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((Sorry I'm so slow at times!))

Saffron chuckled as she watched Kanna. “Well I’m glad YOU like it,” she giggled, the weird combinations of food not looking too appetising to the other woman. But to each their own. At least it wasn’t being wasted. Saffron finished her meal and took sips of her juice to wash it down, looking around the place, keeping an eye on the Rage Demon and the ghosts.

“Does your stomach feel any better? The swelling hasn’t gone down,” she said with a concerned frown at Kanna, glancing at her stomach. “Maybe you should take some medicine”.

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Finn heard Kanna from her table and smiled at her when she told him her name. “Nice name. I forgot to ask earlier, didn't I?” he responded, finishing off his meal and drink.

“And who is the blonde girl sitting beside you?” he asked, looking at Saffron in her 50s get-up and grinning. “You seem to like this place, aside from the spooks”.

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Saffron heard him and blushed a bit, feeling a little silly that she was the only one dressed up.
“Hi, I’m Saffron. So, you’re not Kanna’s friend? She said she was waiting for her friends when we first got here but they never showed up and she stopped getting messages from them”.

She reached into her bag and checked her own phone, seeing some texts from friends and her fiance. She began texting them back, saying she might spend another night at the hotel but would be coming to see them as soon as possible.

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Finn shook his head “No, I was just on my way back from promoting one of my fantasy novels. I’ve never met Kanna or you before today. Though I might regret coming to this particular hotel. I’m going to test something at the front doors after dinner,” he said.

“And see what else there is to do around this place. I noticed they have quite a lot of entertainment. There’s a bowling alley and swimming pool, I know that much. After sitting all day and driving, I want some exercise before bed”. He then thought and added “I think we humans should probably stick together. What rooms are you girls in?”

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“Ohh, you’re a writer! Well that’s cool. And I’m kinda curious as to what you have in mind. Yeah, if we can’t leave tomorrow, I might see if we can find something to pass the time here. And that sounds like a good idea. I don’t want to be alone!”

She almost wanted to ask if she could sleep in Kanna’s room with her. Like a child sleeping in their parents’ or siblings’ room because they were scared of a ghost.

Saffron then told Finn her room number, “And Kanna’s is right next door,” she explained, not feeling any danger from the young man.

Hearing the former hotel owner, who was now a demon, she replied. “Sorry again, Sir. And thank you for letting us stay here and not…you know, burning us or something. I’m so sorry for my rudeness. I just get scared easily around ghosts and stuff. By the way, is there any way of turning you back into a human?”

Maybe if they could help him, it would lift the curse on the hotel.

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Finn laughed. “Ha ha, my room is the opposite side of yours, Kanna. Funny coincidence. Or maybe they’re putting us all together for some reason”.

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Cleotha tasted the food and made sounds of delight “MmMM! Now that’s dee-li-cious!” she hummed happily, overflowing with joy.

“Good girl, Kanna. Hoo boy, I love the taste of food!” she enthused. One happy ghost. “Eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures”.

Once Kanna was full, the ghost thought a moment “You know, with all that food in your stomach, maybe you ought to take a little after dinner stroll, just to help things digest better. It’s not good to fall asleep straight after a big meal,” she advised. “Wait though…do you have room for dessert? I’m craving something sweet now!”

((Blah, I had a serious case of writers' block with this RP for some weeks. Please forgive me for the wait! Also, here's the site with the 50s desserts I referenced: 50 Classic Desserts From The 50s))


The desserts table was full of delicious looking and a few odd looking sweet treats from the 1950s. All the classics were there: pineapple upside down cake, banana cream pie, maraschino cherry rice pudding, stained glass gelatin, a pastel pink, peach bavarian fruit mould, icebox cake, eclairs, apple brown betty and more.

The maid possessing the young Kanna rubbed her hands in glee upon hearing that she had room for dessert. “Ohh my! I’ve always wanted to eat these sweet treats with more than just my eyes. Take a little of everything, girly!” she urged gleefully. “And after that, yes, yes; better walk to keep that nice figure you have there. Don't worry about that lil' belly bulge there, that's nothing to concern yourself about, ehehe!"

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Listening to the fiery demon who was the former hotel owner, Saffron felt sorry for him. “Aw, sorry to hear that. Unfinished business, you say? Maybe we can help you all get to the bottom of it, while we’re here. If we can dig into the past a bit and do some investigating, we might find some answers,” she posed. “I feel bad for you all being stuck here. It must be very frustrating”

Hearing Kanna, Saffron looked at the dessert table and got up to get a plate, serving herself small portions of this and that. “Ooh, dessert! I have room. Tee hee! Wow, some of these are as interesting as the main meals you tried, Kanna". So saying, she poked the stained glass gelatin with a clean spoon, watching it jiggle.

"Yeah, I’m with you and Finn on that - exercising before turning in sounds like a good idea. We’ve been sitting in cars for so long and we’re eating well tonight, so it makes sense. And we’ll get to know the layout of the hotel better and see where everything is and what there is to do while stuck here!”

