Room for One More
byNene Adams ©2002 - All rights reserved

Katie Collier glanced over at her partner. "Hey, Viv... how're you holding up?"

"Fine, except my legs are cramping and my ass is numb from sitting so long," Vivian Wellborn replied. Rain was coming down hard, a solid sheet of water crashing against the car windshield. She was curled up in the passenger seat, her face a pale oval blur. "We must've taken a wrong turn back there."

"Yeah, but the interstate's got to be around here somewhere." Katie gripped the steering wheel tightly, her body hunched forward, as if she could force the car onto the right road by sheer force of will. "Don't worry. We'll be in Richmond before you know it."

Vivian peered out of the window. Visibility was almost nil, a combination of rain and nightfall. A white rectangle loomed out of the darkness, illuminated by the headlights. "Stop the car!" she said.

Despite her partner's forceful tone, Katie eased the automobile to a halt. She leaned towards Vivian, as far as the seatbelt would allow. "What does that sign say? I can't make it out."

"Neither can I." Vivian sighed. "I'll roll down the window, dammit."

Wind gusted a shower of wetness into the car, cold raindrops splashed against her face. Vivian craned her head out of the window, blinking furiously at the downpour. "It says: Taliaferro Springs, two miles ahead," she reported, drawing her head back inside.

"Taliaferro Springs?" Katie scratched her head. "Never heard of it. Hand me the map, will you?"

Vivian cranked the window up. Beads of water frosted her eyelashes, darkened her hair. Trickles ran from cheeks to chin. She looked at Katie and grimaced. "Get it yourself," she grumbled. "I've just been through the Flood."

"I'm sorry, sweetie." Katie reached over, opened the glove box and retrieved the map. "Next time, I'll volunteer for the rain shower."

Vivian wiped her face with her palms, ran hands over her damp hair. "I think we ought to stop for the night. There's got to be a motel or hotel or B-and-B in Taliaferro Springs. We can get directions to the interstate in the morning. Right now, all I want is a hot meal, a hot shower, and a warm bed."

Katie put on the interior light and studied the map. "Yeah, okay, here we are." She stabbed a forefinger at a red meandering line. "We took the wrong exit, ended up going west instead of east. We're about thirty miles out of our way."

"Did you hear what I said?" Vivian slapped her hand down on the map, which got her partner's undivided attention. "I'm tired, wet and hungry. We've been driving since six o'clock this morning. It's nine-thirty at night. Richmond can wait, dammit. Your family won't care if we get there a little late. Your grandmother's birthday party isn't until tomorrow night, anyway. Let's stop and get a room."

Katie nodded, and surprised herself by yawning.

"See?" Vivian took the map out of Katie's hands, folded it up, and put it away. "You're tired, too. We don't want to get in an accident if you fall asleep at the wheel."

"Uh-huh. I'm sorry, sweetie. You're right. I'm hungry and sleepy, too." Katie snapped off the light. In a few moments, they were underway again. "Taliaferro Springs is probably an itty-bitty place, but there's got to be somewhere we can stay for one night."

The town was, indeed, very small. The main thoroughfare was lined with shops and businesses. At the end of the street was a soaring structure, Art Deco architecture rendered in stone and marble. A sign across the front read Regal Court Hotel in ornate gilt script. Lights blazed in almost every window of the fifteen-story building. Both Katie and Vivian thought the hotel's appearance was incongruous, considering the size of Taliaferro Springs. Nevertheless, they left the car in a nearby parking lot and went inside.

The interior was lush and glamorous, but old-fashioned in a way that reminded Vivian of 1940's Hollywood. Crimson-and-gilt papered walls, black marble floors, lamps in the shape of leaping deer, crystal chandeliers dripping from the ceiling. Bronze statues depicted lean, stylized women in various postures. Chinese pots full of ferns and small palms. A fountain in the center of the lobby, capped by an Artemis figure astride a stag, a new moon crescent shining silver in her verdigris hair.

The reception desk was a vast sweep of polished mahogany, inlaid with lighter woods, bound with brass and topped with green marble. The man behind the desk was dapper, his hair slicked back with pomade, a tiny mustache perched above his upper lip. He greeted Katie and Vivian with a smile. "Welcome to the Regal Court Hotel," he said. "How may we serve you?"

"Um, we'd like a room for the night," Katie replied, glancing around with trepidation. She hoped they could afford a place like this; her credit card was almost maxed out. "A single, if you have it."

"Certainly. There's always room for one more here," said the clerk. He pushed an open book towards her. "Sign here, please."

Katie did so, using the fountain pen that the man offered. She started to take out her credit card, but the clerk smacked his palm down on a bell. "Front!" he snapped.

A uniformed bellboy, who resembled an organ grinder's monkey, popped up with a grin.

"Room 603," said the clerk, handing the boy a key. "Miss Collier and Miss...?" he hesitated, raising his brows at Vivian.

"Miss Wellborn," she replied.

