I could smell smoke from my place in the woods.  My eyes watered and I pressed my eyelids shut.  Suddenly, I heard a snapping of branches.  I heard footsteps.  ”Get up,” said a commanding voice.  I opened my eyes.  The ropes that bound me lay at my feet.  My savior was tall and wore a feed-sack over his head with eye holes.  There was a limo behind him.  ”Dude,” he said.  ”Let’s bail.”

I hopped in the shotgun seat.  The guy with the sack turned the key in the ignition and we rumbled out of the woods and into the city.

“Dude, who are you?” I asked, thoroughly puzzled.

“I’m the cousin you never had, yo.”

I looked out of the glass window and my eyes bulged in disbelief.  The hotel where I once worked, the life I once lived, the Winecoff, was aflame.  Flames crawled like groping arms out of the windows.  I saw something fly through the air. A black speck in the sky.  As I neared it, I could

Later that evening, I awoke to the sound of a man shouting, “I’ll get my revenge before the night is over!” I picked up the phone and called the front desk to complain. They apologized and promised to see that the noise was stopped. I sank back inot the pillows, thoroughly grateful the “revenge” could not set the place on fire. I was terrified of fire. Finally, I fell back asleep.

I awoke with a start. Dazed and confused, I heard screams and stumbling toward the door. “Ow!” the door was scorching! Indeed, a pink, angry burn was already forming. The “fireproof” hotel was on fire! I kept my head and looked around for a towel. I found a small towel in the bathroom and put it to my face. Pulling up the window was the work of but a moment. Stepping onto the tiny ledge, I shut the window, praying the smoke didn’t seep through the cracks. I didn’t dare breathe in that smoke. Doing so would prove fatal.

Bodies fell, nearly knocking me off the ledge. Should I jump? The Mortgage Guarantee’s window was so close I felt I could reach out and touch it. Maybe I should wait for a ladder. Should I jump? Surely a body would hit me and save me from the choice. All right, I thought. I’ll jump. I turned back to look through the window. My room was on fire! I jumped blindly, missing the window by several feet. I tensed, waiting for the impact. I heard shouts, then nothing.

“Ma’am? Are you all right?”

My eyelids fluttered then opened. A tall, thin firefighter stood over me. I stood up slowly and brushed myself off.

“You fainted of fright, ma’am. You weren’t hurt at all.”

“Thank you.”

“You were lucky you were on the second floor. Otherwise, you’d have gone through the net.”

“Thank you but I must go back in! I left my—”

“No; I’m afraid it’s a bit late. The building is engulfed in flame now.”

“But my locket!”

“You can replace a locket, ma’am, ” he said gently.

“No! You don’t understand! My dying mother gave me that locket!”

“Ma’am—” he began.

“Please,” I sobbed.

He patted my shoulder awkwardly. “I’m sorry. It’s too dangerous.” He led me to a cot and instructed me to lie down. I sat, waiting. I wondered if I would ever get my locket back.

After the fire, the firemen were sent to retrieve the victims and I was let in. I looked through the hollowed-out halls and walked into my room. “Is this what you’re looking for?” The tall fireman said, holding up a shining gold locket. I gasped. “My locket!” I took it gently and opened it. A picture of my mother rested inside. “Thank you! How could I ever repay you?”

“I know,” he said slyly. He took my hand. “Just help me figure out how this fire started. We’ll be partners. Meanwhile, why don’t you help me sift through some other ashes. Who knows what else we’ll find?”

Still fuming and with much hatred in his beady eyes, he reluctantly handed over the $2500. Maddox smiled. He looked at every person in the room in turn and said, “If anyone here tries to rat me out, I’ll shoot them so full of lead they’ll look like swiss cheese, got it?” the other gamblers nodded, though reluctantly. Maddox took the money and began to briskly walk out of the room. As he reached for the doorknob, Roy McCullogh lunged at the man. “I’ll get even before the night is over,” he yelled, rather loudly. Maddox scoffed. “Get lost, you lump-faced cretin.” Roy was slightly taken aback. His eyes glowed with malice the likes of which he had never accomplished prior to tonight. For that, he hocked a loogie on the shiny new bellhop uniform which Maddox wore. Maddox scowled and wiped it off. He strode out of the room like a wind and slammed the door shut.

