At The Crossroads

"Jesus," exclaimed Hannibal. "What kind of place have you drug me off to?"

Hannibal, and his girlfriend Madison, sped up the half-mile-long gravel road, pulling into the squared-off section marked with fresh yellow paint lines. Hannibal decided to drive to Crossroads B & B. He joked with Maddy that it was the least he could do since she chose to bring him instead of a girlfriend. As far as getaways go, this was not Hannibal's first choice. Rather than a weekend on the beach, a trip riding dirt bikes in the dunes, or even a boating excursion down the coast, they were in Northern New York.

"Would you relax?" Madison told him, putting her hand on his leg.

"Well, I guess we will see if that's possible."

Madison was excited to be there. The architecture was like something out of a movie. Once upon a time, young Madison imagined being an engineer or an architect. She thought about building incredible structures, with amazing designs, incredibly built kitchens, fanciful living spaces, and luxurious bedrooms. Her ideas were more contemporary than what she was looking at from the passenger seat. Maddy felt drawn to the B&B, wanting to see the inside from the moment she won the weekend getaway.

"You know, Mr. David said there would be five-star dinners, access to the grounds, a pool in the back, and a hot tub."

"Does it come with a hunched-over butler named Igor as well as all the food you can eat?" asked Hannibal.

"It comes with everything else."

Madison gave him a hug, then held onto his arm as they walked toward the main house. They each packed one suitcase, complete with some gym clothes, dress clothes, and clothes for hiking the massive grounds around the hotel. From the brochure, the staff could get them anything else they wanted. There was fishing gear for use, kayaks, and four-wheelers they could take around the grounds and on the trails around Lake Tochacha. Lake Tochacha was an old, beautiful lake, that went deeper than those near where Madison grew up. It was said to be bottomless, and its' waters appeared almost black, it being so deep.

When they weren't exploring the grounds and the recreation the B & B offered, the guests could look forward to five-star dinners in the dining room, room service for private dinners, and a themed dance in the courtyard on Sunday.

As they walked through the main doors to the house, overwhelmed by the majesty of the place, they were surprised by the voice of Mr. David.

"Ah, Ms. Madison Armstrong...and that would make you, Hannibal Davies," he announced. His creepy old voice echoed through the lobby of the B & B. The echo at the Crossroads carried through the lobby, up the stairway, and down the halls on the next two floors.

"That's us," Madison told Mr. David as she dragged Hannibal over to the desk. "You must have been watching for us."

"Why, no. Why would I ever do a thing like that?"

Mr. David dug through his drawer for his clipboard. After finding it, he slid it across the desk with a pen. He stood behind the desk, his hair slicked back, exposing his old and wrinkly skin. Mr. David's sunken eyes stared at them as he waited for Madison to finish filling out the registration forms. The creeper look he was giving Maddy caused Hannibal to put his arm around her protectively. It gave Mr. David the signal to back off.

"Well, you two kids are all set. Dinner will be at 7:30 unless you want to order room service and enjoy some privacy. There is dancing for couples from 9:00 to 11:00 tomorrow and on Sunday for those staying the entire weekend," he explained, handing them two keys.

"Beautiful place," said Maddy.

"Despite Igor at the front desk," answered Hannibal.

The two lovers went up to the second floor, looking for their room as they swayed back and forth against one another.

As they found their room, Madison and Hannibal were amazed at the interior design. The room blended the best of old and new decor. The suite was large enough to entertain ten or more guests. A well-stocked wet, with enough booze for a large gathering, filled the center of the west wall. It wasn't the fancy bar that Hannibal was excited about or even the plush decor of the bedroom. King-sized beds and free booze were a mainstay in many of the hotels where Hannibal stayed. He was impressed and ecstatic over the sixty-inch flat-screen hung over the fireplace.

"See, I told you it wouldn't be that bad," Maddy told Hannibal, putting her arms around his waist as she started unbuckling his pants. Maddy kissed his ear, working her way down his neck, as she reached in his pants and began manipulating his growing erection.

"What are you doing?" Hannibal playfully asked.

"Getting ready to mess up that king-sized bed in there," answered Maddy as she turned and playfully sauntered toward the bedroom.

