Joint Survivor Testimony Names: - Kai Chaloner (ID currently expired) - Ella Hestdalen (known as Liz; ID valid) Support Animal: Lulu (dog, present during the incident) Companion Animal (not present): Pocky (cat, at home) Incident Location: Fairmont Empress Hotel 721 Government St, Victoria, BC Room 186, Gold Floor Dates: May 21, 2025 to May 23, 2025 We, Kai Chaloner and Ella Hestdalen (Liz), affirm the following to be true to the best of our memory and lived experience. This is not fiction. This is not performance. This is our joint testimony of a traumatizing, surreal, and emotionally violating experience at the Fairmont Empress Hotel. We arrived expecting a peaceful, romantic escape after a reservation at Oak Bay Hotel was denied last-minute due to false pet policy communication and an unauthorized charge of over $800. We rebooked under immense stress, attempting to salvage a trip meant for healing. What followed at the Fairmont was a descent into what we can only describe as a real-life horror film -- emotionally manipulative, spiritually destabilizing, and physically dangerous. - We were denied access to our room multiple times despite having valid keys and having explained that our support animal and personal ID were inside. - Staff repeatedly stalled, spoke to us in vague, eerie platitudes (e.g., "We're taking care of your wife/girlfriend"), and refused to engage directly with our legitimate distress. - Liz began experiencing severe physical and neurological symptoms, including disorientation, stuttering, and near-cognitive collapse -- later attributed to mold exposure in our bathroom. - Our attempts to get legal help or police support were dismissed or ignored. - We were watched, stalled, and emotionally violated in ways that resembled psychological entrapment -- a slow descent into terror that mirrored The Shining in structure and effect. We documented elements of the incident on Liz's phone, including timestamps, photos, and voice memos. These recordings may serve as supplementary evidence. We were eventually able to escape, thanks in part to one staff member named Alex, who treated us with kindness and compassion despite the hotel's overall refusal to support us. Outside the hotel, we met a driver who turned out to be a health inspector, who confirmed deep systemic issues in the area's hospitality industry. He listened. He believed us. That validation helped break the spell. We found no hotel availability, grew cold and desperate, and finally took shelter on a ferry, which allowed us and our dog to board and finally get safe. We were not just traumatized -- we were changed. Declaration of Intent This document is not a complaint. It is a testimony. We wish this to be: - Notarized - Submitted to any legal, corporate, or public forum where it may be relevant - Preserved permanently in physical and digital formats - Shared as needed, without censorship, to ensure that what happened to us is never dismissed or forgotten We affirm, without hesitation, that every part of this document reflects our truth. Signed: Kai Chaloner (signature pending) Ella Hestdalen / Liz (signature pending) Date: ________________________