"We're here, Rose, we're here!" The man gently shook Rose's shoulder.
Terrified, Rose continued screaming with her eyes tightly shut, pushing the man away from her.
"Rose, it's me, Dad," he said again. She could hear her little brother, Julius, crying and calling her name. Fear held her back from opening her eyes.
"Rose, what's wrong?" Her mother's worried voice reached her, and she saw her mother holding Julius outside the car. Rose was still sobbing and screaming desperately.
"Rose, calm down. We're here now," her father reassured her, his arms bleeding from the scratches. Rose cautiously opened her eyes and saw her father. She closed them again, still trembling, but then she couldn't resist embracing him tightly. Roland held his daughter close and comforted her.
"Shh... Father's here now. No need to be afraid; it's just a dream," he said, looking at his wife with a smile.
"You'll be alright now. Calm down," he added. Rose clung to her father, still scared but finding solace in his presence.
"It's just a dream, ate Rose, a very bad dream, like the ones I have in my room," Julius said, approaching his sister. "Mom said they're not real, so don't be afraid. I even kicked a monster hiding inside my closet," he added, trying to console her. Rose looked at her little brother and smiled. She gently touched his face and nodded.
Edna, her mother, held her daughter tightly and then cupped her face, kissing her forehead. Tearfully, she asked, "What's wrong, Rose?"
"I... I saw the woman, the woman from the accident... she was taken by a shadow," Rose said, her forehead glistening with sweat as she stared outside the car.
Edna chose to ignore what Rose said and tried to comfort her. "Okay... all you have to do now is forget about that dream," she said, hoping to ease her daughter's anxiety.
"No, Mom, it's real. I even saw the man who died instantly in the accident; he's here, that's why I screamed in fear," Rose explained urgently. Edna glanced at her husband, Roland, who merely shrugged.
"Alright, guys, I need to go to the hotel's front desk to check our reservations," Roland said, breaking the tension, and stepped out of the car.
"Rose, it's just a dream, okay? They are not real. Maybe you've been watching or reading horror stories with your friends again, isn't it?" Edna tried to soothe her daughter.
"No, Mom, you don't believe me, do you?" Rose replied, her voice tinged with frustration.
"Rose..." Edna said gently, caressing Rose's face.
"Fine..." Rose unbuckled her seatbelt, grabbed her backpack, and stepped out of the car. Edna was taken aback by her daughter's sudden change in attitude.
"What's wrong with her, Mom?" Julius asked, scratching his head in confusion.
"Rose's not feeling well, sweetie," she replied, trying to calm her youngest son.
"Hmm... maybe she needs my medicine to make her feel better," Julius suggested with innocence. Edna smiled at her son's thoughtful gesture and followed Roland to the hotel's lobby.
Meanwhile, Rose stood near a lamp post in the hotel's parking area. She unzipped her backpack and took out her cell phone. As she turned it on, she noticed a flurry of messages and missed calls from Karl. She read and replied to each message and then dialed Karl's number, waiting for him to answer. While waiting, she glanced around the area and saw her mother unloading their bags from the car, while Julius chatted away. Guilt washed over her for her earlier behavior towards her mother; she couldn't fathom why she had acted that way. With a sigh, she refocused on her phone's screen and noticed the time: 9:23 in the evening. Just then, she saw Julius walking towards her with his innocent smile.
"Hey, little guy, why did you come here?" she asked, feeling slightly disappointed.
"Mom said dinner is ready, Dad is waiting for us in the hotel's restaurant," Julius answered. Rose realized she was quite hungry; it was a late dinner for them that night.
"Alright, little guy, wait a second." 
Rose sent a message to Karl: 
"We have already arrived at the hotel. I was calling you, but you're not answering me. Please message back or call ASAP :-)
Then she pocketed her cell phone and noticed something in her brother's smile.
"Hmm, I think you want to tell me something. Am I right, little guy?" she probed.
Julius just stared at her, swaying side to side with both arms behind his back, his smile hinting at something.
