As Margot Lane quickly threw her clothes into her dusty suitcase that has not seen the light of day in years, a cool breeze spiraled into her dreary apartment. Once the doctor had discharged her and suggested a vacation, Margot immediately fled to pack up so she could leave that same Friday night.
I will be fine. I need this.
For a brief moment, the nightmare came back to Margot, sending floods of dark chills down her spine. She slammed the suitcase shut while shaking the memory about of her head.
“I am fine—just need to relax,” she exhaled out loud to the empty room. Margot jumped into her car and began her drive outside of the city to a nice, quiet town where she could at last heal in peace.
Glancing down at her watch, Margot smiled gently at the thought of making it to the hotel in time to see the sun set. The young lady kept a steady speed and eventually reached the small town. The town itself was nothing too special, but the beautiful country scenery made it a popular vacation spot. As she turned the corner onto North Willoughby Street, a thick fog washed over Margot’s car. Flipping her headlights on, Margot slowed down as she was not familiar with this specific road. Driving down a windy path, the fog slowly disappears as the Rien Hotel descended into full view. Margot felt her mouth open ever so slightly in awe. A friend of hers—she couldn’t remember who exactly— had previously suggested this stunning hotel, but Margot didn’t expect to find such a massive building. It towered above her at 10 stories tall and seemed to stretch on for miles, with a sharp, angular roof rested delicately on top. It almost looked like an ancient castle that had been renovated. The white-stone walls were complimented nicely with black window-panes and trimmings. An orangey-red leaf suddenly scurried across the windshield— a sign of fall quickly approaching. Margot’s heart fell into a steady rhythm as her pulled through the entrance.
After parking the car, Margot checked into the hotel and went up to the 7th floor to examine her little oasis. Room 730. She was delighted to find a small, cozy room. Left of the main door was a plush, queen-sized bed that rested against the wall. Quaint floral curtains shielded the large window that hovered over a wooden desk with two sliver bookends positioned opposite of each other, which sat directly across from Margot— who was still gleaming from the doorpost at the simple beauty of the room.
Turning her head to the right, she noticed a tiny bathroom shoved behind another door next to an open-face closet.
Hmm, Margot hummed, making her shoulders roll down.
Perfect.
Once unpacked and changed, Margot decided to order some chamomile tea and dinner. She peacefully ate in front of the glowing shades of pink and orange that emerged in the widow. While she was still reveled in her tea, there was a soft knock on the door. Margot’s eyes shot wide open.
No.
She started to melt in her chair when she remembered the shrink’s advice.
You can’t just let your emotions control you Margot. You need to push through the fear, through the trauma... through the anger.
Standing up on shaky feet, Margot tip-toed over the door and looked through the peephole.
Nothing.
Confused, Margot opened the door to find the hallway completely empty.
Did I just hear someone above or below me?
Thinking her mind was playing tricks again, she started to shut the door, but then she noticed a note taped to the front of the door. Alarmed, Margot leaned toward it to read some black-ink scribbles and then the words, “is watching you” followed by more dark scribbles.
Nausea flowed up into Margot. She ripped the note off the door, staring at the scratched-up handwriting. The writing seemed to blur back together.
It’s just gibberish now.
Still standing in the doorway, Margot could feel her muscles tighten.
I guess it could be a prank and someone just got the wrong room.
You can’t just let your emotions control you Margot. You need to push through the fear, through the trauma... through the anger.
She shook off the thoughts and with the door closed again, she walked back to her tea while crumpling up the note and tossing it into the trash. Before curling back into chair, Margot took out a worn-out book from her bag: The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe. It seemed to be the only book that she enjoyed. Only a few hours later, she began to yawn. She decided to change and get ready for bed. The moon had hardly rose when Margot fell fast asleep, dreaming about tomorrow’s adventures.
Leaves crunched underneath Margot’s feet as she strolled along the beat-up sidewalk that borders a local park, just a mile out from the hotel.
Now, you may not realize it, but you really need to just…process all that happened. You know? So then you can move forward in a healthy way.
The shrink’s voice echoed coldly in Margot’s ears. She looked down at the ground and knew it was time. Closing her eyes, Margot lets herself return to that scalding summer day.
The engagement had hardly been announced when the police called Margot in to be questioned. Daniel, her charming she would joke, was nowhere to be found. Hours of interrogation left Margot bewildered; she could not comprehend what Daniel was accused of doing.
“His name is not Daniel Evans, Margot! It’s Harry Simons and he killed a man!” the impatient officer howled at her.
