I Own A Motel And I Think I've Been Renting A Room To A Family Of VAMPIRES

[Music] you're always welcome that was the sign that hung outside the motel that my family had owned for generations a relic from the heyday of route 66 nestled among large pines just off a two-lane mountain road my grandfather was a smart man and very opportunistic when the cave system nearby was Incorporated into the national park services he capitalized on it he built the motel and shortly after our home right next to it as tourism expanded so did the motel one room at a time eventually our old living room was converted into the offices and the

door behind the lobby desk led directly into our kitchen eventually Our home and the motel were one in the same and this is where i grew up my grandfather passed down the business to my father when my sister and i were born my father had also grown up in this isolated motel so my mother always said he was hesitant to force the same fate on us when my grandfather died suddenly though it was less of a choice and more of Fate forcing itself on him i have memories of my father talking about selling it but

that seemed to fade as we settled in as a family things seemed to go well for us for a while at least i remember this part of my childhood fondly we lived in a place that seemed to only be described in fantasy books my sister and i would play in the woods And wander down to the caves where we enjoyed free admission just for being cute kids and the only locals for miles around these were the good times unfortunately shortly after my older sister's ninth birthday she began to get sick the doctors in the city

wanted to see her often and it wasn't easy for my parents to get down the mountain in our old truck She was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia a week before her 10th birthday i don't remember her death but i remember the weeks leading up to it when the doctors informed them that there was nothing more that could be done my parents insisted on bringing her back up to us to the motel they set up some machines and other medical stuff in her room To help ease the pain i wasn't there when she died

my parents for whatever reason had sent me to my aunts looking back now i understand why when i returned though my sister was gone my mother did not take her death well my sister's room was cleared of any trace that she once lived there and i wasn't allowed to say her name Every day there seemed to be less and less evidence that she'd ever even lived there eventually my mother went so far as to remove any photo we had of her from the house by the time i was a teenager there truly was no trace

left of her existence i hate to admit it but my memory of her face had even gone but i remembered what she smelled like soft lavender i left the motel when i Went to college and lived an exciting yet uneventful life far away from that small spot on the mountain but as my parents grew older they needed more help and i felt myself drawn back in to that old mountain motel i helped them for a good part of 12 years slowly taking on more and more of the responsibilities until i almost ran the place by

myself They still insisted on certain tasks odd things that they weren't ready to give up the strangest involve is what i've come to call the family my memories of them stretch back to my earliest memories of the motel they always stuck out because my parents seemed to treat them differently for as long as i can remember they'd Always visited us every four years almost to the day the family consisted of four adults an older couple a middle-aged couple two teenagers a girl and a boy and a younger girl around the age of 11. the seven

of them were always quiet and polite and always stayed for a week every four years like clockwork my parents had even Circled the date on our calendars always expecting them my father made sure to have a room open even though they never seemed to book ahead they were almost like old friends except for the fact that they treated us like strangers every single time it wasn't like they didn't remember us but more that we were inconsequential to their lives the interactions we had with them were So brief and infrequent that if it weren't for one

odd thing i doubt i'd have remembered them but it was that one odd thing that hung over my head never explained but never acknowledged by my parents eventually i came to accept it as well as something as ordinary as apple pie but it wasn't ordinary there was nothing ordinary about the fact that this family never Seemed to age they came every four years and they never missed a visit there were years though that i miss them especially after my sister died my parents would send me to live with my aunt for a bit and it

always seemed to coincide with their visit there was over a decade where i went without seeing them until my aunt and mother had a falling out i was never told what it was over But i never saw my aunt again after that last visit one time when i was back from college they were there same as always just as i remembered they'd spend their days in their room and would leave at night always dressed like they were going someplace special every evening except for the last i would clean the room after they left the beds

were always made and the room was very tidy Except for the ashtrays whoever it was the old man i expect smoked like a chimney even after my parents stopped allowing smoking inside they made an exception for the family on the final day though my parents always insisted on cleaning the room despite their tidiness it always took my parents hours to clean that room one time they took nearly two days but They still wouldn't allow me to help on the family's last visit while my parents were alive i had to help my father carry carpet into

