Chapter 5: the third night

That night, or rather that morning, had Astrid hurrying to her room. She left her weapons on the coffee table and just faceplanted onto her bed. She was exhausted and needed so rest if she was to figure out Hiccup's cryptic words.

"What don't I see?! What don't I see?!" Astrid yelled into her pillow and punched it as well. She lay there still in her red gown and lazily toed off her heels. The shoes fell to the floor with light thuds and Astrid's eyes closed. When she opened them next it was a couple of hours later and there was frantic knocking at her door.

Astrid leapt out of bed, grabbed one of her knives and went to the door. "Yes?" She opened it a sliver and blinked when she saw Mala on the other side.

Mala blinked as well as she noticed Astrid's somewhat rumpled bed hair and the red dress she still had on. "Am I interrupting something?" Mala asked as she took in Astrid's look. Astrid in her red dress and rumpled hair might have suggested she had been entertaining someone.

"No no, I just fell asleep. Uhm....." Astrid said as she looked down and noticed what she was still wearing. She blushed as she also got the implication of it. "Something happened?"

"Yes, your employers have gone crazy!" Mala exclaimed. "You have to see this for yourself!" With that she took Astrid's hand and dragged her off towards the lift. Astrid didn't even have time to put any shoes on and also then realized that the clock in the hall indicated that she had slept through the morning and half of the afternoon.

Astrid blinked when the elevator came to a stop on the 3rd floor. She wasn't surprised when it stopped on the floor of the lounge and restaurant. She was surprised that when the elevator doors opened she saw Abigail punch Quintin in the face.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Astrid exclaimed as she saw Quintin hold his bloody nose while Heather and Dagur held Abigail back.

"We don't know!" Heather said as the struggling woman nearly stepped on her feet. "We thought you would. Also...... what are you wearing?"

"They started acting like this when Fishlegs came with a phone call for them." Dagur added.

"I thought the lines were dead?" Astrid frowned "and never mind what I'm wearing."

"They must have fixed it," Mala guessed. "Either way a supply boat is coming in a few hours so we can get off this island."

"Forget a few hours!" Quintin hissed. "I want off this island NOW!"

"Quintin shut the hell up! This is all your fault!" Abigail shouted as she tried to break loose.

"Both of you shut up!" Astrid shouted now and got in between her employers. "Unless one or both of you explain what is going on then I will be forced to put you both on a time out!"

"You can't do that!" Abigail shouted.

"Yeah! We pay your salary!" Quintin added.

"I don't care if you pay my salary or if you are a Dodo!" Astrid gesture wildly with her hands. "You guys have always been prim and proper in public settings! What changed?! Someone better start explaining or I will bring out Roburta!"

"Who the hell is Roburta?!" Dagur asked with a frown.

"Her nunchucks," Quintin said as he let out a shudder.

"We'll need to talk somewhere more private," Abigail muttered. "Our Suite Quintin. NOW!" She then said and dragged Astrid along. Quintin followed behind while trying to stem the blood from his nose while Astrid was dragged back to the 7th floor.

Abigail finally let go of Astrid's hand when she needed to unlock the Suite door. The keycard shook and barely went into the lock. Her brows raised when it was already unlocked though.

"Mrs. Preston," Marisol greeted as she was inside the room cleaning up. She had fresh linens in her hand and watched Quintin, Abigail and Astrid walk into the room.

"I will be done in just a minute," Marisol said.

"Leave it." Abigail ordered. "We need to have a family discussion."

Marisol looked at Astrid for a moment before looking back at Quintin and Abigail. "It will just be a min....." Marisol wanted to go put the towels in the bathroom but she stopped when Quintin gestured for her to get out. The young maid hurried out the room with her cart and when the door was closed Astrid rounded on her employers and had her hands on her hips. Quintin and Abigail had the presence to look ashamed. It was definitely no way to act in public.

"In the last five years I've worked for you two I have never seen a display like that." Astrid growled. "What. is. Going. On!"

"We got a call from our daughter." Quintin finally said causing Astrid to blink in confusion.

