Mary was standing in front of the red letters that spelt MOANING MARY. She wanted to cry and punch someone at the same time. It was Ben and Barry that had done it, she was certain of it. They always did stuff to her, whether it was putting gum in her hair while she slept or spreading nasty rumours about her in school.
Edmund and Greg came into the hallway and stared at the letters. She wanted to run away; they would probably find it hilarious and she did not want to be around when they were laughing and poking fun at her.
“Are you all right?” Greg asked her. Mary shrugged and avoided looking at him. She imagined his face with a smug smirk on it. She overheard Edmund whispering to Greg; he was wondering whether the twins had done it as if he did not know, thought Mary. She knew his kind – popular and good looking. He would probably die instead of being seen talking to her. Her mother and the doctor came into the hallway. “What is going on here?” said her mother as she put an arm around her. “Was this Ben and Barry? BEN, BARRY! COME HERE AT ONCE!” Bella screamed.
Mary wanted to leave but her mother held her tight. She didn’t want to see Ben and Barry; she did not want to see their proud and smug face looking down at her.
Ben and Barry came out of their room with puzzled faces. “Blimey, you don’t have to yell, Mum,” said Barry.
The doctor cleared his throat and said sternly, “Which one of you vandalised this historical wall? With what I can only assume is cheap paint.”
“It wasn’t us, Mum,” said Ben.
“We will see about that, won’t we?” roared Bella and dragged Mary with one hand and Barry in the other. She dragged them into the twins’ room and spotted a bucket of paint under one of the beds. “WHAT IS THAT!” said Bella.
“It’s not ours,” said Barry.
“Mum, you honestly believe we would drag with us a bucket of paint. We got better things to drag with us,” said Ben.
“Don’t know what to believe anymore. I didn’t believe that you could spray paint on your headmaster’s car or colour grandma’s cat pink and give him a green mohawk. You surprised me enough times, you need to start acting your age.”
“I swear, Mum, we did not do this.”
The doctor groaned. “If you’re going to think of a lie, at least, give us a good one.”
Mary wished that the doctor could stay out of it, she wished everyone could stay out of it. Why did they have to talk about it and why did she have to be there? She tried to pull herself free from her mother’s grip and storm off but it was too tight. “You two have to clean the ground floor and the first floor. TODAY, UNDERSTOOD?” Barry rolled his eyes and nodded, Ben stuck to his story and said that they should not be punished for something that they did not do.
Mary thought that he should give it up; everyone knew that it was them, who else could it be? They hated her, and she knew it.
She pulled her arm free and stormed off to her room. Tears were running down her face; why did she have to come here? Why could she not be at home and do what she wanted? Why could she not just stay at home and bury her face in her pillow?
She had been doomed and disliked from the start of her life. Her father left just shortly after she was born, and Mary knew it was her fault even though her mother told her that he left because he could not handle children. Her mother could just tell her the truth, she could just tell her that her father left because he knew that he had helped make such a failure, such a disgrace. He could never be seen with such a disappointment.
Her mother came into her room; she looked fed up and angry, she was always angry. “It’s breakfast and you need to eat; you barely touched your dinner last night,” said Bella.
Why did she have to eat breakfast with them, could she not eat in her room? Besides, she was not hungry.
Bella dragged Mary with her downstairs, Mary knew that her mother was not in a good mood, there was no point resisting.
She sat down on a chair and put on her hood. Everyone was watching her; they were judging her.
“EAT!” her mother said agitatedly. Mary grabbed a piece of half-burnt toast and put butter on it. Mary kept glancing up at Greg and Edmund, she knew they had taken part in the prank. Greg did not strike her as the type to be mean for no reason, but she had been wrong about that many times. Edmund, on the other hand, would be a person to do such a thing in a heartbeat that she was certain of. They were both boys and boys always liked to pick on her, this was a given.
Barry threw a piece of cheese at her; Mary went scarlet and ran off throwing her toast at the floor. She regretted not throwing it at his face, but he would only strike back harder.
Mary did not use her flashlight as she ran, she just wanted to run away from everyone and everything. She ran up the stairs. She ran through hallways and then stopped as a door opened in front of her. Mary stepped inside. The room was small; there was just a chair, a bed and a table with an old radio. On the wall were a painting of a forest and a small round mirror. The room smelled just as musty as the other rooms, but it was colder like it was a strong icy draft somewhere in the room. She wondered whether it came from the window but, as far she could tell, it didn’t.
She tried to find out where the draft came from, she knew it didn’t come from the window so she followed the light on her flashlight. She found a rift in the painting and through the rift came an icy wind; it was not strong like a storm, but it was strong enough to make her hair move gently.
Mary was about to put her finger through the hole when the radio started making strange noises.
