Hotel From Hell

The California Hotel 9:30am
The Penthouse suite oozed affluence. The living quarters consisted of a soft green velvet two seater sofa and two matching sofa chairs. The suite terrace opened out on the hotels pool and outdoor bar area. In the corner a circular table with leather chairs. On the table lies dirty plates, cutlery and the final remnants of a plentiful breakfast .

Maribel Butterbelly groans and sighs in defeat at her inability to zip up her elegant red party dress. She gasps in fear that the zip line may not be able to stretch and cover her corpulent frame. Aged sixty- five, standing at five foot seven in height she weighs three hundred and twenty five pounds. She is an extremely wealthy businesswoman running her own Financial & Property services business. She is not afraid to show off her opulence with a diamond encrusted thick white peal necklace and gold ear rings.

"Jennifer Darling", her voice well defined with a tone of snobbery. Jennifer her thirty five year old daughter at five foot three matched her mother in girth weighing in at three hundred pounds. She like her mother is a successful businesswoman and is part owner of her mothers business. Jennifer is dressed in a Navy formal dress with a matching navy blazer fastened across the upper torso concealing her extensive stomach. Like her mother leads quite a sedentary lifestyle working long hours and enjoying fine cuisine. Both are physically unfit, resulting with them huffing and puffing with the slightest exertion. She is carefully applying mascara behind her think black rimmed glasses, she wears practically twenty-four seven. The strong make up mirror light shines into the think lenses making it all the harder.

"Jennifer Darling", her mother calls again. With her mascara brush Jennifer slowly dabs it around her right eye afraid to strike it with off her glasses or get the brush into her eye "One second Mum, this make up light is absolutely awful".

"Well that's three star hotels for you!, what were they thinking. We should have taken the Mayfair" states Maribel with disgust.
Jennifer carefully places her mascara brush into it's bottle "Come on Mum, this is the hotels premium penthouse suite, we agreed to try it. The breakfast was good."

"Oh darling" states Maribel dismissively, "if you got that in the Ritz-Carlton you would send it back. Everything about it was supermarket standard!"

"Now Darling Can you zip me up, you pay a fortune for a dress and they put a zip of inferior quality in."
Jennifer groans as she rises from the make up desk, She slowly waddles towards her mother "mum, did you not try it on before you left, I think this will be a tight fit!"

Maribel throws her arms in the air in annoyance "Of course it will fit! it's obviously shrunk! "

Jennifer struggles to close in the zip chains to begin zipping, the lack of strength in her arms even shocking her "Bare with me mum, I'm very weak".

"Take your time darling, I'm in no rush to meet these Yokels".

Jennifer's breathing labours with the physical exertion of closing and pushing the zipper "Mum lets not be snobby".

Maribel grimaces as the dress tightens in on her, "the way they treated us, I was the fat uppity girl from the city, never gave me a chance".

Jennifer groans as she struggles to align the zip chains "Ahhhhh mum, they are simpl-"

"Don't give me that simple country folk nonsense. You can be simple and kind. First thing that crusty old grandfather of yours said to me when he saw me you don't look you ever done a days manual labour. I put him back in his box. I told him I don't, I do brain labour and get more money for it".

"Mum?" asks Jennifer "If you could go back in time would you do it differently"

Maribel plays with her necklace while she considers the question "Absolutely not, as soon as I stepped out of your fathers car that day, they had made up their mind they didn't like me. I don't go back for another seven months. The next time it was your aunt Sadie's birthday. I decided I was going to show them so I wore my best business suit down. Well Joanie just looked at me and goes your not going to do much manual work in that fancy suit. I was livid. I said I done sixty five hours mental labour this week which is just as exhausing".

There is a brief silence between both as Maribel's mind races back and Jennifer continues her struggle with the dress zipper.

"So next morning" continues Maribel "I got up at 7am, put on my old pair of jeans and spent 3 hours cleaning out the milking parlour. The work nearly killed me but I wanted to prove a point. So about ten am, Sadie drove in with her shower shy boyfriend at the time. The look of annoyance on her face, I hand her the shovel and said there!! manual labour done!"

Jennifer stops zipping momentarily to catch her breath, her glasses beginning to steam up "Go mum!!, that showed them".


