Room No. 3

My father and my brother bought a small town hotel in the fall of 1996, which is where my story takes place.

One evening, while my mother and I were upstairs changing the sheets in four of the eight bedrooms, I experienced my first "encounter" with the paranormal. Mom went downstairs to grab the clean sheets from the dryer, so I was left upstairs alone. Many of the town's people informed us that the hotel was "haunted", but we never took it seriously, even when we were given specific instances where past owners have had strange experiences. Even so, I always made a point of bringing up my radio to listen to if I ever had to go upstairs for anything.

I had finished cleaning, vacuuming, etc. room No. 4, and was about to move onto room No. 5, when I noticed that I had left my dusting rag in one of the previous rooms. I went back to look for it and I found it in room No. 3, along with something I hadn't expected. The bed sheets that had just been freshly smoothed were clumped up into a ball in the middle of the bed, almost like someone had decided to jump up and down on the mattress. At first, I figured that mom had come back upstairs and when she went into room No. 3, she thought that the sheets on the bed hadn't been changed yet, and she was the one who pulled the bed covers off. I went into the hallway and yelled "Mom, I just finished room number three, the sheets are already changed". No response. I decided to remake the bed and go on with the rest of the rooms. Before going back downstairs, I made one final inspection of the rooms, just to see if I had forgotten to change a dirty ash try or something, and when I got to room No. 3, guess what I found waiting for me. Once again, the sheets had been messed up, and the pillows looked like they had been thrown across the room. I was getting angry, and out of my mouth came "What the hell do you think your doing?". As soon as I said it, I felt completely foolish; who was I talking to?! Mom was downstairs finishing the dishes, so I was the only one upstairs....... wasn't I? I tried to relax, there couldn't be anyone else here, so It must be the heating vent...... but the heating vent is across the room, under the dresser. That was it, I had to go downstairs, I was getting a little freaked out. I turned off the lights and headed for the stairs, completely forgetting the dirty sheets in the hall, along with all the cleaning supplies. I left room No. 3 messed up.

Just as we were about to leave to go home, mom discovered that I had left the sheets and stuff upstairs, and made me go up to get them. I flipped on every light as I went up the staircase; feeling the most afraid I've ever felt with adrenalin running through my whole body. At the top of the staircase, I was able to see the doors to all eight rooms, all dark, just as I had left them. I made my way through each room, looking for my rags and Windex, but was unable to find them anywhere. I was sure I left them in room No. 4, but just as I passed room No. 3, I spotted them on the bed, which had been freshly made. I know I hadn't gone back to make it up, and I definitely know my mother hadn't either; she was downstairs with me. My father was out of town working, and my brother was at home, so mom and I were the only ones at the hotel that evening.

I can't explain what took place that evening in room No. 3, but I can say it has never happened again, to me or my mother, or any other person I am aware of. All I know, is that when I go upstairs to help my mother change beds, I stay clear of room No. 3.