Back at the lobby, Maddox was preparing to move a customer’s luggage up to the seventh floor. As he began rolling the cart toward the elevator, Len Harrison the desk manager approached him. “Mr. Maddox,” he called, Maddox turned and made an annoyed sigh, “What is it, Mr. Harrison?” Maddox said in a fairly crude imitation of Len. Len took no notice. “A couple in room 506 said they heard two men arguing.” Maddox sniffed, “So?” Len looked at him like he wanted to stab his pasty face with a red hot rusty carving knife. “Its quite an alarming conversation. ‘I’ll get my revenge before the night is over,’ is what the fellow said. Can you check it out?” Maddox’s heart skipped a beat. His face drained of color. “Y-yes, Mr. Harrison.” He walked away quickly, almost running. “Oh lord, what will I do?” he thought.

Len watched him curiously. Never before had Maddox lost his nerve. Len was thoroughly puzzled. However, he prided himself in being an amateur detective, he’d find out what was up with Maddox.

Maddox, meanwhile was fumbling up the stairs. He was in such a rush that he nearly slipped over some slippery liquid on the stairs. He  skidded a bit, but he kept running anyway. He kept on stumbling about, and at one point he tripped over a hose. The wire brush he carried made 32 neat little cuts on the hose. He got up and ran to room 506. He knocked on the door, hoping for no reply.

Len was going to follow Maddox, but he noticed the time was nearly midnight. Len began climbing the stairs, and on the third floor he discovered a long pod of slippery liquid. He was ticked. “I’ll get the janitors to mop it up in the morning.” He climbed the final flight and saw Maddox talking to the couple who complained. He also saw the trail that led to room 510 – Maddox’s room. He was majorly ticked now. He approached Maddox. “Maddox, go to bed.” The couple who he was speaking to went back into their rooms. As Maddox went into his chambers, Len walked all the way back down. On his way down, he noted the trail stretched all the way from room 320. he made a mental note to tell the janitors. He went and put himself to bed.

It was the last night Len Harrison would live through. He died asleep in his room on the south side. The fires that engulfed his skin with searing heat killed him as he slept. As his family would later recall, “He died as he would have wanted.” Some say that to this day, a spirit named Len goes around the hotel, pulling on construction workers’ measuring tapes.

“Yes taicho.”

—Time skip—

When I walked into the hotel I knew what Aizen-sama was talking about. Je was a vvery handsome man. He was very pale almost as pale as me. He had black hair that was slightly tussled. His eyes were wide and observing everyone and when he looked at me I busied myself fidgeting with my suit case. One he looked past me I resumed my watching him. His eyes were coal black, blacker than the night sky. He wore blue pants and a white shirt. He must have been around 12. Him! A detective. To begin my friend-making “sir” I called, catching his attention. “I’ve never been in Atlanta and my tour guide bailed on me so could you be mine?” I asked without my usual grin. He nodded. “Wow! Are you mute?” to my reply he said no. Wow! He talks.

—Time skip—

Finally I became his friend! He finally told me his name! it was time. The next morning I kidnapped L-san and put him in my room. No harm would come to him then. Then I waited. I wanted to go out with a bang. Late at night I set the fire. There. I left my mark. I jumped out of the window grabbing L on my way. I landed in the alley below. I took L out of the bag with my trademark smile. I whispered, “Me, you, Aizen-sama, and Losen-baka are all going to be buddies.”

It was a hot summer day when Mae first entered the hotel. The Juniper was nothing special. It had five floors and was entirely boring on the outside. The Juniper is the only hotel in Pebble stream, Connecticut.

Mae hesitated before she opened the door. She thought back to what everyone said when she told them about her new job. “Oh Mae, don’t put a foot in that building. It’s haunted my dear.” Her mother had said. Mae retorted with a simple, “I’ll put my feet where I want to put them.” When her father claimed that ghosts have killed the staff, Mae said, “Then I will kill the ghosts first.” Most people know that you can’t kill a ghost because well, they are already dead. Mae knew almost nothing about the afterlife. Her sister had pleaded her to find a different job, but Mae ignored the begging. Her brother, who isn’t that fond of Mae, told her to go ahead into the hotel and die.