Georgia Sanchez was staying down the hall from Madison and Hannibal. Being single, and not wanting to stand out like a third wheel, she decided to take Mr. Davids' advice and order room service. The room service menu rivaled that of any vacation resort. Georgia ordered lobster with garlic and butter sauce, roast asparagus, and a baked potato. Planning to stay in for the evening, she also had them bring up a bottle of wine and a piece of chocolate cake.

Georgia only took one bite of her dinner. She didn't remember anything else until she opened her beautiful brown eyes. When she did, she could feel the restraints holding her down. Georgia began struggling, trying to break free. The thick leather restraints quickly proved too much for her. She was trapped there, with no way out.

Georgia looked around, desperate to figure out where she was. The room looked like a basement or some industrial building. It was dark, gloomy, and smelled like death. Dark gray walls surrounded her, making it hard to see where there was no light. She looked down toward her feet, seeing she had no clothing. Someone stripped her from her head to her toes. Fear enveloped Georgia, afraid of what was to come next. Georgia cried out for help. Help would never come, not to where she was.

"BANG"

The sound of steel slamming against steel startled raven-haired Georgia as she thrashed around. She looked toward the echo of the metallic bang, surprised to see Mr. David coming toward her. Georgia breathed in a sigh of relief.

"Oh god," she sighed. "Please help me."

Mr. David stepped into the light, a wicked grin across his old face. He put a finger to Georgia's lips, shushing her.

"W...w...what are you going to do to me?"

"I, why I am going to do nothing to you. For I am nothing more than just a caretaker of the Crossroads. You shouldn't worry, my dear. At least, not about me," explained Mr. David.

A door near hers shook as it opened, revealing a tall, dark-skinned man. He walked in wearing a black-latex gown and gloves. His teeth were snaggled and he reeked of sulfur. When he approached he looked down at Georgia, a horrific smile on his face as he held up what looked like an animal talon.

"Now, just let me know when this starts to be too much," he laughed, his laughter echoing through the room as he started scraping at her skin, each pass getting deeper than the last.

Georgia screamed. She thrashed about, desperately trying to get herself free from the bindings keeping her at the will of the maniac who was torturing her. She felt the warm rush of her own blood as it sprayed out of her abdomen, running down her pelvis, cascading down her womanly parts. She flinched as the dark-skinned man ran it across one of her nipples, and then over the other. He was trying to decide what part of her to take off next.

"Help! Somebody, help me!" she screamed.

Georgia watched as the dark-skinned man took the talon and slid it down the center of her torso. She felt the strangest sensation of sharp, stabbing pain. Looking down, he stapped the end of the hooked claw into her, just below her sternum. The dark-skinned man drug the claw from her sternum to her groin, opening her up as a thick, red, viscous pour of blood oozed out of her and onto the table. Tears rolled out of her eyes. She knew he was going to kill her, why didn't he just get on with it after all. The pain she was in, the suffering she was experiencing, was unholy. Death would have been a release, but then, after moving his hand around her insides, he took his gloved paw from her body and moved up to her neck.

Georgia felt the momentary sense of pain as the animalistic talon was forced into her neck, puncturing her carotid artery, blood spraying out over the dark-skinned mans' boots. Things began to fade, her heart began to slow to a calm and fainter beat.

In his ominous voice, he leaned into Georgia's ear as she suddenly struggled for every breath in her body, and said, "See ya later."

Maddy and Hannibal came down from their lovers' tryst to join the rest of the guests for dinner. Their host, Mr. David, had encouraged all of the weekend guests to join him in the main dining room, as they would be seeing each other often. Hannibal preferred his idea, to stay in, order room service, and chase one another around the room naked as they christened the rooms one by one. Like most things, he opted to go along with Maddy's need to have some fun and be more social than they were at home.

Hannibal wore a button-down white shirt, black pants, and a black jacket. Maddy, having bought a new dress for the weekend, wore a navy blue bodycon with two-inch heels. The two made for an attractive couple as they walked down the hall, looking for the stairs to the main concourse. They wandered around in a circle, playfully flirting with one another, before finding their way down to the main level.

