Chapter 2 - The Hallway of ShadowsThe reception desk inside Blackwood Sanctuary was unmanned, illuminated only by the sickly green glow of an old desktop monitor displaying a screensaver of bouncing geometric shapes. A bell sat on the counter. I struck it once. The sharp ding echoed down a corridor smelling of floor wax and old copper.
A nurse with weary eyes and a name tag reading Mrs. Gable emerged from a doorway down the hall.
"Visiting hours are over," she said flatly, not even bothering to look up from her clipboard. "And unless you're court-appointed or cleared by Hayes Meridian, you aren't on the registry anyway."
I reached into my bag and pulled out the flash drive, along with the certified papers Elaine had given me, identifying me as the primary trustee and legal next-of-kin.
"I am Rosalyn Hayes," I said, my voice dropping an octave, carrying a cold authority that made Mrs. Gable finally look up. "And I am here for Room 317."
The nurse’s face drained of color. Her eyes darted to the flash drive, then to my face. The resemblance must have struck her instantly; family lines are stubborn things.
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"You... you're his sister," Mrs. Gable whispered, her professional facade crumbling instantly. "We were told you died in a car crash twelve years ago. Christopher Hayes told us he was your only surviving relative."
"Christopher lies," I said, stepping past her into the hallway. "Take me to my brother now, or I’ll have this entire building swarmed with federal agents before the clock strikes midnight."