the room we had spare rolls of carpet saved in case we ever had to fix a cigarette burn or a particularly nasty stain we usually only needed a few inches or a foot at a time the family's room however had the carpet replaced more times than i could count On this last time my father was tired and struggled with the work i could tell my mother didn't want to help but they had no choice they'd already pulled up the old carpet before i was allowed in but i still noticed it deep brown stains in the

wood beneath the carpet just outside the bathroom my mother was still scrubbing when i carried in the replacement roll is that blood i asked pointing at the Frothy pink foam beneath my mother's brush she shot my father a look of anger they're hunters he said with a dismissive wave of his hand the dark stained ring that always seemed to exist and the bathtub of this room suddenly started to make sense this is a lot of blood i said hoping for more answers it was probably a big animal my father replied annoyed It made no sense

to slaughter an animal in a motel bathroom but i realized that i wouldn't be getting any more answers from my father i let it be i figured i'd ask him again in four years i didn't get a chance though as both of my parents passed within months of each other i'd like to say they died peacefully at home same as my sister but they did not My father had a heart attack and while he was in the hospital my mother had a stroke my father died shortly after but my mother seemed to hold on for

longer than anybody thought possible she was waiting for something but she never revealed what it was she died in her sleep with an immense look of sadness on her face as was expected they left the motel to me the lawyer Explained that the will was very brief and uncomplicated my parents had no money saved and the motel was their only asset so i was given everything they did leave me something else though in addition to the burden of a family business they left three envelopes with very specific instructions on when to open them the first

one Was to be opened when i took over ownership of the motel the second was to be opened in case of an emergency namely a financial one the third was to be opened by my aunt in case i passed away the letter within the first envelope was brief and to the point it explained that my parents had a long-standing agreement with the family and it was best not to question it They mentioned the blood but told me to ignore it and just make sure that there was no trace left after they checked out it was

very explicit that i not asked questions and that if anybody outside of them were to ask about the family i was to deny everything in something i found funny and not surprising the family's odd trait of seemingly never Aging was not mentioned in the letter after reading it twice i stored the letter in the cash drawer and forgot about it shortly after my mother passed the family arrived the seven of them piled out of that same old station wagon and walked together to my office without my parents insisting on doing it themselves this was the

first time i'd actually checked the family in The old man greeted me as if he knew me he didn't ask about my parents and in an odd way he spoke to me as if i'd always been the one to check them in all but the little girl seemed to watch me without expression the little girl however broke away from the group and stepped around the desk and knocked on the door leading to our kitchen None of the family reacted in any way to her actions can i help you i asked her is she in there

she asked almost emotionless it's just me now my parents passed a few months back i explained as i grabbed the room key the older man took the key without acknowledgment of the fact that my parents were dead but the little girl broke down she began to sob And yell for her mother but instead one of the teenagers took her by the arm and pulled her along as they left together her sad eyes met mine and for a moment i felt an unspoken grief between us over my parents absence i realized it was the first time

that anybody outside of myself had shown any reaction to their loss it felt good it made me feel less alone in this isolated little motel I watched as the family dragged the little girl back to their room to unpack and settle in i remember then how my mother used to treat this little girl she always seemed to doubt on her when they'd visit after my sister's death my mother was less than affectionate especially to children that weren't her own except that is for this little girl that came Around every four years their stay was uneventful

and after that night even the little girl all but ignored my presence they left at night and returned before morning usually without notice their roams again were always tidy except for the cigarettes before they checked out i read the letter from the first envelope one more Time it had also mentioned that at checkout they would pay in cash and leave behind a small paper package sealed with twine the note instructed me to never open the parcel but instead put it in a safe that i had no idea existed before reading the letter the safe itself

