Episode 1: "The Haunted Motel Disaster"
The Road Trip Family –
---
Chapter 2: "Sleep Tight, We'll Never See You Again"
The Palmer family stood in the lobby of Sleepy Pines Motel, and it was everything they feared it would be. The faint smell of mothballs clung to the air, and the check-in counter was manned by an elderly man who looked like he'd seen a few too many horror movie marathons. His name tag read "Clarence," but it might as well have said "Not Going to Help You" for all the warmth he was radiating.
CLARENCE (grumbling, eyeing them with a slight frown): "You folks lookin' for a room, or just passin' through?"
GREG (smiling awkwardly): "A room, please. A good one, with, you know, no... ghosts, or weird smells."
Clarence eyed him like he was asking for the impossible.
CLARENCE (deadpan): "We got rooms. You sure you want one? Couldn't pay me enough to stay here."
LINDA (under her breath): "He's not wrong."
Maxie, who had been bouncing on the spot like a pinball, leaned over the counter and squinted at the key rack behind Clarence.
MAXIE (innocently): "Do you have any rooms with secret trap doors? Or, like, haunted elevators that go to the ghost floor?"
Clarence blinked slowly, then handed Greg a key with a flourish that almost looked like he was trying to make it more ominous than necessary.
CLARENCE (shrugging): "Room 13. It's got character."
Maxie grinned, pointing to the number on the key.
MAXIE (excited): "13?! That's the most haunted number, right?!"
GREG (forcing a smile): "It's... fine. It's just a number. We'll take it."
---
As they made their way to Room 13, Greg tried to be optimistic, even though his plans for the evening were rapidly deteriorating. Linda, on the other hand, was already planning her escape route in case things went south.
LINDA (muttering): "I'm pretty sure the only thing 'haunting' this place is the smell."
Maxie, still bouncing on his heels, skipped ahead of them.
MAXIE (grinning): "I bet Room 13 is where they keep all the missing socks. It's the Bermuda Triangle of laundry."
TESSA (checking her phone, bored): "And probably the Bermuda Triangle of cell service."
As they reached the room, the door creaked ominously. Maxie swung it open with way too much enthusiasm.
MAXIE (popping his head inside): "Hello, ghosts! It's me, your new best friend!"
He waited a full second before turning back to the family with a disappointed look.
MAXIE (frowning): "No ghosts. False advertising!"
GREG (forcing a grin): "Maybe they're just... on a break."
The family piled in, and the first thing they noticed was the wallpaper—an aggressive pattern of purple flowers that looked like it belonged in a grandmother's house circa 1972.
LINDA (frowning): "This place is a time capsule of terrible decisions."
Maxie didn't even notice the wallpaper as he immediately plopped himself down on the bed, which made a suspiciously loud squeak.
MAXIE (looking at the ceiling): "This place feels haunted... or maybe just... creaky."
TESSA (scrolling through her phone): "I'm getting no service here. It's like they went full 90s and forgot about 4G."
GREG (pointing to the TV): "Look, there's cable! Not the fancy kind, but cable!"
Maxie, still bouncing, leaned forward.
MAXIE (excited): "Does it have ghost channels?"
Greg gave him an exaggerated eye roll and plopped down on the other bed, rubbing his temples. Linda opened her suitcase and sighed, already thinking about tomorrow's drive.
LINDA (exasperated): "Tomorrow, we're going to a resort, Greg. I'm done with motels."
Just as Greg was about to respond, Maxie leaped from the bed, grabbing a dusty lamp from the nightstand and holding it up like a weapon.
MAXIE (serious): "I'm gonna fight the ghosts with this... it's my lucky lamp."
TESSA (smirking): "The ghosts are probably scared of your energetic personality more than anything else."
Maxie turned and stared at the window dramatically, like he was waiting for something to jump out at him.
MAXIE (whispering): "Ghosts hate energy... that's why they're all slow and spooky. I'm too fast for them. They can't catch me."
GREG (sighing): "Just... please don't break anything."
Linda went into the bathroom to escape the chaos for a minute, only to find that the light flickered and buzzed like a malfunctioning disco ball. She slapped the switch, and it went out completely.
LINDA (calling out): "Greg, the bathroom light is broken!"
Maxie, who had been halfway through pretending to box an invisible ghost, turned dramatically.
MAXIE (seriously): "I think the ghosts broke it. They're trying to mess with us."
Tessa, still glued to her phone, didn't even bother to look up.
TESSA (dryly): "Great. I'll post a picture of the haunted bathroom. Maybe the ghosts have Wi-Fi."
---
The night dragged on, and the family attempted to make the best of it. Greg and Linda lay down in their respective beds, not even pretending to get comfortable. Maxie, however, had already decided that the best course of action was to start an imaginary ghost-hunting expedition. He spent the next hour trying to convince everyone to help him "trap" the ghosts in his suitcase.
MAXIE (looking at Linda): "If we catch the ghosts, we can sell them on eBay as haunted collectibles!"
LINDA (deadpan): "That's... the best idea you've had all day."
GREG (groaning): "We need to sleep. No more ghost hunting."
But Maxie wasn't done yet. He grabbed a plastic cup from the bathroom and held it over his head.
MAXIE (yelling): "Ghosts, prepare to be captured by the mighty Maxie, Ghost Hunter Extraordinaire!"
The rest of the family groaned in unison, but Maxie's energy was unstoppable. And as the night went on, they couldn't help but laugh despite themselves.
LINDA (laughing): "You know, this might be the weirdest motel experience I've ever had."
GREG (chuckling): "Let's just get through the night. Tomorrow, we head for somewhere... better."
Maxie gave a thumbs up and then suddenly stopped, listening for something.
MAXIE (whispering): "Did you hear that? I think it's the ghosts!"
The family, already worn out, couldn't help but laugh at how clueless Maxie was... but also how much he somehow made the place bearable.
---