I used to work as a night clerk at a motel, I had to follow specific guidelines to ensure my safety. These are my stories [Part 3]

While the wanderers left me pretty spooked, Margo took it harder. That burn on her arm, well it never quite faded. Weeks, months later the burn radiated on like she had just gotten it. Margo couldn?t sleep at night. She?d wake in a cold sweat, heart racing. Swearing that someone was watching her from outside her window. Out there in the breezy desert nights. It all came to a crash one hot summer night.
Winter and spring flew by. As more people traveled the far highway 88, our customers became more frequent. Margo and I made a good tag team. She trusted me to do the right thing. And for her, I don?t think I could ever repay her for dragging me out when the wanderers circled me. Something in my stomach felt like I was at the end of my rope that night. As summer rounded in, the heat swelled to blistering temperatures during the day. Tempers flared around us. Couples fighting, shouting at one another in their rooms. All the countless times I had to go up to keep them from smashing anything in the room.
As I walked the floors, the zig zag carpets messing with my eyes. Room 47 kept passing me by. Like a hidden portal lost in the muck of the motel. Margo didn?t speak of it, and I learned not to ask. Margo would shut down at times, it became more apparent after the wanderer grabbed her. She?d stare out into the vast desert around us, only the light of the neon motel around her. Just staring. Like she was watching something, or something was watching her.
Wanderers came and went after my fateful encounter with them. Margo explained that she never seen that many at one time. We started thinking that it had to do something with me. Margo tried keeping an eye on me, I am forever grateful to her for that.
Well one night, I?m sitting at the desk flipping through an auto magazine. I was starting to have the feeling that I needed to leave this place. Something inside me wasn?t pulling me towards the motel any longer, I could feel it fading. The once powerful magnetic pull seemed to be switched off, I was feeling something different as the weeks went on. Like I wasn?t wanted here.
I noticed movement in the corner of my eyes. I slowly peered up from the magazine to see him standing there. The puppeteer standing tall, his long trench coat hanging down to his knees. I watched as he lightly tapped on the door as he does before entering. I put the magazine down and examined him as he walked in. Like a performer on stilts, his movements janky and uncoordinated. That pressure started rising in my head as it did every time he appeared.
He reached behind his back, I expected him to pull out another puppet. After the Henry doll that he showed me the first time he appeared. All the other dolls have been of random people. No one that I recognized that is. Well he pulled out a puppet and sat her firmly on the table. One that was unmistakable.
A perfect doll replica of Margo. Neat white hair atop her head in a tight bun. Thick ****** glasses. Her yellow polka dot dress she wore every Friday. I watched in amazement as the puppeteer slid his hand up her back.
The doll?s head turned towards me, it?s thick wooden lips drooping open. Margo?s voice spoke ?Hello Henry?.
I didn?t say a word. The puppeteer stared into me with his burning auburn eyes. The doll spoke again ?Come join us Henry?.
?What did you say?? I questioned, feeling an anger build up inside me.
?Join us Henry, come, join us? Margo spoke.
I stood up from the chair, months? worth of frustration built up inside me all from this thing. I slammed my fist onto the table, a thick vein sprouted against my brow.
The puppeteer stared me down like a great white shark, emotionless and deadly. ?Calm down son, sit back? the doll chimed.
I was seething at this point, I was face to face with the puppeteer. I could see his thin, translucent skin reflect the dim overhead lights. ?Why do you have her? I asked the puppeteer. Huffing and puffing.
A wicked smile drew across his face, something inside me made me feel like I had done something terribly wrong. The puppeteer let out a maniacal laugh, squeals and shrieks filling the air. It only made me angrier. I grabbed the doll and flung it out towards the door, the puppeteer howled on, doubling over in laughter. Slapping his knees and wiping tears from his eyes. I screamed at him ?Out!? my voice harsh and raspy. The puppeteer froze, his body stiffening, like someone hit the reset button. The dark, ominous presence cascading over again. Something didn?t feel right inside me. I watched as he took a step forward towards me. Towering over me, the puppeteer lunged forward with outstretched arms. His sharp teeth gnawing towards me.
The power in the motel blew out like a fiery surge. Surrounded by darkness, I felt a wave of wind blow past me. The power jolted back on in a split second. The puppeteer was gone. I was left standing by the door, waves of adrenaline surging through me. My heart was racing out of my chest. Shaking, I sat down at the desk. My fingers traced over the yellow stained paper Margo had given me so long back. I carefully read through the rules, where my mistake slammed into me like a freight train. 1: The puppeteer will come only at midnight, do not ask about his puppets and do as he says. I checked the clock, 12:32pm. Reading the last part, my heart sunk as I thought back to when he was here. I did ask him something. I asked him about the Margo doll.
Before I could react, the main phone rang. I watched as the little yellow light flashed. Staring at the phone, something in my gut told me not to answer it. I let it ring, feeling some relief wash over me as it stopped. A second later, it rang again. I let it ring once more. It ended then picked right back up. For hours the phone rang, yet something inside me was screaming at me to ignore it.
