Ethan stayed leaning against the wall, his heart and mind still drawn to the building despite it being the scariest thing ever. He still planned to go, but his intuition told him not to. He resorted to marking the abandoned macabre hotel off-limits. Just then, a knock echoed through the room—*knock, knock, knock*. Startled, he jolted awake, his eyes darting around.
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"Ethan! You awake?" Trent called from the other side of the door. "Let's go swimming this morning!"
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"I'm not really feeling myself," Ethan replied, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
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"Come on, it'll be fun! You need to get out," Trent urged, his enthusiasm infectious.
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With a reluctant sigh, Ethan finally agreed, "Alright, fine. Let's go."
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He headed downstairs and stepped into the cool pool, grateful for the refreshing temperature against the sweltering 31 degrees Celsius outside. They swam for a while, splashing around and sharing stories.
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"So, what about that girl you were with last night?" Ethan asked, curiosity piqued.
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"Oh, that's just one of my fan girls. We've been dating online for eight months now," Trent replied, a hint of excitement in his voice. "I was looking forward to this journey more than anyone else in the group."
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As Trent continued talking, Ethan glanced around and noticed he was alone in the pool, a thick mist surrounding the area. He could still hear Trent's voice, but it seemed to be fading.
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"Ethan! Where are you going? That's the deep end!" Trent could be heard shouted from a distance.
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Suddenly, something grabbed his foot—a soft hand with a strong grip. Panic surged through him as he put his head underwater. There she was, the lady from the previous night, resembling his wife. She was pulling him under, her face etched with sadness.
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Ethan was drawn closer, and he could see her lips moving, but no words came out. Then she kissed him passionately, dragging him deeper while still locked in the kiss. As he looked closer, he noticed her back was bleeding, a chilling sight that sent a shiver down his spine. Her blood was constantly staining the water making it bright red.
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Just then, strong hands grabbed Ethan from above the water, their grip firm and reassuring as they pulled him up towards the surface. He could feel the rush of cool water cascading around him, but his gaze remained locked on the mysterious lady. As he broke through the water, she leaned closer, her voice echoing in his ears, "Come find me!" Just as quickly as she appeared, she began to fade like smoke, her figure dissipating into thin air, leaving behind a lingering sense of intrigue.
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Ethan was still trying to process what had just happened when Trent and a few other lifeguards reached him. They dragged him out of the pool, their expressions a mix of concern and confusion. Ethan wasn't unconscious, and he definitely didn't need CPR, but he was shocked and too stunned to speak for a few seconds. The water dripped from his hair as he tried to shake off the surreal encounter, the lady's words echoing in his mind, urging him to uncover the mystery that had just unfolded.
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"What do you mean the drain pump was on full power? Do you know how dangerous that is?" Mark exclaimed, Ethan was still trying to catch his breath as he processed what just happened.
"You could have ripped the guts out of my friend, like in that one movie! "Yelled Trent anger etched on his face.
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The hotel manager, looking flustered, assured them, "I cannot emphasize how sorry I am ," said the hotel manager sweat trickling down his neck.
"All will be well! I'll give you a 50% discount to keep you from leaving a bad review. I can't afford that kind of publicity; you're big fish in the media!"
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"Fine, but you have to appear in our next video," one of the management team members replied, crossing his arms.
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"Deal!" the hotel manager quickly agreed, desperate to salvage the situation.
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As the commotion settled, Ethan played it cool on the outside, but inside he was shaken. He knew what he had seen beneath the water, and the pull he felt from the mysterious lady was undeniable. Despite it all being ruled out as an accident with the pump he knew what he saw, he however couldn't understand what drew him to the abandoned hotel all the time.
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"Guys, can you take me to the abandoned hotel?" he asked his friends, determination in his voice. "I dropped my camera there."
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"When did this happen ?" Asked Jason still shaken from what just happened ,
"Last time when we were there, i must have dropped it there," replied Ethan turning red from embarrassment, the others showed distaste to the whole going to the hotel thing but they said nothing.
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"If thats the case then, let's go," Trent replied, glancing at the others who nodded in agreement.
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They all knew that despite the chaos they needed Ethan's camera, it had a-lot of videos important to their travel in Bali.
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Later that day, they all returned to the building once again, dressed as locals and covering their faces to avoid drawing much attention. Upon arrival, the place looked even more grotesque than before; the oppressive humidity clung to them, and a foul stench of blood and decay filled the air, presumably a remnant of the horrors that had befallen previous victims. They navigated the stairs cautiously, and after a gruesome fifteen minutes, they finally reached the twelfth floor.
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Ethan began searching for the camera, but his eyes were drawn to where the stairs to the thirteenth floor had mysteriously vanished, replaced by a solid wall. Next to it, a dark hole loomed ominously, suggesting a treacherous drop to the ground floor below—a dangerous death drop. This sight felt unreal to him; just the night before, he had ascended those very stairs, and now they were gone.
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Suddenly, Ethan felt a tug on his back. He turned around to find the woman from the pool, still drenched, her clothes clinging to her skin and revealing her features. One hand rested protectively on her pregnant belly while the other held the camera, and she beckoned him to follow with a delicate gesture of her fingers. Compelled by an unseen force, he walked after her, while the others could only watch, confused, as he approached the wall blindly, as if entranced by someone they could not see.
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The woman then began to ascend what appeared to be an invisible flight of stairs, a path only visible to Ethan and her. In his haste, he reached out to grab her hand, inadvertently pulling off her bracelet in the process. That's when he noticed the painful wound on her back, a stark reminder of her suffering.
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Just then, Mark grabbed Ethan, pulling him back from the edge of the dark hole he had nearly fallen into.
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"Careful!" Mark urged, his voice filled with concern. "We don't want to lose you twice in one day."
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Jason, dismissive of the entire scene, insisted, "There's nothing here. You might have misplaced the camera in your room," while Trent pulled Ethan away from the perilous drop.
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They all left the building and spent the rest of the day interviewing random people in the streets and inside the hotel.
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As they roamed the vibrant streets, they approached locals with a camera in hand, asking them funny questions like, "If you could be any animal for a day, which one would you choose and why?" The responses were filled with laughter and creativity, revealing a playful side of the culture. One elderly man joked that he'd be a monkey so he could swing from trees and eat bananas all day, while a young woman claimed she'd be a bird to fly away and explore the world.
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The people they met were incredibly friendly and hospitable, often inviting them to share a meal or join in local festivities. They learned about traditional dances, culinary delights, and the importance of community gatherings, all while enjoying the warmth and laughter that filled the air. It was a delightful experience that deepened their understanding of Indonesian culture and left them with unforgettable memories.
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They later headed to the hotel manager's office to interview him as per the deal, and just as they were interviewing him, Ethan got a call and excused himself immediately, leaving the others to interview him.
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"Hello honey, are you alright?" asks the voice on the phone. "Trent told me about this morning," she adds.
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"Don't worry, love, I'm alright. It was just the pool drain pump," Ethan replied.
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"You sure? Stay out of danger at all costs; I still need you here with me," she said, then added, "Besides that, do you have my bracelet? I must have misplaced it and I don't remember where it was."
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Those words came as a shock, and he looked at the bracelet in his hand that resembled the exact custom-made gold bracelet that he had hired a jeweler to make for his wife a few months ago.
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