The Odd Family's Book of Bedtime Stories

A Restful Sleep

Oscar balled up his fist and rubbed at his eyes again. He was exhausted. His eyes felt dry and heavy. He and his wife Isabel had been driving for the majority of the day, taking the scenic route to Florida for a much needed vacation. Isabel slept soundly in the passenger seat beside him- even she was too tired to switch places and drive.

Oscar had tried everything to stay awake. A cup of coffee sat in the cupholder beside him, long cold. He had turned up the music and turned on the cold air. He had even rolled down the windows, hoping the cool night air would do him some good. It was no use though, Oscar knew he had to get some real sleep before something bad happened but he wasn't sure where to find a hotel. They hadn't passed a sign for one in a long time.

A few more miles down the road, he found a solution. An old, worn sign informed him that there was a bed and breakfast nearby. Oscar hoped they wouldn't mind him and his wife showing up so late. Reaching over, he shook Isabel gently to wake her and let her know what was going on. Isabel was more than ready to sleep in a real bed for the night and watched out the windshield eagerly until the bed and breakfast appeared around the next bend in the road. It was a grand Victorian affair with three stories and delicate trim. If it hadn't been painted so beautifully, Oscar might have said it was exactly the kind of house to be haunted. A single, yellow porch light lit the way.

Luckily, the elderly couple who ran the bed and breakfast were still awake and watching television in the sitting room when Oscar knocked. They introduced themselves as Catherine and Jimmy Opal. Jimmy helped Oscar get their bags up the stairs to a room while Catherine got them some food from the kitchen. They talked for a few moments while Oscar and Isabel ate, insisting that the couple not pay for anything. It was no trouble at all and they were glad to have company. They were just glad that Oscar had decided to play it safe instead of possibly causing an accident.

The room they settled in was very clean and comfortable, decorated in calming colors and beautiful paintings. The bed and furniture were massive antiques, made of carefully polished wood. Oscar mentioned that it was probably an expensive stay and that was why they could afford not to charge. There was even a fireplace with a comfortable seating area and reading material though neither Oscar or Isabel had time to enjoy it, quickly falling asleep in the soft bed.

The next morning they woke rested and ready to continue on their journey. Isabel set off in search of Jimmy or Catherine but couldn't find either of them. They had insisted that the stay was on the house but neither felt comfortable with that. Guessing at what a stay might cost, Oscar took some money from his wallet. He left it in the entryway on a small table with a note thanking the Opals. With that, they were off.

The drive to the next town was a long one and Oscar mentioned several times that he was glad he'd decided to pull over. If he had continued driving, he was sure he would have fallen asleep at the wheel. Isabel agreed. Starving, they made their way to the nearest diner, finding a cozy booth by a window.

Their waitress, a kind woman named Helen, asked all of the usual questions as she took their order- where they were from, where they were headed. Isabel mentioned the bed and breakfast they had stayed at before but Helen didn't know about it. Oscar bragged on how kind the older couple had been and how beautiful the room was. Helen and a nearby eavesdropping local insisted that there was no bed and breakfast anywhere nearby- at least not anymore.

They told Isabel and Oscar that the only bed and breakfast for hours in any direction had burned down years before, killing the elderly couple that owned it though they couldn't remember if their names had been Catherine and Jimmy. They insisted that they had heard other people tell the same story- people that had stayed in a ghost house that didn't exist.

Believing that they must be confused or pulling a prank, Oscar and Isabel made the decision to return to the bed and breakfast, or at least to drive by just once. Neither of them believed in ghosts and could clearly remember the bed and breakfast. It was a long drive but they wanted to see it one more time, just to be sure.

When they rounded the bend this time, everything was different. The happy Victorian home with its lovely flowers was gone. It was obvious something had been there once and both Oscar and Isabel were certain that they were in the right place. All that was left now was a burnt out shell. Vines had even begun to grow over the wreckage.

Determined to find some proof of a prank, Oscar stomped up to the house and began looking around the charred wood carefully. All he could find were the remains of an old table where the door used to be. On top of it was the note and the money he had left.