"I...... didn't know you two had a daughter." she admitted and wondered how she could have missed THAT. Abigail and Quintin were looking unnerved though. One was wringing her hands on her skirt while Quintin started pacing.

"What's wrong with getting a call from your daughter? Are you guys on bad terms or something?" Astrid asked with a frown since these people never acted like parents. She had certainly never seen any pictures displayed of this 'daughter'.

"We need to get off of this island now!" Quintin shouted again and then hauled their suitcases out of the large closet. He started to grab clothing from the hangers and just jamming them into the suitcases.

"Oh so now you want off the island." Abigail said haughtily with her hand on her hip. "You were the one that wanted to come here in the first place!"

"That was before I knew that this place was haunted!" Quintin retorted.

Astrid was rubbing her temples as she tries to follow the conversation. "Someone..... Explain......" She was ready to do the murderer's work for them if this continued.

"Our daughter is dead," Abigail finally said. "She died 15 years ago."

Astrid blinked in shock. That wasn't something she thought she'd hear. "Are you sure the phone call was from her?"

"That was her voice alright!" Quintin exclaimed. "I picked up the phone and I heard the creepy laugh from a little girl. Then she said mommy, daddy, I'm gonna get ya."

"What was her name?" Astrid now asked out of curiosity. She knew that deep down she should be a little bit more freaked out. Probably as freaked out as her employers.

"Mandy, Mathilda, Marry..... I don't know." Abigail huffed and then turned back to her husband "Quintin stop panicking! We should be safe in our rooms! We have Astrid here with us!"

"You don't even know your daughter's name?!" Astrid muttered not at all pleased when hearing this.

"What do you expect?! It's not like we got her through conventional means." Abigail sighed. "She was frankly a little devil's spawn."

"I don't think our bodyguard will be much use right now!" Quintin retorted. "I doubt she can axe a ghost!"

"Quintin you are not leaving! How will you even get to the mainland? The supply boat comes tonight!" Abigail huffed.

"I'll strap myself to a dolphin if I have to!" Quintin uttered as he zipped one bag close. "There are already two people dead! I don't want to be the third!"

"I can't deal with you right now Quintin!" Abigail said. "I'm going to the bar to get something to drink." With that she walked out of the room. Astrid winced when the door slammed closed.

"Could you go keep an eye on her?" Quintin asked. "You know how Abigail gets when she drinks too much."

"Are you going to be alright?" Astrid asked Quintin as she was conflicted right now. She didn't want to leave neither alone and them splitting up right now just made her job harder.

"I'll be fine," Quintin told her and with a nod Astrid left to go find Abigail.

When Astrid had made her way back down to the bar she saw Tuffnut behind it and Abigail sitting on one of the barstools knocking back shots.

"Tuffnut cut her off," Astrid said as she saw the growing mountain of what were tequila shots.

"Oh don't worry," Tuffnut said as he looked around for a moment. Astrid did the same and noticed that they were alone now. Dagur, Heather and Mala were nowhere to be seen. Tuffnut leaned a bit closer and whispered, "It's not like anyone can get drunk here. But they're welcome to try."

"You're joking right?" Astrid frowned as Tuffnut resumed his position. There was no way that someone wouldn't get drunk from the amount of alcohol Abigail already had consumed. Yet she appeared just as sober and high strung when Astrid looked again. It was odd. Too odd. It was like Tuffnut was implying that this wasn't a normal space. She decided to try something else. Tuffnut was drying a glass when Astrid asked "Are you sure you should be telling me this?"

"Ruffnut said you knew knew......" Tuffnut blinked. "Did I say something I shouldn't have? I mean you're an anomaly of course but it happens."

"An anomaly?!" Astrid frowned.

"Seven invites had been sent but eight came," Tuffnut stated bluntly.

"No ... we're seven total..." Astrid mumbled and then she started counting. Mala, Grimmel, Heather, Dagur, Johann, Abigail, Quintin.... "See! Seven!"

Tuffnut stared at her until it clicked. "Eight," Astrid said as she realized that all this time she had never counted herself. 'Why hadn't she counted herself?' She mentally questioned. She should have.