A voice called out to her, “Mary, are you there, Mary?” The voice was soft and gentle. Mary thought that she should be frightened but she did not even feel nervous. The voice sounded like a friend in need. Was it a prank? How could it be? Ben and Barry had no knowledge of old radios; besides, how did they know she would go into that room? It was simple, they didn’t.
“I can sense your warm presence. It’s comforting but having a conversation with you would be much better,” the voice said.
“Who are you?” Mary asked.
“I am one of the many souls trapped in this hotel. Cursed by the evil witch.”
The man was in need, but how could she be sure it was not a prank? She had to ask, “How do I know that you are real?”
“You were running in the darkness, I guided you to this room. I needed to speak with you, I hope you understand.”
“Do you wish to make fun of me like so many before you?”
“Only a fool would make fun of a superb creation like you. I wish to get to know you. I believe that you are a key to freeing the souls trapped here,” he said.
Mary was not sure that it wasn’t a prank, who on earth would think that it was something special about her. He was a bad liar, but she wanted to know more about him. Before she could ask him, he said, “My beautiful Mary, I can see that you believe I mean you no ill but I assure you that I wish to see you blossom into a beautiful flower. A flower that is more beautiful than all the other flowers, more beautiful than all the trees and leaves. A flower everyone wishes to pluck and take home.”
Mary smiled; did he really think she was a flower? That was what he said, wasn’t it? A flower prettier than all the others. Did he care for her that much? She did not even know his name.
“My name is Dorian Black; I built this hotel. At first, it was a place of wonder, colours all around. It was like that until the accident.”
“What accident?”
“A witch wanted to stay in my hotel. At first, I thought that she was just on old fragile lady but when I looked closer, I saw evil in its true form. She was wearing a neckless of human fingers, and her skin was peeling off her face. I slammed the door shut and hoped she would go away, but she shouted some strange words and darkness swallowed the hotel leaving all the walls black, and all the staff and guests dead. I woke up and nothing was like it had ever been; she had murdered children, innocent children!” Dorian stopped talking, Mary could hear that he was sobbing.
She thought that it was sad, he was trapped in a hotel that had lost all its colour. “How can I help you?” she asked him.
“The curse can be broken by the chosen one. Legend says that a girl would come to the hotel – a girl prettier than all the other ones. It speaks of a girl who is kind and fair, a girl who puts others in front of herself.”
“Why do you think that is me?”
“I can feel it, the whole hotel is screaming your name in joy. One of the things that can break the curse is true love’s kiss. That is something I know you can give to me.”
Mary’s gut took a summersault, she was soaring; it was like laying on a cloud and floating far above everyone else. She felt special for the first time in her life; she was needed, she was loved and all by a person she had never seen with her eyes. He sounded so sweet, so kind and in so much pain. She wanted to hear more of his story but thought it would be rude to ask and did not want to make him think she was obnoxious.
“Mary, beautiful Mary, I wish to know more about you. I want to know everything about you,” said Dorian Black.
“There is nothing interesting about me, I haven’t lived an exciting life. Unlike you, I am sure.”
“Mary, everything about you is interesting, fascinating and wonderful. Everything from your black curly hair to your sweet caring voice.”
Mary started talking about herself, everything from her favourite colour and food to her fear of being the most disgusting person in the world.
“Mary, I want you to listen to me. To truly listen to me. YOU are not ugly; YOU are not disgusting. YOU are kind. YOU are carrying. YOU are beautiful.”
Mary smiled but could not help feeling that he lied. “I am not lying to you, Mary. YOU are perfect.”
How did he know what she was thinking? “We are connected, Mary. I have known so since you stepped into my hotel. You are making me stronger; your smile is making me stronger and your laughter fills me with hope.”
Mary laughed softly. They were connected, she had never been that with anyone; it was exciting and the thought warmed her up. “Why is your hotel so cold?” she asked him.
“When the witch cursed the hotel and killed everyone in it, she also killed the hotel itself. When a person dies, they get cold, it is the same with a home.”
Mary thought of her home, she remembered that it was cold. It had been for years, maybe, her home was just as dead as the hotel.
They talked back and forth mostly about her, he said he wanted to know as much as possible. Mary tried to ask him about his past, but it was too hard to talk about; she could hear him sobbing through the radio. They talked about everything and nothing. Dorian Black wanted to know what the world outside was like; he said he could not wait to see it once again. He even said that when he was free of his torment, the two of them could explore the world together, try new food, and visit both colder and warmer places. Mary said she had always wanted to go to Hawaii, Dorian said he always wanted to go to New Zealand, which to Mary sounded fun.
They talked for hours, they talked until Dorian said that her mother was looking for her. That was something Mary did not want to hear; if she could, she would have talked with him every moment of every day until the end of days. He was so kind and understanding. He said that he as well was bullied in school, which made Mary feel more open with him.
