Motel Amnesia

My wife and I were vacationing in Florida and checked in at a budget motel off the highway around 9 pm. A middle age Indian guy at the main office gave us a bucket of ice and directed us how to get to our second floor room number 241. It was an average room with a double bed and we both collapsed on it immediately, exhausted after such a long day most of it at the beach. Then we started to unpack and that's when it dawned on me that the pizza we had bought on the way was cold and there was no microwave, so I called the reception and the guy told me there was one there and since he could not leave the office I should bring my pizza there to warm it up. So I left the room with the large carton of pizza in my hand and after a few minutes returned and knocked on the door expecting my wife to rush to open it but she didn't. I knocked again and called her name repeatedly and, again, there was no answer. "She must be taking a shower," I said to myself and then neared the window and peeked through the curtain and my heart instantly trembled by what I saw, dropped the pizza. An alien creature was devouring my wife's lifeless body on the bed, had horns and red eyes. In shocking disbelief, I stepped back in horror for a second and then peeked again to make sure I was not hallucinating and then pounded on the window as hard as I could and the beast continued without even turning its head toward me once. Spontaneously I ran back to the office and yelled for help, expecting to see other guests emerge from their room but no one did and the moment I entered the office the Indian manager was jolted and asked "What has happened?" I had difficulty uttering a word and in my total agitation pointed outward and uttered, "my wife. Something is in my room attacking my wife." He stood up and with a skeptical voice said, "Are you sure?"
"Of course I am sure. Call the police now." Instead he reached for his gun in his desk and told me to follow him -- I did cautiously several steps behind and then stopped in the middle of the stairs, watching the guy use his key to open the door and then step inside. My heart was beating so fast and I was sweating in fear, thinking for sure that I was going to hear a repeated bullet sound, but there was none and a minute later the guy stepped out and yelled at me, "There is no one here."
"What? Are you sure? What are you saying?" I yelled at him and took a few hesitant steps up.

"Of course I am sure. Come see for yourself sir. Don't be afraid. Come look. No one is here and everything is intact." He was right and I finally gathered the courage to step inside after my searching eyes from the entrace didn't detect anything out of ordinary. "But how could it be? Just a minute ago I looked through the window and saw this creature tearing my wife's body lying on the bed. Where is she now?"

"Sir. You checked in alone. I didn't see any one with you."
"What is this nonsense? You didn't see my wife with me when we came into your office a few minutes ago?"
"No. You came in by yourself and I remember when I asked you how many people you said one, don't you remember? And look here, I only see one suitcase, the one you were carrying by yourself."

I stood there speechless for a moment. There was no sign of my wife and her purse and her luggage anywhere in the room, although in the bathroom I swear I could still smell her sweet perfume. Immensely puzzled for a second I dropped my body on the bed. holding my spinning head in my hands, and whispered, "I don't understand. Something is terribly missing," and then I firmly stood and ordered the guy to call the police immediately. "Come with me to the office. I will call from there."

A minute later we were back in the office and the manager before placing the call showed me the guest book and said "Look here. Here's your signature and here it is marked one person, you see? You still want me to call the police? You saw the room. It's totally clean, no blood or any sign of disturbance. So please sir. Have a glass of cold water and think for a moment. I don't want unnecessary commotion here, not good for business. Just think for a moment. Maybe you smoked something, or too much to drink, or perhaps long drive. It can happen to people you know. Where were you before you came here if I may ask?"
"Where? Well, we were at the beach all day."
"There you go. Too much sun for sure. But I swear you came by yourself and as you saw there was only your luggage there and no sign of any one else. So you must be hallucinating sir, I am telling you." He then stopped and with the cell phone in his hand paused and waited for my reaction. I shook my head negatively and insisted adamantly that I was quite sure about my wife and had no idea how he could not remember, now mildly suspecting him. "Fine, as you wish," he said calmly and then called the police and told them there was something wrong with one of the guests and he needed help. We then waited and waited and after about half hour I protested that the cops were taking their blessed time and he should call them again, which he did and this time made it sound more urgent and then told me they are on their way and will be here in a few minutes. But several minutes passed and this time I asked him to pass me his cell -- I had left mine in the room -- and I dialed my wife's number, hoping she would answer and a voice,our daughter, answered instead.
"Dad?"
"Yes. Oh thank God. Liz. Is your mom around?"
"My mom?! What are you saying dad?"
"Your mom? Where is she?"

"Dad. What's wrong? We're all worried about you? Where are you?"
"Come on Liz. I'll explain later. All I want to know is where's your mom? Is she there with you?"
"No she is not."

"Then where is she?" I asked impatiently and almost yelled at her."This is real emergency Liz. How come you have her cell?"
"Because she's dead dad. You're okay? We 've been looking all over the place for you after you left the funeral in a hurry."

"The funeral?! Whose funeral?"
"Wow. I can't believe hearing this. My mom's -- Earlier today. You need to come home dad, please stop." Then I heard her crying. "I will Liz, I will. Don't worry." Then I hung up and returned the cell to the manager, who seemed very relieved that the mystery had been solved finally. The cops arrived right then and the manager went out and spoke with them and they left without bothering to talk to me, reclining on a chair lost in thought. He came back to the office and offered me a cold soft drink. I took a couple of sips and still batttled with my memory as to why I had no memory of any funeral, etc. With that thought I went back to the room to pick up the suitcase and head back home and I was about to leave the room when I heard the sound of shower from the bathroom. I took hesitant steps and cautiously half opened the bathroom door and saw that someone was taking a shower behind the curtain. Having no doubt that it ws my wife I stepped in and pulled the curtain to the side and saw the creature's head with its bulging red eyes, lounging at me.

Comments