The Night Shift Horror
Trent took a deep breath before he pushed his maintenance cart down the dimly lit hallway of the Pinewood Hotel. Working the late night shift on October 30th wasn't his idea of fun, but the bills had to be paid.
The first call came from room 237. "Leaky bathroom sink faucet," the maintenance tablet beeped. Trent knocked softly and waited a minute before entering with his master key when no one answered.
When he entered the room was so quiet all you can hear the bathroom vent making a humming sound. There, sitting on toilet a man – pale, eyes wide open, frozen in shock. Trent stumbled backward, his heart beating fast. He reached for his walkie talkie but too nervous to hold on to it and it fell to the floor. He picked it up off the floor and right before he was about to page the supervisor, his maintenance tablet beeped:
A "Broken AC, room 413." Trent gathered himself as he made his way upstairs. Maybe it was just his imagination running wild.
The door to 413 was crack open. Trent's flashlight beam cut through the darkness, landing on a figure slumped over in an armchair. Another body, holding his breath he walked in and seen this one contorted as if it had been fighting invisible restraints.
Trent couldn’t hold his breath no longer. He had to get out, call the police. But as he turned to flee, his maintenance tablet beeped once more: "Noise complaint, Penthouse Suite."
Every instinct screamed at him to run, but he knew he had a job and duty to fulfill so he pushed forward. The elevator ride felt endless.
When making to the penthouse he saw the door had a do not disturb sign on it. Trent knocked on the door and opened it and started peeping through while pushing it open.
With the moonlight shining through the window making a glare on the floor. A third body hanging from the second floor penthouse staircase slowly rotating.
Trent's heart jump up into his throat as he noticed something that couldn’t be overlooked – all three corpses' eyes wide opened, like they were staring directly at him.
The maintenance tablet in his hand beeped with a final message: "How is everything going, Trent? Don’t forget to put the tablet on the charger before you end your shift."
Trent started thinking that maybe it was just his imagination running wild.
Trent's heart pounding as he walked out the penthouse, his mind stuck on the horrific sights. The elevator couldn't come fast enough. As soon as the doors opened on the first floor, he stepped out, taking deep breaths trying to forget about the nightmare upstairs.
Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the hallway, followed by a scream. Trent froze, with a concern look on his face. Whoever or whatever it was that killed those people found a new victim?
Trent sprinted toward the sound, reaching the end of the hallway. There, he found a middle-aged woman in a bathrobe, swinging a slipper like a weapon. At her feet lay the remains of a large cockroach.
"Sorry ol," the woman said nervously, noticing Trent’s maintenance uniform. "This ugly big roach crawled up my bathrobe you lucky I’m not naked cause I didn’t know what else to do ."
Yes ma’am I understand. Trent said.
"I'm just glad you wasn’t naked and it was just a roach."
As the woman went back into her room, Trent leaned against the wall, just trying to take it all in. The ordinary scene of a guest trying to squash a cockroach felt like normal after what he'd witnessed upstairs. For a moment, he wondered if he was dreaming – the bodies with Halloween being the next day.
But as he gathered his composure, Trent knew what he had seen was all too real. He pulled out his phone, his fingers pressing '911' on the keypad. Whatever was happening in this hotel, he needed law enforcement help – and fast.
The dispatcher's calm voice was a lifeline in this nightmare he found himself in.
"911, what's your emergency?"
Trent took a deep breath, trying to calm his voice. "I... I'm at the Pinewood Hotel. I'm the maintenance man here my name is Trent. Tonight I came in and had three work orders and I found three dead bodies one in each room. They were all in weird positions.
There was a pause on the other end of the line. When the dispatcher spoke again, her voice sounded with disbelief and concern. 911 Dispatcher: "Sir, is the killer still there at the hotel?"
"I don't know, ma'am," Trent replied, looking nervously around the hallway. Every shadow seemed to hide a potential threat.
"Okay sir, the police are en route as we speak," the dispatcher assured him. "Is there anything else you want to add?"
Trent let out a bitter laugh. "Yes, it's been a hell of a night."
"I understand, sir. Stay on the line with me until the police arrive. Can you get to a safe location?"
As Trent began to respond, he heard police sirens approaching. Relief washed over him, but it was quickly replaced by a new fear. What if the police didn't believe him? What if they went to the rooms and found... nothing?
The memory of those lifeless bodies with their eyes staring at him flashed in his mind every time he closed his eyes. Whatever he had seen upstairs, and whatever was happening in this hotel, Trent knew one thing for certain – this Halloween would haunt him for the rest of his life.
Within minutes, the quiet hotel erupted into a flurry of activity. Police cars and an ambulance screeched into the parking lot, their lights painting the building in alternating red white and blue.
Detective Barnes, a stone-faced woman with graying hair, took charge of the scene. She listened intently as Trent recounted his grisly discoveries, her expression growing more grave with each detail.
"Did you see the killer? Any idea if they're still on the property?" she asked, her piercing gaze fixed on Trent.
Trent shook his head, still visibly shaken. "No, I... I didn't see anyone. Just the bodies."
The detective nodded, then turned to one of her officers. "Get me a list of all guest names and room numbers from the front desk. Now."
By this time, curious and frightened guests had begun to gather in the hallways, mumbling amongst themselves. Detective Barnes addressed the hotel guests, her voice authoritative:
"Okay, I'm going to need everyone to return to their rooms, close and lock their doors until further notice. If you see or hear anything out of the ordinary, please dial 911 immediately. We will be searching every room, storage area, and closet in this building."
As the guests reluctantly retreated, Trent could see the fear in their eyes. The once-peaceful hotel had transformed into a crime scene, and the possibility of a killer lurking among them sent chills down everyone's spine.
Detective Barnes turned back to Trent. "I need you to stay available for questioning. And I'll need your master key – we'll be doing a thorough sweep."
Trent handed over his key, feeling a mix of relief and apprehension. As the police began their search of the hotel, he couldn't shake the memory of those lifeless eyes staring at him. Whatever happened next, he knew this night was far from over.
The hotel buzzed with tension as police officers spread throughout the building. The sound of doors being opened and closed echoed through the hallways, punctuated by radio chatter. Everyone waited anxiously, wondering what horrors might be uncovered next in the Pinewood Hotel.
As the police began their search of the hotel, tension filled the air. Officers combed through every room, hallway, and storage area, leaving no stone unturned. Guests were instructed to remain in their rooms while the search was conducted.
After four long hours, the police chief emerged from the hotel lobby, her face grim. She gathered the hotel staff and anxious guests in the main conference room to deliver an update.
"We have completed a thorough search of the Pinewood Hotel and the surrounding properties," she announced. "I regret to inform you that we have not located the suspect or suspects. At this time, we believe the killer is no longer in the building or the immediate area. However, they remain at large."
A collective gasp rippled through the room. The chief continued, "We will be holding a news conference shortly to inform the public. I urge everyone to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately."
Later that evening, local and national news crews gathered outside the Pinewood Hotel. The police chief stepped up to the podium, with cameras flashing.
"Good evening. I'm here to provide an update on the tragic events that unfolded at the Pinewood Hotel earlier today," she began. "We can confirm that there are three deceased victims. The suspect responsible for these heinous acts are still at large."
She paused, allowing the gravity of the situation to sink in. "We are working tirelessly to apprehend the individual responsible. We will keep the public informed as new information becomes available. In the meantime, we ask for your cooperation and urge you to stay alert. If you have any information that could assist our investigation, please contact the police immediately."
As the chief received questions from reporters, a sense of unease settled over the community. The killer was still out there, and no one knew where they might strike next.
To be continued…..