was filled with more small paper bundles Tied with twine i did as the letter instructed sure enough after their final night there was blood it wasn't a lot of blood but enough to cause concern the bathtub had been filled with it and then drained leaving behind a crimson film ring around it the tiled floors were sticky and the carpet had soaked in whatever bled out Of the bathroom i replaced the carpet as my father had showed me and scrubbed the bathroom until no trace was left looking back of course it seems suspicious now but it

was always that way with a family i couldn't really say for sure where the blood came from and i never wanted to ask however if the cop showed up one day i'd have probably told him But nobody ever asked and there was never anything on the news so i just told myself the same lie they were nothing more than a family on a hunting trip in three-piece suits and sunday dresses i ran the motel without incident in the years after that but it wasn't easy i should mention that while the hotel is located near a

tourist spot there is little else to attract people In fact we're located on what some call a dead road not a dead end but a dead road a long stretch of highway without any signs of civilization it's one of those highways that people seem to go missing on ours is just one of the many around the country we once had a writer stay with us while my parents were still around he Told me that he was a true crime writer he said he was working on research for a book about what he called the ring

of fire a connection of dead roads all across the country a giant ring of asphalt paved death he said that lots of famous serial killers traveled the ring his book was going to be about connecting the dots to unclaimed victims he told me that i Shouldn't worry about it though because the dead are always faceless it was always sex workers or indigenous folk or just drifters who lost their way he explained that they are considered less dead to the cops that their deaths don't mean as much as a politician or a pretty girl he said

that he would come back through When he was actually writing the book but he never came back and i never saw anything about his book coming out the family however they always came back four years after the last visit they arrived three days after the date circled in red by my father long before he died i'd actually waited for them you see when everything seemed to shut Down last year and budgets were cut the caves closed down for the foreseeable future already tourism had waned in the last few years and it was getting difficult to

keep the motel open i was running out of options so i opened the second envelope inside was another letter it instructed me to keep the motel open no matter what even if the guests stopped coming It then instructed me to open one of the brown paper parcels in the safe if i was ever in trouble so i did beneath the paper wrapped tightly in twine was a bundle of money it was various bills stacked in no particular order but one bundle alone was enough to carry me through a slow season there were dozens of these

paper bundles despite what the letter said i opened Them all immediately the oldest ones held currency i barely recognized it was still american but it was long out of circulation i'd planned to stay open long enough to collect one more bundle from these familiar strangers i'd known my whole life when they arrived three days late i already knew something was off though you wouldn't have known from their usual unemotional demeanor What i'd always remembered as a family of seven arrived as only six one of the teenagers the boy was not with them this was not

acknowledged by anyone upon checking the little girl stayed beside the teenage girl this time too but her eyes were still fixed on the door to our kitchen at this point i'd cleaned out all the other rooms except theirs nobody had stayed the night in weeks Anyway so i took my time with it when the time came for them to check out they paid in cash and handed me the brown paper parcel wrapped in twine i hate to say this but your family will officially be the last guest we host here i explained trying to break

the news casually the man stared at me blankly the little girl looked up at the teenager But the teenage girl did not react the man did not seem upset nor happy about it as always he was emotionless okay he said with a fake smile and with that he turned to leave the family followed after him but the little girl pulled away from the teenager she stood there staring at me for a very long time you better hurry i said pointing at her Family trying to break the awkwardness do you not remember me she asked of

course i do you never change i replied i could see the old man out in the parking lot as he packed up the old station wagon i saw him notice the little girl's absence without any urgency he put down the bag and came to retrieve the little girl as He approached the office door the little girl stepped closer to the desk if you aren't here when we return they'll leave me they'll put me back in the caves and never return she whispered what do you mean i asked my mind racing i'm too young i should

never have been turned her voice was cut off by the opening of The door the old man stood in the doorway his gaze fixed on the little girl neither of them exchanged words the little girl left but not before giving me one more pleading glance once they left i waited to clean the room i counted the bundle of cash left in the paper parcel it was enough to carry me two seasons But more so along with the rest it was enough to start a new life i opened a bottle of wine and drank half before

even grabbing the cleaning supplies i knew what kind of mess awaited me in that bathroom at least this time i wouldn't have to replace the carpet when i finally made it to the old room it was morning I opened the door and the rising sun cast a light across the neatly made beds and overstuffed ashtray as i walked towards the bathroom something on the bed caught my eye laid neatly on one of the seemingly unused pillows was a photograph i put down my cleaning supplies and picked up the photo it was torn on one side

