“Mrs. Hartman”

A ghost in my hotel Room?

Last night I found out that the Inn where I am staying has a Wi-Fi connection, so I came into the parlor with my laptop and ordered a glass of wine and checked my email. The waitresses were closing down the dining room and one of the girls told me about a ghost they have here named Mrs. Hartman. They say she was a frequent guest and really enjoyed staying here. She supposedly had a big sense of humor and the Inn’s staff believe that it is she who is turning off lights and doing the usual ghost stuff.

I returned to my room after retrieving my email, and settled down to read in bed. After five minutes or so, I began thinking about the stories the girls had told me. At that moment, a light over the adjacent twin bed went out. I paid no attention (or at least pretended not to…)
I continued reading. A few minutes later, the light came back on. I laughed to myself and put down my book. It was time to go to bed….

Tonight, when I returned to my room from dinner, the lights were on in the room. I remember thinking that I did not leave them on when I left. I closed the door, took two steps into the center of the room and the lights suddenly went off. The unexpected surprise gave me a bit of a start and mild panic took ahold as I grasped for the door to open it and allow enough light to come in so that I could find the light switch to turn the light back on. The door was locked and I could not open it. I was in total darkness and my panic level started to rise in a playful way – as it does when you are ascending from a dark basement and you all of a sudden wonder if someone or something is going to grab you and pull you back down into the depths of the darkness.

All of this is happening within a split second’s time: I quickly searched for a light switch on the wall. I found it and clicked it. Nothing. I turned around and could make out the lamp in the darkness; I stumbled over to it and with a major sense of urgency and no fear of accidental electrocution, I clicked it until the light came back on.

That was a bit much to handle at that moment, so here I am in the main building – in the parlor checking my email. I am peering out the window at my building across the way – to see whether or not the lights are on (I left them on when I exited the room.)

I really don’t care to know at this point.

There are occasional noises coming from the kitchen. I do not know if it is someone working in there or what.

I really don’t care to know that either.

It’s deadly quiet in here and when those lights go off again, I’m gonna piss in my pants.

Good night.