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Finn helped himself to a plate of desserts too. Feeling a bit silly having a conversation from another table, he stepped over to the one the girls’ shared “Mind if I join you? It’s easier to talk and make plans sitting together,” he said, as he pulled up a chair and began to try the sugary foods on his plate.

He looked at Kanna when she was gazing at her phone and listened to what she said “Ah, a pop culture convention. That sounds like fun! I’ve been to a few cons, myself, to promote my books and sell my artwork, or take commissions. So I’ve heard of quite a few anime. Yeah, RWBY! It’s pretty good,” he answered, smiling while he ate. "I like that one".

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Saffron giggled “You should have seen her when we first came in. She was in her cosplay gear, all dressed up like a…Japanese…creature of some kind. Sorry, I forgot the name,” she apologised to Kanna, forgetting the word ‘oni’.

“So, what are you planning on trying with the front doors, Finn?” she turned to ask him, curious. “Do you think it might give a clue to the past?”

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Finn chewed and then swallowed, waving his spoon around “Nah, I’m just gonna try to walk out them and see if I can go free. Maybe this curse doesn’t affect men. Who knows? I suspect we’ll not be able to leave but I at least want to try it out, in case I can go get help or something”.

Saffron gave Kanna a puzzled look. “That’s the second time you said you have cravings. Maybe it has something to do with your tiny belly bump. Either that, or you’re just really hungry! Where does a small person like you have room for all that? I guess you have a fast metabolism, like me”.

Hearing her say the word from earlier, Saffron tried to remember. “Ah - right. Oni are Japanese demons, aren’t they? You looked very cool in your costume play when we met,” the blonde woman told her, accidentally saying the full term instead of the more correct ‘cosplay’. She sounded a bit silly and old fashioned but she had no idea she was saying it wrong.

Saffron heard Finn’s remark about attending conventions. “So you and Kanna have that in common; going to cons. I guess that makes me the odd one out. I’ve never been to one. Maybe one day, I should go to one with you guys,” she said, quickly polishing off her plate of desserts.

Despite some of them being less appealing, most of them were delectable. She could get used to eating these foods.

Glancing down at her waist and placing a hand on her belly bulge from being full up, Saffron reminded herself she had better not get too carried away or she’d lose her nice figure. She wanted to wear more 50s outfits while she was here. Though, hopefully she wouldn’t be here too many days. Saffron decided that if they were going to be able to eat delicious food every day without having to do dishes, then she better make use of the facilities and exercise to burn off those extra calories. The vain girl wanted to be perfect in appearance for her fiance and herself.

Saffron looked at Finn and Kanna, glad she wasn’t here alone with the ghosts. If they worked together, maybe they’d be able to find out what the unfinished business of the ghosts was and help some of them move on. And if they could find the evil ghost that caused the fire and made the curse in the first place. But Saffron shivered at the idea. She didn’t want anything to do with a malevolent entity. She hoped it stayed far away from them. Maybe she should look for a Bible in her hotel room. There was bound to be one in the bedside table. She needed to find ways to protect herself from evil.

Listening to the Rage Demon, Saffron wondered if he had read her thoughts.

“N-no problem. Well…we sort of have to help you guys, otherwise we humans are stuck here with you. And I can’t be stuck here, because I have to go and meet my fiance and his family and join their holiday trip. If I don’t do that, the wedding might be called off! But I really don’t like the sound of that. I don’t wanna run into an evil ghost. M-maybe we can break the curse without stirring him up,” she said, hoping that was the case while purposely turning a blind eye to the truth she didn’t want to see. That they had to defeat him or make him pay karma or send him to hell or something in order to free the hotel from the time loop. Saffron didn’t have the slightest clue on how to do it.

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Finn tried not to look but being curious, he dared a peek at Kanna’s stomach and saw that it was indeed a small round bump. He wondered if the girl could be pregnant and not know it. “Nothing wrong with having a healthy appetite, Saffron. Everyone gets cravings sometimes.I think it’s good to listen to your body,” he said, sticking up for Kanna a bit.

He held back a snicker when she mislabelled Kanna’s cosplay but didn’t correct her, finding it funny. “I would’ve liked to see that. Still, not the craziest thing I’ve seen at a convention, however. But I’m sure Kanna makes an awesome oni”.

He heard Saffron say she never went to one. “Really?! You’ve never been to a convention? That’s a shame. They’re lots of fun. Although, the crowds wear me out pretty quickly by the end of the day. I don’t mind if you want to attend one with me once we get out of here but it’s also up to Kanna to decide”.

He was further surprised upon hearing Saffron talk about her reason for wanting to leave the hotel.

“Wow, you have a fiance? Congratulations,” Finn said softly with a polite smile. “I wouldn’t want the wedding to be cancelled. That’s it. I’ll do everything I can to help you and Kanna find a way to break the curse and get us out of here. Kanna deserves to get back to her friends and you deserve to get married. But I highly doubt we can break the curse without stirring up the one that caused it. If he’s leaving us alone for now, then that’s good. We should quietly research and investigate while we have the time. He’s probably hiding somewhere. I bet we’ll have to hunt him down and face him in the end. The Boo brothers and other friendly ghosts might be able to help us”.

