Tapestry of intrigues: Unveiling the depth of short stories

Nightmare

Juliette had just finished a long journey from Paris to her hometown in Yorkshire, and she was eager to stop at a nearby hotel so she could rest and recharge before continuing to her destination. She made her way to the reception area to check herself in and was greeted by a friendly concierge who happily took care of her paperwork and escorted her up to her room.

On the way there, Juliette began noticing something strange -on every floor she passed, the rooms and corridors seemed out of place and old-fashioned. She realised halfway through the night that the hotel was composed of thirteenth floors missing from other hotels around the world. Every piece of architecture and decoration in the hallway, from the pattern of the carpet to the wallpaper and furniture, had been taken from another place.

This made Juliette curious, and she felt excited to explore the rest of the hotel. By morning, she was already engaged in fascinating conversations with guests who'd come from other faraway places. Juliette's night at the hotel was unlike any other she had experienced before - it was eye-opening and exciting, and she had learned more about the world than she had expected.

The bellboy had opened the door to reveal a room that was far from what Juliette had expected. The walls were barren and the furniture was sparse. She had been promised a room filled with luxury and warmth, yet this fell short of expectations in every way.  The dismal atmosphere seemed to echo Juliette's feelings of despair and hatred.

The realisation of the reality of her situation weighed heavily on Juliette as she surveyed the room. Everything about the space seemed to exude a feeling of emptiness and neglect. The bedspread and curtain had once been white but were now yellowed with age, and the dust that hung in the air seemed to point to a much longer period of disuse.

The bellboy gave a weak smile and nervously left the room, leaving Juliette alone with her feelings of hatred and despair. She had arrived with a glimmer of hope that her stay here would be comfortable and pleasant, but now it seemed that her expectations would go unmet. With a deep sigh, Juliette resigned herself to her fate, embarking on the first step of her journey with a heavy heart. Despite with overwhelming to face her future, however bleak it may be.

Juliette was no longer able to relax. She had been in her room only a few minutes after settling in that evening when suddenly, a blood-curdling scream reverberated through the halls of the old hotel where she was staying. Juliette was startled but then something even more frightening followed a desperate pounding at her door, accompanied by an aggressive wiggling of the handle as if someone, or something, was trying to gain access to her room.

Juliette's heart raced as she weighed up her options. She was petrified, but somehow she managed to summon her courage and approach the door slowly. She neared the entrance and peered out the peephole, but there was nobody to be seen.

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, the chaos stopped and the banging quietened,  eventually turning silent. Juliette held her breath, unsure of what to do or who this mysterious presence was, and before long, she heard the hurried and timid footsteps of someone running from the scene. Juliette breathed a sigh of relief, though she remained shaken up for the rest of the night.

Juliette was in a rush checking out of the hotel  when she heard a young female's voice saying "kill yourself by going up to the window and jump".  She was completely shocked and immediately realised that it wasn't just an echo of her thoughts. After hastily settling all of payments, Juliette got  into her car  and started driving to find a new hotel to stay in. However, just as she was on the road Juliette received a call from a faceless person who seemed to be following her.

The creepy and mysterious voice only added onto Juliette's distress and fear. She quickly decided that the safest option was to leave immediately and never look back.In a hot panic and sweat, Juliette woke up from a nightmare and sighed in relief she when about the day.