Nora couldn’t breathe.

The man standing in front of her looked exactly like Daniel.

Same face.

Same voice.

Same scar above his eyebrow.

But his eyes were black.

Completely black.

She stepped backward.

“You’re not my brother.”

The thing wearing Daniel’s face smiled.

“You took longer than I expected.”

Nora grabbed the door handle.

Locked.

She pulled harder.

Nothing.

“What did you do to him?”

The creature tilted its head.

“Who?”

“Daniel.”

A quiet laugh escaped it.

“Your brother has been gone for seven years.”

“Then where is he?”

The creature stepped closer.

“You really want to know?”

Nora nodded.

It pointed toward the floor.

“Below us.”

A loud sound came from beneath the hotel.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Nora stared at the floor.

“He’s alive?”

“Not exactly.”

She felt cold.

“What does that mean?”

The creature smiled.

“You’ll see.”

Suddenly, the hallway lights went out.

Nora heard a door slam.

Then another.

Then another.

When the lights returned, the creature was gone.

The door was open.

Nora ran into the hallway.

Every room was empty.

The people were gone.

Only one door remained open.

ROOM 12.

Her mother’s room.

Nora slowly walked toward it.

Inside was an old bedroom.

A photograph sat on the table.

It showed Nora as a child.

Her mother.

And Daniel.

Nora picked it up.

Something was written on the back.

DON’T TRUST THE BOY WHO CAME HOME.

Nora’s hands trembled.

A sound came from behind her.

She turned.

Her mother stood in the doorway.

Nora dropped the photograph.

“Mom?”

The woman smiled.

“My little girl.”

Nora’s eyes filled with tears.

“You died.”

“I did.”

“Then how are you here?”

Her mother stepped inside.

“Because this place doesn’t understand death.”

Nora stared at her.

“What is this place?”

“A door.”

“To where?”

“Somewhere that should have remained closed.”

Her mother looked toward the floor.

“The people of Hollow Creek discovered something beneath the town.”

“What?”

“A tunnel.”

“Where does it go?”

Her mother’s face became pale.

“Nowhere.”

Nora frowned.

“That makes no sense.”

“It goes somewhere that doesn’t exist.”

A deep rumble came from beneath them.

Her mother grabbed Nora’s hand.

“We have to go.”

“Where?”

“To find your real brother.”

---

They left Room 12.

The hallway had changed.

The stairs were gone.

The walls had moved.

Nora stared.

“This wasn’t here before.”

Her mother nodded.

“The hotel changes when it gets hungry.”

“Hungry?”

“It feeds on memories.”

Nora looked at her.

“That’s why everyone here is forgotten.”

“Yes.”

“And Daniel?”

“He remembered too much.”

They reached a long corridor.

At the end was a metal door.

Her mother removed a small key from her pocket.

Nora stared at it.

“Where did you get that?”

“Your father.”

“My father?”

“He found the entrance.”

“What happened to him?”

Her mother didn’t answer.

Nora’s voice became shaky.

“Mom.”

“He went through the door.”

“And?”

“He never came back.”

The door opened.

Behind it was a staircase.

They walked downward.

---

The staircase seemed endless.

The air became colder.

Nora could hear whispers.

Some sounded like children.

Others sounded like adults.

Then she heard Daniel.

“Nora.”

She stopped.

“Did you hear that?”

Her mother nodded.

“Don’t answer.”

“Nora…”

The voice came again.

This time closer.

Her mother pulled her forward.

“Keep walking.”

“Nora…”

The voice changed.

It sounded frightened.

“Please.”

Nora stopped again.

“That’s him.”

Her mother shook her head.

“It’s not.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do.”

“How?”

“Because Daniel never called you Nora.”

Nora froze.

“What?”

“He always called you Nor.”

Her mother looked at her.

“That voice doesn’t know your brother.”

Nora’s blood turned cold.

The voice came again.

“Nor…”

Her mother immediately stopped.

Nora looked at her.

“What?”

Her mother’s expression changed.

“Run.”

Something moved behind them.

They ran.

---

They reached the bottom.

A huge underground chamber opened before them.

Hundreds of doors covered the walls.

Each door had a name.

SAMUEL

LILY

DANIEL

MARGARET

DAVID

Nora stopped.

“That’s my father’s name.”

Her mother nodded.

“Yes.”

Nora approached the door.

“What are these?”

“Memories.”

“Whose?”

“Everyone who disappeared.”

Nora looked at the door marked DANIEL.

“Can we open it?”

Her mother hesitated.

“If you do, you may never leave.”

Nora reached for the handle.

“I’ve already come this far.”

She opened the door.

---

Inside was a bedroom.

Nora recognized it immediately.

Her childhood bedroom.

Her old toys.

Her books.

Her bed.

Everything was exactly as it had been twelve years ago.

A little boy sat on the floor.

Daniel.

Young Daniel.

He looked about fifteen.

Nora stared.

“Daniel?”

He looked up.

“Nor.”

She began crying.

“You were here.”

He smiled.

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

Daniel stood.

“I found the tunnel.”

“Why?”

“Because Dad disappeared.”

Nora looked at her mother.

“She told me he came here.”

Daniel nodded.

“Dad discovered the truth.”

“What truth?”

Daniel looked toward the door.

“The people beneath Hollow Creek aren’t people.”

Nora whispered,

“Then what are they?”

Daniel answered:

“They’re memories.”

She frowned.

“Memories?”

“They can copy people.”

“Like the thing pretending to be you?”

“Yes.”

Daniel stepped closer.

“They copied me.”

“Why?”

“Because they needed someone to bring you here.”

Nora stared.

“Me?”

Daniel nodded.

“You’re the last person who remembers the original Hollow Creek.”

Nora felt dizzy.

“What does that mean?”

Before Daniel could answer, the bedroom door slammed shut.

Her mother screamed.

“Nora!”

The walls began shaking.

The room started changing.

Her childhood bedroom disappeared.

The floor became black.

The walls became covered with photographs.

Every photograph showed Nora.

But each picture showed a different life.

Nora married.

Nora with children.

Nora as an old woman.

Nora dead.

Nora looked at Daniel.

“What is happening?”

He grabbed her hand.

“The hotel is choosing your future.”

“How do we stop it?”

Daniel pointed toward the center of the room.

A small red door appeared.

“Open that.”

Nora ran toward it.

Her mother shouted:

“No!”

Nora stopped.

“Why?”

Her mother’s face filled with fear.

“Because that’s where your father is.”

The red door slowly opened by itself.

A man’s voice came from inside.

“Nora.”

She knew that voice.

Her father’s voice.

He whispered:

“Don’t trust your mother.”

Nora looked at her mother.

Her mother began crying.

Then Daniel stepped backward.

His face changed.

His skin became pale.

His eyes turned black.

Nora froze.

“Daniel?”

He smiled.

“Sorry, Nor.”

Her mother grabbed Nora.

“He’s one of them!”

The fake Daniel laughed.

“You should have listened to us.”

The red door opened wider.

A tall shadow emerged.

And behind it stood Nora’s father.

Alive.

But his eyes were black too.

Nora stared in horror.

Her father smiled.

“Welcome to Hollow Creek.”

The underground chamber doors all opened simultaneously.

Hundreds of voices whispered her name.

“Nora…”

And somewhere far above them, the last train began moving again.

Even though there were no tracks.

To be continued…