Chequered Nettle

It's the scariest thing in the world. Those who are so brutally forced to go through with it come back with scary tales of what they saw during that secret hour when the silence is deafening and the loneliness is overpowering. It's evil, that hour, pure evil! What is it? You may ask. The most horrible thing, the most evil goosebumps inducing thing in the planet is working the graveyard shift at Delane.

I once heard that a girl went in at eleven at night, and by four in the morning they found her curled up in a ball in one of the closets! All her chestnut hair had turned white from the fear of what she encountered there! Now here I was, ready to suffer the same fate as that poor girl.

Oh cruel fate how've you done me in today!

I thought that Sue would understand. It was my birthday after all! Who doesn't drink on their twenty first birthday! It's not like I was irresponsible about it! Kara was there, but Sue didn't do anything about that. No, she only focused on the fact that me Cristy, Lisa, and Kat drank wildly on a work night. Kara got off with not as much as a warning. Sue was so out of line on that one!

So I fretted going down to the reception's desk. If I did, I would have to start that forsaken shift. Kara was down there too. She was taking over for Kat, who had severe alcohol poisoning. She had her stomach pumped twice! I new that Kara would make fun of me for mixing drinks last night. I already knew that beer and hard liquor just didn't mix, but I just couldn't resist that birthday martini. I guess I should've been stronger, then I wouldn't be stuck in this situation.

Sighing, I decided I had to face the consequences eventually. Almost as soon as I was within eye sight, Kara began grinning like a fool. Stupid, stupid Kara. She always got so smug when she knew things I didn't. In this case, most of last night, which remained nothing but a blur to me. "Just get it over with!" I demanded when I was behind the desk. Her grin grew into a sadistic smile.

"You look in the mirror today?" she asked running her time sheet in between her fingers. I wished she would just clock out already. I didn't want to know what I did last night, but I knew Kara wouldn't have it.

"Um." I muttered. I woke up late in the afternoon, I thought I had missed my job so I rushed through everything. I didn't check in the mirror. "No."

Kara smiled as she pulled out a compact from her pocket. She never carried a purse. Instead she never carried anything but a few dollars in change in her pockets. Kara must have known that I would be rushing today. Then again, I seem to do that often. Once I got ready for school and rushed outside before remembering that I didn't go to school anymore. . . God, I miss those good old days when you could party every weekend and all you had to worry about was whether you were pregnant or not.

"Are you just going to stand there? Or. . . " Kara asked still holding on to the compact. I didn't even realize had dozed off. That happens a lot too.

Finally back at Delane, I quickly took the compact and opened it. Very cautiously, I brought the mirror to my face. I was surprised I didn't see scribbles of penises or something like that all over my face. Instead, I saw a huge purple bruise right on my eye. I had a black eye! "Oh my god!" I screamed in panic. "What happened!" I looked to Kara for an answer.

"You ran into a doorknob." She replied with a huge grin on her face. She was holding back a laugh. That wasn't good. I knew she was holding back her laughter for the end, which meant. . . . There was more. "After. . " she continued. "we were kicked out because you refused to get off the table and kept trying to fondle bouncer."

"Oh god!" I shrieked in horror. "That's the third worst thing I've ever done!"

"Yep." was all Kara could say as she looked down on her time sheet. How could she remain so calmly! This was horrible!

"How could've I done that?" I said to myself. I've only ever fondled two people in my life. And one of them later became boyfriend! I wish Cristy, Kat, and Lisa were also too drunk to remember last night. "I've done the worst Kara! I've compromised my integrity! My dignity! My, my, -"

"Yeeeahhh, you deal with that. I'm gonna head out now, so. . . " Kara said as she timed out. "see ya." she smiled as she put her time card in it's respective slot. With a wave, she was gone. I watched her go.

Kara was so pretty. I loved how tangly her hair was. When she had it down, it looked like a copper mess. Too bad she always kept it in that stupid ugly pony tail. My hair was unbelievably straight and boring.

I was super short, unlike Kara. It was those damn legs. I loved them like they were my own! She fit so perfectly into dresses with those legs, she could wear something short and show a lot of leg. I chose her to make most of my clothing for. It helped that she filled in shirts pretty good too.

Not only that. Kara was super fit! She went to the gym every other morning for two and a half hours! Every inch of her body was so tight. No loose skin anywhere! That was such an amazing feat with the past she's had. Every time I saw her, I would always say to remind myself to go to the gym with her the next day, but she goes so early it's crazy. If getting rid of my flabby fat meant getting up so early, I'd rather keep it.

Yes, Kara was pretty. I'm sure with a little makeup she'll look absolutely stunning. Like a whole different person. See Kara had one of those faces where depending on what, and how much make up you were you could change into a completely different person. I wish I had a face like hers. Whenever I went for that classic film noir look, I always looked like a man. Kara could dress in any look and make it work!

She just had one of those faces. One that you could style any way and it would still look good. The perfect face of a model. If Kara was a model, that'd be the best thing. She could be the model, and I could make her clothes! It's perfect. Except for one thing: Kara's nasty personality.

Kara was fine when she was with me, or any of the other girls at Delane. But as soon as a boy came up to her she changed completely. It was like she wasn't even herself. The atmosphere got dark, and the air got thicker. Everyone around can feel the change but the unlucky fellow.

I've known her for so long, and I knew that she wasn't always that way. I figured she must have had a bad relationship that she didn't tell me about. Still, I'm sure it wasn't that bad as to go completely anti man. I'm sure there that one guy out there that isn't a jerk. And when I do find him, I ain't sharing him with the rest of the female population. . . . maybe Kara being so anti man wasn't a bad thing after all.

