Hotel Black: Beware of the Dark

By Ken G. Jones

On a remote freezing mountain in Wales lies the mysterious Hotel Black, which is often surrounded by a thick mist. Edmund, Greg and Mary each follow their parents on a work holiday at the creepy Hotel Black. They each have their own part to play to the evil that hides in the shadows. Edmund notices quickly that the hotel is filled with paintings of the same man, but he never looks the same. They all discover that they are not alone, even though some of them don’t want to admit it. They have to go through vivid dreams, the squeaking of rats and disturbing memories. They must decide if they are going to be heroes or put their own needs in front of everything else. They have to choose whether to search for answers or get out while they still have a fighting chance. No matter what they chose, they know they are not safe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Feb 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9781528950978

Ken G. Jones

Ken G. Jones is a 21-year-old man, living in Norway, who loves to create stories and have done so since a very young age. He loves to experiment with homemade smoothie recipes and uses his friends as guinea pigs. He has a great passion for horror and fantasy, he especially likes to create stories that involve the supernatural.

Book preview

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About the Author

Ken G. Jones is a 21-year-old man, living in Norway, who loves to create stories and have done so since a very young age. He loves to experiment with homemade smoothie recipes and uses his friends as guinea pigs. He has a great passion for horror and fantasy, he especially likes to create stories that involve the supernatural.

Copyright Information ©

Ken G. Jones (2021)

The right of Ken G. Jones to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781528950961 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781528950978 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published (2021)

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd

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Chapter 1

Edmund found himself in a sleepy town in Wales; he was standing in a small shop where he was being stared at by a shabby-looking elderly man with big piercing brown eyes. The man was making Edmund uncomfortable – what gave the man the right to accuse him with his haunting eyes? The man did not move a muscle; the only thing moving were his eyes, which were locked on to Edmund. Edmund tried to walk around in the shop, he tried to hide behind shelves, but the eyes found him. The man did not smile, nothing about his demeanour was in any way friendly. The man walked up to Edmund slowly like a beast stalking its prey. Who are you? Why are you here? The man’s tone was fierce. Edmund could see the man’s teeth, they were yellow and some were missing.

Edmund forced a smile and said, Hi. I and a few others are going to the old hotel. My father is going to find valuable things.

The man scowled and spat on Edmund’s shoe before he said, If anyone is going to die, it better be you and your friends.

Edmund’s father came up behind Edmund, put his hand on Edmund’s shoulder and said, Son, don’t fraternise with the locals. You never know what diseases they might carry. Edmund’s father Doctor Wrath’s voice was calm and cold; it was a tone Edmund knew better than any other, it was his father’s ‘I am better than you’ voice. Edmund had heard it far too often.

Edmund looked up at his father. Doctor Wrath was a tall slim man with short blonde hair, blue eyes, and a thick well-trimmed blonde moustache under a beak-like nose. Edmund was fifteen years old and had blue eyes like his father; he also had short ruffled blonde hair and cheekbones chiselled on a feline face.

Edmund, why don’t you head out? I will get what we need.

Of course, Doctor, Edmund replied and walked out into the warm sun. A voice called out to him, he looked around and saw a boy who seemed to be his age with brown hair in a buzzcut form.

Edmund and the boy began talking. Edmund thought he seemed nice; he was from Liverpool and was going to spend the summer in his grandma’s house in this little Welsh town.

Edmund looked around; he could see some houses, a bunch of trees and lots of grass that was not well kept.

Trent told Edmund that they could hang out and that it was not much to do in the town, but it would be nice to have someone his age. That was something Edmund could agree with because he did not know who else was coming to the hotel, would he be the youngest, maybe the rest were just adults with all fun sucked out of them. Doctor Wrath came out of the shop with a bag filled with some drinks and a bite to eat. Edmund was glad because he was starving, there had been very few stops since they left London. He got in his father’s car, opened an egg and bacon sandwich and started to chow down on it. His father handed him a knife, fork and plate and said, You’re a human being, act like it. Edmund rolled his eyes as he grabbed the utensils. Try to avoid spilling, I doubt anyone in this town knows how to clean a car with leather seats.

Yes, Doctor, said Edmund.

It had been a long drive; luckily, he had his phone so he could listen to music since his father was not the easiest to have a conversation with. Besides, Edmund was not very happy that he forced him to come on this work journey. Edmund was part of a band and he had to cancel a gig they had because he was going to spend the summer in an abandoned hotel. Doctor Wrath wanted him to come to see what a real job looked like, he wanted Edmund to follow in his footsteps and not go for a career within music and acting.

They drove away from the houses into a small forest. It was quite different then London and Edmund did not really care for it; if he wanted to see nature he could just wander off into a park.

They arrived at what looked like a parking lot overgrown with flowers, trees and grass. There were two other cars there. There were two adults who were talking, a slightly pudgy boy was talking to a pair of twins and standing behind them was a girl with a headset on underneath her large hood. The twins had black curly hair so did the woman and it looked like the girl with the hood had it as well. The pudgy boy had short straight hair and carried a bunch of pimples on his face especially on his forehead. What looked to be the boy’s father was bald, had a soul patch and a large gut with thin legs.

