. "Stay there, stay calm." He opened the door just as with you, but Sally didn't care for the not-silent character. Her eyes remained locked on you as she tried to push past March. However, he had a waxy and strapped up bodyguard that intimidated everyone. "I suggest you allow your paramour a bit more time in peace." And he swung the door shut. You shared a smile and continued your good time. 

Of course, the next time you exited the suite, Sally tried to pounce. But you vanished and reappeared in the penthouse. You had figured out how to cease to exist, but that took more energy than anything. You were ever so pleased that the Countess was out so you had her bed to yourself until you heard her or Sally. 

And, of course, Sally found you first. You had friends who would and friends who could hide you now. Perhaps it was habit after a decade. But running from Sally didn't make you feel quite so afraid. You always had the upper hand now and you knew she knew by the development of Sally begging you to show yourself. 

She knew you had power now. She was hesitant outside the Countess' door. "H-hey, baby. Makin' friends?" she asked in a gentle voice. It was the kindest she'd been since she killed you. She was even picking at her nail polish, an anxious tic you recognized. 

You stood a little off, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "You can't have a problem with that?" you demanded. 

The blonde shook her head, grinning hesitantly. "No, baby. I just- I wanted.... Neither of us should be alone so I'm happy you're making friends." 

You held back the biting remark that you were only making the best of a situation you were given no choice to. 

Sally took a passive step toward you. 

But you didn't see it as passive. You remembered the speed at which she moved to grab you and the sharp pain which soon followed. You flinched back which made her bristle. 

"What are you scared of? It's not like I can kill you again." 

You leveled Sally with a stare. You both knew ghosts could feel physical pain and imitate death, if for a short while. You saw Sally take a deep breath and you admired that she was trying. You took your own and thought of that first corner you had thought was safe from Sally of course, she'd eventually found you there so you hadn't returned in a long time. Opening eyes you hadn't realized you had to close to visualize, you found yourself there. With another moment of focus, you were in the Blue Parrot. You shot Liz a radiant smile she had been dying to see again, confident staying in this place was about to get easy. You were still ducking your ex, but you were trying to stay present. Sally was still so persistent, using the same capabilities you did now. 

It didn't feel like any time at all until you were aware that Sally was occupied again. Still, being so very dead, you had no concept of how much time had truly passed. It would always be too long. You shouldn't have had to run from the love of your life. 

The lobby was the only place to be. Right up the steps was the Blue Parrot and right underneath them was the elevator. Behind the desk sat Iris, greying and scowling. "Someone glued herself together. What'ya doing down here? You're usually running around with that junkie whore after you." 

You weren't quite on Team Sally, but you didn't like the way Iris was speaking about her. You leveled a look at her. "You were her murderer, were you not? So, my question, had you not killed Sally, would she have murdered me?" 

Your question finally evoked the reaction you were hoping for. Iris showed an ounce of a conscience. 

With a faint glare, you aimed behind the desk. "I was wondering if you ever gave... your unwilling residents permanent room." 

Iris looked at you softly. "Do you prefer any floor?" 

You tilted your head. "Are there any actual rooms on the seventh floor?" 

Iris smirked at your clever manipulations and at how you thought. "You're one smart cookie. They're all booked." 

You wrinkled your nose. "Then no preference." 

Iris bubbled her head and gave you a random key. "Now, disappear before Sally shows up." She even shooed you with her hands. 

Finding your room took no time at all. Of course, you had no way of decorating or altering the basic room. You wondered if you'd be able to accrue things. And you did, thank God. Mostly notebooks, but you stole from those who survive the hotel because they still had something you didn't. You had a calendar and a watch so you wouldn't get too behind. 

It took Sally two weeks to learn you had a room and that this was it. It looked like all the rest because you hid your possessions. You weren't sure how she learned this was your room, but you found that you were found by a knock at the door. The blonde was patient and optimistic on the other side. Again, she was holding her own hand and it seemed she was always crying. "Yuh putting down roots?" she asked. You blinked once and nodded in response. She smiled, rocking nervously on her feet. "Would- Uh.... I'd like to take you o-on a date, which just means to the Blue Parrot Lounge." She smiled awkwardly, shifting her feet. 

You were stunned. Of course you weren't naive enough to think she would ever leave you alone, but you truly didn't think she would want to date. Was she trying to start over, show you'd be complacent for a while? Your head was spinning with the possibilities. 

"Oh, and I brought you a housewarming gift." Sally never came towards you, only retreating side to side. She came back a little while later with a box. She looked so genuinely excited to give you this, it broke your heart. It was the slowest interaction you'd ever had giving you time to actually observe the other woman. She held a decently sized lockbox, and she turned it awkwardly in her hands before extending it. You gently took the gift and opened it. It was pretty spacious. "A- a lot of ghosts like that particular box because they can hide their clothes from residents. Some like the entertainment." She gave you a watery smile. 

You smiled kindly back at her, slowly opening the door a bit wider. Sally ecstatically walked in. "The Blue Parrot is awfully public, and no place for recovering anything" You felt an odd sense of security, knowing you could vanish or teleport. You walked over to the bed and picked up the remote. "Wanna watch a movie?" It required minimal talking, though you'd have to share the bed. Still, it was a type of reset and you were dying for an ordinary task.