So it was only half of the picture it shouldn't have been shocking but it did catch me off guard it was a photo of the young girl and she was holding hands with another child me it made sense since i'm sure we known each other our whole lives there was nothing unusual about me except for how happy i looked her on the other hand seemed somehow different it took me a moment to realize what was Off about her but when i did i gasped she was younger not much younger than she appeared now but younger

than i'd seen her in decades the photo itself was taken here at the motel just outside of the office i'd recognize the background not only because it was a familiar space but because i'd seen this photo before somewhere it clicked I abandoned the cleaning and ran back to the office with a photo in hand hung above the fireplace in the office just across from the desk was a collection of photos my mother had curated over the years it was mostly my parents and i but there were also snapshots of famous guests or old regulars i

ran my fingers over the torn edge of the photo of myself and the little girl and i remembered one Specific photo that hung over the fireplace it was small and odd shaped but it was my mother's favorite because of how happy my father and her looked it was just the two of them standing outside the office smiling it was taken in the same spot as the one of me and the little girl i ripped the photo of my parents off the wall And broke the frame too impatient to be delicate i pulled the small odd-shaped

photo from the frame and confirmed my suspicion it was torn i held the photo of my parents up with a photo of the little girl and myself they were two halves of the same photo and though i couldn't remember her face i knew immediately who the little girl was i held the photo close to my nose and Breathed in deep soft lavender she was my older sister i now understood the deal my parents had made i had made the decision to close the motel long before my sister left that photograph the plans were in motion

and it seemed as if nothing was going to stop the sale that is until he arrived i hadn't bothered to clean their room after the Family had left too emotionally drained to take on the horrifying task instead i retreated back into the house to surround myself with memories and make a meal that my mother used to make for my sister spaghetti and meatballs with garlic toast it was comforting i was cleaning up after dinner when i heard the front door open to the office the old service bell at the front desk Rang loud enough for

me to hear the vacancy sign had long been extinguished and the front door to the office had been locked after the family left whoever had rung the bell they were not welcomed in i opened the door slowly with a kitchen knife gripped tightly in my hand were closed i warned them the door swung open to an empty room I'm late said a voice from the darkest corner of the room he looked like an animal cowering in the corner bowled up and small he was more of an unkempt shape than a person covered in mud and

grime when he stood up i saw how bad he looked the dirt reached every crevice as if he were buried in it and only the whites of his Eyes stood out from the black coat of mud he was thin almost emaciated but still had a strength about him i'm sorry but we're closed i repeated but the sign he said pointing up at the you're always welcome sign hanging just outside the window that uh we don't have any clean rooms i'm sorry you'll have to find somewhere else i said Feeling a sudden sense of discomfort his

white eyes met mine with a stare so intense it felt as if he were looking straight through me but we already have a room he said his voice was soft yet commanding and wholly devoid of emotion it was then that i recognized him he was the teenage boy from the family though thinner than i remembered his familiar young features were caked in Filth but i knew it was him he knew that i knew have they departed he asked i nodded have they left me anything he asked his voice finally cracking i didn't know how to

answer i wasn't sure what he meant if they left any behind he said sounding suddenly desperate i don't know i sent pulling the room keys from their Hook but you're welcome to check he took the keys from my hands his eyes lingering on my arm it was as if he saw something i did not thank you he said and left the office trailing mud out the door it wasn't until he was gone that i realized the trail of mud only led outside that night i couldn't sleep i watched his room from my window And waited

for him to leave but once he closed that door it seemed as though he disappeared inside he never even turned on the light i only left my perch long enough to make coffee but even then i listened for the creak of that heavy old door i never did hear it when day came i decided to check on him i knocked many times and announced my intent To enter he didn't respond the door opened with that familiar old creek and the sun once again crept into that dark room cigarette smoke still hung heavy in the air