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Cleotha sighed in happiness, tasting the desserts Kanna was eating. “You’ve made me the happiest ghost in the Sanctum Hotel, Miss Kanna. Thank you so much for allowing me to know what it’s like to eat again!”

The maid shot a glare towards Saffron. “That nosy girl should mind her own business. Commenting on other people’s bodies and eating habits. How rude!”

She listened to their conversation while they had dessert.

“Do you mind if I ask? What’s a convention, Miss Kanna? That boy said he sells art and books at them. And you dress up in a costume for it? We don’t have things like that in my time. Is it like a fan club or something?”.

The ghost then seemed to emit a sensation of longing and sadness. “Fiance…I miss my husband. He wasn’t at the hotel when it burned down. I was here workin’. I guess he must have become an old man and passed away in all these years. I wonder if he ever remarried sometimes. As for that evil person who is now probably a ghost…I don’t know who it is, either. So I can’t help you three, there. I just want to get out of here. There are some nasty ghosts around too. Ghosts who were unpleasant people when they died,” she informed her human host. “So please watch out for those. If I see or sense one around, I’ll try to warn you. They are not nice to the rest of us ghosts either. Nobody likes them. Those bullies!”

Saffron blushed lightly. “Y-yes, married. He’s a wonderful man. Very kind and caring. We get along really well. He’s my best friend. I have to make a good impression on the rest of his family so I can get his parents’ and sister’s blessing for the wedding. Going on their family vacation will hopefully help us get to know each other and know what my in-laws are like. But you’re right, if we don’t help these guys first, I’m going to end up spending too long here and then the wedding might get called off. That would be unbearable! He’s the love of my life. I can’t lose him”.

Hearing the fire elemental manager, Saffron nervously spoke. “Not right away, though, right? We don’t have to find him right away!” she said, “Like what Finn said, I think we should investigate and get more info before stirring up that…that…thing”. Surely such an evil person must have also become a demonic ghost. The thought terrified her. She didn’t know how to handle an evil demon.

She looked towards the Rage Demon while he was still in the room. “Hey, Mr Rage Demon. Former hotel owner; do you know if time passes in the outside world while people are trapped here? I really hope it doesn’t. That way, no matter how many days pass here, it’ll be like I only missed a day in the real world, and my fiance and his family won’t be upset or worried”.

Getting up from her chair and politely pushing it in, Saffron squeaked and jumped back a step as her dinnerware suddenly floated into the air and began to drift towards the kitchen to wash themselves up. The ghosts here still did their jobs as waiters and other roles.

“Gah, I got to get used to that. Oooof…I’m so full! I think I ate too much,” Saffron breathed out, rubbing her stomach as it worked on digesting everything she’d eaten. “Time to go for a stroll. Are you guys ready? Let’s walk around the hotel and explore”.

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Listening to the blonde woman, Finn commented quietly.

“He sounds like a good person. A lot of people never find that kind of love in their lifetime. It’s unfortunate that you got trapped here with us, Saffron. With time being of the essence, we’ll just have to work together quickly to make sure all three of us escape this place. I promise, I won’t leave you guys behind. I couldn’t, knowing you two would be stuck at the Sanctum Hotel while I go free. I’d feel terrible if I did that. I don’t like being that kind of person”.

Hearing Saffron’s alarmed comments towards the Rage Demon’s words, he uttered a soft laugh. “No, not right away. Don’t panic, now. There’s no point in awakening evil when we don’t have anything solid to go off of, or any idea how to defeat the ghost or the curse yet. We’ll look around and find out what we can while we’re free to do so and not being harrassed”. So saying, he finished his last bite of dessert.

When Saffron put forth her question about how time passed here, Finn waited to hear the former manager’s reply, thinking that it’d be great if her theory was true. He secretly hoped it wasn’t the opposite, like he’d read in some horror novels and seen in the Spirited Away anime, where you seemingly spent one day in the spirit world but many years actually passed in real life. It was a sobering thought. Finn crossed his fingers, silently praying to whoever that they weren’t missing out.

“Yeah, I’m done,” the silver haired young man nodded at Saffron’s question, also rising from the table, watching his own dinnerware float into the air and hover in the direction of the kitchen. Unlike Saffron though, he grinned and quietly chuckled, enjoying the sight. “Well look at that” he mumbled under his breath, amused. Looking at Saffron, he smiled “Don’t feel bad, the food was delicious and we were all starving. I think everyone ate a lot” he told her. “Just view it as a compliment to the chefs. I’m sure they’re glad to have guests to cook for again after such a long time”.

He looked at Kanna, “Um, Kanna, do you want to walk around the hotel with us? I’m heading down to the front doors first to do that test,” he said. “We can walk together or spread out and each cover a different area. It’s up to you guys”.

