Motel Halloween

This is my

Halloween Story Contest 2022

adventure. 64,000 words to properly tell this tale of love. It takes place over several years between people with talent that have high, lows, and a few laughs. Everyone having sex is at least 18. This is a work of fiction; I made it all up. Check reality at the door and enjoy it for what it is, a fun story. Special thanks to rancher46 and RF-Fast for editing my story and improving it. No story of mine is perfect, but rest assured, it would be a whole lot worse without these two cleaning up after me.

*****

Chapter 1 -- The Invitation

"Charlie! You got mail," yelled my three-minute older sister Amanda.

This has been a common occurrence recently as I sent many resumes to prospective employers over the four months. I graduated over four months ago and am still looking for a decent job. I partied a lot in college but still got excellent grades. My problem is that I want to be a video game illustrator. I don't want to write the games; I want to do the artwork for the games. That's a hard industry to break into.

I may have to work on user interfaces or drawings for printing companies or authors. I have had some offers for less pay than I would like and not for the type of work I would like. They're better than nothing, but I hope to do better.

I run down the stairs, past my sister and her friends, and grab my mail. I quickly open the letter, hoping it isn't a rejection. Oh wait, this is something different; it's a letter from a college buddy. I sit down on the stairs to read my letter. OK, let me try this again. I TRIED to sit down in peace and read my letter.

Jenna, the smart-ass friend of my sister, says to me, "Another rejection letter? Loser can't get a job?"

Kate, the cute friend, is friendly, "Jenna, don't be mean to Charlie. He's breaking into a tough field. I've seen you draw, and my baby sister does better."

Amanda laughs, "Sorry, Jenna, you have no artistic ability. We still love you, in any case. What's the verdict, Charlie? Did you get a job offer?"

I'm still re-reading the letter to make sure I understand, "Um. Uh. It's... it's not about a job. This is from a friend from college, Stan. His family has money. He's restoring an old motel as a theme motel. He wants some last-minute help to get going. He wants as many friends and me as I can get to go out there, help set up, attend a party on Halloween night, and then he will open November 1st for the Christmas season. It will have a 1960's theme."

Amanda responds, "That's kind of cool. Where is it?"

I look, "It looks like it's south of here, about ninety minutes south of Los Angeles, a place called Agra. Oh, beachfront property. The place must have cost a mint. It sounds like fun. I think I might do that. Want to come with?"

Amanda won't commit, "Oh, I don't know. Let me see how Zander and I do. I like him, but his reputation isn't the best because he's a bit aggressive. I may have to upgrade. If I'm free, I will go with you."

Kate asks, "What about us? Will you leave us here for a week while you party and play on the beach?"

Amanda, "Hey, I don't even know if I'm going. Ohhhhh. You like Charlie and want to go with him." She starts giggling.

Kate screams, "NO! I have a boyfriend. It's just that, well, it's been boring around here with the same places and the same people. I think a change would be nice. We should all go."

Jenna objects, "Hey. I don't want to go with your dweeb brother. You guys are on your own."

Amanda laughs, "Yeah. A beach to ourselves. Men are walking around half-naked. Beer. A party. Yup, you better stay home. More men for us."

Amanda and Kate laugh hysterically as their friend Jenna gets mad.

Jenna fires back, "Fine. Laugh it up. I have the only car capable of getting us and our luggage there. You might squeeze into Charlie's car, but there is no way you get seven days of clothes in there, costumes, plus dresses and for going out at night."

Kate mediates, "OK, we'll bring you with. Besides, we need all the help we can get to stop Charlie from making an ass of himself at the party."

Amanda walks back to her room. Is it my fault I drank too much and threw up in my bed, thinking it was the toilet? They never let me forget about that. Geez, one tiny infraction.

Chapter 2 -- Saturday: Road Trip

It's noon before we finally leave. My car is filled with luggage, alcohol, and costumes, while Jenna has my sister, Kate, and the other bags. It would have been nice to drive with Kate, but all three shot that down like a low flying duck. I'm giving them a free weekend, and nobody cares enough about me to keep me company. Damn, that's cold. I hope they're prepared to help this week. I will not do all the work and wait on them like a butler.

