She had been driving for five hours straight, without a single break. But she was tired now. Maybe she should call it a night and look for a hotel. After half an hour, she came across a big lighted sign which read
Hotel Night Magic
Open 24 hours
After a few turns, she came to a square in a small town. She saw the hotel. The lights were on. She breathed a sigh of relief. As she was about to enter the glass door of the hotel, someone grabbed her hand. Lily jumped with fright. It was an old beggar.
“Don’t go inside. It’s a crazy place.”
Lily took a close look at the shabbily dressed woman. She was reeking of cheap alcohol.
“Leave me alone.” Lily tried to free her hand of the beggar’s clutch.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” The next moment she disappeared in the darkness of the nearby alley.
Shaking her head, Lily stepped inside into the brightly lit reception area of the hotel. There was no one at the front desk. She pressed the bell. After what seemed like an eternity, a man in his early fifties appeared.
“Hello Mam. I am Ranjan. How can I help you?”
“I want a room for one night.”
“Sure mam.” Lily paid in cash.
“Is your luggage in the car mam.”
“No. It was a day trip that got extended.” She lied.
“This is your room key, mam. 333, third floor, third room on the right. We don’t have an elevator. The staircase is to your left.”
The bed was comfortable but sleep still eluded her. She couldn’t get the image of her drunk husband running after her with the copper statue ready to hit her out of her mind. Luckily, she escaped. Slowly the exhaustion took over and Lily drifted off to a dreamless sleep.
A couple of hours later, Lily woke up to very loud music. It was as if huge drums were beating mercilessly.
What is this madness in the middle of the night! She got up to dial the reception but saw there was no intercom. Putting on the clothes, she went down. But, the concierge wasn’t there. She went to his quarter and knocked at the door. But, no one answered. She opened the door. The room was empty.
She went to the first floor and banged on the bedroom doors. She went to the second floor and knocked on the doors. She got no reply. She opened the rooms one by one. Each one of them was unlived in.
She was the only person in this hotel.
The realisation dawned on her. She was scared. She ran down the stairs and out of the hotel. She knocked on the houses beside the square. There was no one.
Hysterical she sat in her car and started driving. She turned right, but a few minutes later, she realised she had come upon the same square before the hotel. She must have taken the wrong turn. This time she took a left. But again she came to the hotel.
What was happening? Was there a way out of this damn place?
Someone knocked at the window. She woke up with a startled cry. The beggar from the previous night was peering through the window.
This woman will be the cause of my death. She thought.
The bright morning sun blinded her. The square was bustling with activity. Magpies were chirping. Children were going to school. People were headed towards work.
Getting out of the car, she asked the woman, “What did you tell me last night?”
The woman looked confused. “Me? I have never met you before. Are you drunk?”
Fat calling me drunk. Lily cursed silently.
She looked at the hotel. She had to find out. The concierge was standing at the front desk.
“Hello Mam. I am Ranjan. How can I help you?” He didn’t recognize her.
“I am a guest here. My room is 333.”
“That’s impossible, mam. We have only two floors. There is no room 333.” The concierge smiled.
“Are you pulling my leg? Yesterday night I slept in that room. I can show you.”
They went up the stairs and came to the third floor. But he was right, there was no third floor. Only a big terrace. Lily was speechless.
Was she hallucinating? Did she dream it all?
Lily raced down the stairs as fast as her legs could take her. Starting her car, she zoomed off the cursed square. Within minutes she reached the national highway. She vowed to never drive in the night again.
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I am participating in the Write Tribe Festival of Words – June 2018
Oh god! That went eerie so fast! Hope she escaped from her crazy husband too
Yes Meena. She escaped unhurt both from the crazy husband and the haunted hotel.
That was strange but you had me hanging onto every word. Did she switch dimensions? You should add a part 2 to this story.
No, Suzy she didn’t switch dimensions. The hotel is called night magic. In the night, it is haunted or gains a facade, while during the day it operates like a normal hotel.
Wow. What a surreal experience for Lily. Thank goodness she got away. A haunting, beautifully written tale.
Thank you Ness! The hotel is a different place altogether in the night and dons its normal avatar during the day.
thank god she was alive.. thought she would not make it.. loved the fast paced story
Thank you Akshata! Glad you liked it! 🙂
🙂 🙂 Another brilliant story Anshu.
Thank you Ashwini! 🙂 <3
What a story!!! Anshu, what a story. You had me at the edge of the seat. Awesome.
Thank you Aesha! In the weeks or months to come, I am going to write more such stories as I loved writing it.
Oh no !!! once again …
I am always so excited Anshu to read your takes on the prompts.
Another brilliant one.
The best thing about your stories is somehow the character escapes the doom… I am glad about the fact 🙂
Thank you Bhavna! Yes, Lily escapes unhurt! Blood and death make me feel uncomfortable too.
That was super creepy. You can develop this into a longer story. It has huge potential. Very good attempt.
Thank you Sonia! It was a super long story but edited it to keep the pace fast and edgy.
Wonderfully written, as always. You are a master storyteller, Anshu. Very gripping story. So creepy, I got goosebumps.
And I had fun writing this, Priya! Putting myself in Lily’s place and thinking of various ways I could be spooked. Ha ha!
Oh this was soo eerie! Night Magic indeed! But loved the way you created the atmosphere! Also, for a but there, our minds went into similar circles Anshu. Do check out my post for today if you get the time, and you will know what I am saying 🙂
For a bit there*
Rashmi your gravatar here doesn’t take to the actual link of your blog. Please fix it.
Is it? Well, hopping on to yours to find out! Thanks for visiting my post, Rashmi! 🙂
Oh my God! That was scary! I was wondering what she might be going through. She will never be able to forget it in her life.
That’s true Vidhi! It’s surely a night she will not forget in a hurry!
Such a scary story, not for the faint hearted like me Anshu 🙂 Hooked me till the end and I’m happy she managed to escape safely.
Thank you Vartika! It was a magical place, the place came alive only in the night!
Hey Anshu, I love this. I have grown up reading such suspicious stories and after so many years I have come across such story again. I went back to my school and times.
Oh, thank you Geethica! I don’t have much experience writing these stories, just beginning. But am glad you liked it! 🙂
Such an eerie, gripping and intriguing tale. I cringed when the old beggar knocked on the glass window of the car, Anshu! Brilliant spooky tale!
Thank you Anagha! As soon as I saw this prompt, I knew what I had to write. Am glad it has come out nicely! 🙂 Where is your story, been twice to your blog already, couldn’t find it!
Thank you so much Deepa! I can always bank on you to come up with encouraging words for my writing. 🙂 <3 I want to write such creepy tales, I enjoyed writing this one. Let's see, I will come with some more in the future that can go in a book. 🙂
Oh my goodness. This was scary as hell. Glad she ended up safe though.
Ha ha! Thanks Corinne! 🙂
You spooked me with this one and I was relieved Lily got away.
Thank you Sunita! I wanted her to get away. The highlight of the story were the strange occurrence in the night and her fear. 🙂
Very gripping plot and nicely written. I was hooked to every word, just like the others. I wasn’t quite sure what happened in between but read the comments and got it clarified.
Keep writing more!
Thank you so much, Ashwini! I am glad you liked the story and happy you got it in the end! Also, will keep it in mind to keep my writing more lucid henceforth.
Interesting premise. You run away from a drunk husband to land up in a crazy hotel room which does not exist. I would be scared to death. Good she drove away as fast as she could.
Ha ha, thanks Ruchi! You summed it up nicely!
Goosebumps