THE LAST ROOM IN THE OLD MOTEL

The Last Room in the Old Motel

The highway was empty when Zain pulled over in front of a broken neon sign that flickered: Motel.
It was past midnight, and the only light came from a half-dead bulb hanging over the office door.

Inside, the old clerk barely looked up. His voice was flat when he said,
"Only one room left… room 6."

Zain paid in cash. The man handed him a key without another word, his hand trembling slightly.


---

The hallway smelled of dust and mold. When Zain unlocked the door, a sudden chill swept past him. The room was dim, with faded wallpaper peeling off and a cracked mirror above the dresser.
Tired, he ignored the uneasy feeling and collapsed on the creaky bed.

At 2:13 AM, he woke up. Someone was humming.
The sound came from the bathroom.

He called out: “Hello?” No answer.
The humming stopped.

Slowly, he pushed the bathroom door open. The room was empty.
Only the mirror faced him — and in its reflection, for a brief second, he saw a woman standing right behind him, smiling.


---

Terrified, Zain ran back to the bed, heart pounding. He grabbed his phone to call someone, but the screen kept glitching, showing one message again and again:

“Leave. Room 6 is not yours.”

The phone slipped from his hands. The door slammed shut on its own.

At 3:00 AM, the clerk lit a cigarette outside, staring at room 6. He whispered to himself:
"Another one checked in… and another one who will never check out.