The Occurrence

The Diamond Crest Hotel was a gem (no pun intended) of the century in 1945. Located in Heartfield, California, it was the main hub of socialites across the globe. Men and women of all manner of success—that being actors and actresses, poets, artists, savvy business tycoons, hotshot movie moguls, etc.—flocked to its grand ballroom for its infamous galas. It should be no surprise to say that it was a hotel for the strictly elite in the world’s upperclass. Having been built in 1909 by Business Guru Miguel Sullivan—his vision for the Hotel was nothing short of being the prime host of the rich and famous, with a small bit of room left over for the occasional upstart, looking to elevate into the limelight from his middleclass dwellings, who somehow managed to afford the pricey per-night fees. The first three years were nothing short of a booming success for Sullivan, bringing in millions in revenue, and a plethora of connections between he and the starlites of his time. One such starlite, having met him in 1910, was 23-year-old up-and-coming singer Dahlia O’Nell who very quickly became the prime focus of Miguel’s affections. The two were wed by the end of 1911, and Dahlia was shortly after announcing a pregnancy. To announce this pregnancy, and to treat the Mother of his child with all the riches she deserved, Miguel Sullivan invited some of his closest friends and partners to a once-in-a-lifetime journey across the Atlantic in the luxurious maiden jewel of The White Starline—the R.M.S. Titanic. As fate would have it—cruelly—the Titanic’s Maiden Voyage was to be its last voyage, as the ship collided with an iceburg, and very quickly sank, taking with it 1,575 souls, those of which included Sullivan, his friends, and his partners. Dahlia, being the sole survivor, was left with the Hotel in hers, and her future son’s, name, and, in fear of losing money, Dahlia quickly capitalized on her late husband’s death, advertising the Hotel as his dream and treasure, playing the hearts of the world’s glamorous. The Hotel prospered at an all-new level after Sullivan’s death, a monument and head-statue of Sullivan being commissioned in 1913, and placed in the Hotel’s lobby. Being a single-Mother had its perks as well, as Dahlia was washed with gifts and much-needed supplies for her son by her acquaintances, and even a wedding proposal or two between 1914 and 1920. Dahlia also hosted—to bolster her image—various charity events to support the ongoing war efforts of both World War 1 and World War 2. By the end of the Second World War in July of 1945, when Dahlia was 58, she had passed the Hotel along to her son, now 32, in the hopes of continuing its legacy through him, his wife, and his own son. On New Years of 1945, during the Hotel’s annual Winter Gala—which in 1945 was also hosting a charity event for returning war veterans—Dahlia was making her rounds with guests, her son at her hip. To her dismay, one said guest was an older woman—one who was very certainly not upperclass in the slightest—who, with her, was a tiny child in an equally not-upperclass dress. They had been secured a room at the Hotel by one of Dahlia’s newest acquaintances, who was the girl’s distant Uncle. Long-story-short, the Uncle was clearly out of line in allowing these people entry, but, in needing to keep a clean and spotless status, Dahlia dismissed the slight, recommending that the woman take the child to a more “child-friendly” area of the Hotel, to spare her the overwhelming occasion that was the Gala, that area being the girl’s hotel room. The old woman did not object, looking—to Dahlia’s relief—thrilled at the thought of being allowed to leave the area, and kindly thanked Dahlia for her hospitality. The woman promptly took the small child by the hand, and the two made their way to the Grand Entrance’s elevator—a single shaft that transported clientele to their staterooms in a revolutionary style. Arriving at this elevator around the same time was Hollywood Actor—and playboy to the fullest extent—Carver Zucker and his current paramore, and infamous Actress—who had played roles alongside stars such as Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Rita Hayworth, and the late Carole Lombard—Emily Davis, who had felt slighted by one of the staff at the Gala, and had demanded immediate relief to their room. Emily was known to be a hot-tempered drama-queen, who, despite her gorgeous looks, was the thorn in her fellow actors and actress’ sides. She was well known in Hollywood as being every Director’s nightmare, and many roles were kept from her because of this. Her relationship with Carver Zucker—everyone knew—was purely for show. A ploy Carver had offered in an attempt to make himself an image of leniency and grace—in dealing so happily with Davis—and to make her come across as—surprisingly—easy to deal with. The last of the elevator’s guests arrived shortly after Zucker and Davis—them being one of World War 2’s most noted Sergeants, William Hunt—35—and his Lieutenant, 29 year old Dawson Maygram, alongside the bellhop assigned to carry their luggage, a 24-year-old Johnathon Crowe—and the group of 7 waited patiently for their elevator to arrive. Upon its arrival, the group loaded into the elevator, and began their assent. The first stop was on the 12th floor, for the older woman and child. When the elevator stopped, Johnathon began the process of opening the two elevator doors for their departure when a sudden bang rocked the shaft, and plunged all 7 to the basement of the Diamond Crest Hotel. None survived. The year is now 2021—New Year’s. The Diamond Crest is a shell of its former self, having closed in 1950 after losing revenue due to the deaths of 7 people in an elevator shaft and the subsequent—controversial—trial against the Hotel by their families. The building itself, still standing, was purchased in the 1980s by an anonymous buyer, who converted the hotel into a tourist attraction. Claiming the Hotel to be haunted by those killed in the shaft, the new owner hosts tours of the basement and, for a special—and hefty—price, guests can reserve a single room—the room of fated Actress Emily Davis—for a one-night stay with the promise of spiritual activity to keep guests awake at night. The room, being on the top floor—the 26th floor to be exact, and being one of the three largest available rooms—can hold at least 12 people, and serves complimentary breakfast in the morning. On this day, the anniversary of those tragic deaths, a group of 8 friends have reserved the Davis Suite in the hopes of witnessing said activity. A mix-up in the booking system has also given them an extra night, much to their excitement. As a perk of the now two overnight stays, the friends are allowed entry into the new elevator shaft to carry them to their floor. Seeing as how the Hotel has been in operation for at least 40 years, the group has no real reason to fear a repeat of the original accident, so show no hesitance in climbing aboard. As fate would have it, a repeat is exactly what they got. As they entered the elevator, 7 of the 8 plummeted to the basement on their attempted ascent, the 8th friend staying behind because the elevator looked quite full to capacity. Thus begins our story on December 31st, 2021.