Room 226

Jenny Brookes tugged at her heavy suitcase, willing it to become a few pounds lighter. It was overstuffed and felt like it weighed a ton as Jenny yanked in through the hotel’s doors in to the warm lobby. Instantly the snow that had stuck to her body and hair began to melt, droplets of water seeping through her not so practical for winter clothes.

She managed to get it all the way to the front desk, and smiled to herself triumphantly. She noticed the desk manager looking at her with amusement and she laughed, embarrassed, straightening herself up. “Hi, I’m Jenny Brookes; I made a reservation a few days ago….”

The clerk nodded and turned to the computer screen for a minute. “Yes, we have you right here for two nights. Room 212,” The clerk smiled warmly and handed Jenny a room key. Jenny smiled gratefully.

“Thank you.”

“And, just check out tomorrow morning before eleven o’clock,” The manager told Jenny, who nodded and began to start away to the elevators. “Oh! And don’t go near room 226.”

Jenny turned back around to give him a puzzled look. “Why not?”

The clerk looked a little like a deer caught in the headlights. “Renovation,” He finally muttered after a moment, and looked away sheepishly.

Jenny nodded but thought he was being a little strange, but she took off for the elevators which brought her up to her room. She quickly used her key and stumbled inside, tugging violently at the stubborn suitcase behind her and practically throwing it in to her room.

She dropped off all her bags near the television set and then surveyed the area. It was nice enough for a three star hotel. It had a double bed, TV, spacious and clean bathroom and a nice balcony. It wasn’t perfection and definitely wasn’t the tidiest, but Jenny didn’t really care; all she wanted to do was get back to her waiting boyfriend at home.

Feeling stressed and exhausted, Jenny dramatically fell back on the bed and didn’t even care about the squeaky springs. What’s with room 226? Her thoughts wondered back to what the clerk had said, “Renovation.” It hadn’t seemed very convincing, that’s for sure.

Deciding to let it go, Jenny ran a steamy hot bath and relaxed with her book and tried to eliminate all the stress that was weighing down on her shoulders. When she was done, she settled in to bed in a comfy lavender-colored pajama outfit and delicately sipped at her icy water.

Jenny turned off the bedside light and the room dissolved in to darkness. She leaned back and snuggled herself under the comforter, happy to finally be able to rest. But of course, when Jenny wanted sleep most, it never came. She tossed and turned restlessly, something that was very rare and unusual for her.

Feeling frustrated Jenny lurched up in the bed and turned on the light. She slowly pulled herself out of bed and decided to go for a quick walk to satisfy her restless body. She smoothed down her hair and pulled on a sweater, not wanting to go out looking like she just got out of bed, even if she did. But then again, it didn’t seem that anybody else would be wandering the hotel halls at 1:00 in the morning anyways.

Jenny slipped out, sure to have her key tucked in her sweater’s pocket. The hallways were so dimly lit, unlike before, it was difficult to see well enough to go for a walk, yet Jenny was set on it and began to stroll down the hallway.

It wasn’t long before her eyes rested on a door’s room number and stopped in her tracks. Room 226, the specific room the desk clerk had told her to stay away from. Jenny’s conscience snapped at her to ignore the room and keep walking, but her curiosity was much more compelling.

Jenny took a step over to the door and realized a small hole was placed in the center of the door. Well, of course. All doors in hotels have peepholes. And of course Jenny was being ridiculous when she leaned forward to look through the small hole, even as she was thinking that peepholes could only work from the inside of the room.

Oddly enough, however, Jenny could see through it. And she froze. Dancing, moving gracefully inside in the dim lighting of the room was a girl, maybe only a few years younger than Jenny. Jenny felt the urge to pull away, but it seemed as if her eyes were glued on the beautiful dark-haired girl who danced about, but kept her eyes closed peacefully.

Jenny was so compelled, she stayed there for at least an hour, just watching the girl dance before she returned back to her own room, and fell fast asleep, sleeping soundly.

*

The next night, Jenny decided to see the young, gorgeous girl again, hoping she’d still be there. On the way, her mind tried to make up excuses for why she shouldn’t be doing this, but Jenny was beyond rationalization and logic. She was enchanted by this girl.

When Jenny stopped at Room 226 and peered through the peephole she was surprised to see red. Just the color red completely covering the other side of the peephole, from the inside. Shocked and confused, Jenny pulled back for a moment, wondering if it was a trick of the eye.

So she glanced back in to it, only again to see the color red. Jenny, disappointed and puzzled, headed back to her room after a minute of hoping the girl would return. She again, fell fast asleep.

*

The next morning, Jenny was again tugging her suitcases, but this time to check out of the hotel. She smiled at the familiar face of the desk clerk, who returned the friendly smile.

“Did you enjoy your stay?” He questioned, taking back the key card from Jenny.

“Yeah,” Jenny nodded, gathering up her bags. “Thank you very much.”

“Of course,” The clerk returned, again with his warm smile.

Jenny turned away pulled her bags along, but swung back around when she reached the doors. “Excuse me, but why did you really tell me to stay away from room 226?”

The desk clerk looked surprised that Jenny hadn’t believed him, and then unsure of what to respond with. “I don’t mean to scare you, miss, but the hotel owner’s daughter died in that room, and guests have complained about being terrorized in the night.”

Jenny gasped with shock. “How do you know it’s the hotel owner’s daughter?” Jenny asked, suddenly curious.

The desk clerk looked reluctant but finally replied. “Because…She had one red eye.”