Nine five one

Who knew a dust free bookcase could hide a lot of lies. Not me for a starter. My wife and I had been having problems I worked long hours. she worked none. Our relationship was under a lot of pressure and if I'm honest a lot of that is my fault.

I was working long hours as a builder early starts and late finishes roughly one hundred hours a week. My argument was that in my job you can't keep going until retirement age.  Jane's argument was your a long time dead.

I wasn't always this way. Back when me and Jane first got together I was a bit of a dead leg. I drank most days heavily and took recreational drugs. Jane liked to party as well but I stopped. Jane didn't. I decided that I was going to make an effort to make our relationship better. Over the last few years I had managed to pay off the mortgage and the kids were grown up now.

I left work early planning on surprising her with a trip of a lifetime. When I walked in with tickets in hand. I didn't expect her to be sat in the living room crying, over our wedding album.

"Jane what's the matter?"

I sat beside her and put my arm around her shoulder. Her perfume filled my nostrils. It was the one she used to wear when we first got together.

"John I miss the man I married. where did you go what did I do wrong?"

"Awww babe its nothing you did wrong I have been planning for the future. I'm sorry for neglecting you for so long. Look I've got us tickets. One week in las vegas followed by a week at Niagara Falls."

I straightened up smiling at her. she whipped tears from her cheeks with the back of her hands and then flung her arms around my neck. kisses rained down on me like water from a perfect shower.

The weeks running up to our little break were brilliant. We laughed like back in the good days.  We even had sex more than once. Big Whoop I know. but for us it was a huge improvement. I got a suit case out of the loft. I'm a Yorkshire man after all. I might have paid for a holiday but I'm not getting a new suitcase.

Jane was sat on the bed waiting for me when I climbed back down. How was I supossed to know that an empty suitcase could hold so many memories. It was the one we took on our honeymoon. It was the suitcase we used to help our son go to university. It was the suitcases I used when we broke up after she had an affair.

Jane slapped me.

"out of all the suitcases we have you had to pick that one.  You just can't let it go can you it's been five years."

I'm not going into the gorry details about how long and how I got out of that situation. All you need to know is I did.

We checked in at the hotel and went to our room. I was descusted by the state of the place. The only thing in the room that didn't have dust on was  a bookcase. Jane opened the wardrobe.

"Jane what are you doing we aren't staying here."

I snapped a little more viciously than I intended to. Jane stepped to one side the wardrobe was full of clothes with tags still on. Men's suits and women's ballggowns. All beautiful  and all from the nineteen twenties.

I stopped myself from going down to reception and went to the wardrobe my mouth open what was all this.

I picked out a suit it was brand new. It even smelled like new but I couldn't imagine where you would get something like this.The stitching, was perfect. Jane pulled out a dress it was short like the ones flappers used to wear. She was down to her underwear and stepping into the dress. It showed off her legs perfectly. She started to dance and indicated for me to put the suit on it was intoxicating I had to put it on we danced together in silence.

We had been dancing for it felt like hours when the bookcase caught my eye again. Why no dust unless it had been moved and someone left marks and was trying to make it less obvious.

firmly but not roughly I pushed Jane away. she didn't seem to notice and carried on dancing on her own. I walked over to the bookcase. It didn't look out of the ordinary but it was out of place some how. I wasn't feeling myself I was thinking differently and my posture was better and I hate dancing. but a second ago it was the best thing in the world and we moved beautifully. If I do say so myself.

I examined the bookcase and saw nothing. I pulled it forward just a little. It was heavy. It had scratches behind it. Deep bloody scratches. I pulled it a bit more there was a fingernail stook in the plaster.  the scratches were words words,

you'll never leave.

My clothes

Die Due Die

It's eating my brain

"Jane we need to leave "

"Jane's not in right now please call back never."

Jane looks like normal but there is something different about her attitude. She had aggressive tone to her voice. What did she mean by Jane's not in right now as well? I stepped towards her.