“I must leave, Mary, but I will not go far; we will talk again soon and remember YOU are BEAUTIFUL.”
The room became silent, so silent that it was uncomfortable; she knew she would talk to him again and next time would be even better. Now she had to see her mother, it was like going from heaven to hell in seconds.
Mary left the room and walked back towards the stairs; she had started to know where she was supposed to go. She could not explain how she knew but it was like the hotel had grown on her. She could picture it before the curse, full of life and colour. She pictured walls in all sorts of colours; some blue, some pink, some were even gold – she imagined that Dorian would like gold.
She wanted to try something, she turned off the flashlight and started walking in the dark. It was like a compass pointing her in the right direction. It was as if Dorian was holding her hand guiding her to safety.
She walked down the staircase, two steps at a time; she would not fall she knew that he was watching over her, protecting her, she could feel him, and feel their connection.
She walked into a hallway and got caught by a bright light. “Where have you been young lady?” said her mother with a stern voice. Mary rolled her eyes and remained silent. Her mother’s presence was already bringing her mood down. “Dinner is about to start; you have been gone all day. I know your brothers tease you but that is no excuse, you could have been trapped somewhere. I have been looking for you for some time now. Anything could have happened to you and I would not have known. Now get to the dining room,” said Bella.
Bella did not take her eyes off Mary, not even when they entered the dining room. She could feel her mother’s fierce look.
Bella grabbed a ladle, scooped up roasted potatoes and put it on Mary’s gold-rimmed plate. Bella filled Mary’s plate with more food; there were carrots, peas, meat and sauce – it looked equally disgusting.
Mary imagined the dining room like it once had been. Full of life, laughter and light. Children taking more pudding than they can eat and older gentlemen falling asleep in their chairs. Her imagination came to an abrupt halt when she heard her mother say, “EAT!”
She looked down at her plate; she had squashed her potatoes with her fork and stirred them into the sauce, if anything she had made it look less appealing. Mary looked at her company, each and every one of them was shoving food into their mouths without any pauses. Dorian would not like these people touching his stuff and deciding their worth, it wasn’t theirs to touch, it was his.
Everyone was staring at her wondering why she was like she was, wondering why she did not eat, wondering why she existed in the first place. “Why couldn’t she just stay at home so she couldn’t get in the way of my work and free time?” said the doctor.
“Would it please you if she lived under a bridge?” said Bella furious.
“She certainly would not get in the way or bother anyone except maybe a pair of ducks,” said Doctor Wrath; Mary could not tell if he was telling a joke or considered it as an option.
Mary stood up ready to leave but her mother held her back. “You will sit here and eat. I will tie you down if I must. AND YOU, DOCTOR WRATH, I HAVE HAD QUITE ENOUGH OF YOU!”
Mary sat back down, picked up her fork and continued stirring in her food. “EAT!” Bella roared. Mary cut a small piece of her slab of meat and gently put it in her mouth. Her mother was staring at her, she was waiting for Mary to eat more than just a small piece that a goldfish could have eaten in one small bite. She ate one of her squashed potatoes that was soaked in gravy; it tasted bland; it was like eating moist cardboard.
How much did her mother expect her to eat? She had already had a whole potato, which made her feel sick. Greg and Edmund were talking softly across the table and so were Ben and Barry. Barry’s eyes kept wandering around the room taking long pauses when they spotted her. Were they planning a new prank? If so, then Dorian would surely stop them or, at least, warn her; he was on her side and her side only.
She took a bite of a small piece of carrot; it felt hard and uneatable like a stone someone had picked up from the cold ground and painted orange.
The light above the table flickered, the room was consumed with darkness for a few seconds and, while it was in darkness, a piece of potato soaked in gravy landed on Mary’s forehead leaving a mark of gravy that ran down her face. The light went back on and she heard her mother yell, “BARRY!”
“It wasn’t me, I swear!”
“BEN!”
“I swear, I didn’t do it.”
“Do you boys think that I am a fool? You sit right across from her and you two are the only one with the audacity to do such a thing in this room.” Bella slammed her fist on the table. “You will do the dishes today and tomorrow. I will inspect them myself!”
“That is not fair, we didn’t do it,” said Barry and the two of them stormed off.
Logan handed Mary a white napkin and told her to clean herself, he tried to hide his smile but his eyes gave it away. Mary could see that he thought it was funny. If she had not been certain that it was Ben or Barry, she would have guessed it to be him; he looked like the kind of man to enjoy something like that. He was like an overgrown boy with a bald head and soul patch to try and hide his age, which did not work.
Mary went back to eating; she did not want to, but her mother was not in an arguing kind of mood. She thought that if she ate half of what was on her plate, she could leave. Edmund and Greg left the dining room quickly after Ben and Barry. The room had become silent after the boys had taken their leave, but Bella was still holding Mary back. Didn’t she want to be alone with the doctor or Logan, she certainly would not if she could avoid it. The doctor was rude and Logan was a man child; she did not believe her mother enjoyed their company but that did not mean that Mary herself had to be there. She had better things to do.