Shaking her head, all she replied was a soft, “no.”
“Look, Ms. Margot,” the officer sighed. “We need you to trust us. Your fiancé is not who he says he is and we need you to tell us where he is.”
Margot felt her cheeks redden with tears.
“I don’t know,” Margot whispered. “I have no idea where he went.”
Suddenly, a different officer appeared through the steel door and told Margot that she was free to go. She saw the two officers exchange an odd glance and was led out of the station. The moment that she returned to their apartment, he greeted her with open arms.
“Daniel!” sobbed Margot. “What is going on? The police just called me up, asking me questions about you and they kept saying such horrible things about you— “
She then froze. The love of her life stood straight, a smirk in place, pointing a four-inch knife directly at her throat.
Slowly backing up, she stuttered how over and over again. But all he could do was chuckle.
“I-I don’t understand, Daniel how could—how could you do this?”
Daniel held the knife steady at her throat.
“You really are gullible aren’t you? You’ll believe anything anyone tells you.”
“What do you mean? I-I don’t understand!”
“I’ll make it simple,” he sighed. “I’ve been around. I take on odd jobs. I almost got caught once. Then I met you and you were going to be part of my cover. But now...well the cat’s out of the bag and you know too much.”
Margot fell to her knees and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that she would simply disappear. Daniel knelt down in front of her, still holding the knife between them.
“Daniel, please,” Margot cried softly.
“Damn, what’s with all of the crying today? I thought you of all people would understand—given your own little history.”
Margot lifted her eyes to meet his. They both smiled. Margot gently grasped his hand that was holding the knife.
Just then the police burst through the door, into the apartment and dozens of shots were fired towards her Daniel.
Ambulances had arrived to examine her, but she remained glued to the floor staring at Daniel’s crimson corpse. When an officer went to help her up, she screamed out and ran to the other side of the apartment.
“Don’t you touch me! Look at what you did!!” she screeched.
Two men attempted to calm her down, but she shoved them both away and lunged herself into the bathroom. Hysterical tears blurred her vision, but the sterile mirror. A woman with mangled, black hair and beady eyes sharply stared back. Rage slowly filled her heart and sent her fists flying through the mirror along with her senseless screams. Next thing she knew, a man with white gloves was shoving a needle in her neck.
The drop in temperature woke Margot from the nightmare. It was only then that she realized she was now sitting on a stiff bench. Silent tears flowed down her flushed cheeks.
“I have to let it go,” she thought. Gathering her strength, she rose up and let a smile creep onto her face. “It’s a new day,” she decided. Margot marched onward back to the hotel for dinner.
Returning to her room, Margot ordered room service. The hotel estimated that it would be an hour before it was ready, so Margot picked up her book and quietly read. A few chapters flew by when she was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“That was fast,” she said under her breath.
Marking her spot in the book, Margot got up and opened the door.
Nothing.
A chill spread through Margot’s body like a wildfire.
She turned around to close the door, but instead found another note taped to the door.
What the—
She recognized the wrinkled note from earlier. It read as the same as earlier, but Margot discovered part of the first word.
“C rm is watching you”
Sweat began to stream down the back of her neck. She ripped the note off in disbelief.
What is this??
Slamming the door behind her, she ran to the trash can. She raided the trash can, but the note was missing. Staring back the crumpled note in her hand with panic filled eyes, Margot slowly rose up.
She stumbled over to the phone and dialed the front desk.
“Hello, how may I help you?” the manager answered in his squeaky voice. In an excited state, Margot spat out what has been happening and demanded an explanation.
“I’m sorry Ma’am, but I’m afraid I don’t understand. I can assure you that no one can enter a room without the key except for house-keeping and you said the trash was still there, so no one else but you could have been in that room today.”
“But sir— “
“I’ll tell you what, I’ll be sure to review the security footage tomorrow. How’s does that sound?”
Margot paused as the phone shook in her hand.
“Well, alright. Thank you, sir”
“Of course. Have a good night!”
The phone clicked as they both hung up. Beginning to cry, Margot tore up the note and threw it into the trash.
You can’t just let your emotions control you Margot. You need to push through the fear, through the trauma... through the anger.
She understood that her mind must be playing games again, so she took a few deep breaths. She walked over to a small black bag on the desk. She pulled out a shiny, white pill and washed it down with a glass of water.
He’s dead, gone. He can’t hurt you. They can’t hurt you.
“Room service!” called from the door.
Relieved, Margot let the maid in and collected her food. She locked the door again, and sat down to eat.
