The Hotel of the Dead
Jake, a businessman, was driving through a small mountain town in Colorado for a work trip. It was getting late, so he decided to park in front of an old hotel. After parking, he entered the hotel, but there was no one at the front desk. He waited for a while, and then a man wearing a white shirt and pants appeared.
Jake told him he needed a room for the night, and the man said it would only cost $10. Jake was shocked, as he’d never seen a hotel so cheap.
“Only $10?” Jake asked.
“Yes, that’s the price,” the man replied.
Jake looked around. The hotel was completely empty, with just the man standing behind the desk. “Isn’t anyone else here?” Jake asked.
“They’re all in their rooms,” the man answered.
Jake didn’t ask more questions. The man, who introduced himself as Mark, led him to his room.
“If you need anything, just call me. My name is Mark,” the man said. Jake thanked him and shut the door. He was exhausted from the long drive, so he freshened up and went to bed.
Soon, he woke up to see a girl standing by his bed, staring at him with a strange look on her face. Blood was dripping from her eyes. Terrified, Jake jumped out of bed and ran toward the door, but before he could reach it, the girl appeared in front of him.
“Who are you?” Jake asked, trembling.
The girl didn’t answer. Instead, she screamed and began choking him. Jake struggled to break free, but he couldn’t breathe. The girl just smiled at him, tightening her grip.
“Please, let me go!” Jake begged.
The girl didn’t respond, only screaming again as she squeezed harder. Jake thought he was going to die, but suddenly, he woke up.
“Oh God, was it a dream?” he gasped, feeling his heart racing. He looked around and saw the girl was gone. He checked the clock on the wall—it was midnight. Even though he had only been asleep for a few hours, the dream had shaken him.
He went to the bathroom to freshen up again, but then the doorbell rang. He opened the door to find Mark holding a tray of food.
“Your dinner, sir,” Mark said.
“Place it on the table,” Jake replied. Mark set the tray down and left. Jake ate quickly, then decided to explore the hotel and see if there were any other guests.
After walking for a while, he saw several people wearing white clothes. It felt odd, but he didn’t speak to anyone. He kept walking and eventually found a hall where a girl was playing the piano. As he got closer, he realized it was the same girl from his dream. Shocked and terrified, Jake ran away, locking himself in a nearby room.
The room was dark. Jake stayed still for a while, trying to calm himself, then found the light switch. When he turned on the light, he was horrified to see several bodies of dead people. Some of them had the same faces as the people he’d seen in white clothes.
Panicking, Jake grabbed his backpack and rushed to the front door. Mark was already there.
“What’s wrong, sir?” Mark asked.
“I need to leave. Now,” Jake said. “It’s an emergency.”
Mark smiled and said, “Anyone who comes here never leaves. You’ll have to stay here forever.”
Angry, Jake pushed past Mark, trying to leave. But as soon as he stepped outside, he found himself back in the hotel lobby.
“How is this happening?” Jake shouted at Mark.
Mark laughed and said, “I told you, once you come here, you never leave.”
Jake grabbed Mark by the collar, yelling, “Tell me how to leave!”
“There’s no way out,” Mark replied calmly. “This is the hotel of the dead. Everyone here is dead, including you. Welcome to the hotel.”
Jake couldn’t believe it. “No! I’m alive!” he screamed.
“You’re already dead,” Mark said. “Samantha killed you when she choked you. Welcome to the hotel of the dead. You’ll live here with no worries, and you can die however you like.”
Jake was in shock, unable to accept what was happening. He looked around and saw his own dead body lying on the bed. The girl who had killed him was sitting next to him, watching.
“You’re angry now, aren’t you?” she said. “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it. It’s much easier here.”
Jake collapsed on the bed, crying uncontrollably. The girl came closer to comfort him.
A month later, a new man arrived at the hotel. He stood at the front desk, just like Jake had. This time, it was Jake himself, wearing a white shirt. He smiled at the new man.
Mark sat nearby, watching with the girl. He smiled and said, “Looks like we’ve got another new victim. This time, we’ll do things a little differently.”
The girl smiled back, and they both laughed.