Mary pulled her arm loose and stormed off; she walked in the dark, she already knew where she wanted to go and how to get there. She ran upstairs, ran through the dark hallways and entered the room with the old radio. “Dorian, are you th…?” A woman was sitting on the bed; she was pretty, she had long blonde wavy hair and was wearing a maid uniform.
“Who are you?” Mary asked.
“You must be Mary, Mr Black said you were beautiful.” The woman indicated that Mary should take a seat.
Was she trustworthy? She said she knew Dorian. Was she his wife who wanted to tell her to stay away from her husband? Would she ever hear his voice again? Was he ill, or in trouble? Could she help him if he was?
“Mr Black is weak. You have made him stronger with your presence, you have a strong connection with him. He needs time to rest; he is eager to speak with you again, he is sad that he can’t for a short time. He has left you a present in your room, he hopes you will like it. Now I am afraid I am needed elsewhere; a maid’s job is a never-ending one.” The woman smiled before she left Mary all alone. Dorian was tired, it was her fault she should not have talked to him for so long. She told herself that the one who waits gets something good in the end. Patience is the key. Now she had to see what kind of gift was waiting for her in her room.
She ran towards her room; she could not wait. Nothing could bring her down now, she would talk to Dorian again. He was only weary and needed some rest; everyone needs rest from time to time. She heard Edmund and Greg talking in the other hallway, she waited till they had left before she moved to her room. She overheard Edmund saying that he had a friend in the town, and they could hang out with him one day. She heard Brutus barking; she liked Brutus he was a handsome dog. She liked dogs and animals in general, animals weren’t complicated. They want food, love and care. They don’t care how popular you are, or how ugly you look; to them, you are perfect.
She heard a door close; they had left. She hurried to her room and put on her flashlight. She needed light to find the gift from Dorian.
Mary looked out the window, it was getting dark outside. She could not explain it, but it seemed darker on the mountain then it did back home. The nights were darker and the days colder, but that is what a curse will do, she thought.
Her room was small; like every room, there was a painting and a mirror. The painting was of a shirtless man with long black hair and, on the frame, it was written in gold: Dorian Black. Was that how he looked? He was very handsome, she thought.
She looked at her nightstand next to her bed, there was a letter there and a small box. She read the letter:
My dearest Mary, today I talked to you for the first time but I feel like I have loved you for an eternity. One day I wish to give you the moon, the sun and the earth itself but for now, I can offer you this. I believe this gift will brighten up both you and the way you look at my once fabulous hotel. I wish I could hold your hand; I desire to kiss but I fear I am not strong enough yet. I hope you will free me of this curse, and I hope me and you can explore the world in style.
Love, Dorian Black.
Mary smiled, she felt warm and fuzzy on the inside. She felt like dancing under the stars, it was like her insides did a summersault. He said that he wished to hold her hand to kiss her; no one had ever said that to her, no one has ever wanted to do such a thing with her. He said that he has loved me for an eternity, she thought. The letter made her smile and think that next time she saw him she would tell him that she loved him as well. It would not be a lie, he was perfect. Every woman in the world would love him if he gave them a moment of his time and he gave her several moments, not just one. He gave her hours of his time and he wanted to give her hours more, he was a true gentleman.
She held the box in her hand, it carried a pink bow. She wondered what was inside, she would love it no matter what. She wondered if it was a necklace or maybe a ring, a key to his heart, maybe a small tiara. The possibilities were endless.
Mary closed her eyes and opened the black box, she almost did not dare open her eyes and her imagination ran wild. She took a few deep breaths, her heart was pounding in her chest, it was pounding of joy and excitement.
She slowly opened her eyes and looked down; it was a golden ring with a black gemstone. It was beautiful, she had to try it on. Mary put the ring on and it fitted like a glove. She had told him at once how she felt, she had to tell him that she loved the ring and that she would never take it off.
Mary hurried down the stairs into the game room, she opened a drawer and found a piece of parchment and a pen. She wrote down what she felt. She wrote that she loved him and would help him in any way she could. She wrote that she hoped he would feel better soon and that she was looking forward to speaking with him again.
The door to the game room opened, she heard footsteps approaching. She turned around and saw the pretty maid. “Hello again Mary, I hope you liked the gift. Mr Black picked it out himself.”
Mary showed her the letter and said, “I wrote this to him, do you think you can give it to him?”
The maid smiled. “I would be delighted to do such a thing for you. He has not stopped talking about you at all. It is fun to hear him so upbeat, he has not been that for decades now.”
The maid took the letter, smiled and left Mary all alone in the game room.