Hotel Horror, Englishmiss [essential books to read txt] 📗

HOTEL HORROR

Every limb of my body was so ready for a bed. I had been on the road for 5 hours now and checking-in had taken for ever. I looked down at the key in my hand. No. 25. I looked up at the door I was just passing. No. 23. So I passed another door and put the key into the keyhole of no. 25. Inside I found the typical motel room. Two Queen sized beds, a TV set, a mirror on the wall, a little round table and two chairs and at the others side of the room a door probably leading to the bathroom. I stepped inside, drew the door shut behind me and dropped my bag, which had been hanging on my shoulder, on the bed closest to me. The room did not just looked like every motel room in the State but it also smelled like it: stale air and cleaning agent. I notice the humming of the air conditioning and the cool breeze on my neck. It had been a hot day. 97 °F in the highs and I had been stuck in my car half the day. I enjoined the cooling down, but I knew that it would give me a sore neck the next day if I let it blow down on me all night.
I dropped down on the bed beside my bag and lay flat on my back for some minutes. I pondered if I should got straight to sleep or if I should really unpack my stuff and change into my pajamas. It took me quite some time to make up my mind, my eye lids were really heavy but then my innate diligence won out. Sitting up I unzipped the huge black bag. I had folded all my clothes in neat stacks. One stack of pants, one stack of shirts and a stack of underwear. My toiletry was in a separate little wash bag. I took one after another out and put it on the sideboard, on which also the TV set was placed. I didn’t bother to put my clothes inside, because I would be staying only two nights.
I dropped my bag on the ground, grabbed my wash bag and went into the bathroom. In there the light was dim but I could see the white tiles on the floor and the walls. There was a little shabby sink and a bath tub with a ragged ugly shower curtain. I drew the curtain back to take a look at the bath tub, which looked like all the motel bath tubs cleaned but still somehow not very inviting.
I placed my wash bag on the little tray in front of the mirror above the sink, washed my face and brushed my teeth. My weariness let me choose not to take a shower. When I was done I stayed a few seconds in front of the mirror. The reflection of me was slightly blurred. My skin looked dark. I contemplated if it was tan or just the weak light that made me appear darker.
Suddenly I noticed a subtle noise. I was like someone was murmuring but not quite. It also somehow resembled the nasty scratching of nails on a blackboard. It was a weird sound. Almost like it wasn’t from this planet. I decided that it must be the next door TV. But this very second the sound was gone again.
I threw another glimpse into the mirror before I left the bathroom and turned off the light.
In the other room the air conditioning was still droning. I walked over to the bed closer to the entrance door and pulled the bed cover back. My pajamas were lying on top of one of the stacks on the sideboard. Tired I stripped off my sweaty shirt and my khaki pants, threw them wearily on the bag and slipped into my checkered cotton pajamas. I stepped up to the bed and before I had drawn the blanket completely back, I saw IT. Sprawling big and fat on top of the bed sheets. Deep black, almost hypnotizing and ready to strike. I wanted to scream from the top of my lungs but there was no time before it attacked and the world became a haze.

Publication Date: 04-07-2010

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