Maribel grunts "You would think!!, instead of thanking and respecting me I got the silence treatment more. If they thought I'd let them walk all over me and go oh yes I I should be ashamed, they had another thing coming!!".

Maribel felt her temperature rise as she thought back to the horrible treatment she received. She was never accepted.

The Church 1pm
The Satnav showed one mile and a half to go. Jennifer sat behind the wheel of her silver one year old Mercedes-Benz. The air-conditioning on full blast, a pair of prescription sun glasses protected her eyes from glaring sun.

Both feel more uneasy as each mile passed; marks another mile closer. The last three completed in silence, not even business talk distracted them.
"Is your father coming with his latest toothpick?" asks Maribel as she stares out at the California countryside.

"I asked but he ignored my question"

Maribel sighs "It means he is not!!. Playing his little game. When he is going he always says yes straight away to try and antagonise me, hoping that I will be dreading seeing him with his latest little fling."

"Only one humiliated is himself" says Jennifer as she gives a concerned glance at her mother.

Maribel finds her body confided within the tight fitting dress "Before you were born, he told me that I was responsible for allllllllllllllllll the cheating, that I needed to lose weight".

Jennifer feels her eyes swell up "Oh mum that's horrible I would have left him then".

Maribel shakes her head and tightens her lips "Oh I wanted to, so to despise him I worked hard, dieted hard, ran hard. Never was I fitter.".

Jennifer wipes tears from her eyes. Her mother never told her this before.

Maribel looks across at Jennifer and smiles "The only good thing out of our marriage was you Darling".

Jennifer feels a lump in her throat and her eyes begin to water, she never understood how her mother fell for him, a constant cheater. "Ah mum, you will make me cry. You know part of me wishes you met someone better, but the selfish part knows I would not be here if you did"

Maribel stares straight ahead as old wounds begin to resurface "Darling love is blind. I was good in the sack, still am of course, I think that surprised him but I was never enough for the weasel. Of course they blame me for the divorce".

Tears drop from Jennifer's eyes. His fling with her German Aupair, Martha that brought on the divorse. She was eight and loved Martha, a twenty year old German student. Occasionally she would think of Martha wonder what she was doing and if she regretting the hurt he caused.

"I can still visualise it Mum, You standing behind me as Martha explained that she kissed Dad when she shouldn't have and has to go. I cried so much but I understand why you did get her to tell me the truth".

Maribel hands Jennifer some tissue "I knew there was something going on!!. She went really awkward around me. I came home about seven after a business meeting, she was in a panic unable to find her denim shorts. I read you your bedtime story, went into our own bedroom, noticed the bed poorly made went to fix and there in the bed were the shorts".

She stops momentarily to gather her thoughts unsure about opening the wounds more "So I got a bag put on gloves, put them in the bag, went down to the kitchen placed it on the table, opened the freezer and eat a tub of ice-cream. I don't know how many tubs of ice-cream I've eaten because of that man!".

They both remain silent briefly on what to say but Maribel continued

"I told him, I didn't want anything from him apart from monthly allowance for you and he also had to buy me out of the mortgage. I agreed visitation rights and that I would bring you to visit his grandparents farm as I didn't trust them with you. They were always calling you a spoilt child. YOU THINK SHIE IS SPOILT!! No!! unfortunate more accurate giving how your son cheats on his wife and daughter".

Maribel clasps her hands together trying to stop them from shaking. "The idiot of course didn't have the money to buy me out so they had to sell land off the farm. Of course that didn't go down well. The next time I brought you to see the farm. Your grandmother came thundering out of the house to the car. I had the door only half open when she starting firing abuse and profanities at me. Told me it was all my fault, all the affairs were my fault, told me they call me Mars Bar Ibel behind my back. That cut me in too!!".

She pauses again as the scene replays in her mind "So I closed my car door rolled down the window and told the witch that the apple never falls far from the tree. She shouted at me what's that to mean and I replied as it's intended and drove back home. You were crying in the back and I was crying in the front!!".

Jennifer bit her lower lip, "I'm sorry all those times I made you bring me back there."

Maribel smiles "Darling, I wasn't going to let those backward farts say I was denying them their grand daughter and important you got to spend time with them".

They see the white washed wooden church ahead "Mum, lets be positive, it might be that they were unsure what to do and left our invite late. Having a relationship with these people might be good for business too, sell them our financial products and perhaps purchase some of their land for real estate!".