"Jane what are you going on about."

It was at this point I saw her eyes. Wide open and black. All colour was gone and so was the whites. I froze in my tracks. a voice in my head spoke to me.

"let me be with my wife. Stop resisting and it will hurt less."

I banged the heal of my palm against my temple hoping to knock the voice out of my ear. Obviously nothing fell out but a laugh started in my skull.

"Jane help."

I wanted to scream the words but they only came out as a whisper. I felt strong but my body was fighting me for every move. My brain was even quiet but the laughter was loud.

I forced one leg then the other. in a shambling walk to the door. Jane reached out and grabbed my hand.

"Come and dance with me my love. You know it's rude to turn a lady down."

Inventory I took her hand. we started to sway together slowly. Janes eyes met mine.

"Help me there is someone inside me."

I fought myself and pulled free from her embrace. My useless body hit the floor. I wasn't giving up yet. Pulling myself like I was doing  freestyle out of water. Arms circling over and over slowly gaining ground to the door.  My fingers scraped wall. With all my strength I stood up and reached for the handle. As soon as I touched it my mind exploded.

A vision tore into me like a lion tears at a dead  zebra. I saw this room but it was in the past. I saw a man and a woman. Stood inside a pentagram painted on the floor a candle on each of the stars points. They were chanting in a language I didn't know. The man pulled a large curved blade and sliced the woman's throat then his own.

My body staggered and I slumped onto the wall. The laughing in my head subsides and the voice comes back.

"You saw our past and the lies behind the bookcase.  You won't die if you give in to us. You will live forever without your bodies in this room.You will be happy together just give into us."

Anger filled me. I will not give into evil. The only way I can think to describe the noise that came from me was a raw. With the raw I found enough strength to move it wasn't easy but I managed to make it to the bedside lamp that was turned on. I grabbed the light bulb tight in my hand. The flesh on my palm was bubbling with blisters. The pain was something else. The voice in my head screamed.

"what are you doing noooo."

it's grip on me loosened and I stripped. standing in socks and boxer shorts I felt the thing leave me. I turned my attention to Jane who was screaming and running, at me. Now please don't judge me on my actions in this situation. I raised my elbow and it connected with her nose. The bridge split with a sickening crack. Jane's feet left the floor and she landed on her back. I didn't have time to be nice I dragged and ripped at her dress. All the time she was scratching and slapping me if my hands got close to her mouth she tried to bite. She was nearly out of the dress when her knee clocked me right on the shnoz.  I lost my balance and rolled to one side. luckily I kept my grip on the dress and the last bit tore away. Eager to be rid of the evil garment I tossed it across the room.Jane came to me puffing and panting.

"let's get a new room."

It was unbelievable to me how calm she seemed. we got dressed and went with our bags to reception.

"Hi we would like to change rooms please."

The receptionist looked at me with a look of horror.

"Oh my God sir are you guys ok."

"We will be a lot better with a different room."

"Ok not a problem if your sure what room are you in at the moment."

"Nine five one."

"That can't be right sir we only go up to nine fifty we don't have a nine five one."

"Ok well I might have been mistaken here is my key."

The receptionist took my key and all the colour drained from her face. She got up without another word and spoke to a man in a suit he gave her a dressing down and he came to me.

"Excuses me sir I'm really sorry about your experience we are upgrading you now to our best room and all your food and drink here is at no cost for your stay. The bus bell boy will be with you in a moment and we hope that you have a fantastic stay."

Exhausted I didnt ask questions and we went to the room.The rest of our holiday was amazing the whole experience brought us closer together than we have ever been.

Back home I made some changes and our lives were better than ever. It had only been a few months but life was pretty good the post came. Just one letter came it was from the hotel in las vagas. They were offering us another stay when we wanted free of charge. Im not sure if this is normal but they stated we would be in room nine five one.

the end