"What is it?" Rose asked again.
"Nothing," he replied shyly.
"Are you sure?" Rose persisted.
"I think you forgot your promise," he said, now wearing a grin.
"What promise?" Rose tried to recall what she had promised to her brother. Julius's face turned serious, and then he frowned.
"Is it about the ice cream, little guy?" she asked. Julius's face lit up with excitement, confirming her guess.
"Oh... my ice cream!" Julius exclaimed, jumping and clapping with delight.
"Okay, I'll buy you your ice cream on one condition," Rose said.
"What condition?" Julius stopped jumping, trying to figure out what his sister was asking.
"Will you sleep with me tonight?" she asked.
Julius scratched his head, pondering whether he wanted to sleep with his older sister. He was used to sleeping with his mom and had never slept without her beside him. He felt torn between his love for ice cream and his desire to have his mom with him.
"Okay, then, just make sure you buy me ice cream with lots and lots of chocolates and marshmallows," he said, still scratching his head.
"Deal!"
"Yeah," Julius agreed, taking his sister's hand as they walked towards the hotel lobby.
The lobby was spacious, filled with people from different walks of life as visitors and hotel staff. The bluish marble flooring was adorned with luxurious Persian carpets that matched the curtains hanging on the windows. The ceiling was a masterpiece of sculptured floral designs, and the glass dome allowed visitors to watch the evening sky. An exquisite chandelier made of precious stones adorned the center of the glass ceiling, and the walls were adorned with paintings by local and international masters, captivating art enthusiasts. At the center of the lobby was the front desk, where several staff members attended to the guests' needs. On the left wing, a majestic staircase connected the second floor to the lobby. The slightly dimmed lights added to the ambiance, and a string quartet played classical music on a small stage near the bar.
Rose spotted her parents seated on a comfortable piece of furniture, each reading a magazine. She sensed something amiss between them; their connection seemed to have faded. It saddened her heart, recalling how happy they used to be as a family. Julius went over to his mom.
"Mom, I'm hungry," he said.
"Okay, guys, all our things are already in our room. Where do you want to dine?" Roland asked playfully. Edna and Rose exchanged glances.
"I'm not hungry," Edna replied in a monotone tone.
"Me either," Rose lied, pretending not to be hungry.
"But I'm hungry!" Julius exclaimed. "Can't you at least stay with me while I eat?" he pleaded.
"Alright, as the little guy said, let's have our dinner outside."
"Can't we just have our dinner here? It's getting too late already," Edna said impatiently. Roland nodded, and they began to head toward the hotel restaurant.
While walking, Rose took her cell phone from her pocket, hoping for a reply from Karl. Then she noticed a man standing a few meters away, staring at her. As the man approached her, she felt her heart quicken. He was in his early 40s, with a mature look due to his beard. His smile added to her unease. Then, the man spoke to her:
"You have the gift, child! You have the gift of sight. Use it before it's too late!" he said.
"Hey, what? Do I know you?" Rose asked puzzled. 
The man had a weathered face, with deep lines and sunken eyes that spoke of a life marked by hardship and struggles. His unkempt salt-and-pepper beard cascaded down his face, mingling with long, tangled hair, giving him an air of weariness and resilience.
"You possess a gift, child! The gift of sight," he whispered to the young woman he had been secretly observing since her arrival. His decaying and yellowed teeth revealed themselves when he smiled and spoke. He seemed certain; that the young lady had a gift. Although he knew it wasn't the right moment to reveal the truth, time was running out for them, leaving him with no choice but to inform her.
"No, I don't understand what you're saying," Rose responded, attempting to catch a glimpse of where her parents were. The man seemed unstable, and she knew she should not engage with him. She discreetly looked around for hotel security, but they were nowhere to be seen. Surprisingly, the people nearby seemed indifferent to the presence of the disheveled man, who was now invading her personal space. She hesitated to push him away, not wanting to be rude to the rugged man, but she felt uneasy and trapped.