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“If you want to explore, Dear, it’s best to keep in trustworthy company,” Cleotha quietly spoke in Kanna’s mind.

“I’ll try to alert you of any dangers and offer what protection I can, of course, but it would be bad to encounter an ill mannered ghost or more on your own, here, without any way to defend yourself”. That would be stressful for Kanna and for Cleotha’s twins that were slowly taking in nutrients from Kanna’s big feast just now and growing very minimally. Plus it wouldn’t feel good to have to run from bully ghosts on such a full belly. Getting sick from being shaken up would lose precious nutrients that the babies needed.

“But it’s up to you, Honey. I’ll let you decide. I know you’re a strong person who doesn’t fear much. I just…well, let’s say I have my reasons for not wanting any harm to come to you, for now, young one. We got to keep you safe. Especially after you went ahead and let me eat so much amazing food tonight. I haven’t felt this happy in…well, I don’t know how long. Far too long…” the maid’s tone turned wistful and slightly sad again, though Kanna could still sense joy as well.

Hearing the rage demon’s reply, Saffron was disappointed but tried not to show it as her face fell momentarily.

“Ah, you’re right. Looks like that theory is out the window. I just hope I’m not trapped here too long. Jaxon and his family will think I got cold feet or am having second thoughts,” she said, worrying. Yet, her problems had only just begun. She wasn’t going to be able to leave this place until she got pregnant. And boy, was she about to get pregnant!

If she took too long though, maybe Jaxon would come find her. She could still message people outside the hotel, thankfully. And she’d already told them she’d stay here an extra day so there was no need to worry yet. But after that, she was going to have to get creative with the excuses.

Joining Kanna and Finn, she spoke up “Yeah, Kanna, you said it. I say we stick together. Who knows what might happen if we get separated. There are more ghosts in this place and I don’t want to meet them alone”.
Come to think of it, they were lucky to be able to get rooms that didn’t already have ghostly guests staying in them. She suppressed a shiver and silently thanked the burnt receptionist for not putting them in occupied rooms.

Saffron politely covered a soft burp and lightly rubbed her stomach through her clothes. The waistband of her gingham skirt felt tight now from her extravagant meal. She glanced at Kanna’s bare midriff. “How can you not be cold wearing that, Kanna? I know this place has heating but it’s autumn. You could catch a cold,” she said, “We better get moving so you can stay warm”.

She then began to walk with them out of the restaurant and back into the lobby, heading towards a large image of the hotel’s floor plan that listed where everything was. “Oh wow, they have a gift shop, a bowling alley, even a theatre,” she said, as her blue eyes roamed over the labels and map. “We can have some fun while we’re here. Maybe it’ll help us relax and think more clearly if we loosen up a little,” she suggested, trying to brighten the foreboding atmosphere.

The map of the hotel was on a kiosk type thing like you’d see at the mall. It showed the hotel had: gift shop (selling both gifts and handicrafts), restaurants (casual and fine dining, as well as buffet and breakfast areas), a theatre for live music and plays, a jukebox, piano and dance hall with a stage for bands, a bowling alley, a swimming pool that is heated in cold weather, a cocktail lounge and bar, a cafe/coffee shop, a valet service, full bathrooms, heating, quality furniture, a games room (board games, foosball, darts, pool table, pinball machine, claw games (candy and toys) and a fortune telling machine, photo booth, pachinko, ball toss into hoop). There was also a spa with a hairdressers and beauty salon Guests can take advantage of various beauty treatments and services at the hotel spa. Facials are very popular, as are manicures and pedicures. Many hotel spas offer massages and perhaps more advanced procedures such as a fish pedicure. It’s common for hotels with spas to offer hair-care services and to include a salon on-site.There was also some family friendly features such as a kids’ club room and play areas, a daycare/nursery or babysitting services where sitters could come to your room, a gym, 4 tennis courts, and lastly, rentable facilities for parties such as a kitchen and a crafts room.

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As they looked at the map in the lobby, Finn quietly said; “Well it looks like we aren’t going to run out of things to do here”. He also took note of where everything was and how many floors the hotel had. There were quite a few. This was a big place. Once he was fairly sure he had memorised the important details, he looked towards the main entrance behind them. Finn began to walk towards them with determined steps, slowing down before he finally stopped at arm’s length from them, his eyes assessing the seemingly ordinary looking double doors. He was thinking, muttering softly to himself. “If I can leave, maybe I could get help. But do we really want more people stuck here?” He took a moment to summon his courage, swallowing as he prepared to try the doors. Finn waited a minute to see if Saffron and Kanna would notice what he was about to do.

Hearing Kanna’s response to her suggestion, Saffron was surprised at Kanna’s tolerance to Fall temperatures. “Well, okay. If you say so. I’m just looking out for you,” she said with a smile, being a caring sort of person who looked out for others’ wellbeing. If Kanna said she was fine then she would leave her be.

Covering a yawn, Saffron agreed with Kanna’s suggestion. “Yeah, I’m getting sleepy. It’s been a long day. Oh, are you going to bed now? Goodnight, Kanna. I’ll be up in a minute”.

