Shine a Light
The Story of Addie
“Oh, what a day!” Marcus practically yelled as we both collapsed onto the seats in the restaurant we had picked from a long line down the street.
He wasn’t exaggerating this time however, it had been such an exhausting day, Marcus seemed determined to fill my day with as much sights as possible, The Hollywood sign, film studios, the viper room and a cheesy celebrity home tour. I grinned at the waitress as she brought over a double Jack Daniels’ and coke for me.
“What do you want to do tonight?” I asked Marcus as he gulped from his drink.
“Well I was thinking we could go back to your hotel bar and maybe accidentally on purpose bump into Billie and his friend.”
I smiled looking into my glass; I had yet to tell Marcus about last night, I couldn’t get a word in edge ways all day as he explained all about LA.
“What?” Marcus asked as I shrugged, “Go on what?” he pushed at me leaning closer to me.
“Well…yesterday, when you bailed out on me…”
Marcus coughed disapprovingly and folded his arms.
“Well, I went for a walk in the garden and bumped into Billie…”
Marcus unfolded his arms and blinked, “And what? Did you grab him push him into the nearest bush and screw him?”
I sighed, “No…”
Marcus grinned dirtily at me, “Well?”
“He asked me if I wanted to meet his other band mates, he’s in a band you see…Green Day?”
“Oh yes I have heard if them, I’ll go do some research.” He cackled leaning back into his chair. I rolled my eyes; Marcus’ research was finding naked pictures of people on Google Images.
“Well, so I had dinner with them last night.”
Marcus nodded, “Nice. But I can’t understand why you didn’t tell me sooner.”
I laughed, “Because I can’t get a word in edgeways with you.”
Marcus frowned, “That’s an exaggeration”
I laughed harder, “Anyway, his friend is called Tre and did take an interest in you.”
“In what way?” Marcus eyebrow arched a small smirk on his face.
“He asked if you were gay.”
Marcus blinked at me, “So, what does that mean? He’s interested?”
I smirked, “I don’t think he’s gay though he knew too much about playboy models.”
Marcus shrugged, “I can hope for him being bi or at the very least just curious.”
I laughed as my mind for the millionth time today once again revolved to Billie.
It was about half eleven when I entered the lobby of my hotel. I stopped amongst a crowd of people who were standing and looking at a man who had ‘hotel manager’ pinned to the jacket of his black lapel. He was talking loudly, his voice deep and rough, his arms swinging around his shoulders like a conductor.
“Yes, yes, this is quite normal ladies and gentlemen; you do remember you booked to stay in a HAUNTED hotel don’t you? Lights flickering on the 3rd floor is quite normal here.”
I sighed as the crowd began to gabble nervously as the manager picked up a leaflet from the reception desk behind him.
“This tells you the story of the ghost, if you have any questions please ask a member of staff. I’m sorry you got a shock.”
The crowd scrambled forward and grabbed various leaflets as the manager disappeared in a room behind the front desk. I made my way through the crowd to the reception desk and grabbed a leaflet myself. I glanced down at the paper in my hand.
“The story of Addie”
This hotel, once called Nikerson Mansion was built in 1906 by Samuel Nickerson for his son Roland and his wife Addie. It was burned down by a great fire and rebuilt in 1912. However Roland never got a chance to live in the mansion as he died after the fire. Addie moved into the home on its completion to nothing but empty halls. Her ghost still wanders the hotel, eternally heartbroken over the loss of her husband and desperately clinging to the mansion searching for him.
My stomach did a funny toss at the words on the page; this tale reminded me of a piece of prose I’d written for a collection of work a while ago. It was called, ‘The love Inferno” about a wife loosing her husband in a fire that engulfed the house he had just built.
“Spooky isn’t it?” I looked up at the voice to see Billie leaning against the reception leaflet in hand.
“I was walking from my room on the third floor when the lights started flickering.”
I smiled at him as he stood up straight and walked over to me.
“Yeah, except there is probably a timer on them to flicker just to give guests a treat.”
I sighed turning the leaflet over to see a coupon for a free drink at the bar. Billie looked down at my coupon and turned his own leaflet over,
“Fancy making use of these?” He grinned at me.
“Now?” I asked, thoroughly pleased he was asking me for a drink.
“Yeah, if your not busy” He shuffled shoving his hands in his pockets taking my question the wrong way.
