The Journal - A Short Story Collection

Hotel Hallway

Tonight would be a pleasant night for Michael. Though he was on a work trip, Michael had time to spend a few hours enjoying the scenery the town offered. Being a quiet individual, Michael didn't involve himself in any social events, so he opted to stick to himself on his ventures. It was something he preferred doing when he traveled for his company, and tonight was no different.

Making sure he was content with how he looked, Michael snagged his coat and headed for the hotel room door. His company booked him a stay in an expensive hotel, with his room being on the fifth floor near the back of an offshoot hallway. It gave him that extra quiet he desired when having to sleep in a building filled with so many noisy adults and unruly children.

While reaching for the door, Michael heard a moan coming from his right. He looked over at his living room, seeking what was causing such a disturbing sound. Moving closer to the source, Michael pressed his ear up to the wall he shared with a neighbor.

The moaning sounded female, but it was too difficult to decipher. It grew louder until it morphed into a shriek, as if the person was in immense pain. Then a gasp from behind Michael followed by fiery breath on his neck forced him to spin around expecting to see someone. Seeing nothing but his own reflection in the mirror across from him, Michael took a deep breath to calm his beating heart as he headed for his door once more. He shook his head, trying to stop his brain from continuing this hallucination lunacy.

Closing the door behind him, Michael strolled down the hallway, fixated on his phone. Glancing up for a moment to identify the hallway he needed to turn down, Michael paused, confusion sinking in as he looked behind him to see he hadn't left his door. Shaking off the bizarre feeling, considering it drowsiness, Michael continued on, this time paying attention to where he was going.

Panic replaced confusion when Michael took a glance back again. He stepped a few more paces, then looked back once more. Though Michael witnessed himself walking forward, he never left his hotel room door. It was as if the door followed him, or that somehow he teleported back to it each time he paused.

Breathing growing heavier, Michael stepped back to his door, unable to explain the strange phenomenon. He couldn't determine if it resulted from medication he took earlier for his migraines, or a mental illness he didn't know of. Regardless, Michael deemed it unwise to venture out tonight, but to rest instead.

Pressing his keycard up against the card reader, the machine beeped green and the door unlocked. Michael twisted the handle and pushed, but the door wouldn't budge, eventually relocking itself after a preset timeframe. Michael tried a half a dozen times, all with the same outcome.

Deciding to tell the hotel staff about the jammed door, Michael turned around letting out a deep breath. A breath he choked on when Michael saw the hovering cloaked figure at the end of the hallway. It drifted towards him, stretching out its long boney arms. Its long black fingernails carved into the walls, making a screeching sound like nails on a chalkboard.

Michael spun around frantically re-trying his key. Each attempt failed and the cloaked figure drew closer. A shrieking sound emanated from its mouth with long heaves in between.

On the 13th attempt, the door opened, only to reveal Michael standing there, looking back at him. He held a can of gasoline, pouring it on himself before stepping out of the room. Behind him floated the cloaked figure, a hand resting on the doppelganger's shoulder. The duo walked towards the real Michael, spilling gasoline on the floor as they moved.

Michael stumbled backward when the cloaked figure reached out for him. He turned around to run away, now seeing the hallway clear. But his efforts were in vain. The doppelganger grabbed Michael's collar, yanking him back towards them.

"What's wrong Michael?" questioned the doppelganger in his own voice, "Don't want to play with fire?"

Michael broke free from his clone's grasp, only to be tripped in the process. The cloaked figure watched as the doppelganger grabbed Michael's legs, pulling him inside the hotel room.

"Let's play with fire my pyromaniac friend." The doppelganger's voice switched halfway through his sentence to something more demonic. Michael realized it wasn't him talking anymore, but the cloaked figure itself.

Being dragged inside the room, they forced Michael onto his feet, facing back out into the hallway. They made him to watch as smoke billowed out of each hotel room, one at a time. Banging erupted on each door as its occupants desperately tried to escape, but to no avail.

Michael felt helpless, wanting to collapse but not being allowed to. Then his own door closed and locked itself. The cloaked figure floated next to him, holding his cheek while it set ablaze the hotel room. Michael could hear a shriek over a great distance as he stared into the empty holes that were once eyes of the creature.

Feeling himself drifting away while his body warmed by the fire, Michael closed his eyes, allowing the cloaked figure to watch him while he burned.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this short story, consider checking out some of my other work. Also, feel free to connect with me on Twitter (@zacharyseda)! I enjoy engaging with other writers.