The graveyard shift was lonely. There was hardly anything interesting to think about now that Kara was good and gone. Out of sight, out of mind that's my motto. Thinking and me didn't mix well according to Sue. There was hardly any people who came this late, but Sue prided herself in always had her doors open at all times. Soon even the employees began to dissipate and I was the only person in the lobby. At times like this, a television would be nice.

About two in the morning, I found myself dozing off. There was no one around, and all my McGregor cookies were gone, so I figured I could fall asleep and then someone would eventually wake me up later. Probably Kara coming down for her morning routine. I knew she would wake me up since she knew if Sue found me she'd punish me, and Kara wouldn't like that. She would scold me as she woke me up, but she would keep me from getting caught. It would be no problem at all, so I decided to fall asleep and wait for Kara.

I had just closed my eyes. My head had just hit the counter when I heard the roar of motorcycle pulling up outside. I peeked at the great grand father clock nearby and gaped as it read three o' clock in the morning. I gasped in horror suddenly not sleepy anymore.

Three 'o clock; it was the time when all the scary shit happened in all the movies, like when the ghosts came out! Then there were all those horrifying stories about the strange events of the evil graveyard shift.

I trembled behind the counter as I heard abnormally heavy steps walking up the side of Delane. I silently pleaded to god to spare me. To keep the evil demon away! Just as I heard the footsteps get closer to the entered the doorway I ducked down behind the counter. I bargained with god, pleaded with him that if he spared me, I wouldn't sleep on the job anymore.

It was a fair deal right? Even as I thought that the footsteps stepped into the hardwood floor of the mansion. I clutched at my throat before reminding myself to buy a crucifix if I got to live past this night. They got closer and closer to the desk. With each step, I flinched. It was a ghost, a reaper, something else.

What was this that had come so late to claim my soul!

I heard those heavy footsteps come closer and closer until I thought they were just going to bypass the counter and just come straight to me! Then they stopped, and I couldn't breathe. If I couldn't hear it anymore, did that mean it was gone?

Ding the death bell on the desk chimed. What could I do? If I got up, I could possibly stare down the empty holes of a ghost's eyes. Or worse, it could be Sue coming to scold me for falling asleep. Ding it chimed again. I had to face it. I had to. If it were Kara, she would face it with a glare. I had to be strong like her.

Slowly, I peeked over the top of the counter. The first thing I saw were the painted black fingernails of someone's hand covered over the desk bell. I told myself to be brave as I peeked at this stranger still hidden behind the safety of the counter. All courage seemed to be drained by what I saw before me. It wasn't a ghost, but death itself had come to take me to hell!

Death wore a long black leather coat, heavy motorcycle boots, and took the shape of a middle aged man. There were chains strapped on to his belt and he wore chaps. Chaps!! His hair was long and black and he wore a dark cowboy hat over his head. His face partly hidden by his hat so I couldn't see his eyes. This person, it could only be death come to take my soul in his bike from hell! I couldn't scream. All I could do was stare - my face still hidden behind the desk - at the reaper and wait.

"How much?" death spoke. His voice so gnarly and raspy it sent shivers down my spine. Was. . . was he trying to buy my soul! I wouldn't sell it, not for anything!

"For, for, for, for what?" I stuttered even though I already knew the answer. If a reaper wanted my soul, what could I do to keep him from it? Wasn't there like some kind a rules he had to follow that prevented him for doing so? I had to find a loop hole!

"This is a motel right?" he said flipping one of the many announcements on the counter. Motel, open 24/7 it read.

A guest? . . . A guest!

"Oh thank god!" I sighed relieved. My soul was mine tonight. "It's $75 a night for one of the normal rooms and $125 for one of the suites." I smiled.

"Give me a suite." he said slowly. I smiled by force. There was something odd about this man, and it wasn't just the way he was dressed.

"Alright, can I have a name?" I asked per Sue's regulations. However, when I asked he remained silent.

". . .Ian. . ." he said slowly. I typed the name down in the computer, then waited expectantly for his last name. He never said it. Instead he just waited as if just a first name was good enough.

"Last name?. . " I reminded him. Once again there was an uncomfortable silence. I tried not to look at him during that time. I caught him looking around the room though.

"McGregor," He uttered lowly. I froze. That was the name of the cookies I was eating earlier! The wrapper was very visible to guests in the trash bin next to the desk. Who was this man really?! Who used a fake name! . .

A serial killer!

"Alright then." I said nervously; my voice unnaturally high in pitch. "C,cash, or cre,credi-"

"Cash." he cut me off before I even finished. He pulled out a wallet from his pocket and pulled out a couple hundred for the deposit. "Can I make have any special requests?"

"S,sure." I said meekly trying to figure out whether Kara would hear me scream all the way from down here. Kara would save me! I know she would. 'Ian' gave me the deposit and I stored it away in the register, underneath the tray, just in case the police was looking for marked bills.

"I want no one to disturb me during the daylight hours. Please clean my room, only at night, when I won't be there. I am, a night person you see." he instructed. I nodded, adding the notes in his file.

"Here's your key." I said handing him the card. Sue had just installed key card readers in all the rooms. "Your room is number 44 on the third floor, all the way to the right." I told him. He looked at the card in his hands, then he looked straight at me for a long and uncomfortable moment. His eyes were pitch black! Suddenly he turned on his heel and left without a word.

God, I hope he didn't just pick me as his new victim!