Room 13 part 3
Pictures from Google
Previously:
When I arrived in Reception, Silvia was nowhere to be seen. Nothing out of place, nothing missing, just Sylvia not there.
The doors were all locked and the hotel was secure, so I was safe in the knowledge that I could go and find her. My first thought was that perhaps a child had woken and come to find her. I checked the office again and then went right to her room.
The corridor to room 3C stood empty, silent and deserted. The only thing that disturbed me was the light flickering close to the middle. The door to 3C stood closed. I passed the flickering light and the hairs on my arms and nape stood up as though a goose wandered over my future grave-site. The thought came to me unbidden and it gave me physical pause for thought. I stopped walking and studied my arm. The hairs stood on end despite my efforts to stroke them flat. One arm then the other and for good measure, I rubbed the back of my neck to find the same result. Perhaps the electricity was leaking from the flickering light? Even though I knew, at the back of my mind, that was a ridiculous theory, I went with it to enable me to continue to the door of room 3C.
I knocked lightly on the door and waited a second or so. No answer and I knocked again, a little louder and tried the door. It wouldn’t open.
I stepped back and looked up and down the corridor. When I went to knock again, the door swung open unbidden. The hairs on my arms stood on end again.
A long, drawn-out shudder took its time to trickle down my spine and I trembled in its wake. Leaning forward as far as I dared, I tried to look through to the room, but the door stood at too steep an angle. I leaned back to look up and down the corridor again and intended to push open the door so I could look.
The door slammed as my fingers reached forward and I jerked my hand away.
I could hear my teeth rattling in my head as my jaw trembled. Though I tried to clench my teeth, the muscles in my jaw worked involuntarily, tightening and loosening in a terrified rhythm. I tried the door again and it wouldn’t open. I had heard no one moving about in the room that could have locked or unlocked the door. I glanced at my arm once more. The hairs seemed to be vibrating under the tension.
The door opened without the handle moving and I have to admit, at that point, all my courage evaporated. As the door creaked open slowly, I turned tail and ran. I ran down the three flights of stairs to the lobby where I startled Sylvia at the reception desk.
She looked up from the desk, putting her hand to her mouth in an attempt to prevent herself making a noise. “Mr Bostock, you frightened me.” Her eyes stared from her face, wide and terrified – almost as terrified as I felt.
I looked back the way I had come, nothing followed me. “I couldn’t find you… I went to see if you were in your room.”
“You went to find me? I’ve been right here, what did you want me for?”
“No… you were gone. I came down right after you phoned me.”
“I phoned you? I didn’t, I can assure you.”
I turned to look back the way I had come, the stairwell’s lights were dimmed. They lit up automatically when anyone approached and remained bright for five minutes. Either I had been talking with Sylvia for more than five minutes, or the lights had dimmed too soon – or I hadn’t been up the stairs.
I glanced back to the stairs and then to Sylvia. “Where did I appear from?”
Sylvia gave a small, nervous, half-laugh. “Don’t you remember where you’ve been? Have you… have you been drinking?”
“No, I don’t drink…”
“I was joking. Are you all right? You look terrified.” She approached me and took one hand in hers. “You’re freezing cold, where on earth have you been?”
“I… I don’t know.” A thought flitted across my mind and before I could think to stop it, it came out of my mouth. “I used to sleep-walk, you know.”
“It looks like you didn’t quite grow out of that habit.”
Someone is dead, or maybe both of them are dead, or the whole hotel is dead, (that I wouldn't put past you by the way), I think he is the ghost though telling the story of how he became one. But likely way off.
Oh and I signed up for your newsletter. agate.
Thank you! <3
Now I have to figure out what is going on with Sylvia.
This is the first in your series I have read.
@michelle.gent I hope you see this. I may write something on your strawberry post too. :) Enjoyed reading this!
This story can go all sorts of ways; great read.
Signing up for your newsletter. Do you have a website I can visit?
it took me to a website..got it done.
It's a very very scary story! I'll wait for the next part of it.