She waved to Kanna as the girl headed upstairs or used the elevator back to their floor. Saffron wouldn’t be far behind her. She just wanted to see what happened when Finn tried to exit the hotel’s main doors. She stood a few metres back and observed.

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“Alright, here goes”. Finn said, reaching out to push on the doors and step out. As soon as he tried to leave, the doors pulled a strange trick, making him disappear for an instant before the attractive novelist and artist stepped back into the hotel, the other double door swinging open as he took a few steps into the lobby.

“Woah. That was weird!” he muttered, looking around to confirm he’d just ended up back in the hotel. “I’ll try again”.

Finn then turned around and pushed the door he’d just come out of, ending up blipping from existence for a second before he was walking in through the door beside it. “Well, I guess that proves it. No way out from here,” he said. “The curse is real”

“Do you want to try?” he offered.

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A bit creeped out, she shook her head. “Uhh…no thanks. I’m good. Let’s go turn in for the night. We’ll have to find a way out tomorrow,” she decided.

With that, they headed to the elevator and got in, both quietly admiring the fancy elevator from the time period. Once they got to their floor, Finn bid Saffron a pleasant goodnight, saying he would meet with them the next morning.

Saffron also waved him off, watching him go into his room before letting out a sigh and going into hers. She removed the frilly spring and summer clothing she had on and went over to her suitcase, wanting to be in something comfortable so she would sleep better.

However, she got a shock…all of her clothes were gone! She got up and searched around the room for them but couldn’t find them anywhere. Saffron groaned. “I’m too tired for this!” she complained grumpily, rubbing at her face tiredly. Turning towards the bed, the woman then spied a pale blue nightdress laid out on the end of the bed and walked towards it. “I guess they want me to wear this…” she surmised, picking it up curiously.

“Oh well, we can find my clothes tomorrow. I’ll put this on for now,” she mumbled, slipping it over her head. She went to the mirror and looked at herself, finding it rather pretty. It was a pastel blue dress with half cap sleeves that came down to her thighs and had a bright red ribbon bow in the front of the elasticised collar.

The woman went to her suitcase and grabbed her bathroom bag, going to clean her teeth and remove her makeup. Once she was done, she crawled into bed, grabbing her phone and looking for an outlet to plug in her charger. She found one above the bedside table, along with a clock radio. Saffron plugged her phone in, then grabbed it to send a quick message to her fiance, before putting it down and turning on her side, closing her eyes and falling asleep within minutes.

***

While she slept, she began to have a very vivid dream. She was in the hotel’s flower garden and a young woman approached her. She appeared to be younger than Saffron, fresh faced and pretty. Her dark brown hair was in a 50s style bob cut and she had two flower shaped ‘diamante starburst’ earrings in her ears. Her light blue eyes assessed her, seeming to look right through her. She had makeup common of the era, her lips painted red. The woman was wearing a billowing white dress with a large bow at the waist and some golden slippers were on her feet.

The woman began to slowly walk around Saffron, viewing her much like an animal in the zoo and while she walked, she spoke. Her voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. Saffron could hear it in her mind.

“My, my, my…it’s been so very long since we had new guests come to the Sanctum,” the lady’s voice commented. “This might be my lucky day. The day I have been waiting for for so long…” she softly mused, studying Saffron with a look of approval. “You appear to be youthful and in good health. You just might do,” she said. “I’d better get in before somebody else claims you. Yes, I think you’ll do just fine,” the woman said, smiling now.

Saffron began to feel afraid “Wh…who are you?” she asked, unsure why a dream was making her so uneasy.

“My name is Mary Thompson. A pleasure to meet you, Saffron Beckett,” she replied, moving closer to her, upon which point Saffron realised that her dress wasn’t just loose and flowing, it was concealing a large, round bump. This woman was immensely with child.

Noticing her gaze, Mary presumptuously took Saffron’s hand and gently placed it upon the top of the bump. “Can you feel them? These are my treasures,” she said with a soft smile.

Saffron felt small pushes and bumps against her palm. “O-oh…well…congratulations!” she breathed, unsure what else to say. How many of them were in there? Was this woman having twins?

“Why thank you. I really am so blessed. Tell me, Dear, what’s your view towards the 1950s? You seemed to have a kind fascination so far. Do you want to learn more about this time period? I would be more than happy to teach you, if you’ll do me a little favour…”

((OMG, that happened so fast! Lol. She went the whole 9 months overnight? She’s gonna be giving birth any day! Well, that’s up to you. But Saffron won’t be too far behind XD I like babies and families. I figure Saffy will give birth at the hotel, too. And I think I might bring her fiance to the hotel to come looking for her. That way, the ghost of Mary’s husband can possess him.))


To her subconscious, dreaming mind, this sounded good. Her gullible and naive side coming into play, Saffron nodded at what Mary said without thinking too hard about it.

