He had been travelling all day and was completely exhausted. Desperate for comfort as he had drove almost all day, Jack checked into the old roadside motel just before midnight. He was a land acquisition specialist tasked with visiting a particular place named ‘The Shadow Creek’ for some unknown reason. The place was completely isolated, with no sight of any human beings on the road. The last time he had seen a human being on the road was the manager at the gas station, where he had halted for some time, to fill in gas. He saw potential in the area, and was eager to start with the development project. His company wanted to build a theme park at that place. The space there was decent, and it was a really good greenfield site. He was an unwed man, who had adopted a boy. The child didn’t know that he was adopted. Zachary was always curious. He scored straight A’s and always was a bright kid. ack obviously had to bring his child along, as there was no one else to take care of him.
He went into the motel with his son, when the receptionist called them. They had lost their way and were heading towards the swimming pool, which was closed. The hotel looked like nobody had been there for a long time.
The place looked eerie. The room exuded an unsettling atmosphere, bathed in the faint glow of flickering, dimly lit oil lamps mounted on the dark, peeling wallpapered walls. There was no ventilation, it kind of suffocated Jack and his child. The wallpaper, once a rich, floral pattern, had now faded into a grimy, muted hue, curling at the edges and peeling away in places to reveal the rotting wood beneath. The floorboards creak ominously underfoot, covered partially by a tattered, moth-eaten rug that holds the dust and secrets of centuries past.
The concierge handed them a key to room 103, her eyes lingering on him with a queer and almost pitying look. There was no other room left, all the other rooms were under construction. She cautioned, ‘Please be careful.’ Jack asked why, but the lady remained tight-lipped. After a while, she said, “That room is not of good luck, and people who have stayed there have experienced stuff that nobody else has or ever will be able to go through. ” She mentioned that the incidents that take in that room have left scars on the people who have dwelled there for the rest of their life. Jack burst into laughter and said, “There’s no point trying to scare me, for I will be living here for a while now.” Yes, he had planned to stay there for a while as there was no other motel around in that area. It was located in the midst of nowhere, they were completely deserted. Zachary suddenly asked Jack, why they were not going to their room. Jack and Zachary quickly went to their room, the door was locked tight and was not opening. He pushed open the creaky door and stepped inside.
The room was musty and dimly lit. The moment they stepped in, they started to shiver and got a sudden surge of goosebumps. They felt that the temperature inside was mysteriously colder than it had been in the lobby. They found this weird. It was cold, like very cold inside. Zachary wanted to use the washroom and had to get changed, so he told his father he was going, and proceeded. Instantaneously, he screamed at the top of his lungs, “Dad!” Jack rushed into the bathroom and saw beetles crawling everywhere. The whole washroom was dirty with red coloured stains everywhere (could be blood). Inside the bathtub were strands of hair, lots of it. For what reason? They had no clue. They called for the staff, only to find out that there was none. The receptionist arrived, and the three of them entered the washroom together. Inside, they found nothing—no insects, no dirt, no hair, just normality. The washroom was cleaner than it could be.
So hope you liked this part of the story, and it’s just the beginning! Wait till I post the next part, it’ll be insane! Stay tuned. Take care. It’s Rishik, signing off…
Rishik Bose 
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