365 Nights of Fear

Night # 63 Out Of Service

This next chilling tale is about a young woman on a business trip who finds out some things are not as they appear.

Gretchen had been sent on a business trip out of town for a couple of days. She was sent to represent her company and make a big sales pitch. She was even booked a motel in advance for her convenience. That night she arrived at the motel and checked in. She was told at the front desk that the elevator was out of service and that she would have to take the stairs. She asked why and the clerk just told her that they were having mechanical problems and would have to have someone come out and fix it soon. She was a little disappointed but she did not want to complain so she thanked the desk clerk and started to walk to the stairs.

She had to walk past the elevator to get to the stairs. She noticed the sign on the doors and something about it struck her. The hair on her arms stood up and a chill crept up her spine. She did not know why she felt this way. What was so unusual about an elevator being out of service? She shrugged it off as her just being tired from her trip and went to the stairs. She finally arrived at her room and unlocked it with her key card. After putting her luggage on the floor and changing her clothes she laid down to go to sleep. 

Within fifteen minutes she was fast asleep. Her eyes began to twitch as she was walking down the stairs at the motel. She walked up to the elevator and there was no sign saying that it was out of service. She thought about pushing the button to open the elevator doors but before she decided to the doors opened on their own. She was scared to step into the elevator but felt a push as she stood there. The doors of the elevator closed on her and she began to panic. She pushed the button to try to get out of the elevator but the doors would not open even when she pushed the emergency button. She sat down in the corner of the elevator and as she did she saw a red streak on the grip bar to the right of her. She screamed and suddenly the doors came open. She was about to run for her life when she noticed a shadow to the side of the elevator. The clerk stepped in front of the elevator and blocked her way. "We will be ready for another one soon and you will do just fine." As the clerk began to reach out for her she woke up trembling from head to toe.

She stayed awake not wanting to go back to sleep. She could not take having another nightmare like that. She did not know how she was going to be successful for the company the next morning if she could not get any sleep. She decided to make an excuse and leave the motel to go to another one. She would have to pay for it herself but she did not care. She took her luggage downstairs put it in the car and went to the clerk to give him the key back. When she walked up to the desk she noticed the clerk was no longer there. She rang the bell at the front desk but no one came. She walked down the hall to see if he was in the vending machine area. She saw that it was empty and started to turn around to go back to the front desk. As she did she noticed a cloth being placed over her mouth and soon she was unconscious.

When she woke up she noticed she was in her room again. How did I get here she wondered? Her question was cut off by the telephone in her room. Hesitantly, she answered it. "Hello, Gretchen. The elevator is now in service and it is your turn to take a ride." Gretchen knew as she hung up the phone that she would not be able to leave. The next time someone stepped in that elevator the blood on the grip bar would be hers.