“Oh, I like this era a lot! I would LOVE to learn everything there is to know about the 50s! Other time periods captivate me. I’ve always had an interest in history and wondered what it would be like to travel back in time. You’re a ghost here at the hotel, aren’t you? I’m usually scared of ghosts but you seem nice. And you don’t look like some of the others I’ve seen so far…so, what’s the favour?” she asked, starting to feel more relaxed and trusting of the young mother.

Mary’s smile brightened and her eyes twinkled. “Well, how about we become friends? It’s been so long since I’ve had someone new to talk to. I teach you about the fantastic fifties and you help me get out of here. In return, I’ll help you and your friends escape the Sanctum Hotel, too. Does that sound like a deal?”

Saffron thought for a moment. If all she had to do was be her friend, then that sounded too easy. Becoming friends with a ghost as nice as Mary couldn’t hurt. And the woman could share valuable information about the hotel and the time period. Plus, they needed all the help they could get. And Mary was offering to help, so long as they promised to help her escape. Saffron, Kanna and Finn were all planning to set the ghosts free and break the curse, anyway, so it couldn’t hurt to agree. It sounded like a fair deal. “Deal!” she agreed, putting out her hand and shaking the ghost’s warm, tingly hand.

Mary beamed. “Lovely! The deal is done. Well then, Sugar, I’ll see you around! Take care, won’t you? Goodbyyyye!” she trilled, gracefully drifting backwards, her feet floating barely an inch off the ground, brushing the tips of the soft, manicured grass as her hand slipped out of Saffron’s leaving a lingering warmth and a soft tingling. Mary drifted into a tree full of blossoms and then vanished among them, softly phasing from view as she became see through and misty before there was nothing but the faint scent of her perfume.

A whisper echoed in the blonde woman’s ears. “Sleep sweetly, Dear. I’ll see you in the morning…” Then the scene of the blossoming garden faded and she softly drifted back into the blackness of deep sleep.

***

Saffron became aware of a loud melody playing, stirring her from her slumber along with the muted light of the sun shining through the curtains of her light blue and yellow themed room. She groaned, reaching a hand out from under the covers to clumsily pick up her phone and turn the alarm off. She had forgotten to disable it while on holiday. Still, waking up earlier was good for a person. You could make more of the day. And it wasn’t TOO early, being around 8:30am. Saffron didn’t notice anything different at first, until she registered that there was a heavy weight around her waist when she shifted and tried to sit up.

She struggled to prop herself on her elbow, shifting her bottom so she was lying on her back and could use both arms to push herself up. “Why am I so heavy all of the sudden?” she grunted breathlessly, her words slightly slurred and slow from sleep. Did she really eat too much last night? She hoped it wasn’t food poisoning.

“Unf…oof!” With a bit of a struggle, Saffron finally managed to sit up and the covers fell down from her midriff, revealing an enormous, round stomach, the small nightdress she’d worn to bed having been scrunched up to rest atop of it. “What the?! My stomach!” Saffron shrieked, rubbing a hand over the taut flesh and poking at it. “What is this? I look like I’m…pregnant!”

As though to confirm that was exactly the case, she felt something kick from inside, pushing against her hand. Saffron gasped, removing it as though she’d been burned. She couldn’t begin to imagine what had caused this. Fear and confusion vied for dominance in her mind.

“Am I dreaming?!” the woman asked, pinching herself and reacting with a soft yip at the pain. No, she was definitely awake. But then, how…?

She suddenly remembered her extremely vivid dream from last night. And she began to get an idea. Saffron pushed herself more upright, the bed and mattress springs letting out a creak as she did so. Her belly was huge! She looked around the room, searching for an invisible presence.

“Mary…?” she called out, uncertain. “Mary Thompson? If you’re here, can you please give me an answer? Did you do this to me?”

Saffron regretted her decision from last night. Mary never mentioned anything like this being part of their deal. She remembered the gigantic swollen belly of the pregnant 21 year old and compared it to hers now. The size definitely matched. “This has to be more than twins!” Saffron said, looking back at her stomach with wide eyed shock and awe, rubbing it as she began to feel more flurries and movement.

“They’re quadruplets, actually!~ A marvellous rarity for their time!” a voice said clearly with smug and playful tones in Saffron’s mind, startling her and making her jolt and let out a screech. She recognised the voice, though.

“Mary! What did you do to me? What have you done?! This…you never mentioned anything like this!” Saffron said wildly, horrified, feeling half mad as she talked seemingly to herself in an empty room. And feeling foolish for being tricked and not asking more questions before agreeing to the ghost’s proposal. She placed her hands on either side of her immense middle, hands splayed as she rubbed it in disbelief with an open mouth and wide eyes, double checking it was indeed all too real.

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“Well, I doubt you would have agreed to help me if I mentioned the finer details. This is how I had to get things done. I didn’t want to frighten you or make you uncomfortable, start things off on the wrong foot, you know? I would have ended up possessing you anyway, even if you said no, but this is far more civil than chasing you down and fighting for control. I gently take over in your sleep, you get a little surprise the next day~ And I get what I’ve been waiting roughly 80 years for!” she said somewhat bossily, letting out a triumphant laugh, as though she was very pleased with herself. She was SO glad she got to Saffron before another ghost did.