"Ha" laughs Maribel sarcastically, "More like our invite is a second thought. As for doing business, the only things they have is putrid moonshine and stacks of beef jerky".

They slowly drive into the Church cark park comprising mainly of pick-up trucks of various ages and models were predominantly parked there.

Outside the church a crowd is gathered chatting however turn and stare at the opulent Mercedes-Benz as it searches the car park for a spot near the entrance. Both can feel the stares as they try and find a spot "Mum, we're going to have to go down a bit unfortunately"

She finds a spot and just as she does, a lady of average weight with short black hair in a White and Blue dress passes her walking three children ranging from fourteen to seven. The lady stares in at them, a good long stare. Fear sufficates Jennifer, it was Hester.
Last time she saw Hester it was 19 years ago she was sixteen, it was the day after her grandmothers funeral. Her grandfather passed away two years earlier. She sat by the old oak tree she loved and took out her Dan Brown novel and began to read taking shelter from the sun. Her mind flashes back.

"There's Jennifer Jelly, the spoilt girl from the city". She jumps in fright as the novel is whipped from her by Hester, who is with Polly and Joy. She stands up terrified, the three girls tower over her. "Your such a fat little nerd aren't you" teases Polly. Paralysed with fear she just stands still. The girls laugh. Hester starts ripping pages out of the book "What are you going to do about it" taunts Hester. Jennifer says nothing just stays still. "Nan always said you were a spoilt" as she gets a push from Hester knocking her against the tree. They laugh again. Hester throws the ripped out pages on the ground and flings the book off in the distance. Go get your book, Polly demands "fearful she does but as she moves Polly pushes her she looses her balance and hurts her knee off a tree root. As soon as she got back to the house in floods of tears, her mother got their things and drove away. Never to drive back again.

"Darling are you all right". Jennifer clutches her stomach as pain strikes through. "That was Hester!" she wheezes, trying to take deep breaths however can only manage short shallow ones.

"Oh darling" Maribel opens her a bottle of water "Here drink some of this. She was such a monster, along with the other two brats. They way they excluded you, no child should be brought up to behave like that that. It still breaks my heart to think about it, I hope she is better at discipling her own children than her own parents were with her"

Maribel scans the crowd many just staring over at them. She recognises Sadie, now seventy skinny and slightly stooped, she partially feels sympathetic towards her.

"Darling, we don't have to do this, you can just drive the car out." Jennifer massages her tummy "No, no we have to do it, we need closure. We need to know-"

"Oh darling" interrupts Maribel "I had my closure almost twenty years ago when I drove you out truamatised with a bandaged knee and torn book"

Jennifer's pain subsides "I know mum but I'm carrying enough weight without the weight of this too. Time heals wounds".

They alight the car. The intense heat smacks them hard. They breath heavily as they struggle to walk in the intense heat. "I suppose we better congratulate Charlie". They feel the stares and hear some sneary whispers as they move through the crowd to the groom.
The groom a forty two year old six foot tall beef farmer stands at the church door with the groomsman and his parents. Maribel and Jennifer can feel sweat build up already on their brow. Maribel extends out her hand "Charlie, gosh you have grown, congratulations, do you remember Jennifer!".

He stares wide eyed trying to hold back a smirk. He shakes her hand and then Jennifer's "Thank you, enjoy the day!" he then returns to conversation with the groomsman and two other strangers they didn't recognise.

Jennifer's spirit drops, the grooms luckwarm welcome was not a good sign. Her mother now faced aunt Sadie "Hello Sadie, it's been a while".

Sadie glares at her in silence, her teeth grinding behind her pursed lips.
Maribel flicks her left hand "Fine but you could at least acknowledge your beautiful niece" Sadie half looks at Jennifer and completely ignores the Hi Jennifer gave her "You're a lamb dressed up as mutton in that dress Maribel. It sums you up nicely"

Maribel places her right hand on her chest in horror "I love this dress and I like how I look in it. Add to the fact you can't even acknowledge your own niece shows you to be the lemon you always were -BITTER!!. Come on Jennifer".

Jennifer moved off from aunt Sadie with her mother. Her spirits dropping more after her poor reception from Aunt Sadie.

