By the time we arrived, night had fallen, and the main drag was like a ghost town. Our room was on the second floor, filled with Victorian-era furniture, old photographs, and antique decor. I plopped in a chair by the bay window and took in the atmosphere. The view outside appeared like a set from a scary movie. With the absence of other people and all the businesses shut down, the street felt like a shell of its former existence.
Curious about the hotel’s dark history, I fell down the internet rabbit hole. My search uncovered ghostly tales, from playful spirits of children who reportedly passed there in the 1900s roaming the halls to a Civil War soldier who supposedly never left. One particular detail sent shivers down my spine: it’s believed that a man had committed suicide in one of the bathrooms. But not just any bathroom in the four-story hotel — It was in the bathroom of the room we were staying in.
I looked up from my phone, staring directly at the bathroom door, which appeared far more ominous than before. And then, without missing a beat, a loud pounding echoed from the bathroom. BAM! BAM! BAM! I assumed it was my boyfriend, only to glance out the window once again and realize he was outside grabbing the rest of our luggage. My stomach dropped. He wasn’t in the room, but I didn’t feel alone. Paralyzed in fear, I had to decide whether to wait it out or investigate. Stupidly, as if to ignore the thousands of horror movies I’ve seen before, I chose the latter.
With my heart racing and my imagination summoning all the scariest-case scenarios, I stood up and peeked my head into the spacious dark bathroom — feeling my way along the wall, hoping to make out a light switch and not another hand. I flicked on the light to reveal nothing but an empty bathroom. I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts.
My boyfriend returned, and I explained what had happened as we unpacked some things. He thought it might be the plumbing and noted the suspicious timing of the sound — however, I disagreed. Pipes might knock, but they don’t pound.
