Just for Laugh: Staycation at a Haunted Hotel
For their end-of-year vacation in 2024, Gading and Jesika decided to book a hotel room in a neighboring city. They wanted a simple staycation to unwind. After checking in, they made their way to Room 202 on the second floor.
The moment they stepped inside, they felt something was off. The room was dimly lit, the air felt stale, and the walls seemed to close in on them. It was no surprise, the hotel was cheap. The faint smell of damp wood lingered, and the carpet looked like it hadn’t been vacuumed in weeks.
After unpacking, Gading decided to step out and explore. Jesika stayed back to rest, still trying to shake off the strange feeling.
In the lobby, the receptionist greeted Gading with a polite smile.
“Good afternoon, Sir. Can I help you with something?” she asked.
“Oh, nothing serious,” Gading replied, hesitating slightly. “But I heard something strange about this hotel.”
The receptionist tilted her head. “Strange? What do you mean?”
“Well,” Gading began, lowering his voice. “We had lunch at a fried rice stall at the end of the alley. The owner, a man with a mustache and muscular build, told us a story. He said someone had committed suicide in one of the rooms here.”
The receptionist’s cheerful demeanor vanished. Her face turned pale. “A fried rice stall at the end of the alley? Mustached? Muscular?” she repeated, almost in disbelief. “You must mean Mr. Brengos. But, how is that possible? He died a week ago! His stall has been closed ever since.”
The words hit Gading like a freight train. “So... we spoke to a ghost? And ate food made by the dead?”
With his heart racing and goosebumps prickling his skin, Gading hurried back to the room.
Jesika looked up as he entered. “Honey, where were you?”
“I went to the lobby,” he replied. “Had a quick chat with the receptionist.”
Jesika frowned and pointed toward the balcony. “That’s strange. Look over there.”
Gading followed her gaze. Across the way, on the second floor of the adjacent building, he saw the receptionist talking to a cleaning staff member.
“She’s been there the whole time,” Jesika said. “If she’s over there, then... who were you talking to?”
Before Gading could respond, Jesika’s phone rang, breaking the tension. She answered quickly. It was their daughter, Caca.
“Hi, Mom! How’s the hotel?” Caca asked cheerfully.
“It’s fine, Dear,” Jesika replied. “Tomorrow, when you’re done with your exams, ask Aunt Lala to bring you here, okay?”
“What are you talking about?” Caca replied, confused. “Aunt Lala isn’t here. Grandma Bela is the one taking care of me.”
Jesika froze. “Grandma Bela? Don’t joke, Caca! Grandma Bela passed away last year!”
“Oh, Mom, don’t be so dramatic,” Caca giggled. “We’ve passed away too, remember?”
Jesika jolted awake, gasping for breath. She was in bed, her heart pounding. It was just a dream. She glanced to her side and saw Gading sleeping peacefully.
“Thank God,” she whispered, wiping her brow. “It was only a dream.”
She got up to wash her face. But when she looked into the mirror, she froze.
Her reflection wasn’t there.
Jesika’s scream shattered the silence. Gading woke up, alarmed.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, rushing to her side.
“My reflection!” she cried. “It’s gone! Am I... am I a ghost?”
Gading chuckled. “Relax, Honey. The mirror isn’t haunted. I asked the hotel staff to replace it earlier because it was cracked. They’ve taken it away.”
Jesika exhaled, laughing nervously. “Oh my God. You scared me! I thought I was a ghost with no reflection.”
Still chuckling, she walked toward the bathroom. But instead of opening the door, she walked straight through the wall.
Gading froze. His blood ran cold. “How did she just do that? Is she my wife... or... really a ghost?”
Knock, knock, knock....
A sudden knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts. Still trembling, Gading opened it.
Two hotel workers stood there, holding a door.
“Excuse us, Sir,” one of them said. “We haven’t found the replacement mirror yet, but we brought the bathroom door. Can we install it now?”
Gading glanced at the bathroom. It had no door. No wonder Jesika had walked through the wall.
He felt a wave of relief, but only for a moment. A lingering question haunted him: was this hotel really as ordinary as it seemed?