Part Eleven

*A whispered secret, a trodden path, a monstrous pursuit...*

### Content Warnings

Self-harm, guns, knives, blood, suicide, throat-slitting, human skin binding, claustrophobia, spiders, animal death (deer), polyps/tumors, spider limb dismemberment, corpses.

## Summary

Arthur’s interaction with the hotel’s only other guest doesn’t go as planned, and the introduction of three new mysterious figures has him scrambling to conceal his identity. Following the figures while in disguise, Arthur is drawn into a strange and unnerving interview that unsettles both him and John. Left alone in the master suite of the hotel they search for answers that could explain their situation, only to discover that they’re being hunted by a monstrous creature that possesses an unexpected intelligence.

## Synopsis

Arthur decides to seek answers from the mysterious guest, hiding and waiting for them to exit the bathroom. John sees that the stranger is covered in scars and old wounds, as well as some fresh ones on his scalp, with blood still trickling down his neck. The man senses them in the room, sniffing the air and approaching the wardrobe Arthur hides in. Arthur slams the doors open, attempting to subdue him, but the man breaks free and draws a knife. Arthur draws his pistol, warning the man that he will shoot and asking him for information. The man smiles at Arthur before slitting his own throat.

Shaken, Arthur loses his resolve, but John reprimands him, demanding that he snap out of it and telling him to search the room. Arthur does so, finding a suitcase containing some personal hygiene items as well as a wallet with the business of a Dr. Daniel Sayid. They also find the pallid mask has been laid atop a wooden briefcase and a cultist robe. The mask itself has been covered in blood due to the man’s suicide, so Arthur and John head to the bathroom to clean it. Upon entering, John sees that the cultist had shaved his head into the bathroom sink. While they’re cleaning the mask, John becomes distant, stating that the mask seems comforting somehow.

They exit the bathroom, heading over to the window and opening the curtains for more light. When the window is open, John spots a car parked in front of the hotel that wasn’t there before. Moments after, a knock comes at the door and startles them both. John directs Arthur to hide the body in the bathroom and then don the mask and robe, resolving to hopefully get some real answers about their situation. Arthur opens the door to find three cultists standing in the hallway, all of them wearing masks but without the robes. They indicate for Arthur to follow, then make their way to the staircase. Two of the cultists break off at the stairwell and head down while Arthur and the lead cultist ascend to the top floor.

They reach a master suite, where two robe-wearing cultists, exit the room to guard the doors. The lead cultist directs Arthur to sit down and roll up his left sleeve. A third man, unmasked, draws Arthur’s blood before the lead cultist opens a folio and asks him several questions. The questions recount several of the previous trials that Arthur has survived, including the old woman in the forest, Kellin Holeman, and the Widow. Arthur and John are both unnerved, and Arthur lies to the cultist until the final question, where he reveals that he killed the Widow. The cultist asks him to remove his mask and he complies.

The lead cultist and the man who drew Arthur’s blood exit the room, leaving him inside. After several moments of confused panicking, Arthur and John examine the folio but find only a blank piece of heavy material, possibly hide or leather. They search the rest of the room, finding the belongings and sleeping accommodations of several other people. Returning to the door, Arthur tries to listen for signs of the cultists, but hears nothing. Putting his mask back on, Arthur returns to his seat before theorizing that the mask will let them read the page. He grabs the file and John is able to see the list of questions asked. He reveals to Arthur that there are more questions on the page, some of which are about events that have not yet happened. The final question that John reads aloud asks *“You exit a master suite to a darkened hotel hallway; it is empty and devoid of life. A creature stalks the hotel, searching for you… the basement is your only salvation, but it is hungry for your flesh. Do you hide?”*

The creature cries out. Arthur and John have a brief argument: Arthur wants to follow what’s written on the page and head to the basement but John accuses him of behaving like a puppet. Eventually they decide to exit the master suite, following the sounds of the creature as they search for a place to hide. The calls of the creature sound familiar to Arthur, and eventually they come across a deer that has been wrapped in some sort of webbing. A massive, deformed spider attacks them from behind. Arthur flees, but the spider manages to catch his foot with some of its webbing. Managing to break free, Arthur escapes down the hallway and into a conference room. The spider pursues them and attempts to break down the conference room doors while Arthur and John frantically search for a way out. John spots a laundry chute in the adjacent room.

As the spider breaks down the door, Arthur hides under the table. The spider begins searching the room, looking for Arthur. When it turns its back Arthur is able to throw a piece of debris in the opposite direction of the laundry chute, distracting the spider as he climbs in. He falls several floors before landing on a pile of items blocking the rest of the chute. Climbing back up a little, they exit another door to the chute, entering what appears to be another linen room. Arthur forms a makeshift torch to light their way, and they begin trying to find a way to the basement. The additional light from the torch reveals they are in the spider’s home, surrounded by the desiccated corpses of humans and animals. John guides Arthur back to the main floor.

Arthur is still keen to head to the basement, believing it will lead them to a way to separate them from each other. John tells him the door to leave the hotel is just around the corner, and urges him to leave. He urges Arthur to consider the possibility that John may take his body from him, reminding Arthur that he doesn’t know who or what he is, and revealing that some of his memories make it seem like he wasn’t on the ‘right’ side of this. Arthur tells John that John has changed since his time in The Dark World, possibly from his time in the hospital or simply seeing the world through Arthur’s eyes. Arthur tells John that he trusts him, but John warns him not to, saying it will be the death of him, then once again suggests they leave the hotel.

## Votes

* Chapter 51: Escape through the Window [2] / **Answer the Door in the Mask & Robe [11]**
* Chapter 52: **Remove the Mask [11]** / Refuse to remove the mask [3]
* Chapter 53: Hide In The Room Now [1] / **Head Out Into The Hallway, Then Hide [8]**
* Chapter 54: **Sneak past and try for the Chute [6]** / Make a mad dash for the Stairs [4]
* Chapter 55: **Head to the Basement [8]** / Leave the Hotel [5]

## Additional Notes

* John describes the mask as having no mouth and oval-shaped eyes, with crude-cut corners shaping the forehead and jaw. It appears to be made of a thin stone or a heavy plaster.
* The lead cultist who questions Arthur also has a multitude of scars on his hands, visible when he reaches out to shake Arthur’s hand.
* During their search of the master suite, Arthur and John find a wallet belonging to Doug Churchman.
* While the spider is searching for Arthur, John sees what appears to be a weak spot on the underside of the creature, an unarmoured patch of red flesh below it’s sternum.