#scarsdale

"WaS iT wOrTh iT, rEgInAlD?" The letters greet the mortal as he opens his eyes, painting in what looks to be blood.

His hands (and face) are smeared in ash, and his room smells of smoke.

"CHRIST!" Reginald falls out of his bed

A spider, unseen by him, waits and watches to document his reaction.

A yearbook, opened to the signature pages. "Bro, next year we'll be KINGS! - Levi"

"Le.. LEvi is that.. no, no, no... the guy's dead.. there's no such thing as ghosts" A slow breath...eyes wide

The book's pages flutter.. back.. back....

He backs away "Oh ggeez.. it's the wind" He moves to the bathroom door

Grades below the boys - no, this page has a smiling picture of Ezekiel Lovinger. Round-cheeked with unruly hair and glasses.

"Shit... it's done, it's done, and I won' let it stop me from living my life. Levi almost ruined everything... it's HIS fault the others died..." Reg goes into the bathroom and starts to run cold water

The water runs red!

Sure, it's a dye pack shoved into the workings of the water line.. but he'll have to take it apart to find that

And the bathroom mirror reveals the soot and ash covering his face and in his hair.

"I am OUT of here!" He screams and races to gather clothes, open a suitcase, and throw the former into the latter!

Tria hitches a ride!

He calls tthe uber... and gets an answer

a car pulls up

almost quicker than he expected. And he gets in.

"Motel Six... step on it" He ttells the female driver who has a hat conncealing her features

"Yes sir.." the woman woman whispers.

Then as they drive, she sniffs

"Something wrong?" He asks

"Do you ..." Marzanna sniffs again under her hat "Smell smoke? And..something else?"

"I had a cigarette." He lies "I'm trying to quit"

"Smoke and.. what is it?" Marzanna sniffs again "Flesh? yes, I swear it smells like burned flesh. I smelled it once you know..." She whispers "you never ever forget it if you smelled it"

Tria dutifully reports!

"Could.You.Just.Drive" He hisses

"Sure, I'll get the two of you to Motel Six" She assures "no worries"

"two of me? I'm alone" He says

The Driver looks in the mirror, visiblly "Your dark haired friend there... the one with the .." She describes Levi "The one staring at you right now .." Then she looks back over heer shoulder "Okay, that's weird I could have SWORN..."

"JUST ET ME TO THE MOTEL!" He yells

The Driver winces, sometimes it's painful these things, but then she smiles as more glamour leaks out from him "no need to be rude.. ser" and she pulls him up before the motel Six

He can't rush out fast enough. Tria along with him

And Marzanna texts Text: Room 122 Adress and more

Thou art a gem.

And room 121 is quietly checked out. TXT: Do keep an eye on Bubbe, she is new yet. Very polite.

Reginald might attempt to sleep tonight.

But as he tries, he might hear a... crackling... through the walls. A crackle, and then fingernails scratching... and... and the smell of meat cooking? Flesh?

No, there will be NO sleep tonight... just a twitching muderer pulling the blanket up to his nose to try to block the smell that.. won't go away

And the glamour of his terror is... heavenly

And ... like the Carpenter song says .. we've only just begun

(The end of the scene, but the lesson will continue)