Enjoy Your Stay
Inspired by The Eagles Classic: Hotel California
There was only one rule: don't open the door.
No one actually said it. The staff simply distracted us so we wouldn't notice the door was there. At first, it worked quite well.
They plied us with free cocktails and laid out a smorgasbord of delectable food to gorge ourselves on. Beautiful dancers twirled about in brightly colored costumes to catch our eye. Game tables seemed to be in our favor with perfectly timed jackpots that kept the game going. A haze of sweet smelling fumes hung in the air keeping us in a blissful daze.
Days, weeks, years passed before I realized something was wrong. The drinks had no flavor and didn't quench my thirst. The cakes tasted of cardboard and turned to dust in my mouth.
I tried different drinks, new foods, and other games. But it just got worse. The brightly colored cocktails and costumes became muted and gray. The haze in the air burned my eyes and lungs. The food covered itself in mold and worms while rats gnawed along the edges.
Horrified, I dashed for the door. The staff bombarded me with offers of drinks and treats. But I saw them now, their skin barely clung to skeletal faces and the pungent stench of rot hung about them. I pushed past and pulled open the door.
As I stepped through, I was welcomed by the smiling face of a stunning server. She handed me a frilly drink with fruit and umbrellas. Before me a buffet was laid out with all my favorite foods. I sighed in relief, grateful to be free of the hell I’d just escaped, then settled down to watch the brightly dressed dancers spin about to the music.
About the Creator
A. J. Schoenfeld
I only write about the real world. But if you look close enough, you'll see there's magic hiding in plain sight everywhere.
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More stories from A. J. Schoenfeld and writers in Horror and other communities.
Lost to the Darkness
There was only one rule: don't open the door. In case we forgot, it was secured shut with a rusty old padlock with no key. But, we never considered opening it, not after seeing the terror in Grandpa's eyes when he told us not to. We knew there was evil enclosed in that cellar.
By A. J. Schoenfeldabout a year ago in Horror
Comments (2)
Well-wrought! The beauty of that song is how it leaves room for multiple interpretations, though I strongly suspect it is about addiction, in a general sense.
Excellent. I loved this take on the song. It lends itself really well to the prompt. Definitely a contender!