Two hours into the trip and they pull over at a rest stop. These are generally clean, so I can see why they want to stop. They had coffee this morning, and it's time to let it go. They pull in first, then a car with guys, and then me. My sister and her friends rush into the washrooms. The guys and I do the same on the men's side.

There is a long trough on the men's side where we all whip it out and pee.

The boy on end says to his buddies, "Hurry up. We want to catch those babes that came in right before us."

The next one says, "One has big ones. I sure would like to grab them for a bit. I bet I can rip that shirt off, no problem."

The first one says, "Great idea. Let's get all those shirts off."

I quickly finish up, skip washing my hands; yeah, I know it's gross. I walk back to my car, popping my trunk.

While I do this, the three guys wash and dry their hands. They walk around the building, waiting for my sister and her friends to come out. These guys are going to be mighty sad. I have a wicked fastball and a five-gallon bucket of balls. I also have a target that I pitch at. I used to throw two buckets every day. I didn't get drafted, so there's no need to practice anymore.

I have three in my hands and the bucket on a picnic table. My sisters come out talking to themselves and ignore the three men. When the first guy's hand touches my sister's shoulder to turn her toward him, the boy is nailed in his arm by a baseball.

He screams a high-pitched wail in pain; then he looks at me. I pick up another ball. The three women and the three boys are all frozen, looking at me.

I told the group, "I was in the washroom as you described how you would rip off my sister's and her friend's tops and bras so you could molest them before running off. The next one comes at your face overhand. If you don't get out of here quickly, your windshield and taillights will be next. I can also put a hell of a dent in your quarter panels. Beat it, kids."

The three boys look at each other. They have no clue what to do. They're in shock. The first one is farthest from me. The idiot charges me. He staggered when I hit him high in the shoulder and bent over when I hit him in the gut with the next one. I pick up two more balls.

I smile at them, "I was nice and avoided his face. I have pin-point accuracy and was drafted by the Marlins. Does anyone else want to try?"

The two friends help the third one up and help him walk back to their car.

One of them has a sense of humor. As he walks by, he says, "Lucky bastard. The Marlins suck. You'll be pitching next year."

I chuckle as I reply, "I was sad; that meant I would never win a pennant."

The two boys laugh as they load their friend into the car and quickly drive away. It's more habit than anything, and I recover the balls I threw. Kate has one in her hands and drops it in my hand.

Jenna surprises me by rushing forward, slopping a kiss on my cheek, and running to her car. Amanda and Kate laugh their asses off at my clueless expression. They both run after their friend and are on the highway going south while I am still standing there wondering what just happened.

Chapter 3 -- Hi Stan

Oh my, this place is incredible. On this stretch of the highway, the main office is away from the road but close enough for easy visibility. It has a wrought iron fence along the front and sides of the property. It's got to be a six-foot-tall fence with the points on the top. The fence alone cost a mint when it was new.

The house/office structure looks like the stereotypical haunted three-story house with two towers on the ends and plenty of dark windows. The bottom floor has boarded-up windows with shutters. The place needs painting and a good cleaning. To both sides of the house/office is a line of rooms with parking in front. The rooms have the standard single window and door per room. The rooms line the sides and then turn towards the highway so that the whole place makes a big "U" shape. In the center is two parking lots with a driveway down the center.

There is a circle drive with an overhang from the house to protect customers in bad weather. The house/office is enormous. It's far larger than just the office and a place for the owner to live. It's three stories tall, and there must be rooms inside, a restaurant, and then a pool or beach behind the large building. I have no idea what to call it.

As my sister and friends pull up, I can see the disappointment in their eyes. This place is a shithole. The front door flings open, and my friend Stan runs out to shake my hand. He's as excited as I've ever seen him. This guy is typically the quiet loner that watches people. Right now, I think he might be doing speed.

Stan excitedly says, "What do you think?" Thank God he didn't wait for an answer. "I just closed four hours ago. This is ALL mine."

He looks at us all, giving him the eye, then laughs his ass off.

While calming down, "OK. I understand that it doesn't look like much now. Tomorrow, people start on the fences, painting, cleaning, and redoing the cabinets, counters, and washrooms with a 1960's retro look. The restaurant will look like the 60s with a red and white checkered floor. All the music will be from that time as well.