"Miss Collier and Miss Wellborn," said the clerk to the bellboy. "Be prompt, Ralph. We'll have a lot of guests that need looking after when the party starts."

The bellboy took the key, hoisted their single bag to his shoulder, and led the way to the elevator. It, too, was old-fashioned, with a cage door that had to be slid into place, and it was operated by a hand mechanism. Ralph obviously knew what he was doing.

On their way up, Vivian said, "Excuse me, but did he say there was a party tonight?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Ralph. "The Midnight Halloween Costume Ball. Happens every year. Folks come from all over. Gonna be a busy night. But like the man said, there's always room for one more."

"What am I, chopped liver?" Vivian asked Katie, sotto voce. "One more, my ass."

"Do you want to get some sleep or not?" Katie replied, just as softly. "We're lucky to get a place, seeing as how there's a big party tonight. The hotel's probably booked solid."

Room 603 was no less luxurious than the lobby downstairs. Thick fawn carpeting, green walls, alabaster lamps, glass tables, deeply upholstered chairs, and a round bed with satin sheets. It was not until Ralph departed that Vivian noticed there was no television or telephone, no mini-bar, no VCR - no modern amenities at all.

"What kind of hotel is this?" she said, peeking into the bathroom. That whole room was tiled in a mosaic pattern that depicted a fantasy underwater scene. No shower, but the tub looked big enough for two.

"Hey, sweetie, it's warm and dry and damned comfortable," said Katie, stretching out on the bed. "I'm not complaining. Why don't you take a bath? We can go down in a bit, see if we can rustle up some dinner."

"Okay. It's just weird, that's all."

Katie managed to shrug while lying down. "Maybe it's part of the historical register rules or something. I think I saw a telephone booth in the lobby, if you need to make a call."

"No, I was just..." Vivian paused, finally flapped her hands. She could not put her unease into words. "I don't know. Let me take that bath, maybe I'll feel better."

A little while later, clean and dressed in a sweatshirt, Vivian was still not relaxed. She found it impossible to sit still. She moved from chair to chair, visibly fretting.

Finally, Katie levered herself off the bed and said, "Girl, you're jittering around like peanuts on a hot griddle. It's making me nervous. Let's get some food into you before you wear a hole in the carpet."

"No, I'm not hungry." Vivian looked down at her hands. She had been absently picking at a loose thread on the hem of her sweatshirt. She forced her fingers to still. "I'd rather just go to bed."

"Are you sure?" Katie stripped off her shirt and jeans, pulled on an old football jersey and boxer shorts.

"Uh-huh." Vivian was suddenly cold. Her teeth began to chatter.

Concerned, Katie bundled Vivian into bed, and curled up behind her. Laying a hand on her partner's forehead, Katie said, "I think you might be a little feverish. Want an aspirin?"

"No," Vivian said, shivering. "Just hold me."

Katie pulled her into a close embrace, her chin nestled atop Vivian's head.

It seemed that Vivian had only just fallen asleep when she woke up abruptly, jarred out of fitful dreams by some unidentified sound. She lay there, quietly listening, and could detect nothing except Katie's soft snoring breaths.. It was warm under the blankets, but the satin sheets were like cool water against her skin. The room was dark. Vivian did not remember Katie shutting off the lights. She took a deep breath, and froze.

Smoke.

She smelled smoke.

Vivian nudged Katie awake. "Do you smell that?"

"Huh?" Katie responded groggily. "What?"

"I smell smoke." Vivian squirmed around, took hold of her partner's shoulder. "Do you smell it, too?"

Katie yawned, scrubbed at her eyes. "You're dreaming. Go back to sleep."

The odor was getting stronger. Was it her imagination, or was the room getting hotter, too? "Katherine Louise Harris Collier," Vivian said, "you'd better wake up right now!"

"I'm up, I'm up." Katie raised herself up on an elbow. "What's gotten into you, sweetie?"

"I told you, I smell smoke." Vivian gritted her teeth, forced herself to speak calmly despite the rising panic. "Look, I'm not dreaming. Let's get dressed and go downstairs, okay? If I'm wrong, we can come back to bed."

"Dammit, Viv..." Katie threw back the covers, turned on the light next to the bed. She searched her partner's face for a moment, then conceded. "Fine. We'll go downstairs. Otherwise you'll probably drive me crazy all night."

Vivian quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and sneakers; she was still wearing her sweatshirt. Katie took a little longer. As soon as they were both dressed, the women left Room 603. At Vivian's insistence, they walked down the spiraling central staircase to the lobby, instead of waiting for the elevator.

Inside the stairwell, Katie admitted that she smelled smoke, too, but faintly. "Maybe they've got a fireplace somewhere?" she said doubtfully. Her voice echoed in the narrow space. The stairs and banisters were iron, the walls unadorned brick work.

"I don't know," Vivian replied. "Did you see the doors we passed on each floor? Those weren't fire doors. No alarms, no sprinkler system, and I didn't see any emergency exit signs, either."

