Post by midlander on Dec 9, 2004 15:54:57 GMT 1
The Hotel was very large for a small town, much of its front was 20th Century addition to what had been a 16th Century Inn. She entered the lobby where the avuncular bespectacled form of the elderly landlord met her. He didn't look too happy. "Ah Miss; Sorry to give you some bad news on this your first stay here on your own" "What Is it?" "Unfortunatly our previous booking clerk who thankfully is no longer employed here made a mistake in his dates" "How so?" she asked. "Well the party in your reserved room was given it until tomorrow; I do apologise for such a mistake" "Well is there another Hotel which could accommodate me for just the one night?" "I won't hear of it, its our mistake and we will make good" "How?" "We do have the large downstairs bedroom, it is the oldest room in the hotel and though it has not been used for many months it does have a on suite bathroom which we added to it a year ago in case of something like this"
"Why has it hardly been used ? Is it the room where two travellers were believed to have disappeared from in the 1880's?" He paused before answering "Some guests said they found it noisy, which amazed me as the back walls are over three foot thick-a metre I think in todays measuring-I do assure you it is most comfortable and I will make a handsome discount for your troubles; and as for that story-we believe those two absconded without paying-that was a long time ago" She beamed "Thats fine with me, i'm not superstitious,; will it take long to prepare it?" "Not long' as it was always on standby for such a contingancy"
She set off to the lounge for a drink and chat with other residents while the landlord coralled the night staff into preparing the room.
After her rest there she decided to walk the grounds a little. The late June evening was getting quite dark now so it must be about 11pm, she checked with her watch, She glanced at a small window at the back of the Hotel where she gauged her room might lie. she could just make out a dull yellow glow through the window and a shape moving "Must be still preparing it" She headed back to the lobby.
"Hello Miss; we have had the room ready for a while now" "Oh nobody in it now?" "No its long prepared"
He led down the long downstairs hallway. Along its upper section modern doors lined it at intervals: other guest rooms; one of which opened and a short slim man put out his shoes and bid then "Good Evening" The hallway turned sharp right and inclined downward very slightly "We are in the oldest section of the building now" He informed "Ah! your room" They met a very old large wooden door; the landlord fumbled with the key "Look!" she pointed to the gap between the bottom of the door and the hallway "Did you leave a light on?" "I'm certain we didn't" He puzzeled. Unlocking the door they were met by pitch dark "Ah!" he exclaimed a small gap in the curtains" "How would that help?" He explained "There is a road nearly a quarter of a mile back; obviously car headlights can carry andseep in any gap in the curtains" "I see; well thats that solved then!" He smiled , handed her the key and bid goodnight. She looked over the room. Apart from the modern on-suite attatched bathroom it did seem very old. The wallpaper was a very quaint yellow flowered pattern, the carpeting matched it in yellow and red floral pattern. The bed was a Four poster and every bit as large as to hold two people. She glided to the window. The partially drawn curtains were again in floral patterns, they were quite thin. She examined the sill; it was more than a foot deep to the window itself. This was very mottled and on bottle like segments; a very old design. peering at the murky glass she guessed it was still the original lead constituency. "This would be worth a pretty penny if it could be removed" she mulled.
Forgetting about the window she locked the door, unpacked her belongings, undressed and entered the bath-suite for her nightly ablutions. Swithing on the table lamp then turning off the mainroom one She settled down into the bed and pulled a book from her vanity case. Unusually for a young woman it was a science fiction anthology; but that was one of her unique qualities, a taste in not what you'd expect in reading matter; Books on black magic also held a mild interest and knowledge of such was always useful in her work.
Just as the effect of Alien Dimensions and deep space mysteries was doing its work of getting her tired enough to reach to swith off the small bedside lamp she suddenly started! a noise coming from the door brought all her senses back to the full. The door handle was slowly turning "Thank heavens I locked it" she gasped in relief to herself-but to her horror! the door slowly began to open!!
Slowly, ever so slowly it edged inch by inch ever inward, and little by little a figure started to emerge into the room.
"Why has it hardly been used ? Is it the room where two travellers were believed to have disappeared from in the 1880's?" He paused before answering "Some guests said they found it noisy, which amazed me as the back walls are over three foot thick-a metre I think in todays measuring-I do assure you it is most comfortable and I will make a handsome discount for your troubles; and as for that story-we believe those two absconded without paying-that was a long time ago" She beamed "Thats fine with me, i'm not superstitious,; will it take long to prepare it?" "Not long' as it was always on standby for such a contingancy"
She set off to the lounge for a drink and chat with other residents while the landlord coralled the night staff into preparing the room.
After her rest there she decided to walk the grounds a little. The late June evening was getting quite dark now so it must be about 11pm, she checked with her watch, She glanced at a small window at the back of the Hotel where she gauged her room might lie. she could just make out a dull yellow glow through the window and a shape moving "Must be still preparing it" She headed back to the lobby.
"Hello Miss; we have had the room ready for a while now" "Oh nobody in it now?" "No its long prepared"
He led down the long downstairs hallway. Along its upper section modern doors lined it at intervals: other guest rooms; one of which opened and a short slim man put out his shoes and bid then "Good Evening" The hallway turned sharp right and inclined downward very slightly "We are in the oldest section of the building now" He informed "Ah! your room" They met a very old large wooden door; the landlord fumbled with the key "Look!" she pointed to the gap between the bottom of the door and the hallway "Did you leave a light on?" "I'm certain we didn't" He puzzeled. Unlocking the door they were met by pitch dark "Ah!" he exclaimed a small gap in the curtains" "How would that help?" He explained "There is a road nearly a quarter of a mile back; obviously car headlights can carry andseep in any gap in the curtains" "I see; well thats that solved then!" He smiled , handed her the key and bid goodnight. She looked over the room. Apart from the modern on-suite attatched bathroom it did seem very old. The wallpaper was a very quaint yellow flowered pattern, the carpeting matched it in yellow and red floral pattern. The bed was a Four poster and every bit as large as to hold two people. She glided to the window. The partially drawn curtains were again in floral patterns, they were quite thin. She examined the sill; it was more than a foot deep to the window itself. This was very mottled and on bottle like segments; a very old design. peering at the murky glass she guessed it was still the original lead constituency. "This would be worth a pretty penny if it could be removed" she mulled.
Forgetting about the window she locked the door, unpacked her belongings, undressed and entered the bath-suite for her nightly ablutions. Swithing on the table lamp then turning off the mainroom one She settled down into the bed and pulled a book from her vanity case. Unusually for a young woman it was a science fiction anthology; but that was one of her unique qualities, a taste in not what you'd expect in reading matter; Books on black magic also held a mild interest and knowledge of such was always useful in her work.
Just as the effect of Alien Dimensions and deep space mysteries was doing its work of getting her tired enough to reach to swith off the small bedside lamp she suddenly started! a noise coming from the door brought all her senses back to the full. The door handle was slowly turning "Thank heavens I locked it" she gasped in relief to herself-but to her horror! the door slowly began to open!!
Slowly, ever so slowly it edged inch by inch ever inward, and little by little a figure started to emerge into the room.