Midnight at the Spectral Motel

THE HISTORIAN

The voice was really cheerful. It was still echoing in the lobby. It sounded really out of place, in the motel at midnight when everything was so quiet. The motel was silent. This cheerful voice just did not fit in.

Maya looked at Silas. His face was blank now, like the floor they were standing on. He shook his head a so little that you could hardly see it. He was telling her to be quiet and let him handle things. Silas wanted Maya to say nothing and let him lead.

He walked out from, behind the desk. He looked really calm. Maya followed him staying a steps back. Her heart was beating fast. It felt like it was going to hit her ribs. Maya was really nervous. She did not know what was going to happen next. The man, who was the proprietor seemed to know what he was doing. Maya watched him. She waited to see what the proprietor would do.

A man was standing inside the doorway. He had a leather duffel bag sitting at his feet. Leo Vance was not as old as she thought he would be. He was probably in his thirties. Leo Vance had a face and warm brown eyes. His hair was messy like he had been driving for a time. Leo Vance was wearing a jacket and strong boots. He looked like a professor who was going on a trip to study things. The fact that Leo Vance seemed normal was actually pretty scary. It was even scarier, than seeing a ghost would be.

Mr. Vance Silas said. His voice was not warm like it was when he talked to Eleanor. It was flat and professional. Check-in time is, at 3 PM, Mr. Vance. Now it is 1:17 AM.

Leos smile was really sorry and nice. "I know I know. I am very sorry. The paperwork, for the research grant took a time and I just wanted to start driving. I thought I would sleep in my car in the parking lot. When I saw your Vacancy light... He lifted his shoulders. Opened his hands to show he meant no harm. "I hoped you might feel bad for the research grant person, who's very tired and let me stay. The research grant person that is me really needs a place to rest. I am happy to pay for the check-in of course.

His gaze went by Silas and stopped at Maya. The mans eyes looked really curious. He said "Oh, hello. I did not know you had people working for you. My name is Leo."

Silas moved a little so he was now standing between Leo and Maya. He said "Miss Reed is the owner of this place. I am Silas Thorne, the concierge. Usually the motel is really quiet at this time because most people are asleep. The motel is usually asleep at this hour it is very quiet. Silas Thorne is here to help and Miss Reed is the owner so we can answer any questions you may have, about the motel.

Leo looked at Maya. Said "Reed?" His eyebrows went up. He was looking at Maya in a new way now. He asked her "Are you related, to Arthur Reed?"

The name of her uncle, the person who owned the place before was a real surprise. "He was my uncle " she said and her voice was softer than she really wanted it to be.

This is really cool. Leo seems excited. He says his work is about my uncle. My uncle is a bit of a mystery, to people here. He liked being alone. Ran this hotel for a very long time. Leo looked around the lobby. You can tell he really knows what he is talking about. He said my uncle took care of this place. It looks just like it did a time ago. My family has done a job keeping it nice.

The praise felt like a spiders web. It was thin and sticky. It was designed to trap people. Maya said "thank you" in a voice.

Leo said "I have bothered you both enough now". He picked up his duffel. "If the room is ready I will go away. Let you get back to what the historic motel people do at 1 AM". The historic motel had dim light. Leos smile was a flash of white, in the historic motels dim light.

Silas did not say anything for a while. The motel was really quiet. Then he turned around. Said "Room 8 is ready. Follow me" in a stiff way.

He walked down the corridor. Maya followed him. She looked at Leo the time. Leo did not look at the doors that were closed and really quiet. Leo was looking at the molding on the walls and the lights on the ceiling. He said "This is original. This is amazing." Leo was really good at pretending to be interested, in these things. The way Leo acted was perfect.

At Room 8 Silas produced the key. Leo took the key from Silas and their fingers did not touch each other. "This is wonderful " Leo said. "Thank you for being so flexible about this." He stopped for a moment his hand on the doorknob. Then he looked back at Maya. "Miss Reed I was thinking that maybe we could have coffee together tomorrow " Leo said. "I would like to ask you some questions about your uncle for the book I am writing. I think it would be really helpful to get some information from you Miss Reed because this kind of information is very valuable to me and my book, about your uncle.

