HauntedHotel Entry 31: Hotel Hideout

"Hello!" "Hello, darling where are you?" The receiver's voice was wavering. It sounded like a cocktail of fear and despair. "I don't know...We left lagos and...and..." "Ladi, what do I do?" Sola stammered. Her eyes fluttered and glanced from one corner to another. She was wandering the streets of Ijabode as she tried to reach her husband.

A few hours ago, sola was inside a bus loading passengers to Onitsha.
"Driver! Come and move this bus." She raged. Sola waited restlessly for the bus to be filled. The Sun withdrew slowly and yet the bus was not full. "Madam, na only you dey for this motor?" The driver was irritated. It is not enough that he can't find one more customer, this woman is breathing on his neck. "Rubbish!" She responded "Do you know I have been waiting in this useless bus for five hours." "I should have paid the money and entered G.U.O" sola signed. She is terrified of night-travelling. The stories her husband tells her are horrific. "Madam, if you no want wait abeg leave!" He was rhetorically speaking but she didn't think so. Immediately, sola climbed down from the bus carrying her only luggage; a priceless black leather handbag. "You can have this nonsense for yourself." "Penniless idiot!" She whispered to the wind. As Sola strolled away from the white small bus, a woman, with her son, arrived at the park.
Sola tried to call her husband to cancel her journey. It was getting late.
"Madam, you dey go Onitsha?" A hoarse voice startled her. Sola jumped. "You startled me." She yelled at the short man "Yes! we dey start now." He responded. "Just one person." He signalled with his hands. Sola was elated. She quickly raced after him in her black shiny stilettos.

"Sola what bus did you enter!" The receiver shouted. "Darling, I don't know" "What do you mean you don't..." "I entered a car...There was this man...he said-he said they would arrive early." Sola was almost in tears. As she walked down a street she noticed it was deserted. The chilled air was biting into her skin as she cried to her phone. "Where are the people from the car."
"Ladi they fled." She exclaimed. "When the car broke down, they came out to fix it and just disappeared." "To where? Shola calm down." Laid, her husband whispered. She didn't reply. She was silent. While she was screaming at her husband, sola heard footsteps racing across the street opposite her and she started sweating profusely. Her hands shook uncontrollably as she turned off the torch-light on her phone. The thundering feet grew louder as they approached her. "Sola are you there?" Sola ignored him. Her heart was racing. Her legs were shaking. Her teeth were clapping. She rapidly dropped to her knees, sheltering behind a broken truck. The running feet stopped. "You said you saw her coming here." A voice whispered "Oga, yes! She dey run this way." Another responded. These voice seemed familiar. "This is your fault, why did you leave her alone." "Where are we now going to find her." The voice sounded concerned. The feet started to run again, gradually disappearing in the dark.
"Ladi, they want to kill me!" Sola exclaimed to her phone. "Who!" "Sola, you know what." He resolved. "What!" "Check 'hotel. ng' for the nearest place for a night. I will send you money right away." He said. Sola beamed with hope. She checked her phone immediately.

A few hours ago.
"Good evening sir," Sola greeted the driver of the car. "Yes, come in. Where are you going?" He responded while opening the door for her. "Onitsha" She said "So are we." He gave an ominous smile. Sola inspected the car. There were clothes in the back seat, newspapers in the front and catholic rosaries hanging to the mirror. "Are you Catholic?" She asked. Sola noticed that the man at the back seat kept staring at her. "No." He replied. He traced her eyes to rosaries. "No, those are for good luck." He turned to her. "Get some sleep, Onitsha is still far." He smile again.

