Despite everything, I felt myself feeling sorry for her. I didn’t know what to say or what to believe, and I knew I wasn’t going to be of any help to them, even if it was true. The only thing I knew for sure was that I was about to die when they saw all this was pointless. And I felt some grim satisfaction in knowing they wouldn’t get what they wanted after what they had done, however pitiful they might appear.

But then the front door was banging open and I heard men shouting. I was turned away from the commotion, but within a matter of moments the son was heading towards me and then being yanked backwards by the inertia of multiple bullets striking him at once. I think he was dead before he hit the floor, and I saw his ruined parents glance at him sadly before fading back into the walls of that place. I caught a flutter of movement as the woman dropped what she had been holding in her twisted fingers.

Two policemen were talking to me now, the same ones that had taken my earlier reports. I could tell they were both shaken, and though they were calling an EMT, I knew it was too late for Melanie or the son of the things that killed her. After I was freed, I managed to swipe the paper the mother had dropped, though I didn’t get to look at it right away. First I had to give a heavily modified version of what had happened, leaving out the monster parents that were still living in the walls of that fucking house.

The police didn’t press hard, and judging by the haunted looks, those two men had caught of a glimpse of the truth before it had faded back into hiding. Either way, I was released to my parents. Released to tell them that their other daughter was dead. I considered telling them the whole truth, but what was the point? They would just worry that their surviving daughter was insane.

When we were on the way back home, back to my real home, I finally dug out the piece of paper and looked at it. It was a faded invitation that was surprisingly clean and well-preserved. I thought of that woman creature holding it out toward me as some kind of pleading explanation. It was probably their most prized possession. It came from the place they needed to get back to, after all.

It said:

The Imago Hotel cordially invites you on an all-expenses paid trip to enjoy our hospitality. You have been selected for this very unique and life-changing experience, which includes access to all our amenities and a seven days/six night stay in one of the most celebrated of our renowned Holiday Rooms. The room chosen for you is The Christmas Room. You will be contacted again shortly to confirm your arrival time.