Regardless of what her family had said, Mae opened the door and entered the hotel. The air conditioning felt good on her hot skin, and the food from the earlier breakfast had a delightful scent that was still in the air. Mae could only make out the smell of cinnamon buns and coffee, but she knew that there was another smell too, perhaps it was oatmeal.

“Ma’am, is there anything I can do for you?” A man behind the counter approached her. He was wearing a fancy tuxedo with a red bowtie

“I am the new maid, Mae Wilkins.” She said. The man introduced himself as Ronald Hort, hotel manger. He showed her to the bellhop, Marty. Marty was to show her around the hotel.

Marty had think blond hair and tanned skin. He had dark brown eyes and perfect white teeth. Mae thought that he was the best living creature that you could possibly lay eyes on. She assumed he thought the same about her because he offered to help her out, even though he had tons of work to do. When he finished the tour, Mae found herself so completely in love with him that she could not bear to say goodbye. She wanted to be able to stare at him all day, and dream about him all night.

Marty said goodbye, and went to help a middle aged woman with her baggage up the stairs. As Mae pulled out the vacuum cleaner out of the maid’s closet, she found herself talking to herself about Marty.

“He really is quite lovely.  I think he loves me. Mae had just mumbled things like this throughout her entire morning of cleaning. It had made time go by so fast that at first she didn’t realize Marty standing in the doorway.

“Lunch break,” he said. “Umm…did you hear all those things that I said?” asked Mae feeling her cheeks turn red of embarrassment. He nodded yes. Then, Marty did the strangest thing. He said, “Do you want to get a cheeseburger and Burger King?”

Mae was confused. Is this a date? Is this for work? What is going on? She thought to herself as she grabbed her false leather pocketbook and went out the door with Marty. The Burger King is on the same street as the Juniper, so it didn’t take long to get there. Marty held the door for her and he offered to pay for the two meals. Mae didn’t know if she should be flattered, or not.

Since Mae had never asked someone out, or been on a date, or even had any experience with romance at all, she didn’t know how to act or what to say. When Marty sat down, she just blurted it out, “Do you like me? I mean love?” Marty gave a look of shear surprise. He had little experience with romance, but he was sure that no person will ever ask him the same question, and said in the same way.

“Yes,” was all he replied with. Then he went into a brief history of the museum fire and why people think it is haunted. The fire starter remains unknown. At the end of his report, he told Mae that his grandfather kept a journal during the year of the fire. Mae was curious because she somehow had never heard of the fire. Marty checked his watch.

“We better be going back now or Mr. Hort will be mad.” Marty began to stand up. Mae threw out her leftover fries. The couple walked back to the hotel hand-in-hand.

Mae just finished cleaning all the rooms on the fourth level. She was in somewhat of a bad mood because a two year old in room 112 scribbled on the walls and Mae had to scrub it all off. She headed into the staff elevator with her vacuum and dusters. Then, Mae remembered that Marty’s room was on the fifth floor. She was excited to see his stuff. Mae had a good heart, but she could be a bit nosy. Sometimes her nosiness was hard to control. Soon the elevator door clicked open.  She walked up to Marty’s door and unlocked it with her special key that unlocks all the doors. Mae’s pearl necklace was irritating the skin on her neck, so she placed it on the dresser. She made a mental note to pick it up after she cleaned Marty’s room.  Mae noticed a notebook behind a picture frame. It was an old picture of a man who looked somewhat like Marty in a bellhop uniform. This must have been his grandfather from the fire! Mae picked up the notebook and skidded to a part labeled: THE FIRE.

It was mainly about the terror and what he felt, but there was a more interesting part too. It said that he was the one who started the fire! Here’s what happened:

He, whose name was Gordon, had won a game of poker. One of the other men who played was Roy McCullough. Roy was angered that someone even dared to try to beat him, so when Gordon won, he blew his top. Gordon thought it was wrong to be mad at someone for winning, so he worked out a plan. Gordon got gasoline that was stolen from a nearby gas station. He piled it all over the 4^th floor, where McCullough was staying. McCullough died, along with 119 other people! The journal also said that all of Gordon’s family is murderers, including Marty!