"Ladi, are you there?" "Yes." He replied. "I don't like this hotel. The room is so dirty." "Sola, you should be happy you found a place in Ijabode at this time." He reprimanded her. "I know but...but it looks like no one has used this place for ages." As sola looked around the room, chills ran down her spin. There were thick dark cobwebs dripping from the roof. The wind constantly moaned against the wooden windows and branches of trees pierced the windows forming formidable silhouettes on the cracked wall. Dust coaxed from the bed every time it squeaked under her. "Just calmed down honey. Get some sleep, in few hours it will be daybreak." "And I will come and get you, alright?" He said. Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Alright?" He repeated over the phone. "Alright. Someone is the door." Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Ladi, I will call you later." She hung up and took a deep breath. "Who is it?" "Madam, it is me." A high pitch voice replied. "Oh! Sorry, I am coming." Sola recognized the voice of the hotel attendant. The young girl that gave her the keys to the room. Sola stood up and the bed creaked. She walked slowly to the door and turned the keys of the lock. The door flew open abruptly.
"Hello!" "Hello!" Her voice echoed down the calloused bleak corridor of the hotel floor. It was empty. "Where is she?" Sola stepped out of the room. The floor was cold and rigid. She began to stroll down the corridor. Sola wondered what time it was. She now realised that the hotel was in the middle of nowhere. There were broad trees and thick bushes at the left and right of the hotel. What am I doing here? She thought. There was a female silhouette waiting at the end of the corridor. She saw it.
She was relieved. Sola breathed.
"I thought you had gone." Sola muttered. "There is no water in the sink..." Sola continued. Sola stopped. The dark figured did not respond. Sola walked away slowly, gradually picking up the pace into a run. She didn't look back. Where is my phone? She thought.
Sola left her phone in the room. Immediately she reached the front of her room, she began to kick and kick the door. It was locked. Sola kicked harder.
Suddenly, the silhouette began to move. Pacing down the corridor. Sola's heart pounded in her ear. She kept kicking harder and the figure kept coming closer.
The figure stopped.
"Why did you run away." It said. It was a male voice. A familiar voice. Sola's mind was racing. She tried to remember. Her eyes grew in fear when she realized it. It was the 'rosary' man. She didn't reply, she kept kicking until the door broke and swung open. She entered immeidately but the door wouldn't close. The lock was damaged. She pushed it with her whole body.
What is he doing here? She thought.

A few hours ago while Sola was sleeping in the car.
"she is still sleeping" A man whispered. "Get everything ready at the hotel while I go and get her" He added. " do you need anything else in the room?" A girl responded. A young man joins them. He is panting. "What are you doing here?" "I told you to watch her." "Oga james, she don run oh!" The young man responded "How did you allow her...do you know what this means." "We can't lose this one today..." "I will stay, in case she comes here." The young girl reassured them.

The figure, now a man, was pushing sola's door. She held it closed with her whole body. He pushed and she pushed until the door began to crumble within. sola grew feeble.
Her phone rang. It rang again. It rang the third time.
The man move back, arched his body, and kicked the door. Sola feel on the floor and her head slammed the edge of the bed. She was bleeding. She dragged herself pitifully away from the door and the man caught her legs.
Her phone rang. It rang again. It rang the third time.
The man brought out the rosary from his pocket and began to strangely her. Her vision blurred. Sola's head buzzed as she stretched out her hands. The man pulled tightly until the beads dug into her skin. Her hands stretched further and further out until her fingers reached her black stiletto on the floor. She picked it up and swung the heel into the man's head.
She mustered strength and rose to her knees.
Sola crawled to the bed and picked her ringing phone.
"Hello!" The caller said. "Is she dead?" The voice murmured. Sola was bewildered. "James is she dead or what?" "Did you find her there?" The caller asked. "Ladi! Ladi! Is that you?" The caller cut the call abruptly. Suddenly, she felt something heavy slam on her head and she fell. She looked up from the floor. Her head acne as she lost consciousness. The thick cobwebs grew bigger and darker. The walls had red stains everywhere. The figure a young girl gripping a rod stood over her head. Sola's eyes shut.
The young girl picked sola’s phone and rang someone. She stared coldly at sola’s helpless body.
“yes. She is dead.” she reassured the receiver “where is the bag?”

A few hours ago sola was about to leave her house to the motor park.
“Are you ready to go darling.” Ladi asked as sola came downstair clinging to her black leather bag. “yes I am. Finally!” she replied in excited. “why are you so excited?” he smiled. “remember where I told you to wait for the bus.” “yes Ladi, I remember.” “I hope the bag is safe.” “darling, trust me, I am guarding it with my life.” she giggled. “alright, see you.” He held her close and they parted. Shortly after sola went out of the house, Ladi placed a call. He wait for the receiver. He waited, pacing uncomfortably in the room.
“yes! James. She is on her way. Get ready.” He whispered and ended the call.

Sola layed on the floor motionless. She was almost dead. A little longer and she would cease to exist. Her mind raced through memories and objects; her bag, her husband, and the Hotel. Her ears began to ring. Her body became numb and she breathed.

• Written by Ifeanyi Uzochukwu