Silass jaw got really tight. Maya felt a chill. It was not because of the ghosts. "I do not know a lot, about Silas " she said.

Leo said that anything all would be great. He was. Being really nice, about it. Leo wanted to make sure that people knew he really needed help with this. Anything that people could do to help Leo would be good.

Silas said we will see what the morning brings. He said it in a way that made it clear he did not want to talk about it. Then he said goodnight, to Mr. Vance.

Leos smile did not change. He said " course, goodnight" and then he went into Room 8. He closed the door, behind him. The door locked with a click. It sounded like it was locked for good.

Silas did not move. He was staring at the door as if Silas could see through the door. The air that was, around Silas was really cold.

Maya whispered that he is lying.

Silas said that the motel has to let him stay. The motel took his reservation. Gave him a room. So, for now he is a guest. Has the rights of a guest. The motel cannot just throw him out. Silas said this with a low voice he was almost growling. The motel has to treat him like any guest.

What is it that this person wants?

Silas said this after he turned away from the door. He said "This is what people like him always want. They want to be, in control of what people think. They want to take peoples stories and keep them hidden so they cannot say anything that goes against them." Silas looked at her with his grey eyes. They looked very serious. "He noticed something changed when you helped Eleanor. Something that had been hurting for a long time was finally made okay. This made a kind of space. Now he is trying to fill that space with his own things."

They went back, to the lobby. The big neon sign that said 'Vacancy' was still shining brightly. The 'Vacancy' sign felt like it was making fun of them.

What do we do now Maya thought to herself looking at the man who was sleeping in Room 8. He was really heavy. She was feeling the weight of him. Maya was getting a little worried about the man in Room 8. What were they going to do with the man, in Room 8?

Silas said we should keep going. We have to do our job. This guy is a problem. He is also a challenge for us. The people, at the motel will do something. The guests will do something too.. You he stopped for a moment have to be extremely careful now. Do not let him trick you. Do not go anywhere with him by yourself. Your mother came here to find out what is really going on. That is why she was here.. That is why someone stopped her from talking.

The words hit her like stones. Before Maya could say anything a new noise started. It was not the phone ringing or the door bell. A soft scratching sound that kept going in a rhythm. This noise was coming from the wall behind the desk where Maya was standing.

Silas was there in no time. He put his hand on the flower patterned wallpaper. Part of it started to shine. You could see right through it showing a little hole with a brass frame around it that Maya had never noticed before. The message slot had a piece of paper inside that was folded up. Silas found this little brass-framed message slot really interesting. Maya was curious about the folded slip of paper, inside the message slot.

He pulled the paper out unfolded it. Then he read what was written on it. The mans face became really dark when he was reading the paper.

“What is it?”

The man said "A guest request". Then he handed her the paper.

It was written in fancy handwriting that looked like a spider had drawn it. The note said: The new person is making much noise. I need it to be quiet so I can think. Please make sure it is quiet. – Resident, Room 5.

Maya looked up. She said "Room 5?. Maya does not see any light..."

"No " Silas said softly. "Not all guests say they are coming. Some people are really picky.. This guest is very old and he gets upset easily if things are not quiet. He looked down the hallway where Leos room's. "This guest is already making a difference. Things are changing because of the guest. The guest is affecting the balance."

The scratching sound came again it was really loud this time. It was coming from the same place as before. Someone had already left another note there.

Silas got it back. This one only had two words, on it. They were written down really fast in a messy handwriting that looked like the person who wrote it was really upset:

The man is actually paying attention to what's being said. He listens.

They both looked at the words. The house was really quiet at night. They heard a small sound from, down the hall. It was the sound of a floorboard creaking. This sound came from outside Room 8. They heard this creak of a floorboard really clearly.

Leo was not sleeping. Leo was standing in the hall. He was just standing there not doing anything. The hall was really quiet. Leo was wide awake.

Listening.