One stare Jennifer couldn't shake off was Hester, every few moments she felt her unwelcoming stare zone in on her. She hadn't seen Polly or Joy yet, maybe they weren't here. She felt like a fish out of water. Hester begins to walk her with the children she turns around but can feel her cold stare on her back. Jennifer turns again as Hester is beside her "Hello Hester, hello there she says to the children". "Oh, my word, what lovely Children, what are your names" asks her mother. Hester points at the eldest boy first "He's Jason, he's fourteen, this is Kelley she is nine, and this is Shannon, she is four"

"What lovely names" smiles Jennifer, she notices a teddy bear in Shannon's hand "Is that your doggie", what's his name?

The girl shyly hides behind her mothers leg, her mother replies "It's Chase off Paw Patrol".

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh Paw Patrol, they have soooooooo much these days don't they!" states Maribel in hope to get some conversation out of Hester.

"Hester glares at her like she is the dirt under her shoe "They do, she also likes Peppa PIG,in fact she loves Peppa PIG".

Jennifer feels her stomach knot, she knows this is a direct dig at them "Oh, that's good" pants Jennifer as her mother hands her the the fan "Pigs are very clever animals". Jennifer stares back at Hester whose eyes narrow in.

Maribel turned to the older boy "So what do you like, do you like to read".

"No!" he replies "I like baseball and football". Maribel puts on a shocked face "You don't like to read!!, my Jennifer liked to read she loved Dan Brown novels, have you heard of him?"
Maribel stares directly at Hester, her eyes practically shut "No!" he replies with impatience. "Well I'm sure your mother can tell you all about Dan Brown".

"We've to go over to some people here", Hester's tone filled with anger. "Well that leopard hasn't changed her spots" states Maribel. "Lets get into the church".

As they slowly shuffle towards the church door Maribel recognises her ex-husbands sixty two year old brother Gordon, dressed in his official green military uniform. He is with his fifty-five year old second wife who smiles politely at them. Like his brother also divorced. Gordon's crunched facial stare sends shivers down their spines "Three cornfields you cost us, three cornfields that farm now could use to be viable". His face steaming with rage.

Maribel's heart races, he blocks her path into the church.part of her wanted to turn back but she didn't want them to win, she came this far "No Gordon, it's because your brother couldn't keep his dick in his trousers, seems like it's a common trait for you too brothers".

He purses his lips, unable to manufacture a comeback "should be ashamed using that language in a place of worship, you always had a potty mouth"
Maribel dismisses his comment with a flick of her right hand "I call it telling the truth which your meant to do I'm a place of worship"

Gordon turns his attention to Jennifer he looks her up and down in disgust "like mother, like daughter"

Jennifer trembles inside, her chest tightens making breathing all the more difficult "thank you" she smiles falsely I will take that as a compliment"

"Your right Gordon, she is like me, She's a successful Businesswoman" Maribel's tone boastful and full of pride. "Isn't that right Jennifer darling?"

"You remember my daughter Joy , Jennifer of course you do. She is here somewhere" Jennifer feels butterflies in her stomach upon her name as cruel memories of torment at the hands of Joy come to mind.

"Joy can bench press 140 and carry bags of animal feed all day without breaking a sweat. What can you bench press Jennifer?"

Jennifer looks around anxiously trying to identify Joy "I can't lift that, nothing like that" She pauses momentarily "But I can just about manage a pen so I can sign business deals"
"That is why she drives a Mercedes-Benz and wears fancy suits" boasts Maribel as she barges past Gordon "come on Jennifer"
"Ye shouldn't have come" he shouts after them.
They enter the small church with light wooden benches each side. Jennifer removes her sun shades and put's on her normal glasses. She points at the back row "let's sit here mum, I don't think we'll be welcome nearer the front. They lumber to the far end of the bench and sit down glad for the momentary rest for their bodies.

Slowly the church begins to fill up. Behind them they feel a shadow, then a head pops in between their heads "Well if it isn't the fat cats from the city!". Suddenly an arm is rested behind their outer shoulders. "Gosh ye are so soft and cushiony, i could easily fall asleep on you both".