Mae piled her things and ran out of the room, leaving her pearl necklace. That evening, Marty approached Mae with her necklace.

“You left this in my room, um; the note book was left open. Did you read it?” He said as he handed her the necklace. There was an awkward look on his face that Mae had trouble reading. She couldn’t understand if she should go ahead and tell him the truth, or lie. She decided to tell the truth, after all, it would be rude to lie to you loved ones. Unfortunately, when she answered with the truth, Marty was outraged.

“Don’t you know that whoever knows our family secret must DIE?!?!?” Marty snapped at her grabbing Mae by her stained with shirt collar. Mae shook her head no. Marty told what she must do to die. He told her to meet him at midnight over the Winter Waters Bridge. Mae nodded. She was terrified. Then, she realized something important: Her true love is a killer. That means that it wouldn’t be right to love him anymore.

As you can imagine, Mae is going through a lot of pressure, more pressure than any other time in her life. Since she has never had the same amount of pressure, she did not know how to cope with it. Mae decided that there was only one way to deal with it.

Mae chewed her cheek the rest of the day because she was so nervous. She avoided Marty the rest of the day so he wouldn’t try to kill her early.

At 11:00 p.m. Mae walked out to Winter Waters Bridge. It is called “Winter Waters” because the water is so cold that you will freeze to death. It took Mae thirty minutes to walk out to the bridge. She held two things in her hand, one was a note, and the other was her pearl necklace. When Mae arrived at the bridge, she put out the note on the rusty railings then, with her hands trembling like she was freezing even though it was 74 degrees outside, she unhooked her necklace. She hung that next to her note. Then, at exactly 11:42, Mabel Harriet Wilkins commits suicide on Winter Waters Bridge.

Later, at 12:00, Marty arrived, and much to his disappointment, Mae was not there, only a necklace and a note that read:

To My Dearest Marty,

I will be waiting.

Love,

Mabel H. Wilkins

Marty quit his job at the hotel and went into hiding before anyone even found out about Mae’s suicide. He is said to be living in the country part of a state in New England. No one knows exactly what state though. As for Mae, people say that she haunts the hotel looking for Marty. People have seen her as a ghost roaming the halls of the Juniper calling Marty’s name…

“Oh! Yes I am sorry!” piped Alice.

“Anyway, you are scheduled to fly over to Atlanta, Georgia for a case. It’s not that big you’ll be out in no time a man has needed a lawyer for this, kidnappers have stolen his fiancé and he needs you. It is a two day trip and I have already booked your hotel, it’s the Winecoff. It’s fireproof, and  luxurious. Simply nothing can go wrong.

“Alright, when do I fly out?”

“ Tomorrow.”

“Bye!”

Alice Kaln was a 25 year old woman who was a lawyer. She had a stepbrother who was close to her before helping her with the stress in her life and she loved him very much but he died of a heart attack. Alice didn‘t know but her step brother was only nice to her because she was rich and he wanted to be wealthy like her. Her stepbrother’s name was John, John Pellistein. He was a little touchy, well maybe a lot, but she didn’t care; she loved him too much to mind. Alice was a wealthy person, but she wasn’t selfish at all. She didn’t mind if she got the wrong order of food and she didn’t go to the spa every single day. She got the money from her job and she was proud that she was smart and grateful enough to have all that she had.

***

“Welcome to the Winecoff” said the bellhop. “How may I help you?”

“I am reserved under the name Kaln.” Said Alice. Alice kept on turning her head to different places in the hotel because she had never been to Georgia. Alice lived in Alabama and only had gone to three other states; South Carolina, Texas, and California.

“Miss? Are you okay?”

“Of course! I am just soaking all of Georgia in, I have never been here.” Said Alice. “Wait, you look like my stepbrother…oh my you also look a little white are you okay?” Said Alice confused. Seconds passed by, his mouth was open.

“Hey! You! Why are you talking to a wall?” said a elderly man at the table sitting on a brown chair reading The New York Times.

“What? No I am not!” snapped Alice “See there is a person right there!” Alice pointed to a wall. “Huh?” she thought to herself. A man opened the door to the left of her and walked behind the counter.

“Can I do something for you?” said the man.