"This really is an amazing place," Maddy commented, her attentions waning with Hannibals' hand playfully on the small of her back.

"You're right, it's almost as beautiful as you are."

Maddy giggled, "You're such a cheeseball after getting some."

"It's all your fault," he said, smiling widely at her.

Maddy started down the stairs before turning into Hannibal. With a soft kiss on the lips, she whispered, "Don't worry, you're luck's only going to get better as the weekend goes on."

"I can hardly wait!" he excitedly replied.

As Maddy and Hannibal got to the main concourse of the Crossroads, they noticed that there were already people taking seats in the dining room. They scurried into the dining room, stopping to admire the dark and attractive decor. Maddy thought it was an intriguing look. Hannibal, on the other hand, thought it was a bit too artsy for his taste.

"Looks like something out of a horror flick," he told Maddy.

"Be nice," she reminded him. "This whole trip is free, remember."

Mr. David stood up as Maddy and Hannibal entered. He was a welcoming host and guided them to their seats, taking a moment to pull Maddy's out for her. He shook hands with Hannibal, telling them he was pleased they chose to join them all for dinner.

"I believe you'll all enjoy the meal tonight. It's something our kitchen staff has worked diligently to impress you with," he audaciously announced, his palpable pride overflowing.

"That's great, I'm starved."

"Then you'll love the appetizers," said Mr. David, his wait staff coming in with serving trays.

Each guest served a bottle of wine per couple and a plate of Shrimp Tartlets to start the evening out. Mr. David went around the table, making introductions. Besides Maddy and Hannibal, there was Jessica and Steven Jones. Steven, an art dealer from Soho, and his wife Jessica, a biologist from the university, were the two most preposterous people to meet as a couple. They looked and acted like polar opposites, but somehow, it all worked. Steven and Hannibal took an instant liking to one another, neither of them satisfied with the wine, and opting for a glass of scotch.

Adam and Lexi Smith came in from New York City. Adam was a stock trader and had the age lines of a fifty-year-old at only thirty-five. His wife, Lexi, seemed to be happier than Adam. Lexi told the group how she'd been a social influencer in "NYC" for about ten years and made a nice living at it, but she didn't mention her specialty.

Then there was Jonah and Carolyn Heard. Jonah came from old money and hadn't worked in a decade. He had investors and lawyers that handled most of his financial dealings for him and the rest of the matters that needed handling was taken care of by his staff. Jonah had grown up privileged, obnoxious, and crude. They say that money can't buy everything, and if it could most people would recommend he buy some manners. His wife was with him strictly for the money. Carolyn had her secrets, being married to an older man, and didn't plan on staying that way forever. She figured that one day she would catch him with another woman and that pesky pre-nuptial agreement would be null and void.

Marcus Dexter and his wife Marilynn were the ones that didn't fit in the most. They'd been married ten years by the time they visited the Crossroads for a free weekend and somehow, they were the picture of domestic bliss. Marcus ran a successful medical practice and Marilynn, who he met in med school, was a health and fitness buff that turned her passion into her own business. When she heard that Lexi was a social media influencer, Marilynn immediately asked if they could talk shop over the weekend.

"Oh, sure thing sweety," said Lexi, "I can give you some tips that would rock your whole social media presence. You'll need a bigger gym or have to start franchising before I'm done."

The cast of Mr. Davids' formal dinner halfway through the evening before their final guest showed up, unexpectedly. As they enjoyed their lobster, Mr. David stood up and recognized a late arrival.

"Ms. Georgia," he said, his hands outstretched. "I didn't think you'd be joining us for dinner."

"Neither did I," she told him. "I had the worst dream, woke up in my room, and just needed to get out and get some air."

Georgia took the empty seat next to Mr. David. He introduced Georgia to the room and they all greeted her before returning to their conversations. Mr. David looked at Georgia, motioning for her to lean over.

"My dear, you've gotten lipstick on your dress," he told her, blotting a reddish spot on her thigh.

"Oh my," she said, still in a world of confusion. "Thank you."

"No worries. I'm here to help, wherever I can," laughed Mr. David. "Drink up Ms. Georgia. You look like you could use something to calm your nerves. You've had a big day. Tomorrow is likely to be just as exciting..."