"I have a ton of help getting stuff here and installed. So, why are you here? They install a bed; it needs bedding. They install a table; it needs a place setting. They install a TV; it needs to be hooked up. They deliver towels; I need them set up in the washrooms. I need floors, bathtubs, and windows cleaned. Electricians are doing to lamps and electrical issues."

I stop him, "Damn. You got a lot of help. How about I take you to dinner tonight, and we can get an early start tomorrow? Can we cook in the kitchen yet?"

Stan looks at me and shrugs his shoulders.

Kate says, "I think we will take that as a no. Tonight, after dinner, we will all clean the kitchen. We're going to make a big breakfast in the morning because there is a lot to do."

Stan smiles at Kate, "The boss has spoken. Let me show you to your room, and then we can look at the kitchen."

Jenna is quick to ask, "Room? As in singular? Four of us and ONE room? You're kidding me, right?"

Stan is scared to respond, "I am sleeping in a one-person tent out back. Everything else is stuffed with junk or new stuff that just arrived. The previous owner used the only clean room with a functional washroom. I gutted the room for you and installed a king-sized bed. I need to find sheets, a blanket, and bath towels still. There are around here somewhere.

Amanda offers, "A king-sized bed is huge. I will sleep back-to-back with Charlie. We do it at our cabin; it won't kill me. That will give you two plenty of room, and you won't see Charlie. We'll be fine. Plus, this old place is funky looking. I suspect we won't want to be alone."

Kate sheepishly offers, "He's your brother. I don't mind sleeping next to him."

Jenna can't stand this talk, "Yeah, like he's all that. Let's find some towels and bedding, then go eat. We have a lot to do tonight."

We all split up. Most of the boxes are in two rooms. Then it's a matter of opening them and moving them to a better staging area for later or, in some cases, just marking them. I end up hauling a bunch of boxes down to the kitchen and dining room. In the two hours, a bunch of boxes were moved, and the others opened, so we had towels and bedding for the night.

If we stop at 2 AM, we can shower and hop right into bed. Right now, we go eat. This area doesn't have much. It's rocky, and there isn't much beyond the highway other than our area. A lot of the coast has eroded until it ran into rock. The motel is an outcropping of rock, making it unique in this area.

We drove ten miles before finding a decent restaurant. It was older, run-down, and the people were even more run-down. They did have a jukebox, but it was all country music. There were a few tourists, but they looked scared to be there.

Stan offers, "Whatever you want, it's on me. Have a drink; it will help you relax. I'll order a few appetizers, any suggestions?"

Jenna offered, "Potato skins."

Kate offered, "Cheese sticks."

Amanda offered, "Calamari."

Stan laughs, "Amanda, does this look like the place that even knows what that is?"

Amanda offers, "Hush puppies."

Stan looks at me, and I reply, "I think you got your order. I like everything suggested."

The waitress takes our appetizer order plus drinks. We're still looking at the menu.

I sure would like the salmon, but no way I trust them to be delicate enough to cook it perfectly. I order a club sandwich. Everyone went safe.

Before the waitress leaves, she says, "Calamari is just squid, a fine delicacy. However, you were correct, we don't offer it, and your choices were wise. The chef here is young and either over or under-cooks almost everything. I'll be back with your appetizers soon."

Amanda giggles, "Stan called that one."

Jenna comments, "Well, someone here knew what it was. It just wasn't the menu. I prefer my seafood from seafood restaurants. They know the importance of freshness and cleanliness. I dated a chef from the place in town. After seeing what he did, I could never kiss him again."

We all laugh. After that, dinner was excellent. No sandwiches or burgers were burned, the fries were crispy, and the drinks were strong. All-in-all, it was a lovely evening catching up with my friend and seeing the three women jockeying for a position to date him. It's an odd feeling seeing your twin sister look at another guy who is my friend with the intent of fucking him. I was amazingly jealous and desired to stop him at all costs. I don't know why. Hell, I'm usually the one helping him.

Stan is a quiet guy. He makes me look like a party animal. I'm also much braver asking girls out for him than I was myself. Right now, he's showing no hints of sharing. Everyone knows I like Kate. Everyone knows Kate doesn't return the feelings. She's nice to me but never goes out of her way to include me or talk to me. That, in of itself, tells me all I need to know.