Maribel and Jennifer feel goosebumbs as the strong muscular female arms rest on their extensive chests. They stare at each other unsure what to do. Jennifer adjusts her glasses "Joy can you please take your hands off us"

Joy stares at her grinning "No!! I haven't seen you both in aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaages, I really regret I was't in the car park to great you both. Am so jealous of Hester that she got to. But look at you Jennifer, you have really filled out"

Jennifer nervously stares at the muscle toned arm resting on her chest. It is muscular, she feels fleshy and soft in comparison. Joys strong facial expression accompanied by prominent Jaw line and and a healthy radiant glow makes Jennifer now conscientious of her own doughy chubby cheeks that seem to combine to form her double chin, she has long since accepted. She feels week and powerless within her own skin "why don't you take a seat the church is beginning to fill up"
Joy runs her fingers over Jennifers chest area. Jennifer freezes in fear "Polly will be hear soon, be great having the four of us together again, me, you, Hester and Polly, it will be like the old days again, we're going to have so much fun". Joy moves off confidently.

Maribel's gut told her Joy was not a good person she watches her as she struts up the aisle in her blue jump suit which complemented her strong figure "Jennifer darling, are you all right" Maribel places her left hand on Jennifer's right wrist to reassure her, she's there for her. "Darling" she warns "We need to keep out of her way as much as possible."

The idle chatting in the church is interrupting that by a loud cackle. Jennifer closes her eyes "Not Polly" she says to herself. "You can still hear that one before you see her" moans Maribel.
She powers up the aisle, her high heels clacking nosily off the tiled floor. She is dressed in a dark green dress, with her black hair covered in a hat. and jumps in beside Joy. Jennifer tries not to watch, she can predict what's coming next, she prays that Polly will stay away. Polly breaks out in another loud cackle. She stands up in the bench like she is looking for someone. Jennifer and Maribel look at each other they both know what's coming next. Joy stands up and points her in their direction. She breaks out in another wild cackle.

At the end of the ceremony the bride and groom wait by the church door as the guests exit. The church empties row by row. Maribel and Jennifer are the last row to exit. They congratulate the bride and groom who greet them with a half-hearted hug.

Jennifer places her sun shades on. They stand awkwardly outside the church door, cliques formed chatted none of which they belonged too. They scan the crowd anxiously checking the best route to the car to avoid certain people. Jennifer points a direction "Lets go this way". Their eagerness to leave restricted by their slow pace and hot sun, their breathing labours from the exertion.

Relieved they make it to the car "Where are you two big squishy marshmallows going" and then the cackle of Polly. Jennifer bites her lower lip and curses her lack of fitness. They turn around "The wild streak still visible in Polly's face after all these years.

Polly rubs the hood of the Mercedes-Benz "Nice car money bags!!"

"I'm sorry Polly, we have to go back to the hotel for a business meeting", lies Jennifer.

Polly ignores her "I bet you have to be careful where you park this, do you?"

Maribel sighs "Yes of course"

"I image so because it would be a shame to park it somewhere and find it keyed, wouldn't that be horrible, to think it's safe somewhere like a hotel car park only to come out the next day and find it keyed!"

She smiles sadistically at Jennifer who stands shell-shocked by the driver door, her legs turn to jelly. Polly walks away cackling wildly.

Jennifer and Maribel gingerly sit into the car. Jennifer quickly hits the electric start and drives out shaking. "Oh my God mum" her breathing heavy "what are we going to do, these people are horrible, I can't park at the hotel!"

Maribel pulls out her cell phone from her handbag, her heart beat races, what a vile creature to threaten us like that. I'm calling the hotel. We're paying premium rate for that suite, they have to provide a safe space for the car".

Wedding Reception 5.30pm
Maribel and Jennifer exit the elevator into the hotel lobby. The hotel secured their car in a safe location much to their relief. The meal is due to start at 6pm. They purposely left it as late to reappear. With dread they enter the wedding venue.

They check the table plan. With a mix of relief and annoyance they placed on the very last table, the fourteenth table. They didn't recognise any name on it. "Well our table number proves what they think of us Jennifer, but I would rather not sit with those riff-raff anyways they will spoil my appetite. " She begins to walk towards the table.

Jennifer flinches as she feels the muscular arm of Joy rest over her shoulders "You waddled off very quickly after the wedding, are we not good enough for you?"

Jennifer watches as her mother makes her way towards the table "No, we had to get back for an urgent business meeting".

Joy tightens her grip "So business is more important than family?"

Suddenly Jennifer feels like she is that frightened fifteen year old girl underneath the tree again "No no, it's a demanding client, we didn't want to go but had to!".