Edmund wanted his father to turn the car around. Doctor Wrath’s face looked like he just might turn the car around; he stared at the people, he looked both shocked and angry as if he excepted something better.

Edmund spotted a large dog in one of the cars; he liked animals except for rats, he was not too keen on them, at least, not the big and fat ones.

Edmund got out of the car and greeted them, the only one he shook hands with was the boy named Greg Tanner and he seemed nice enough. It was, apparently, his dog so Edmund was already fond of him. The doctor got reluctantly out of the car and slowly walked towards the two adults. The man struck out his hand and said, Logan Tanner, pleased to meet you.

Doctor Wrath looked at the man’s hand but did not shake it. Which pawnshop in the middle of nowhere did you come from?

Logan took back his hand, then the woman said, I am Doctor Bella Woodard.

A doctor, I can get behind that even if you do not look the type. I am Doctor Matthew Wrath.

Nice to meet you, Matthew, said Bella, to which Doctor Wrath replied,

It’s Doctor or Doctor Wrath. We are not girls playing in the schoolyard, we are hired to do a job. Some of us will do it better than others of course. Doctor Wrath smiled at Logan in a ‘you are below me’ kind of way.

Edmund felt embarrassed over his father’s behaviour, it was bad enough when the doctor did it to Edmund’s friends, door to door salesmen, teachers or even his own colleagues but now he had to do it with people they were going to live with.

Logan laughed a bit uncomfortably then he said, Let’s start going up the mountain, it’s a short walk to get to the hotel; luckily, it is not too steep.

One of the twins walked over to Doctor Wrath’s car and said, Blimey, you packed for a trip to the moon.

Doctor Wrath smiled. I have only packed the most essential.

How are you going to get it up? asked the other twin.

Edmund will be carrying it up. Did you think I would do it myself? That would be unheard of, it would have made my suit sweatier than it needs to.

Greg smiled and said, Don’t worry, Edmund. I’ll help you. Edmund thanked him. He thought it was nice, now he did not need to go up and down until dark.

They started walking up the trail at a slow pace. The path was overgrown and it did not seem like anyone had been walking along the path for decades. They climbed over a fence using an old wooden ladder; on the fence was a wooden sign saying ‘Beware’. The moment Edmund crossed the fence, he got chills; it was as if the temperature had stooped down, which would be impossible, he thought.

Greg introduced Edmund to his large dog. His name is Brutus, he is kind of a lazy slob. He does not even bother to chase the neighbour cat anymore. Brutus had drool hanging down from his mouth and seemed to enjoy the many new smells he had encountered.

They started walking upwards, Edmund was carrying two large bags while the doctor was only carrying one bag and he had chosen the smallest and the lightest so it would not weigh him down.

Suddenly Edmund heard Greg say, There is a girl there. Everyone looked to the place where Greg was pointing but no one could spot any girl.

The doctor smirked and said, My dear boy, the locals don’t dare to go up this mountain as they are afraid of some mumbo jumbo. Hogwash if you ask me. Silly superstition.

I swear I saw a girl.

The twins laughed and one of them said, You know what, I think I see a leprechaun drinking tea on top of a unicorn.

Greg became silent, then he whispered in Edmund’s ear, You saw it, right? Edmund shook his head, he had not seen anyone, and he doubted that a beautiful girl would appear out of nowhere, not even an ugly girl would do that.

Edmund could spot the hotel; it was huge and all dressed in black. There were plenty of pipes stacked up on large black pillars with the entrance. It looked like something out of a gothic nightmare, a place where Dracula himself could live. It gave Edmund the chills.

They walked up to the staircase leading to the front doors; there were wolf statues guarding the door – one was howling, another showing its teeth, the third and fourth seemed both to be leaping at something, or someone.

Logan walked to Greg and Edmund and said, If you are on the way up or down, then you must be careful…a thick fog can often appear, and when it appears, it is not easy to navigate. Stay where you are, and stay close to each other.

Please don’t take a long time; I want to get settled in today, said Doctor Wrath.

Yes, Doctor, said Edmund as he rolled his eyes and dropped the bags he was carrying.

Be careful with them, I do not intend to walk around in wrinkled suits all summer.

Greg told Brutus to stay behind and the two of them started walking back towards the cars. Edmund had the keys in his pocket. Why do you call your father ‘Doctor’, it’s a bit formal? asked Greg.

My father has always insisted on it ever since I was a baby; don’t think I ever called him ‘Dad’, at least not to his face.

What about your mum?

Well, she is a doctor as well but to me, she will always be ‘Mum’. She is neither as strict nor as condescending as my father. Sorry about that by the way.

No worries, everyone is different and everyone deserves respect, even if they don’t give it to other people. My dad told me that.

They walked for a while in silence, Greg kept looking around and Edmund guessed that he was looking for the girl. So, what do you think about spending the summer in a boring old hotel? Edmund asked.

I think it can be quite fun, a new experience I never had before, and the people seem nice enough. The twins, Ben and Barry, will probably get up to some fun.

