"Everyone seems pretty excited about this," I muttered with amusement, watching the bustling activity around us.
We had entered the Whitesun Hotel proper, and flashlight beams crisscrossed through the darkness like searching spotlights, illuminating eager faces as people explored their new temporary home. The beams danced across faded wallpaper and dusty carpets, creating shifting shadows that made the entire scene feel almost dreamlike.
As I surveyed the first floor, checking each corridor and wing, I noticed that virtually every room had already been claimed. Doors stood propped open, revealing the occupants inside busily cleaning and organizing their new spaces, genuine smiles lighting up faces that had been drawn and anxious for days. People were sweeping accumulated dust, wiping down surfaces, and arranging whatever meager belongings they'd managed to salvage from Jackson Township