When an hour passed by, with the haunting ring of the phone blasting on, I finally caved in. ?Hello, front desk. How can I help you? I answered sarcastically.
"That?s no way to great a guest Henry, shame" Margo responded.
Shaken, I fumbled the words out ?Margo?" Was that you calling all this time?
?I?ve been trying to reach you for a minute now sir, I?m in room 47 and I can?t seem to work the TV. Would you mind coming in to help?? Margo responded.
Margo?s voice sounded different, more robotic. I hesitated on the phone. ?Margo why are you in room 47, you?re not supposed to be in there".
Margo's cheery voice sent a shiver down my spine ?Oh dearie but you booked me the room before, now please I want to keep watching my stories. Oh won?t you please help??.
?Sure, ugh, I?ll be right up? Swallowing the large thump in my throat.
?Thank you, son. Oh by the way Henry, you should follow more closely!" Margo hung up the phone with a frantic giggle.
I sat wide eyed, tears were bubbling in my eyes. I feverishly called Margo?s cell, each call went straight to voicemail. Rustling started coming from above me, thin flakes of plaster rained down upon me. The blowtorch sat under the desk ready to go. The motel was loud that night, there seemed to be more guests in the rooms than I had remembered. Lights flickered down the halls as I made my way to room 47. Out of the corner of my eyes I would catch a glimpse of a shadow walking. Outside each window a person stood staring at me. Watching me head towards the room. That sinking feeling in my stomach cascaded on, I felt like I was going to throw up.
As I stood in front of room 47, which was covered in dust and already smelling like rotten roadkill. I touched the door knob and to me despair it twisted right open. I held my breath and gripped the blowtorch tight, as Margo did once upon a time. The room was dark, particles of dust lingered in the air. I closed the door behind me, shutting me off from the noisy motel. I flicked on the blowtorch, sending a hot stream of blue flames into the air. That same ominous shadow drew on the wall before me. I held my phone flashlight up high, where I saw the same Margo doll from before laying on the bed.I carefully walked towards it, feeling the sweat racing down my brow. The doll laid flat on the bed, limps outstretched. The floor creaked under me and Margo doll shot straight up.
Startled, I nearly stumbled back. I rested my flashlight on the dresser and prepared the torch. The doll screeched as its wooden limbs came to life. It slowly rose on the bed, its ominous head turning to face me. The dry lump in my throat bulged tightly. I watched as the doll rose before me, rising higher in the air. I went to fire off the blowtorch, but nothing came. I tried, and tried again to light the blowtorch, as the Margo doll levitated before me. Whispers filled the air. My fingers nervously unable to light the torch. I fumbled with it where slipped from my fingers and rolled under the musty mattress. The whispering grew louder.
?Too late Henry? the Margo doll spoke in a deep, thunderous tone. It stood floating before me in the darkness. My eyes struggling to adjust in the dimness.
?Whose there? I questioned nervously. A figure emerged from behind the doll. The puppeteer revealed himself from the darkness, his hand up the back of the Margo doll. ?She?s one of us now? The puppeteer spoke in his deep, gravelly voice. The Margo doll nodded in agreement.
?No! Please, what have you done with her!? I begged, dropping to the floor.
The puppeteer seemed to grow the size of the room, his dark presence looming over me "We grow stronger Henry, come, take my hand?.
?Never!? I screamed, bolting for the door. It struggled to open it, the pressure was rising in my ears. The doll dropped to the floor, sounding like someone dropped a pile of logs. I screamed out for help, pounding on the door. My screams were cut short when the sounds of tiny footsteps came from within the darkness.
I pounded on the door as the footsteps carefully drew closer. With a final kick, I burst into the hall way. Flies and moths fluttered out from within the room. My ears were ringing, like someone fired a shotgun next to my head. I struggled to stand as I watched the door to room 47 slam close. Giggling coming from within the darkness. The pressure in my head began to drop, yet that sinking feeling in my stomach only seemed to fall further.
I raced to the front desk, passing by windows where wanderers stood outside, all following me. I grabbed my keys from my jacket and raced towards my car. The desert winds hit me like a cyclone. It felt like a tornado was blowing through. Under the light of one street lamp in the parking lot, my car sat planted. Wanderers, hundreds of them filled the parking lot. I raced through the crowd of motionless people towards my car. Silent lightning cracked overhead, a storm was brewing.
I got in my car, closing me in from the perilous winds. The wanderers surrounded my vehicle, pressing their bodies against it. They didn?t want me to leave. With fear and frustration coursing threw me, I had to get to Margo?s house somehow. I pressed on the gas and ran through the crows of wanderers without a second thought. Bodies sprawled across my windshield, flying off the car. Their bodies would let out a sickening crunch as I ran them over. I finally burst through the crowd, my car covered in light sprays of blood and headed down the dirt path towards Margo?s trailer. In the distance, where Margo?s trailer was parked. I could already make out the blue and red flashes of police and ambulances. My heart ached with a new-found pain I had not experienced since. I pressed on the gas and raced towards Margo, hoping it wasn?t too late.
Part 1: https://redd.it/gmy72b
Part 2: https://redd.it/gnl39r


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