There she is, the girl! said Greg and pointed at a tree; there was no one there. Edmund started to wonder if Greg was a bit of a nutter, not only did he say he saw a girl that no one else could see but he said it would be fun to stay at the hotel the summer.

Something is off with him for sure, thought Edmund.

They climbed over the fence and sure enough, it became warmer. Greg grabbed two bags and Edmund grabbed three. Then they climbed back over the fence and got hit with the coldness again. They followed the path back to the hotel, and when they were close, Edmund saw something strange. There was a man at the upstairs window waving at them, then he vanished. Did you see the man at the window? asked Edmund.

Greg smiled. Didn’t see a thing. But if you were to agree with me that I saw a woman, then I will assure you that you saw a man at the window.

Edmund shook his head and told himself that it was nothing, that it was just his imagination, there was no girl along the path and no waving man at the window.

Greg opened the front door; it creaked loudly and made the hair on Edmund’s back stand up. They both walked inside and put down the bags.

They were in a large room with several mirrors and several paintings. The room was painted black and had wooden furniture and a chandelier. The room would have been pitch black had it not been for the open door. Next to the door was a small wooden table with a note and two flashlights. Edmund read the note out loud. Welcome to your new home, lads, it’s quite cosy and spacious. There is little to no light in most places so always carry a flashlight. It is easy to get lost. I am going to the game room; we have let the doors open for you so you can find the way. Your mate, Logan.

They grabbed each a flashlight, turned them on, closed the door and started looking around. They walked to a large painting of man dressed all in black with black hair and a long beard. On the golden frame stood a name: Dorian Black. They checked out another painting which also was a painting of Dorian Black, but this time he was blonde young shirtless and riding a black horse. This Dorian fellow changed his appearances more than an actor. Greg laughed.

Let’s find the rest, said Edmund; he felt like someone was watching him with piercing eyes. They looked around, there were no open doors at all so Edmund just opened one and Greg followed behind him. They walked into a hallway with plenty of paintings, mirrors and doors. Edmund did not know which door to choose so he just opened one after another. Sometimes, he opened a broom closet and other times he opened child rooms. All of them had at least one mirror and at least one large painting often of Dorian in different styles.

After searching for over fifteen minutes, they found the game room where Logan was playing pool against the twins Ben and Barry. Logan smiled at them. Bella is making a delicious meal of sausages and chips in the kitchen downstairs and Doctor Wrath – or should I say, Matthew – is getting his room in order.

Edmund laughed. He’d kill you if he heard you say Matthew.

He seems like the type, said Ben with a grin on his face.

I am going to take a break, from owning you guys in pool, and show them where they will be staying, said Logan. He told Edmund and Greg to follow him. They walked up a staircase and walked down a long hallway with plenty of doors; Edmund doubted if he could find his way through the hotel, it was like a maze.

They walked through a couple of doors, then Logan stopped in front of a room with green tape on it. This is your room to share, X marks the spot, said Logan and pointed on the green tape.

By the way, Brutus needs a walk and he is somewhere around here; just follow the sound of snoring, said Logan and wandered off.

They opened the door to where they were going to stay, there were two beds, a rocking chair, a wardrobe and, of course, a large painting and a mirror. The painting was of Dorian Black; he had long black hair and beard and he had long sabretooth like fangs and red eyes. Edmund did not understand Dorian Black’s fascination with mirrors and paintings of himself, it seemed like every room had at least one of each but often two.

We better find Brutus, said Greg.

He’s a big dog and there are not many places to hide, said Edmund.

They walked out of the room and puzzled over which way to go, they agreed upon going left and leaving the doors open to find an easy way back. The doors were heavy to open and each one led to a new and possibly creepier room. They entered a small room with three cribs and plenty of creepy dolls made from porcelain.

Edmund noticed that very few rooms had windows, he thought that if the hotel would catch fire how would anyone get out alive. They would have to run through a dark maze and hope to stumble upon a window or another form of exit.

Edmund and Greg used their flashlights to see; they walked past mirrors, paintings and doors. They heard knocking coming from one of the rooms. Edmund opened the door carefully. He wondered if it was an animal, like a bird or something larger. Greg walked in first and waved his light around hoping to light more of the room up. Edmund was right behind him slowly manoeuvring his light around.

They could not see anyone in the room and the knocking had stopped. Edmund tried to calm himself down by thinking that it was an old building and old buildings make noises, it is part of their charm.

They walked over to a large painting on the wall. It was of a woman, an old woman with a large staff, and she seemed to be standing on a hilltop.

Behind them, under the covers in the bed, grew a large bump in the form of a man. The man got out of the bed with the covers on top of him. The man walked up behind Greg. The man laid a cold hand on Greg’s shoulder before he vanished leaving behind only the covers that dropped to the floor.

Edmund saw Greg’s face, it was pale and he jumped to the wall before he looked behind himself. Someone touched me! he howled.

Edmund looked down at the white covers on the floor and laughed. It’s not only mysterious girls but also magic covers.

"I mean it, a hand