"I don't believe you Jennifer Jelly, I don't believe you?"

"Joy please, we were invited to the wedding and came with the good intention of building bridges instead we were faced with hostility".

"mmmmmmmmmmmmm, building bridges, breaking up farms, that's more your thing. Your mums little stunt with her divorce all those years ago, is costing our farm money.".

Jennifer stretches out her palms, she catches her mother looking around for her at the table "This is not our fault, mum could have taken him to the cleaners, but she didn't all he had to do was buy her out of the mortgage. Stop blaming us".

"But I do blame you Jennifer Jelly, Nan and Grandpa were right you are spoilt. Go easy on dinner as i am going to wrestle you later". Joy lets go of her and walks away.

Jennifer feels her windpipe close in, her breathing strains struggling to get air into her lungs. She can't wrestle Joy, no way, she will get seriously hurt".

She slowly totters towards their table.

Maribel notices the colour strained from Jennifer's face "Darling, you look like you saw a ghost, sit down!"

Jennifer takes a seat beside her mother, their table still waiting on other guests. Maribel pours her a glass of water "Darling what happened?"

"oh mum" she gasps, taking a glurp of water. "You wouldn't believe this". She tries to catch her breath but struggles "Joy has told me she is going to wrestle me, to say I'm terrified is an understatement.".

"Oh my God", squeals Maribel getting a glance from some guests nearby "we can't stay down here, let's go, get to our room and plan from there."

Jennifer attempts a few deep breaths but are weak and shallow "lets stay have the main course and go then, I don't want them talking and I don't want her having the satisfaction that they frightened me again".

"Are you sure Darling" asks Maribel as she rests her left hand on Jennifer's right wrist "We can always get room service and quite frankly I don't care what these yokels think"

Anxiously they work their way through the entre, starter and main course of Salmon, mash potato and mixed veg. Their appetites not what they usually are, but they struggle through. To their dismay the speeches commenced. "Darling" whispers Maribel "We could go now but we're so slow moving we will be noticed". Jennifer nods in agreement "Yes, once finished, people will want to use the washroom and dessert will be coming, it will look less obvious. They will doubt very much we would leave dessert behind us".

Maribel nods in agreement "I am sure it would underwhelm us anyway just like the occasion itself".

The speeches end Jennifer notices Joy heading towards the Washroom. "Oh Mum" she whispers Joy has gone to the Washroom, this is our chance, let's go as quick as we can. They grunt as the rise from their chairs
"How many main courses have you too eaten tonight?"
Jennifer whines "We just had the one Polly"

"In fairness Mars Bar Ibel you possibly couldn't fit any more into you as that dress is two times too small". Maribel feels her chest tighten in anger "How dare you" she snaps in a gaspy tone "show some respect to your elders. I am your aunt"

Polly cackles causing a few heads to turn around at other tables "I know the shame that you too fatties are related to me."

Jennifer feels sweat build up at the back of her neck "We're leaving, so please leave us alone!"

Polly stands in front of her, staring her down "YOUR NOT ALLOWED LEAVE!"

Every sinew of Jennifer's body tenses, she can't allow herself to be the frightened fifteen year old again "Polly, I may not look it but I am a very powerful businesswoman with some powerful friends in powerful positions. If you don't get out of our way and let us go, I will call them and I will sue you for everything you have and have you barred from this state and many more".

"oh Jennifer, behind that fancy suit, your still Jennifer Jelly. You may have power in a boardroom but here I have the real power".

With speed and ease Polly places Jennifer in headlock.

Jennifer gags for breath as Pollys headlock leaves her helplessly doubled over. Her airway struggles to pump air to her starved lungs. The sound of her mother's screeches in horror as her pathetic attempts to help Jennifer prove useless. Jennifer flaps her hands in all directions. Her world a blur, as Polly snatched her glasses. Her head pounds and burns, she worries she is seconds from losing consciousness. The sadistic laughter of Polly, terrifies her. Her heart pounds so hard she worries it will pop out of her chest. She can't tell how many are watching but there are several having a good laugh. Sharp pain stretches from her ankles to her lower back.
"let go, let go" screams her mother "she's almost purple". Polly releases laughing "here's your glasses piggy" as she places them in an outer pocket of her blazer. Jennifer uses a chair to lean upon. Her lungs struggle to work, every breath is a shallow wheeze".

