The Haunted Hotel

Hi, My name is Akio Tanaka. I am a traveler. I journey across the country on my bike, seeking the unknown and the unexplored. I’ve encountered many strange things in my life, but one experience stands out like a sore thumb.

It was the middle of winter. I was traveling from Yokohama, aiming to reach Oma by sundown. Unfortunately, I was running late. As the sun dipped below the horizon, a heavy snowstorm began, quickly escalating into a blizzard. Realizing it was impossible to continue, I decided to find a room for the night.

When I walked into the hotel, there was only one person at the desk, engrossed in a TV show. He stood up and welcomed me. I asked for a room for the night, but he politely declined.

“Is there no way I could have a room? There’s a snowstorm outside, making it impossible to find another hotel,” I pleaded.

He apologized, saying, “All our rooms are full. We have only one room left, but I can’t give you that room for your own benefit.”

Curious, I asked why. He hesitated before replying, “The room is haunted.”

I chuckled and reassured him, “Don’t worry about me. I travel all around the country. I’ve seen it all.”

He looked at me for a moment and said, “Not everything, sir. But if you insist. If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe in that room, feel free to sleep in my room. We can share it.”

I checked in, took my key, and went to my room. It was decent, with a single bed, a mirror attached to the wall opposite the bed, and an attached washroom. Exhausted, I took a shower, had my dinner, and didn’t question anything.

Returning from the washroom, I caught my reflection in the mirror. I couldn’t recognize the person staring back at me. I wasn’t ugly, but I had never been this handsome. I looked different, better. I had always wished to be a little taller, and in the reflection, I was.

I sat on the bed, staring at the mirror. Tired, I lay down and drifted off to sleep. A few minutes later, I heard knocking. I looked at the door; the knocking continued. Frustrated, I got up and opened the door, but there was nothing.

I was annoyed, thinking the man at the desk was trying to make me believe the room was haunted. But as the night wore on, I would soon realize that some things are beyond explanation.

I lay on the bed, trying to shake off the eerie feeling. A few minutes passed, and then there was knocking on the door again. Furious, I ran to the door and flung it open. Once again, there was nothing.

I closed the door and stood still behind it, determined to catch whoever was playing tricks on me. I waited, and then the knocking came again. But this time, I realized something chilling—the knocking wasn’t coming from the door.

I followed the sound and looked into the mirror. The knocking was coming from the mirror. I stared at my reflection, but it was different. I was angry, but my reflection was smiling from ear to ear.

I sat on the bed, my eyes glued to the mirror. No matter how much I moved, my reflection remained still and smiling. Suddenly, a wave of extreme fear washed over me.

My reflection took out my emergency knife and slowly cut its own wrist. Despite my reflection harming itself, I felt the pain instantly. Blood started to flow from my wrist. I tried to run, but I couldn’t move. My reflection then stabbed the knife into its leg, and I screamed at the top of my lungs as I felt the searing pain.

Bleeding heavily, I watched in horror as my reflection pulled the knife out of its leg and brought it slowly to its neck. Just as it was about to cut, the hotel receptionist burst into the room. He saw my state and, with a wooden stick, shattered the mirror into pieces. I fainted.

When I woke up, the receptionist told me I had been asleep for three days. They had called a doctor who treated my wounds while I was unconscious. My first reaction upon waking was to ask what had happened in that room.

He explained that a few months ago, a man had killed himself in that room, cutting himself with a knife. Since then, anyone who stayed in that room experienced the same horrors. This was why he had been reluctant to give me the room.

I healed and resumed my travels, but the memory of that night will never fade. It was an experience of a lifetime, one that left an indelible mark on my soul.

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