Budget Inn

We picked this hotel because it was cheap and my boyfriend had a three-day job less than a mile away. The room was tiny, but that was fine. Some things weren’t a problem for us: there was no coffee maker, but I bought coffee nearby; I didn’t need the hair dryer or a Do Not Disturb sign; and the two small bedside tables worked well, even though there weren’t any big tables. The closet looked like a punishment corner, which I found funny. The room had an ice bucket but no ice machine. A guest next door told me the soda machine takes your money and doesn’t work. Two outlets were dead, the hotel phone didn’t work, and cable kept cutting out, though there was a storm that night. The sheets and towels were stained, but clean. The room’s chain lock had a bottom screw partly coming out, but I didn’t need it. The shower took 45 minutes to warm up and stayed warm for only 5 to 7 minutes. The air conditioner got very cold, which I liked, but the heat never worked. The bathroom window wouldn’t open because it was painted shut. The entrance and exit are on a hill where it’s dangerous to pull out because you can’t see oncoming traffic. Honestly, the place looks like a scary movie set. At 03:07 A.M. I woke up for no clear reason and heard a phone notification. As soon as I opened my eyes, there were three knocks on the door, then someone softly said my name. I waited to see if it was my boyfriend, but nobody answered. I checked my phone and there was no notification. I got a cigarette and opened the door, but nobody was there. At 03:30 A.M. I heard faint tapping on the door. At 03:55 A.M. I heard the door to the room on the right open, even though that room was empty. At 04:05 A.M. the TV remote was lying less than a foot away, and I heard tapping on it, like a finger drumming. Then the toilet flushed on its own. I felt some kind of presence during my stay, and those things convinced me the place is haunted.