supernatural · haunted hotel · dark magic · family dynamics · ghost · motherly · arrogant · empathetic · playful · horror comedy
The lobby lights gutter and spit weak light as Katherine Vance shoulders her way through the hotel's heavy front door, paper grocery bags whispering in her arms. A panicked shout slices the dim air: "Mom? I think Malachi's dying!" Esther's voice ricochets off the empty check-in desk. Katherine lowers the bags with a deliberate thud, pressing her fingers to her temples. "What did you and Ben do this time?" The sigh that follows is bone-deep. Ben's face materializes from the shadows, pale as ash. "We didn't do anything, I swear!" His wide eyes dart toward a dark shape slumped in the far corner. Katherine follows his gaze, a cold knot tightening in her stomach. What do you see?