Tonia arrived to the hostel late at night and got a room. However, when she saw it, she thought it looked more like a prison-cell than anything else. She said so to the owner who confirmed the hostel had indeed, at one point, been a prison.
“Hope you like your night being locked up, because I really do lock all the cell-doors at 11 o’clock at night. I do that, because I’ve had trouble with guests harassing each other in the past. There is however a toilet in there, should you need it, and a TV-set. Dinner is still being served in the dining-room downstairs.”
Tonia thanked the owner and when down. When she entered, there weren’t many people there. “Now, that’s strange,” she thought. “It’s the busiest time of the year! This place shouldn’t have any vacancies at all, and yet I had plenty of rooms to choose from, and the dining-room isn’t even half-filled. Something’s not right about this place, I can feel it! I’m checking out tomorrow, whether I can find another hostel or not, that’s for sure!” Having come that far in her train of thought she suddenly became convinced she could feel a very cold wind gently blowing through the room, and the sound of heavy chains being dragged across the floor.
“Hm!” she thought and shrugged. “This place really seems to kick my imagination into over-drive. It sure gives me the creeps!”
That was something she normally would never in a million years admit to. If asked, Tonia would always deny being scared of anything. In fact, she sometimes even bragged about being more fearless than most guys. Not tonight, though.
She finished her meal as quickly as possible, and went back upstairs, where she spent the hour or so remaining until 11 watching TV, with the rest of the guests.
On the hour, the owner came and ushered everyone into their cells. Tonia could hear him lock all the doors, and go back downstairs. She turned on the TV in the room, and lay in her bed watching it until she almost fell asleep. Then she turned it, and the lights, off and fell asleep.
At some point during the night, she dreamt about a man. He looked about 30, and was walking around, restlessly, moaning all the time. She could see and hear him, but he didn’t seem to be able to see or hear her. At least, she thought he couldn’t, until he accidentally bumped into her bed.
“Who are you and what are you doing in my cell?” he asked.
“My name is Tonia,” she introduced herself, “and I am sleeping here for the night. I’ll be out of here by the morning. I could ask you the same thing, by the way.”
“My name is Andy, and I can’t leave this cell!” the man said with a blood-chilling moan. “It’s been mine for the past 200 years, and I’m getting sick of it! To top it all off, I have to wear these chains, until someone is brave, or stupid, enough to take them off! Many a brave man has tried, but they have all failed.” He held out his shackled hands, and Tonia could see he had heavy chains around his ankles too.
Against her will, Tonia started feeling sorry for the man.
“Poor you!” she said. “What did you do, to end up here?”
“I murdered an entire family.” he calmly replied. “For that, I am condemned to remain in this cell. For all eternity, it seems. And I’m so very, very tired.”
Tonia thought about it for a minute. “As I’m only dreaming this, there’s no harm in switching places with him. Just o se what will happen. I’ll be free, as soon as I wake up, anyway.”
“OK,” she bravely said out loud, “tell you what. I’ll switch places with you for a while, so you can have a rest. How does that sound?”
“Oh, will you?” Andy said, with a genuine smile. “Hold out your hands. If you are sincere, I will be able to take these chains off, and put them on you. If not, well then, there’s nothing to be done about it. Is there? I’ll just have to remain here until the next one, who thinks he or she is brave enough to try, comes along. At least I know I’ll have the pleasure of your company, for a while.”
Tonia did as he told her, and to her utter amazement, the chains disappeared from his wrists and ankles, and reappeared on hers.
“Finally,” Andy sighed, “I can get the rest I’ve longed for, for so long.” And with a “POOF”, he was gone.
Tonia sat down on the bed. “So, all I have to do now is wake up, and these chains will be gone.”She tried pinching and slapping herself to wake up. It wasn’t until she realized it hurt, she understood she was awake, and had been all along. She tried reaching the door, but couldn’t. Something made her fingers go right through the door-handle.
She panicked! “How can this be? I’ve become a ghost! And I don’t even believe in ghosts!” she thought.
Ever since then, there is a story about a young woman haunting one of the cells in the hostel. She scared people away, so the management finally decided not to let anyone use it anymore.