"Oh darling" cries her mother as she removes her glasses from Jennifers jacket and shaking she places them on Jennifers face. "Are you all right darling" she asks.

Jennifer continues her loud raspy gasps for air, she tries to respond but her voice wouldn't come.

Maribel shakes with worry her own airway all most shut off too with worry.

"Ah poor Jelly Jen" taunts Joy, her tone dripping in sarcasm "I'll let you recover and then it's my turn to wrestle you".

Jennifer's pulse intensifies in fear, she can't take anymore, how she regrets convincing her mum they should attend."

"You little crud" cries Maribel "You lay one finger on my Jennifer and I'll have the law on you!".

Joy laughs "Oh shut up Mars Bar ibel, I will have my fun!".

Maribel ignores the jibe, come on darling, as she gently places her hands on Jennifer's right shoulder and helps straighten her up.

They gasp hard as they waddle out of the ballroom as fast as they could but their increased pace is short lived as the didn't have the stamina to maintain it. Every pulse in both their bodies raced, Maribel's dress felt like it had tightened in more as her chest feels like it is caged into a space half its size.

Anxiously they keep checking their backs that Joy or Polly isn't following them, neither have the energy to handle her, at least they were in the hotel lobby, she would not dare tackle them there.

Jennifer could feel her face begin to cool down. She sighs in relief as they make the elevator. The twenty second wait felt like an eternity, the constant worry that Hester would just appear. They enter the elevator and Maribel quickly hits floor five. Their hearts still racing, the thoughts that she might get on at another floor terrifies them.

Maribel places her right hand on Jennifers back and begins to rub it gently in an attempt to massage it "oh darling, my poor darling, what has she done to you!".

They exit the fifth floor continuously checking around them anxiously, their slow laboured pace meant catching up on them would be no problem.

"Oh thankfully" wheezes Jennifer her first words since she was accosted as they reach room five one five. Maribel struggles to find the room card key with panic, they hear the lift door in the distance. Her breathing intensifies. Jennifer stares down the hallway her chest aches, she hopes its neither a panic attack or heart attack. Maribel finds the key card places it in its slot the door opens.

She removes the card they step in and close the door and place it in it's electricity slot. She then fumbles nervously at the door locks until they are locked.

They turn and embrace each other in a hug. "Oh mum" wheezes Jennifer, "I was this close to losing consciousness, I was terrified and everyone just laughing".

"Darling sit down". Jennifer gingerly sits down on the sofa groaning hard her whole body in agonising pain.
"Let me get you a cold cloth" Maribel shuffles into the ensuite and finds a face cloth and runs cold water through it, she rinses excess water out and returns to Jen who lolls on a chair at the table "Now Darling". Maribel gently rubs the cold face cloth around Jennifer's plump face and double chin. The cold cloth giving some comfort to her burning chubby cheeks.

Jennifer takes the cloth in her hand and removes her glasses, and begins to wipe around her own face. "What happened Dar-" but Maribel's question interrupted by the sound of footsteps outside their door. Jennifer puts her glasses back on. Both sit in silence, the only sound their heavy breathing. Seconds pass and then a knock. Both paralysed with fear in their seats. Another knock, Jennifer attempts to get up but her legs trembles and she fears they would buckle under her
"Mum I just don't have the strength just now to check" she whispers.

Suddenly the knock happens again "I'll get up whispers Maribel groaning as she rises from the chair. Just as she rose, the knock happened again. "Maybe I should ask who is it?"

Jennifer whispers "No" waving her hands to emphasis the point "If it's them we don't want them to know we are here".
Maribel nods in agreement and slowly steps towards the door. The hairs stand on the back of her neck, her airway strains. She looks through the spy hole "I don't see anyone there darling I'll take a look"

"Noooooooooo" screams Jennifer, "Mum it could be a trap, please don't unlock anything".

"Your right darling but we can't stay hidden in here, we can't let them win".

Maribel returns to her seat but just as she does the sound of foot steps return and then silence "Oh my God darling, they won't leave us alone. we're going to have to go."

This time there was no knock but the sound of paper being slid under the door. Maribel sighs as she rises from the chair again. She opens her handbag and takes out her reading glasses.