“We can still be friends~ Now that I’ve taken possession, you can carry my babies for me until they decide to be born. And I’ll share this body so I can raise them myself. The stakes were high that they never would have survived when I was alive, but now that I’m dead, I can use my spiritual powers to extend their time in the womb, all the way up to full term. And I can even have control over their birth so everything goes safely and smoothly. I just needed a good host. …Now, don’t have a cow or flip out on me; I was pretty far along in my pregnancy when I died, so you only have to carry them a little while before the birth. You don’t even have to endure the whole thing, like I did. You wouldn’t BELIEVE the morning sickness and other things I’ve gone through with these four cheeky little chickadees,” she chuckled fondly.

“You’re young and fit but I’ll make it easier to carry them and to be pregnant with them, as well. Since I’m so grateful to you for coming here. And, since we’re friends, I’ll even let you have control of our body and mind half the time! And don’t worry about your figure; we’ll be so busy once they’re born that all that weight will melt right off! You just wait and see! I’ll keep my side of the deal as well; I’ll teach you everything about life in my time by having you live it for me and with me. I’ll also tell you a little secret - being possessed by a ghost is the key to getting out of here! So you’re incredibly lucky that I chose to possess you. However, I can’t and won’t leave without my beloved husband, so we won’t be going from this place till I find a mortal he can take over. And, oh - you can tell me about your time, if you wish. I am somewhat curious. Though I’ll make sure that I get to live the 50s dream life that I envisioned with hubby, no doubt about that. And hmm…I DID promise to help your friends escape, so I suppose I’ll do that, too. After all, I never lied to you. And I won’t go back on my word. It seems like your friend next door has been lucky enough to get her own ghost, too! So now we just need one for the young man. We don’t have to break the curse to set everyone free. We can leave the other ghosts here once we have all three humans possessed and us ghosts finish our unfinished business,” she told her, not really caring about the other spooks so long as she, her babies and her husband could get out. Some of them deserved to be locked away here anyway, the menaces.

“Anyway, you’re mine now. So I’m the one calling the shots,” Mary stated confidently, planning to mould Saffron into the perfect wife, mother and embodiment of a 50s woman. “There’s nothing you can do about it, so we may as well be friends. Ah, it feels great to have the chance to live again! And my husband and babies, too! I’m so excited!”

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Saffron was too stunned to move or react while the ghost blathered on in her head. Mary was talking fast and telling her a lot of things with her chipper, bold tone. As though she had to get it all out at once. Maybe had been waiting to say it to someone for a long time.

She supposed she was grateful that Mary had gone the more gentle route when possessing her, though she wasn’t happy about not having a say in the matter at all. She did feel sorry for the woman and her family, having to wait 80 years for their escape and a new life. But this still wasn’t right! At least Mary kept mentioning friendship, like she was trying to do this amicably to make it easier on them both. That was a small mercy.

Choosing to find the silver lining in the storm clouds, Saffron decided to be grateful that a more terrible ghost hadn’t possessed her against her will.

Being told she could carry the babies though - the nerve of Mary! Just deciding that all on her own. And the comments about sharing the body made it sound like the lady was being generous, but it was Saffron’s body, so she thought she ought to decide when to share it and when not to. She wasn’t going to let Mary take over then just do whatever she wanted.

Suddenly being thrust into motherhood like this, when she had no time to prepare, was too much! Mary saying that she only had to carry the babes a short time before the birth didn’t comfort her in the slightest but rather, had the opposite effect. The impending experience of birth terrified her, along with how painful it would be without a hospital and medicine. And then taking care of QUADRUPLETS! The craziness of it all…She wasn’t ready for any of that.

And what did the ghost mean that she’d LET Saffron have control ‘half the time’ over her OWN body and mind?! Saffron was going to fight for control, so that she could decide when to let Mary take over and when not to. Half the time was WAY too much. Sitting back and watching someone else do and say things in HER body. She understood that Mary had waited so very long and that she was overjoyed about them getting to live again and all that other stuff but Saffron wasn’t just a vessel for others. She was a person with dreams and wants and aspirations too. Her life mattered just as much as theirs did.

The poor woman boggled at the idea of how big her belly was going to have to stretch upon going full term with four babies. It had never been done because it was physically, humanly impossible without ghost powers. Saffron was going to be like a hot air balloon!

She was glad Mary was going to use her supernatural gifts to make it easier and to help but that didn’t stop her worrying. Easy for her to say don’t have a cow. Saffron FELT like a cow right this moment, as huge as she was.

Mary’s plans for after the birth didn’t let Saffron have any say, either. Living the 50s life sounded interesting and kind of fun. But she couldn’t just be a 1950’s housewife full time. She had a fiance to marry and a family trip to prove herself on. She had her own family and friends and job and hobbies. And what about if she and Jaxon wanted their own children? She wasn’t just going to let Mary take over all of that and direct her whole life. Yet Mary couldn’t live without a host. How complicated.

