Horror Short Story: Heartbreak Hotel Part 3: Finally

The 3 part Heartbreak Hotel ends today.

She heard the creak of the door, and quickly shoved the phone in her pocket before Asher opened it.
“Are you girls having a nice time?” He asked and Dana stared at him.
“You’re fucking crazy!” She yelled and lunged at him, punching him in the nose.
He staggered back, dropping the tray and she shoved past him, running for the stairs.  She heard him behind her, and with a whimper of fear, she began to run faster.  Just as she reached the top of the stairs, Asher tackled her and they tumbled down the stairs together.  For a moment Dana laid on the floor, feeling as if every bone had been broken, then she pushed herself up and limped into  the kitchen.  She started going through the drawers, looking for a weapon.  Then found one just as Asher appeared in the doorway.
“Stay back,” she said, holding the butcher knife in front of her.

Asher looked at her, with a baffled expression on his face.
“Don’t you like mother?” He asked, taking a step forward.  “All the other women did.”
“Stay back, you fucking psycho!” She screamed and started to back toward the door.
Suddenly Asher lunged, and Dana slashed at him with the knife.  He cursed, but managed to grab hold of her wrist, squeezing until she screamed in pain and let it go.
“She’s not a good girl Asher,” he suddenly said in a woman’s voice.  “She needs to be punished.”
Asher looked at Dana and smiled slightly.
“You’re right mother,” he said and dragged Dana forward.
Dana began to fight him, clawing at his hands and dragging her feet.  He stopped and slapped her hard enough to cause her ears to ring, then continued to drag her forward.
“You’re like all the others,” he said, as he dragged her upstairs.  “None of them wanted to be mother’s friend.  But they soon learned how nice mother is, as you will.”
He reached the top step and stopped suddenly.  
“No,” he choked out, “you’re all dead.  You can’t be here, you’re dead!”
Dana looked over Asher’s shoulder and saw the silhouettes of five woman.
“You have been a bad boy Asher,” said the figure in the middle and he suddenly let go of Dana’s wrist.
“I’m sorry mother,” he whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Dana slowly backed down the steps, as they advanced on Asher.
“It’s too late,” the woman rasped.  “Now you have to be punished.”
Asher lurched backwards, his hand catching a brace of candles that were lit on the table.  He screamed as the candles fell and ignited his pant leg.
Dana watched in horrified fascination as the flames quickly raced up Asher’s body, until he was fully on fire.
Suddenly the woman looked at Dana, and she stumbled back a few steps, wondering if she could run before the ghosts caught her.
“Run,” the woman hissed, as she and the others melted back into the shadows.  “Run before it’s to late.”
Dana turned and ran, as Asher’s screams faded and the hotel began to burn.

She stumbled out of the house, just as three police cars came racing up to the hotel, with their sirens on and lights flashing.
“Are you the one who made the call?” One of the police officers asked as he got out of the car.
Dana nodded numbly, then sagged against the police officer who gently took her by the arm, leading her away from the burning building.

Five hours later Dana sat in a room at the police station, waiting for any news on what they had found at the hotel.
Finally an officer came through the door and shook his head.
“It’s the darndest thing I’ve ever seen,” he said.  “Only one room survived that fire, and that was the one where Asher Lansky had kept the bodies.  It was almost like they wanted to be found.”
Dana stared down at the table, then looked up at the officer.
“Yes,” she said, “I think they did.  They knew Asher Lansky needed to be punished and he finally was.”
The officer stared at her for a moment, then jerked his head in a nod.
“There isn’t any questions for you,” he said, “you’re free to go.”
Dana stood up and thanked the officer, before stepping out of the room.  She passed the desk, where someone had a radio playing and shivered slightly.
“Since my baby left me, I found a new place to dwell…”
Dana reached over and turned the radio off.
“I really hate that song,” she said, then turned and walked out of the police station.