“No, no, we might as well get a free drink” I smiled as we both turned to walk towards the bar.
Getting our drinks we both sat down at a nearby table,
“So are you going to tell me about your ghostly encounter?” I asked sipping from the cocktail straw placed in my drink.
“It wasn’t really an encounter, I was just walking to the elevator and the lights flickered then the other people waiting for the elevator with me kinda panicked. I was silently laughing at them.”
“Oh so YOU didn’t get scared?”
“Maybe just a bit”
I grinned as Billie smiled at me combing a hand through his hair.
“Have you read the story?”
“What story?” Billie asked softly blinking and looking down at the table. “The story about the ghost, it’s weird because it’s similar to something I’ve written.”
Billie looked up at me, his eyes glossing over in a state in which I couldn’t identify,
“Really? Maybe that’s why Marcus thought you’d enjoy staying here.”
Billie smiled sipping from his drink.
“Maybe. So, how is the album going?”
“It’s going good, we did some great studio time today…”
“Despite the fact that you all got really drunk last night?” I chuckled as Billie laughed.
“Yeah. Tre took a shine to you, especially since you were named after a playboy model.”
I laughed, “Hmmm….”
My mind shifted to Mike’s coldness last night. “What about Mike? I don’t think he liked me that much.”
Billie’s head snapped up at me and flinched, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything…
“Oh no, he just gets a bit cranky when he’s tired.”
I smiled at him shyly, “Oh okay I was just wondering.”
Silence erupted between us and I searched my mind for something to say,
“Maybe we could…”
“I was just thinking…”
We both grinned at each other,
“You first” Billie smiled,
“No you” I chuckled back.
“Okay.” He grinned at me, my stomach fluttered at his smile as his lips began to move,
“Well…I was thinking, if you’re interested, maybe you should come and visit us at the studio tomorrow”
I smiled at him, “Yeah okay that would be great, do you think it would be alright if I brought Marcus along?”
Billie giggled, “Yeah, I’m sure he and Tre will get along swimmingly…what were you going to say?” He asked me sipping from his drink.
“Oh…I was just thinking that err, maybe I could listen to some of your stuff or you know come and see you play sometime?”
Billie grinned like a Cheshire cat, “Defiantly.”
He wasn’t exaggerating this time however, it had been such an exhausting day, Marcus seemed determined to fill my day with as much sights as possible, The Hollywood sign, film studios, the viper room and a cheesy celebrity home tour. I grinned at the waitress as she brought over a double Jack Daniels’ and coke for me.
“What do you want to do tonight?” I asked Marcus as he gulped from his drink.
“Well I was thinking we could go back to your hotel bar and maybe accidentally on purpose bump into Billie and his friend.”
I smiled looking into my glass; I had yet to tell Marcus about last night, I couldn’t get a word in edge ways all day as he explained all about LA.
“What?” Marcus asked as I shrugged, “Go on what?” he pushed at me leaning closer to me.
“Well…yesterday, when you bailed out on me…”
Marcus coughed disapprovingly and folded his arms.
“Well, I went for a walk in the garden and bumped into Billie…”
Marcus unfolded his arms and blinked, “And what? Did you grab him push him into the nearest bush and screw him?”
I sighed, “No…”
Marcus grinned dirtily at me, “Well?”
“He asked me if I wanted to meet his other band mates, he’s in a band you see…Green Day?”
“Oh yes I have heard if them, I’ll go do some research.” He cackled leaning back into his chair. I rolled my eyes; Marcus’ research was finding naked pictures of people on Google Images.
“Well, so I had dinner with them last night.”
Marcus nodded, “Nice. But I can’t understand why you didn’t tell me sooner.”
I laughed, “Because I can’t get a word in edgeways with you.”
Marcus frowned, “That’s an exaggeration”
I laughed harder, “Anyway, his friend is called Tre and did take an interest in you.”
“In what way?” Marcus eyebrow arched a small smirk on his face.
“He asked if you were gay.”
Marcus blinked at me, “So, what does that mean? He’s interested?”
I smirked, “I don’t think he’s gay though he knew too much about playboy models.”
Marcus shrugged, “I can hope for him being bi or at the very least just curious.”
I laughed as my mind for the millionth time today once again revolved to Billie.