Hearing that being possessed by a ghost was the key to escape did soothe and encourage her somewhat. She felt half lucky and half cursed. But still - this all just wasn’t fair! Having to live in this weird arrangement for the rest of their lives sounded chaotic for both living and dead. She appreciated Mary’s promise to help her friends, yet, even if they all got out of here, their lives would never be the same.

She decided to warn Finn that Mary’s husband might try to take him over and to watch out for other ghosts that wanted to do the same. Besides, if Mary’s husband did possess Finn, did that mean Saffron would have to live with him? She didn’t even fancy the guy. That would be SO awkward.

When Mary mentioned Kanna, things suddenly made sense about the small belly and other stuff that had been happening to the girl. So Kanna was possessed too. And she must be pregnant as well, with the baby or babies of a pregnant ghost.

She couldn’t blame the ghost mothers for wanting to bring their children back to life and raise them. Yet she hated the fact that things had to be this way. The mortals seemed to be at risk of losing out. Of having their own lives stolen from them. If they were too weak to fight back, Mary would certainly dominate Saffron. Luckily, Cleotha was a lot sweeter and kinder, so she wouldn’t do that to Kanna. At least never to the same extent. But Saffron was going to have to fight more than she would have liked, to take control and push back against the pushy and bossy Mary.

The part where she was told that they didn’t have to break the curse or even set everyone else free didn’t sit right with Saffron. The caring and kind woman just couldn’t do it. It wouldn’t be right or fair to leave the hotel with the ghosts and leave everyone else sad and trapped. “No, we can’t leave them behind! I won’t allow it!” she said, shaking her head. “Saving my friends just isn’t enough. We have to set everyone free. Then they can choose to cross over or find a human to possess. It’s not something to be selfish about. I’ll feel guilty for the rest of my life if we don’t save them, too”.

She paused to address something else.

“And we’ll see who belongs to whom! Don’t forget that this is MY body and mind we’re talking about. You don’t own me and I won’t let you call all the shots! I get to have some say, too,” she said firmly, putting her foot down. “If you want me to do what you want, then you’ll have to cooperate. Or I’ll find a way to expel you,” she threatened. “We can be friends, but friendships aren’t one sided. I won’t let you bully me. You’re not going to steal my life! We BOTH get to have our lives, or the deal is cancelled, Mary”.

The ghost didn’t reply. It seemed like she didn’t want to leave any room for argument.

Saffron was going to harass her for a response but was interrupted when her phone rang, prompting her to pick it up and glance at the screen. It was Jaxon! She quickly slid the green answer button and raised it to her ear. “Hiiii! Good morning~” she greeted, love and cheer lilting in her voice. Hearing her beloved instantly made her feel better.

At the back of her mind, she was freaking out about how she was going to hide her stomach from him and how she was going to explain it all. She had to fix this before he saw her like this.

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Finn had gotten up earlier than Saffron and possibly earlier than Kanna as well, being a habitual early riser. He’d had a good sleep and felt refreshed.

He was more awake after a shower, followed by getting groomed and dressed. Wanting to get a head start on their ghost problem, he exited his hotel room and went to knock on Kanna’s door to see if she was awake. “Hello, Kanna, are you up?” he called through the door. “It’s Finn!...Hellooo?” he continued knocking, waiting for a response.

The girls had to get out of here as soon as possible, especially Saffron because she was on a limited schedule. And Kanna’s friends were no doubt worrying about her since she hadn’t shown up for the con the other day.

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Cleotha tried to subtly grow Kanna’s belly and pregnancy bigger overnight but she got too excited and too carried away and accidentally made it full term by morning.

When Kanna sat up and exclaimed then went to the shower and changed, and when she mentioned she looked pregnant, Cleotha appeared in front of her as a partly transparent apparition and bowed to her, lifting her maid skirts as she floated a few inches off the floor.

“I’m so sorry, Miss Kanna. I might have gotten a little carried away, trying to grow my babies that were in your belly. I apologise for not telling you that I made you pregnant. I did it because I wanted my babies to grow to full term and be born again, so that they have the chance to live again. And when I’m possessing you, that I get to help raise them and be their mother. That was my unfinished business. I don’t want to cross over yet. At least not till they’re grown. I tried to grow it just a little bit while you were sleeping but I got way too excited and grew it too fast!” she admitted, “So now, you are nine months along with my twins. You might end up giving birth any day!”

She then recalled an odd fact about this hotel. “Actually, it seems there were lots of pregnant ladies staying at this hotel the day it burned down. Maybe it was a mothers’ group meeting or something. But there are more pregnant ghosts that are looking to possess a mortal and have them carry and birth their children around here. So if it wasn’t me that did it, it would have been someone else. Little oddity about this hotel!” she said with a chuckle.

Cleotha then heard the voice of the Rage Demon out in the hallway. He sounded like he was searching for someone. Some knocking came at the door and she heard Finn talking to Kanna from outside. “Looks like we have company!”