Jenna has always been a bitch to me. Amanda swears she likes me; I don't see it. Kate is at least civil towards me. Jenna can be a real bitch. Amanda and I used to be the closest friends either of us had. Over the last few years, she has been drifting away from me. I can't put my finger on anything specific. She doesn't talk to me as much or about her deepest thoughts as I do. It's like she's keeping me away from her; that hurts over time.

Mom told me to ignore it. Dad said we were too close anyways, so all for the better as far as he was concerned. Mom understood but didn't seem to care about how I felt.

I drove Stan back to the motel while the girls followed us in the dark evening. It was a brilliant sunset before turning black outside. The mood is almost gone, but the stars are out. We got a good look at them in my convertible.

Once back at the motel, Stan and I took the kitchen, Amanda and Jenna took the dining room, and Kate took our room and washroom. Stan might think the bathroom was clean, but Kate had other ideas about the shower; she wanted to really clean it.

The dining area had just one table and only a pair of chairs. Their main job was mopping the floors and finding the rest of the boxes for there and the kitchen.

Stan and I had a hell of a lot of cleaning to do. The last owner purchased nice equipment, all professional NSF certified (primarily stainless steel and easy to clean), but they never cleaned it. Everything had layers of dirt, grime, and grease. Hot water and Dawn cut through it in no time. Come two in the morning; we were both worn out. The place was spotless. Right now, we could pass the health department inspection.

Kate did a hell of a job in the washroom. Even I could see the difference. I took a hot shower, threw on boxers, and got in bed. Each of us has a garbage bag and ties for our dirty clothes. We know we're going to get dirty and smelly. We don't want those items touching anything else. It's like a hazmat setup. I groan as I get into bed. Amanda didn't leave me much room.

I push Amanda away from me so I have some room. All three of them complain and tell me to shut up. I didn't say anything. I am almost asleep when I hear ... chains? It's like someone is dragging chains down the hallway. These sound like big, heavy boat anchor chains. Who can even pull those?

Jenna yells at me, "Charlie, shut up."

I softly reply, "How am I making a chain sound when I am in bed?"

Amanda is mostly asleep, "Ignore it and go back to bed. It's just the air conditioning."

My eyes close. Sometime in the night, I wake up in a sweat. I know I heard a scream.

I hear Kate says, "You heard it too?"

It freaked me out, "Nooooo. Um, I didn't hear a thing."

Kate has an attitude, "Then why are you awake?"

I admit, "I thought I heard something. I think it was a cat."

Kate gruffly turns over, "That was no cat."

Chapter 4 - Sunday

I wake up feeling like I only had a few hours of sleep. My eyes are open, but I'm not moving. Amanda has a leg over mine. That means she's facing me. Oh yeah, her breasts are pressed up against my back. She has an arm around my shoulder, and her face is nestled in my neck, smelling my hair. I feel Kate's hand around Amanda. I try not to chuckle because Kate's hand is knocking my back as I believe she is placing her fingers on Amanda's nipples, pinching and then pulling until she hits me.

Amanda is purring like a cat, and Jenna whispers, "Are you playing with her nipples again?"

Kate answers softly, "No."

Amanda giggles and says, "She is so mean to me. For twenty minutes, she's been tormenting me. I didn't want to move, though, because damn, Charlie, you are awesome to hold in the morning. Stiff, warm, and solid. I might need to do this more often. If it weren't for Stan, I would have had a great sleep last night. What the hell was with the chains and the horrible scream? That was creepy. That boy is seriously disturbed."

I defend my friend, "How did he do it? Those sounded like heavy chains, and no guy made that scream."

Kate looks at me in surprise, "So I did hear that. I thought it was a dream."

Jenna has a determined look on her face, "No, it was no dream. Let's not say anything today. If Stan did it, he would want feedback from us. He will bring it up."

Amanda excitedly says, "Great idea. Charlie. I expect you to be quiet as well."

I hold up my hands, "Hey, I want to know as well. I don't think it was him. Tonight, we check the locks before we go to bed. Let's look at the hallway floor. A heavy chain like that will leave marks. Oh, hey, I'm taking a shower first. I need to buy food for the day. I won't be long. There is a small grocer a few miles back."

We look in the hallway, and it seems like the dust is unbroken but for my sister's one trip to a different room, looking for boxes. The chains definitely went down the whole hallway. I can't explain this. It's like a ghost did it.