Once finished, she crawled into bed with the television flickering, still upset by the events of the day.
The clock had only struck one when Margot’s sleep was ruined. There was a knock on the door. Her eyes shot open and her heart began to pound. Silently, she crept out of the bed.
What the hell is going on?!
She flipped on the lights and inched her way over the door. She looked through the peephole.
Nothing.
The anger inched its way in Margot. She threw the door open.
“Alright that’s enough—” she stopped herself when she saw something on the door. A note, that had been clearly crumpled and torn to shreds, was taped back together on the door with the words now fully visible:
“Charming is watching you”
Her stomach dropped. She clawed the note off the door and stepped back into the room, locking the door tight.
No.
Letting the note slide out of her hand and down into the abyss below, she leaned against the door trying to fight the nightmares. Her mind spun around and around, unsure of anything. Suddenly, the lights shut off. Margot scrambled around.
“Enough Daniel! I know you’re in here!” she yelled into the darkness.
She crept around the room back over to the lights, and quickly turned them back on.
Nothing.
“I don’t know how or why, but I know you’re here!!”
Margot’s breath turned into panting as she glanced around the room with watery eyes.
creak
She froze. She turned her head slightly to the right, but then her body was slammed against the wall. She collapsed down to the floor and looked up to find Daniel towering over her—knife in hand.
“I’m here to finish what I started,” he growled.
Tears choke her. She stood up, still gripping the wall. He stepped in a little closer.
“Daniel—I don’t understand, ho-how are you here?!” Margot cried out.
“I’ve always been here, sweetheart. Just waiting, waiting for you,” Daniel chuckled softly.
She shuffled along the wall. Margot felt the desk hit her back and her hand came across a bookend.
“Why,” she choked out. “Why do—?”
“Oh Margot, would you cut the act! You know what you did. It was your plan all along.”
Margot suddenly saw a crimson Daniel, with a giant gash across his throat.
“No—no I didn’t—“
“Oh, no you definitely did,” he wheezed out. “And they called self-defense! Ha! But you and I
know the truth...and it’s time to make things even.”
He grasped the blade with two hands and arched back to strike. Before the knife came near her, she chucked the bookend with all of her strength right into Daniel’s skull. He stumbled back and dropped to the floor, unconscious. The bookend weighed down Margot’s hand. She let it join her ex fiancé on the floor. As Margot began crying and screaming again, she sprinted out the room and down to the lobby. The manager, still on his shift, looked up in surprise at the puffy-faced woman.
“Is everything all right Ma’am?”
Practically regurgitating the whole night’s events back out, Margot begged for help. Calling security, they all ran back into room 730.
Nothing.
“But…” Margot’s voice weakened. “But, he was here. He was right there on the floor by the bookend— “
Her eyes followed the empty space on the carpet up to the desk, where the sliver bookends sat perfectly. Following her gaze, the manager looked to the desk and saw an orange bottle spilling white pills all over.
“Ma’am,” the manager started nervously. “Are you sure you didn’t just imagine this?”
It just took that one word, imagine, for the anger to replace the fear.
“No,” said Margot gravely. “He was here! You have to believe me— he kept putting notes on the door!”
She knelt down over by the door, searching for the note she dropped. She found nothing but dust on the floor. As she was still panning the floor, she heard the manager whispering with someone else, sending a security guard over to the phone. The click of the phone sent her into a panic. She pulled herself up and walked over to the desk.
“I’m not crazy,” she said softly. “I’m fine.” An eerie smile spread over her face.
“I understand Ma'am, but we’ve called the medics to only make sure that you’re okay”
Margot twitched. The manager went to grab her arm and Margot screamed.
“No!!”
Margot grabbed the bookend and threw it across the room, into the bathroom where the sound of glass breaking was heard.
“I am not going back there!!”
Security circled around her, but she fled into the bathroom where a broken reflection caught her attention. A woman with mangled, black hair and beady eyes sharply taunted her. Rage slowly filled Margot’s heart and sent her fists flying through the mirror along with her senseless screams. Next thing she knew, a man with white gloves was shoving a needle in her neck.
***
A cold breeze flows through the window in room 730 as a maid straightens the bed. The manager knocks on the door.
“Don’t forgot to collect any of her personal items that were left. I’ll send that all down to the mad house,” he says with a smirk.
“Of course, Mr. Simons,” answers the maid.
Throwing the pillow back onto the bed, something crinkled under the maid’s foot. She picks up a crumpled piece of paper with tape all around over it. Seeing only black scribbles, she throws it away with the rest of the garbage and locks the door.
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