Fraud

Everything is pristine in its placement, without any clutter that mars the tranquil and open feel.

This isn’t something I’d expect from Sawyer, which can only mean Gabriel was lying...again.

After peeking in several different rooms, I finally find the master suite and quickly pad barefoot through the room into the bathroom.

The shower is fully open with no glass or doors to encase it. The grey stone looks natural while dark wood benches are the perfect accent.

Rather than a showerhead stuck in the wall, I flip the handle and look up to see a large rain showerhead above me. To be honest, I’m a little sick of rain at the moment, but at least this water is warm and isn’t mixed with lightning.

Not that the storm outside has eased any. One wall of the bathroom is a large window looking out over the woods. Every couple of minutes it lights up just before thunder booms.

I spend at least a half hour thawing out beneath the spray of water. Once clean, I step out and wrap a large towel around my body, my steps hesitant as I walk out into the master bedroom.

Gabriel is nowhere in sight, but that doesn’t mean anything.

A piece of paper on the ground catches my attention, the words printed in large bold print confirming the liar had been here.

You’re not sleeping in this room. Walk to the door.

Okay. I take it as a hint.

I walk to the bedroom door and see another note in the hallway.

Walk this way.

Following that, I come to another note.

Keep going.

This is a bit ridiculous. He could have shown me to a different room. I come to another note.

Almost there. A few more steps.

Another note is a few feet away.

Turn left.

Doing as I’m told, I turn and push a door open into a large guest bedroom.

My bags are stacked in the center of it.

All seventeen of them.

Walking up to them, I find another note on top.

I pick it up and laugh.

This is your room for the night. Stay here. If you try anything stupid, you’ll live to regret it.