She puts on her glasses, she dare not bend down and pick up the sheet of paper. "au" she screams disgusted at the badly drawn image of two pigs and the words oink oink. She places the tip of her shoe on it and pushes it behind a mini garbage bin.

"What is it?" asks Jennifer

"Darling a childish drawing of two pigs".

Jennifer bit her lower lip, suddenly the footsteps returned, this time they could hear giggling and muffled whispering.

The knocking returned with the drunk voice of Hestor "Let me in Piggies, this is the big bad wolf"

Jennifer's stomach knotted, why didn't they go straight to reception and report to the police or security, she wasn't thinking how could they be thinking.
She placed her plump index finger to her lips indicating to her mother not to make a sound.

"This time the knocking got louder "come on Jennifer Jelly, why won't you come out to play Joy is looking for you". Jennifer began to feel nauseous, this day was not going as she hoped.

They hear whispers outside and laughter, "If you don't open up I'm going to huff and puff and blow this door down".

Jennifers legs and hands trembles, she began to feel like she was breathing through a very narrow straw. She looks down at her hands, and rolls them into weak soft fists, they would do more damage to herself than anyone else she thought.

They jump in fright as the door is tugged aggressively, they hoped the superior door build will hold up.

Maribel rises from her chair , not quiet sure what to do. She stands by the door and shouts in a trembling tone "Go away and leave us alone".

There is laughter outside again whispers " Mars Bar ibel we just want Jennifer Jelly to come out to play".
Maribel had enough of this charade that's it, I am going to put manners on this one she thinks to herself.
She places a shaking hand on the first door lock, her adrenalin kicks in.

"No please mum, don't" begs Jennifer, her mother turns around, her adrenalin rush quickly evaporates on Jennifers terrified face
"Please, we are no match for them, you saw what Polly done to me, this one might be worse and Joy is worse, we are safe here".

"Darling we can't stay here hold up all night", suddenly there is a loud bang off the door like someone is trying to burst through.

"Oh my God" screams Maribel "These are expensive doors you can't afford to replace them" she gasps, her voice filled now with a mix of venom and fear.

"I don't care" the voice says as there is another attempt to force the door. Jennifer's stomach aches but she has to do something. As fast as she can she rises from the sofa grimacing in pain, she struggles to walk, cursing her physique as she lifts the phone receiver on the circular table and calls reception. "Hello, she gasps, panic in her voice, this is room five one five, there are hostile guests from the wedding harassing us and now trying to break in, please send security straightaway, we're terrified, we're literally trapped in our room.

She puts down the phone and stands beside her mother placing her left hand behind her mothers back "I'VE CALLED SECURITY" she shouts, her voice trembles with fear.

"Ah there is Jennifer Jelly, of course you did you big fat coward".

The words hurt Jennifer, she felt like a coward but what could she do, she isn't a fighter never was.

"Maribel turns towards the door, I won't have them calling us cowards!"

"Mum" don't wheezes Jennifer "The safest thing we can do is just stay here".

"Darling, their treatment of us all day has been nothing but rude. I won't tolerate it any longer".

Another banging sound of the door being pushed "Do you think Jennifer they respect us by hiding behind this door".

Jennifer stands on front of her mother and places each hand on each of her arms "mum listen to me". Her speech interrupted by long continuous banging and shouts of open up".

"Mum we're businesswomen, when we make a decision we think logically, look at us, look at them. They are physically fit, they are strong. We are unfit, overweight and weak, we can't negotiate with these people".
Her mother stood still and listened, Jennifer's message is being understood. "You open that door, they won't touch you, your sixty four, they will insult you and belittle you but they will me". Jennifer points at her glasses, I wear this all the time, i can't see without them, there is no way they can come in because she will hurt me".

"Oh darling" Maribel embraces Jennifer in a hug as the banging and laughter continues "So mum, thinking logically as businesswomen, the best outcome for us is have security deal with them. It's not because we're weak or cowards but it's because its the safest option. That's all we're doing the safest option".

Maribel strokes her right hand through her daughters hair "Your right Darling, it's not about pride and not wanting to appear as a coward but safety and the safest for us is let security deal with it".

Outside the banging stops. The women hold hands in silence, as they listen in. The sound of two other male voices they haven't heard before begin to talk. There is some shouting. Then the banging begins again, this time one male voice warns them to stop or they will call the police. Next a deathly silence.