11: The Hidden Recording

Nobody inside Daniel Cross’s suite spoke for several seconds after Adrian pointed toward the painting above the fireplace.

Julian stared at it suspiciously before taking one dramatic step backward. “I would just like everyone to know that if a ghost jumps out of that wall, I’m sacrificing all of you and running first.”

“We can’t even leave the room,” Liam reminded him while glancing toward the locked door.

The timer on the television continued ticking down steadily.

25:41

Moira walked toward the fireplace without hesitation and carefully lifted the painting off the wall.

A hidden compartment sat behind it. Inside rested a small black camera.

“Well,” Monica said slowly, “that’s unsettling.”

A tiny red light blinked from the device. The camera was still recording.

Winona immediately looked toward Adrian.

His expression darkened slightly. “That definitely wasn’t there before.”

Moira picked up the camera carefully before placing it onto the table near the television. “Can someone connect this?”

“I can,” Ava said quickly. "I'm an influencer after all!"

Within seconds, she inserted the memory card into the television system beneath the cabinet. Static flickered across the large screen before shaky footage suddenly appeared.

Daniel Cross stood inside the exact same hotel suite wearing yesterday’s clothes. Unlike the glamorous actor everyone recognized online, the man onscreen looked terrified.

His hands shook while adjusting the camera angle.

“If somebody finds this recording,” Daniel said breathlessly, “do not trust the hotel staff. They already know the loops are happening.”

Daniel continued speaking rapidly. “Every reset changes details slightly. Rooms change. Timelines shift. People forget things after each death, but the hotel remembers everything.”

Julian let out a nervous laugh. “We’re trapped inside haunted Groundhog Day.”

“You joke too much for someone who could die tonight,” Moira said coldly.

“It’s a coping mechanism, detective. You can handcuff me to the bed if you want.” He winked at Moira who looked irritated by him.

Onscreen, Daniel suddenly looked toward the suite entrance in panic.

“I think somebody followed me this time,” he whispered.

The lights inside the recording flickered violently, exactly like the hotel lights had flickered the night before.

Daniel backed away slowly while gripping the camera tighter. “If I die again before morning, don’t let them rese-”

The video cut abruptly. A second later, the television turned back on automatically.

[IMPORTANT CLUE DISCOVERED.]

Everyone visibly relaxed when the timer stopped counting down. Even Keisha who was almost electrocuted before looked relieved now. Then the host appeared again smiling sweetly.

[Contestants may now proceed to Stage Two.]

Ava blinked. “There are stages?!”

The hotel room door unlocked immediately with a loud metallic click. But strangely, nobody moved toward it. The suite no longer felt like a normal room.

Liam crossed his arms slowly. “What did he mean by ‘again’?”

Nobody answered immediately.

Winona finally looked directly at Adrian. “You knew about this.”

“Not all of it. But enough to keep warning me.”

Before Adrian could explain further, Keisha threw her hands up in frustration.

“This is ridiculous,” she snapped. “You people are seriously believing some creepy prerecorded video from an actor?”

“He literally said he dies repeatedly,” Iris argued quietly.

“He’s an actor,” Keisha shot back. “Pretending is his entire profession.”

Liam studied her carefully. “Then why are they threatening to physically punish contestants?”

The silence that followed felt heavy, then suddenly, every light inside the suite shut off.

Complete darkness swallowed the room. Ava cursed loudly while Julian immediately bumped into furniture somewhere nearby.

Winona stayed still. Beside her, Adrian instinctively reached for her hand in the darkness, but instead of panicking, she tightened her grip around his first.

“You okay?” she asked quietly.

He let out a short breath that almost sounded surprised. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

“I write horror for a living. This is basically research.”

Thunder exploded outside hard enough to shake the windows violently. Then another sound echoed through the darkness.

Not from anyone inside the group. The sound came from near the bathroom.

Winona narrowed her eyes toward the darkness instead of backing away. The emergency lights suddenly flickered on in dim red flashes.

For one brief second, she saw a massive shadow standing near the bathroom doorway holding something long and sharp.

Then the lights flickered again. The figure vanished.

“What the hell was that?” Monica asked shakily.

Then somebody screamed from inside the bathroom.