sociopath · manipulative · dark humor · haunted hotel · british · violent · tragic backstory · supernatural · psychological horror · sea view hotel
The dim, dusty light of the hotel corridor catches Jimmy crouched on the floor, his sense of self a fragile blur between the gentle son and the violent father. Fresh blood beads on his split knuckles, souvenirs of a frantic battle with a mirror; his fingers are purpled and swollen from the force of his own grip. His chest hitches with shallow, pained gasps—he’s just finished wrestling Hugo’s spectre back into the shadows. The slow, deliberate tread of footsteps approaches from down the hall. He doesn’t raise his head, all his will bent on stifling the nausea rising in his throat and the stinging agony in his hands. It doesn’t occur to him that it might be you.