They reached the lobby, where dozens of people in costume were drinking and talking. Vivian saw a fairy princess in yards of pink tulle, her gauze wings ablaze with rhinestones. Another women wore a gown designed to make her look like a mermaid; green silk that hugged her curves to mid-thigh, where it split and swept back into twin flukes that dragged the floor. A gentleman dressed as Napoleon was laughing with Marie Antoinette, complete with high white wig and sailing skirts. There were children, too, dressed as pirates or ghosts or cowboys. Everywhere she looked, people were laughing and making merry. A banner hung between two columns read: Welcome to the Regal Court Hotel's Midnight Halloween Costume Ball of 1946.

"What, are they too cheap to order a new banner every year?" Katie asked. She glanced around, snagged a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. "Hey, that guy looks like Charlie Chaplin!"

Vivian clutched at Katie's arm. The clerk was gliding towards them, light reflecting from his oily pomaded hair. "Will you join our party, Miss Collier?" he said to Katie. "There's room for one more."

"Why do y'all keep saying that?" Katie put the champagne glass down on the rim of the fountain.

A young lady dressed as Little Bo Peep skipped over to the two women. "Room for one more," she said, fluttering her eyelashes. She took hold of Katie's other arm.

Vivian said, "What the hell is going on here?" and yanked Katie away from Bo Peep, who pouted.

Suddenly, the acrid reek of smoke threatened to choke her. Vivian coughed, tried to catch her breath. Thin flames began to lick up a crimson-and-gilt papered wall.

"One more!" cried Napoleon, reaching for Katie.

"Yes, join us!" the mermaid said. "There's room for one more."

Vivian felt a brush of something soft and feathery against her face. Ashes were falling from the ceiling. With a roar, the lobby erupted into flames. Thick black smoke billowed upward. The banner caught fire, was gone in an instant. People changed, their costumes charring, flesh bubbling from their bones.

The fairy princess' gauze wings melted in a flash of white-hot heat. "One more!" A grinning skull turned blind eyes towards Katie.

Vivian tugged on Katie's arm. "Come on!" she shouted. Katie seemed entranced, unable or unwilling to move. Vivian pulled harder, wheezing as her lungs contracted, starved for oxygen. A wave of unbearable heat seared through her. She could feel blisters popping up on her nose and cheeks. Fire was all around them. A chandelier dropped, sending shards of shattered crystal flying in every direction.

"Katie, come on!" Tears ran from Vivian's eyes as she used every ounce of her strength to haul Katie across the flame-filled lobby. She was sobbing and gagging, blinded by smoke and flame. The rubber soles of her sneakers were melting, sticking to the marble floor.

"Room for one more!" screamed the clerk, who was in front of the mob. Vivian recognized the bellboy by the sooty remains of his uniform. The party-goers were horrid leering figures, shambling lumps of smoking meat that reached out to take Katie, make her one of their own.

In a burst of adrenaline fueled panic, Vivian tore Katie away, sent them both stumbling towards the lobby door. They burst through, falling to the pavement. The rain felt like a blessing. Vivian lay there, dazed and nauseous, racked by a coughing fit that threatened to break her ribs.

Katie crawled over to her, smoothed wet hair away from Vivian's face. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Vivian rolled over, spat out a mouthful of saliva. Her cough quieted after a moment. She felt her face, and could detect no blisters, no heat damage at all. "Don't you remember?" she asked hoarsely.

"We were in bed. We went to the lobby. There was a party." Katie shook her head. "I remember a fire. Or it seemed like a fire, but there were these people..." Her voice trailed off. "Viv, did we almost die in there?"

"Something like that." Vivian forced herself to rise, although her knees were shaky. She looked back at the hotel. It was gone. The Regal Court was nothing but a brick shell in a weedy, trash-filled lot. Their suitcase was sitting on the sidewalk. There was a bronze plaque set in a slab of stone, standing in front of the fence that surrounded the lot.

Vivian went to read the plaque. Katie joined her, putting an arm around her partner's waist.

The rain stopped. Katie turned to Vivian. "My father's name was Winston. He used to tell us that he was a miracle child, saved from a fire that should have killed him, but he never mentioned Taliaferro Springs." She was trembling. "Room for one more. Oh, my God."

Vivian untangled herself from Katie's embrace. She picked up their suitcase, her face white but controlled. "I don't know about you," she said, "but there ain't room in our car for anybody except the two of us. Let's go. I'm not staying here one more minute, and neither are you."

"Viv, what happened in there?"

"I don't know. I don't care." Vivian shrugged wearily. "I just want to get out of here before we find out the hard way." Her dreams would be haunted for years, but at the moment, all she felt was relief that Katie was alive. Questions could wait. Some questions would never be asked, because the answers were too terrifying. She wanted to put it out of her mind, never think about it again. The smell of smoke still hovered in the air, but it was dissipating.

Katie did not argue, but she was shaking so hard that Vivian had to drive them the rest of the way to Richmond.

THE END

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