"I wasn't supposed to be on that boat was I?" Astrid then asked as it started to click. Tuffnut called her an anomaly. Meaning she wasn't supposed to be on this island. Only the original seven. Was that why she was the only one that was suspicious? No one else questioned the inconsistencies of Grimmel's death. Heather thought that Johann's death was an accident too if Astrid hadn't pointed that one out. No one batted an eye at the missing staff members.

"I told you, it happens sometimes," Tuffnut shrugged. "My sis and I were anomalies too." he then added. "But then this place was an asylum."

Suddenly the lights flickered ominously again. The entire floor was plunged into darkness and Astrid felt something grab her arm. When the lights came back on mere seconds later she saw that Abigail was clinging to her. "We need to check on Quintin!" The woman uttered and Astrid blinked before she turned around and sprinted towards the elevator. How could she have been so empty headed. Every time those lights flicker like that. Grimmel..... Johann......

Abigail followed her into the lift and kept pressing the button for nr. 7. When they finally reached their destination, the door to their Suite was open and black smoke was billowing out. Astrid picked up her dress skirt and followed after Abigail, cursing that she should have changed her clothes last night. She was also still barefoot.

The smoke wasn't letting up and Astrid covered her nose and mouth. "Quintin!" Astrid called out while gesturing for Abigail to stay in the hall.

She entered the room with caution and as she got closer to the source of the black smoke her eyes widened. There was a body charred there on the carpet beyond recognition. But that wasn't all, the body was dismembered as well.

"QUINTIN!" Abigail's shout caused Astrid to turn around. She saw the woman on her knees with tears streaming down her face when she caught sight of the dismembered and burnt body of her husband. The next thing Astrid knew Abigail had taken off.

The smoke had cleared up somewhat and Astrid frowned before she sprinted after Abigail. She saw the elevator doors close and skidded to a stop.

"Thor damnit!" Astrid exclaimed. She quickly watched the numbers go down to see where the elevator would stop. She thought Abigail would go to the lobby but instead the number stayed at 4. 'That was weird,' Astrid thought as she opened the fire exit doors and sprinted down the stairs. The 4th floor was the casino. 'Why would Abigail even go there?'

Astrid heard an ear splitting shriek just as she opened the door to the 4th floor and saw Abigail on the floor bleeding. It took Astrid a split second to assess the situation. Abigail had been running from her assailant and had tripped and hit her head on the frame edge belonging to the Richard the Third painting and was now staggering to get up while a very very, and Astrid meant very, angry Marisol was floating in the middle of the room. The young maid's eyes were completely black and her hair was wild. Her skin looked a lot more pale now as Abigail caught sight of Astrid.

"You got to help me!" Abigail shouted as she reached out for Astrid.

But Astrid couldn't help. She took a step towards Abigail but it was too late. One of the larger slot machines tipped over and crushed the woman. Marisol let out a little laugh before turning her inky black gaze towards Astrid. The fire exit door slammed shut and Astrid had a feeling that no matter how much force she used it would not open.

Astrid inched to the side along the wall. She kept her eyes on the floating woman just as the woman had kept her eyes on her. Suddenly a chair sailed at her and Astrid had to duck to the ground lest she be hit in the head with the thing. The chair crashed into the wall and broke into pieces by the sheer force with which it had been thrown.

That distraction was all Marisol had needed and the next thing Astrid knew was that she was on the ground and Marisol had her hands around her neck, choking her.

Three things happened nearly at once. Astrid blamed her lack of oxygen because she finally understood what Hiccup meant. She finally saw the truth of this place. The second thing that happened was that Marisol was thrown back by some force. The Briar rose that Astrid had forgotten in her hair shriveled as if its work had been completed. And third, when Astrid opened her eyes she saw Hiccup, still in a tux, standing over her. He had a look of concern on his face but Astrid frowned and reached up. She tugged one of the small horns on his head as he was bent over her.

"OUCH!" Hiccup exclaimed.

"Just had to make sure," Astrid rasped out. "So......... this is Hell....." She then said. "I'm guessing I'm already dead."

"Well....... You're dead-ish," Hiccup nervously rubbed the back of his neck and then offered Astrid a hand up. "I promise I'll explain but first I need to fix this little thing."