“Uh…oh! I need my key!” A few minutes later she was lying on her bed on the eighth level facing Peachtree street. “I almost lost it there, gosh. I really thought  he was there!” Alice was to tired to think about that so she started thinking about what to say for the case that she was going to the next day.

Soon after, Alice fell asleep on her bed and started to smell a faint smell of smoke. She woke up and sat up, wondering why she was smelling the gassy smoke. She realized it was a fire smoke! Alice was so mad! Her boss said the hotel was fireproof! Alice was more angry at her agent though. He said nothing would go wrong. Well because of the fire, she had to miss her case! Oh she was so mad! Alice made a quick call to her agent that the fire happened and she was more mad at him then her stepbrother’s death. Meanwhile Alice was trying to figure out how to get out safely and quickly.

Here’s the story:

Alice’s stepbrother turned into a ghost after he died and this was the time for him to get wealthy even though he was dead. So he got 4 gallons of petroleum, and poured it in a big pile on the fifteenth floor so it would burn the whole building. But luckily, John the stepbrother wasn’t very smart and most people escaped including Alice…

After Alice knew what she was going to do she got to work. Alice pulled out the quilt and sheets of the bed, holding her breath she forced herself to open her window. Smoke swirled around her. Alice was coughing and trying to get her breath as she tied one end of the quilt on the window handle and then one on the other side of the quilt she tied the sheet. Alice worked quickly she because could feel the smoke coming closer and closer, finally she tossed the blanket ladder out the window. It was close enough to the firemen’s ladder! She hesitated, possibly she couldn’t survive. Alice was weak because half of her body was still asleep. She knew she had to climb out. Then a sudden urge just made her grab on to the quilt outside. The rest of her body flew out with her and just as she started climbing down the fire was coming in her room. A quirky feeling filled her body as fire glowed in her eyes; she had never felt that scared.

“Ouch!” screeched Alice. Blazing hot glass burned her calf on Alice’s leg, but at least she was close to the ladder. She looked at where there was a knot holding her up in the two blankets. Alice was close to the end of the two but realized it was a good three feet in between the two ladders. It was a matter of life and death for Alice Kaln. If she jumped she could miss the ladder and die but it she got the blankets to match up about the same place the she could live and both ways it was difficult for her to jump because her burned leg. But Alice was afraid, the actual fire was terrifying but she had never jumped more than a foot she was more falling than jumping. Alice jumped a few moments of fighting with herself she jumped. Wobbling to get her balance she could barley walk on her burned leg,  her ankle of that leg was bleeding blood as dark as red ripe cherry. Alice got down safe and shivering she had a trip to the hospital finding out she had a broken ankle was not that bad, well compared to dying. Alice was more pissed off her agent said that nothing would go wrong well because of the fire she had have to miss her case! Oh she was so mad! Alice made a quick call to her agent she said a fire happened and she was more pissed off than him also she couldn’t make it to the case. Alice got back to her room on a wheelchair and got in her bed when she saw a note it read:

Dear, Alice

I am your stepbrother. I am a ghost. I want you ,so I set the hotel

On fire to get you. I want your money, and by the way I hate you.

I don’t feel guilty but I’ll get you, I’ll get you good!

I still hate you

-John

Alice freaked when she saw the note, for a while she thought someone was pulling her leg but she realized her brother always came over and stayed by her valubles. Alice still wondered how he would set the hotel on fire, Luckily Alice belived in ghosts so she was more convinced it was her step brother than any one else. Alice thought it over and stayed calm she quickly called the police they came over she told them the story and they did not belive her. Alice never gave up though so she through the phone book while the police discused the evidence they had, and so far to them it was the most convincing theory. Alice called ghost hunters to come. After 40 minutes of Alice fliping out they came. The police, Alice, and the ghost hunters rode together in a cab to the hotel. The police found Alice was correct. The ghost could not be pnished because, well he was dead and Alice after all got to make it to the case: they made a cancleation to find a lawyer but Alice called back and said she could make it. Alice got rewared with one thousand dollars and the step brother got even more mad so the ghost stuck around at the hotel trying to steal people’s money to this very day. But this one, it says that if you stay in the room Alice was you smell a faint smell of smoke and the blanket ladder pops up sometime in places of the room.