It was about half eleven when I entered the lobby of my hotel. I stopped amongst a crowd of people who were standing and looking at a man who had ‘hotel manager’ pinned to the jacket of his black lapel. He was talking loudly, his voice deep and rough, his arms swinging around his shoulders like a conductor.
“Yes, yes, this is quite normal ladies and gentlemen; you do remember you booked to stay in a HAUNTED hotel don’t you? Lights flickering on the 3rd floor is quite normal here.”
I sighed as the crowd began to gabble nervously as the manager picked up a leaflet from the reception desk behind him.
“This tells you the story of the ghost, if you have any questions please ask a member of staff. I’m sorry you got a shock.”
The crowd scrambled forward and grabbed various leaflets as the manager disappeared in a room behind the front desk. I made my way through the crowd to the reception desk and grabbed a leaflet myself. I glanced down at the paper in my hand.
“The story of Addie”
This hotel, once called Nikerson Mansion was built in 1906 by Samuel Nickerson for his son Roland and his wife Addie. It was burned down by a great fire and rebuilt in 1912. However Roland never got a chance to live in the mansion as he died after the fire. Addie moved into the home on its completion to nothing but empty halls. Her ghost still wanders the hotel, eternally heartbroken over the loss of her husband and desperately clinging to the mansion searching for him.
My stomach did a funny toss at the words on the page; this tale reminded me of a piece of prose I’d written for a collection of work a while ago. It was called, ‘The love Inferno” about a wife loosing her husband in a fire that engulfed the house he had just built.
“Spooky isn’t it?” I looked up at the voice to see Billie leaning against the reception leaflet in hand.
“I was walking from my room on the third floor when the lights started flickering.”
I smiled at him as he stood up straight and walked over to me.
“Yeah, except there is probably a timer on them to flicker just to give guests a treat.”
I sighed turning the leaflet over to see a coupon for a free drink at the bar. Billie looked down at my coupon and turned his own leaflet over,
“Fancy making use of these?” He grinned at me.
“Now?” I asked, thoroughly pleased he was asking me for a drink.
“Yeah, if your not busy” He shuffled shoving his hands in his pockets taking my question the wrong way.
“No, no, we might as well get a free drink” I smiled as we both turned to walk towards the bar.
Getting our drinks we both sat down at a nearby table,
“So are you going to tell me about your ghostly encounter?” I asked sipping from the cocktail straw placed in my drink.
“It wasn’t really an encounter, I was just walking to the elevator and the lights flickered then the other people waiting for the elevator with me kinda panicked. I was silently laughing at them.”
“Oh so YOU didn’t get scared?”
“Maybe just a bit”
I grinned as Billie smiled at me combing a hand through his hair.
“Have you read the story?”
“What story?” Billie asked softly blinking and looking down at the table. “The story about the ghost, it’s weird because it’s similar to something I’ve written.”
Billie looked up at me, his eyes glossing over in a state in which I couldn’t identify,
“Really? Maybe that’s why Marcus thought you’d enjoy staying here.”
Billie smiled sipping from his drink.
“Maybe. So, how is the album going?”
“It’s going good, we did some great studio time today…”
“Despite the fact that you all got really drunk last night?” I chuckled as Billie laughed.
“Yeah. Tre took a shine to you, especially since you were named after a playboy model.”
I laughed, “Hmmm….”
My mind shifted to Mike’s coldness last night. “What about Mike? I don’t think he liked me that much.”
Billie’s head snapped up at me and flinched, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything…
“Oh no, he just gets a bit cranky when he’s tired.”
I smiled at him shyly, “Oh okay I was just wondering.”
Silence erupted between us and I searched my mind for something to say,
“Maybe we could…”
“I was just thinking…”
We both grinned at each other,
“You first” Billie smiled,
“No you” I chuckled back.
“Okay.” He grinned at me, my stomach fluttered at his smile as his lips began to move,
“Well…I was thinking, if you’re interested, maybe you should come and visit us at the studio tomorrow”
I smiled at him, “Yeah okay that would be great, do you think it would be alright if I brought Marcus along?”
Billie giggled, “Yeah, I’m sure he and Tre will get along swimmingly…what were you going to say?” He asked me sipping from his drink.
“Oh…I was just thinking that err, maybe I could listen to some of your stuff or you know come and see you play sometime?”
Billie grinned like a Cheshire cat, “Defiantly.”