9 Chilly Tale of a Summer Break - Part 3 (2/2)

”That's it!” Emma said and turned back to the stairs.

***

”So what you're saying is...” her grandma was talking while looking at the letter above her desk.

Misses Stephens was sitting behind the desk and her granddaughter was standing up in front of her. Aleta was closer to the door, just watching in silence.

”Someone calling my phone, things appearing on my room. I'm sure there's someone stalking me. Maybe some pervert. I don't know,” Emma said.

”I see. I have exactly three young men staying in this inn right now, but I don't believe any of them would…”

”So what? You're going to say I'm lying?!” Emma shouted, slapping the desk. ”I, I'm sorry,” she said, retreating her hand. ”It's scary.”

”I understand, dear.”

Emma knew the men who were staying there since she was a child. She also didn't believe they would do something like that. Still, she couldn't think about anything else.

Misses Stephens looked at Aleta, who just watched everything in silent with her pale face.

”Emma dear, do you mind if I speak to Aleta alone?”

Emma threw a confused look at Aleta. Aleta gave a nod, which made Emma walk outside the room as the girl got inside.

She waited in front of the closed door. She couldn't understand what Aleta could do or know that she didn't. Nervous, she tapped her feet on the ground while her grandmother and her new friend were inside. After long minutes, the door was opened. Aleta made a signal inviting Emma inside.

”Dear, would it be too much to ask you to put your trust on us?” Her grandma said.

”What is going on? What Aleta has to do with this?”

”There have been some circumstances on this inn lately, dear, and I, well, I don't want to scare you. Aleta here also thinks it's better if you let us take care of it. I can promise nothing like that will happen again for now.”

Emma looked at her grandma perplexed. She felt Aleta's warm hand holding her arm. Aleta almost never touched her from her own accord, so Emma looked at her with curiosity. The girl had some glimpse of determination in her eyes.

”Please, Emma. I swear that I won't let anything hurt you.”

It was impossible for Emma to distrust those eyes, so she nodded. Aleta gave out a sigh and Emma's grandma smiled at them. Emma held Aleta's hands and pulled the girl closer, making her gasp in surprise.

”Okay, but sleep in my room tonight! I'll feel better if I'm not alone.”

”I...I…” Aleta said, nervously throwing a look at Misses Stephens. The old woman just nodded with a smile. ”O-Okay.”

***

That night Emma decided to show Aleta the ring she had found. The other girl just looked at it without understanding.

”This was on my bed when I woke up this morning. I wanted to understand what's going on before saying anything, but if you really know what's up, maybe you should know about it.”

Aleta examined every part of the ring. It was definitely an engagement ring. Although it looked old.

”Weird is,” Emma said while sitting on her bed. ”I know my mother lost a ring my father gave her in this very room. But that was more than twenty years ago.”

Aleta gave a weird look to the ring. She turned it back to Emma.

”Did you ask her about it?”

”I thought about calling her but I didn't want to worry. I would have to tell about the other weird things, and she probably would come back right away. But still, I can't stop thinking about it.”

”I don't think it's the same ring,” Aleta said, turning her eyes away. ”It's impossible, right? I cleaned this room every day, so…”

Emma stored the ring back in her bag again and looked at Aleta. She gave a smile.

”Well, you're right. I'm overthinking it,” then she got serious. ”But that would mean someone came inside and put it on my bed. And that's scarier.”

Aleta was wearing same pink nightdress Emma saw before and her long and straight black hair was loose. Emma used to just put old clothes for sleep, so how appropriated Aleta looked impressed her. She realized she could see the girl's black underwear through the nightdress and that made her blush.

Aleta would sleep on the floor, despite Emma's attempts to offer her own bed.

”Still,” Emma said while smiling at Aleta. ”This feels like a sleepover. I had some with friends when I was younger.”

”A sleepover, huh?” Aleta said, looking at Emma, who still had her cheeks slightly red. ”I never had one.”

Giving how Aleta was ostracized by the boys on the city, and how she apparently went through that during her whole infancy, Emma felt like the girl was lonely since forever. She couldn't know how she was treated by her own family, but the current situation implied it wasn't any better.

”Well, we can have one now. We're just sharing a room, but, let's see. How about we talk a little before sleeping?”

Aleta nodded but stood in silence while sitting on the mattress on the floor. Emma smiled as Aleta looked eager at her.

”Huh, So, huh,” Emma said, scratching her head. Suddenly she jumped out of the bed, startling Aleta. ”Oh, I know what we can do!”

Asking for Aleta's help, she put her own mattress on the floor. Aleta looked at it and Emma saw a smile form on her face.

”I see. it's like we're sharing a bed.”

”Well, it's the same as sharing a bed,” Emma said. ”Are you okay with it?”

”I'm a little nervous, but, I think, yeah.”

While Emma was happy to see Aleta's bright smile, knowing how that smile came to be because of her loneliness made her a little sad. Emma lied on the bed first, followed by Aleta, who turned her body to face her. Emma held Aleta's hand, which made the girl's body retract a little, but soon she relaxed. Her hand was soft and Emma threw a smile at her.

”I am your friend now so don't worry,” Emma said.

”Friends,” Aleta said, looking at Emma for some time before smiling. ”Yeah!”

***

During the middle of the night, Emma opened her eyes. She thought about looking at the time on her cell phone. When she tried to move her arm, it didn't obey. She tried to move any other part of her body, but none obeyed. Her whole body didn't obey her. She was frozen and could only move her eyes.

She focused on Aleta's face in front of her. Maybe she could make a signal to ask for help. Surprised, she realized Aleta's eyes were looking straight at her. Emma tried to talk, but her mouth wouldn't move either. At first, she was relieved that at least Aleta was awake. Still, the way the girl looked at her made her unsettled.

Aleta's eyes looked empty, despite being open. She didn't say anything, just staring straight into Emma's eyes. It was the same as the other day when they came back from the city. Suddenly, Aleta's body started to move, approaching Emma. She got so close that the forehead from both girls touched. Emma could feel Aleta's breath close to her face, as she opened her mouth.

”Bud,” the word came cold from Aleta's mouth.

Emma tried to scream or move but it was useless. She watched as Aleta stood up and sat over her body. She shivered as Aleta's cold fingers traced her face; As Aleta's fragile hands closed on her neck.

Aleta's grip was getting stronger and stronger but Emma still couldn't scream. It became so strong that Emma started to have difficulty in breathing. When breathing became impossible, Emma's mind blanked out.