The Haunted Hotel

Nick, Jakob and Bella were bored. It was a rainy Saturday afternoon and they had nothing to do. They had already watched all the movies on Netflix, played all the games on their phones, and scrolled through all the memes on i********:. They needed some excitement in their lives. "Hey, guys, I have an idea," Nick said, breaking the silence. "Why don't we go to that hotel that's supposed to be haunted?" "What hotel?" Jakob asked. "You know, the one on the outskirts of town. The old Victorian mansion that was turned into a hotel. The one that has a sign that says 'Vacancy' but no one ever stays there." "Oh, that hotel," Bella said. "I've heard some creepy stories about it. They say that people who go there never come back." "Exactly," Nick said. "That's why it would be fun to go there. We could spend a night there and see if we can find any ghosts or anything." "Are you crazy?" Jakob said. "That sounds like a terrible idea. What if something bad happens to us?" "Come on, don't be such a chicken," Nick said. "It's just a hotel. What's the worst that could happen?" "Well, for starters, we could get killed by a ghost," Jakob said. "Or we could get arrested for trespassing," Bella said. "Or we could get bedbugs," Nick said. They all shuddered at the thought of bedbugs. "Look, guys, it's not that bad," Nick said. "I did some research online and I found out that the hotel is actually open for business. It's just that no one ever books a room there because of its reputation. But we can book a room online and pay with a credit card. It's totally legal and safe." "Really?" Bella asked. "Really," Nick said. "And it's cheap too. Only 50 bucks a night." "That's cheap?" Jakob asked. "Well, yeah, considering that it's a huge mansion with a lot of history and character," Nick said. "And ghosts," Jakob added. "And ghosts," Nick agreed. "But that's the whole point. We want to see some ghosts, right?" He looked at his friends with a hopeful expression. "Come on, guys, please," he said. "It'll be fun. And think of the stories we can tell afterwards. We'll be legends." He knew how to appeal to their egos. Bella looked at Jakob and shrugged. "I guess it could be fun," she said. Jakob sighed. "Fine," he said. "But if we die, I'm blaming you." Nick grinned. "Awesome," he said. "Let's do this." He took out his laptop and went to the hotel's website. He filled out the reservation form and entered his credit card details. "Done," he said. "We have a room for tonight." He showed them the confirmation email on his screen. "See? It's legit," he said. He closed his laptop and packed it in his backpack. "Let's go then," he said. "The hotel is about an hour away by car." They grabbed their bags and headed to Nick's car. They got in and buckled up. Nick started the engine and drove out of the driveway. They were on their way to the haunted hotel. They had no idea what awaited them there. The drive to the hotel was uneventful. They listened to some music, chatted about random things, and joked about the ghost they were going to meet. They arrived at the hotel around 6 pm. It was a dark and stormy night, which added to the spooky atmosphere. The hotel looked like something out of a horror movie. It was a large and imposing mansion, with a Gothic style and a lot of details. It had a pointed roof, a tower, a balcony, and a lot of windows. It was surrounded by a wrought iron fence and a thick forest. It looked old and neglected, with peeling paint, cracked walls, and overgrown vines. "Wow," Nick said, as he parked the car in front of the hotel. "This place is awesome." "Awesome?" Jakob said. "More like terrifying." Bella nodded. "I agree," she said. "It looks like it's haunted for real." Nick rolled his eyes. "Come on, guys, don't be scared," he said. "It's just a hotel. A very cool hotel." He got out of the car and opened the trunk. He took out his backpack and closed the trunk. "Let's go check in," he said. He walked towards the hotel's entrance, followed by Jakob and Bella. They reached the front door and saw a sign that said "Welcome to Hotel Victoria". Nick pushed the door open and entered the hotel. They found themselves in a large and elegant lobby. It had a marble floor, a crystal chandelier, a grand staircase, and a fireplace. It was decorated with antique furniture, paintings, and statues. It looked like it was once very luxurious and classy, but now it was dusty and faded. There was no one in sight. No guests, no staff, no one. "Hello?" Nick called out. "Is anyone here?" There was no answer. He walked to the reception desk and rang the bell. Ding! Still no answer. He rang the bell again. Ding! Ding! Still no answer. He rang the bell repeatedly. Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Still no answer. "Where is everyone?" Jakob asked. "I don't know," Nick said. "Maybe they're busy or something." "Or maybe they're dead," Bella said. Nick glared at her. "Don't say that," he said. "You're just trying to scare us." Bella shrugged. "Maybe I am," she said. "Or maybe I'm right." They heard a loud thud from upstairs. They all jumped and looked up. "What was that?" Jakob asked. "I don't know," Nick said. "Maybe it's the ghost." He grinned nervously. "Let's go find out," he said. He grabbed his backpack and headed to the staircase. "Are you serious?" Jakob asked. "Yeah, why not?" Nick asked. "We came here to see some ghosts, right?" He looked at his friends expectantly. "Come on, guys, don't be chicken," he said. "It'll be fun." He started climbing the stairs. Jakob and Bella exchanged a look of hesitation. They didn't want to go upstairs, but they didn't want to stay downstairs either. They sighed and followed Nick upstairs. They had no idea what awaited them there. They reached the second floor and saw a long hallway with many doors on both sides. The hallway was dimly lit by a few lamps and candles. It was silent and eerie. "Which room is ours?" Jakob asked. Nick checked the confirmation email on his phone. "Room 13," he said. "Of course it is," Jakob said. They walked down the hallway, looking for room 13. They passed by several rooms, some with closed doors, some with open doors. They peeked inside some of the open rooms and saw that they were empty and dusty. They saw old beds, dressers, mirrors, and paintings. They also saw some cobwebs, spiders, and mice. They finally found room 13 at the end of the hallway. It had a wooden door with a brass number 13 on it. It also had a doorknob and a keyhole. Nick took out a key from his pocket and inserted it into the keyhole. He turned it and heard a click. He opened the door and entered the room. Jakob and Bella followed him inside. The room was spacious and cozy. It had a king-sized bed, a sofa, a coffee table, a fireplace, and a window. It was decorated with red curtains, carpets, and pillows. It looked warm and inviting. "Wow," Nick said. "This is nice." He dropped his backpack on the floor and jumped on the bed. He bounced up and down and smiled. "This is so comfy," he said. He looked at his friends and gestured for them to join him. "Come on, guys, relax," he said. "We're here to have fun." Jakob and Bella looked at each other and shrugged. They dropped their bags on the floor and joined Nick on the bed. They lay down and sighed. They had to admit, the bed was comfy. They looked around the room and noticed some details. They saw a painting of a woman in a blue dress on the wall above the fireplace. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a smile. She looked happy and beautiful. "Who's that?" Bella asked. Nick shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe she's the owner's wife or something." They saw a bookshelf next to the sofa. It had some books, magazines, and newspapers on it. They looked old and dusty. "What's that?" Jakob asked. Nick shrugged again. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe they're the owner's collection or something." They saw a closet next to the door. It had a lock on it. "What's in there?" Bella asked. Nick shrugged once more. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe it's the owner's secret or something." He got up from the bed and walked to the closet. He tried to open it, but it was locked. He looked for a key, but he couldn't find one. He kicked the closet door in frustration. "Damn it," he said. "I want to know what's in there." He walked back to the bed and sat down. "Maybe we can find a key somewhere," he said. He looked at his friends with a mischievous grin. "Hey, guys, I have an idea," he said. "Why don't we explore the hotel and see if we can find any clues or anything?" "What?" Jakob asked. "You know, like in those mystery games or movies," Nick said. "We can look for clues, solve puzzles, find secrets, and maybe even see some ghosts." He winked at them. "It'll be fun," he said. He got up from the bed and grabbed his backpack. "Let's go then," he said. "The hotel is full of mysteries and secrets." He walked to the door and opened it. He looked at his friends expectantly. "Come on, guys, don't be chicken," he said. "It'll be fun." He walked out of the room. Jakob and Bella exchanged a look of hesitation. They didn't want to go out of the room, but they didn't want to stay in the room either. They sighed and followed Nick out of the room. They had no idea what awaited them out there. They walked down the hallway, looking for clues or anything interesting. They saw more rooms, some with closed doors, some with open doors. They peeked inside some of the open rooms and saw more old and dusty furniture and decorations. They also saw some weird and creepy things. They saw a room with a rocking chair that was rocking by itself. They saw a room with a doll that was staring at them with glassy eyes. They saw a room with a mirror that was cracked and had blood stains on it. They saw a room with a piano that was playing by itself. They saw a room with a skeleton that was wearing a hat and a coat. They saw a room with a painting that was changing its expression. They saw a room with a clock that was ticking backwards. They saw a room with a coffin that was open and empty. They saw a room with a candle that was burning without a flame. They saw a room with a window that was showing a different scene every time they looked at it. They were amazed and terrified by what they saw. They wondered what kind of hotel this was and who lived here before. They wondered if they were really alone or if someone or something was watching them. They reached the end of the hallway and saw another staircase. It led to the third floor. Nick looked at the staircase and smiled. "Let's go up there," he said. He walked to the staircase and started climbing it. Jakob and Bella looked at each other and groaned. They didn't want to go up there, but they didn't want to stay down here either. They sighed and followed Nick up the staircase. They had no idea what awaited them up there.