and danced in the beams of light the room key sat idle next to the ashtray hello i said the room itself appeared empty but i traced his money tracks from the door to the table Then to the bathroom he'd smoke the old butts left by the others and left nothing behind but burnt filters the beds again were untouched i knocked gently on the bathroom door you okay i asked the carpet sloshed under feet wet from the bathroom overflow i'm coming in i announced already turning the knob as the bathroom door turned inward it Pushed aside

a layer of sticky wet sludge it was a mixture of deep red and earthen brown the putrid sweet smell of decay hit before my eyes could comprehend the horror of what lay before me the bathtub was half filled with thick old blood and clumps of mud left behind by the boy his clothes were piled in a damp muddy heap Just outside the bath the floor was sticky with blood and dirt but still i stepped inside the bathroom was full enough with that gruesome sludge that something could still be hiding beneath the surface as i'd done

many times before i reached in and pulled the plug my hand brushed against something inside and i recoiled the bubbling gurgle of Rotting body fluids oozed down the drain as i waited to see what was hidden inside thankfully it was not the boy it was the severed leg of a deer that had brushed my hand the muck left behind in the emptied bath was a slurry of torn organ meat and unrendered fat the remnants of a slaughtered beast in all my years cleaning they'd never left this kind of evidence It was always blood massive amounts

of blood and bile but never anything that couldn't be drained i assumed then that this was left by the boy i did my best to shovel the decaying bits of carcass into a plastic bag and then used old sheets and towels to sop up the puddles of putrid death that remained i threw all of it into the burn pit out Back i emptied an entire bucket of bleach into the bathroom just to hide the smell exhausted i fell asleep on the bed the odors of death and cigarettes smoke around me i dreamt of my sister

for the first time in as long as i could remember i could see her face again when i awoke it was still the afternoon but the boy hadn't arrived i was hungry and covered in filth I showered in the hottest water i could stand hoping to burn the odor from my skin afterwards i made a sandwich and returned to my perch at the window i'd left the door open to air out the room i figured that if he'd returned he would close it but it was open night came and i wondered if he'd just gone

on ahead searching for the family i decided that i should close the door And lock it i'd taken his key with me after i'd cleaned so if he wanted back in he'd have to ask the moment my foot stepped past the threshold of the room i saw his white eyes shrouded in the shadows he was standing just outside the open bathroom he stood there motionless and nude but covered in something else it wasn't the dirt like before But a deep red crust that cracked dry on his skin it's not enough it's rotted he said from

the shadows what are you i blurted out he waited an eternity to answer just staring at me from across the room you know he said in a weak hushed voice i don't is my sister is she like you i asked he nodded in a way that seemed he was confused that i was even asking i stepped backwards out of the room he Stepped forward into the faint moonlight shining across the floor his body was covered in dry blood and his hair was matted in a thick black tangle please don't hurt me i stuttered his eyes

grew wide as he approached before he stopped suddenly his ghoulish features were suddenly awash in amber headlights he recoiled and retreated back into the shadows of The room i turned to see the blinding beams of an old pickup truck as it pulled into our parking lot i glanced back at the boy but he was gone the door to the truck opened and a tall sinewy man with closed cropped hair and thick rimmed glasses stepped out he was an older gentleman gray around the temples but not elderly By any means his stature was intimidating and his

voice was deep hello he said still hidden behind the bright lights of the truck can i help you i asked shielding my eyes sorry he apologized then leaned back into the cab and turned off the lights i felt myself trapped between the monster behind me and the stranger approaching from the front Without realizing i'd backed myself against the wall you work here he asked noting my retreat and stepping back himself no vacancies i said slightly louder than needed he looked around the lot and squinted at the darkened motel sign right he said we're uh close

now i'm sorry i said slightly softer i'd like to stay the night if that's possible it's been a bit of a drive and we both Know there aren't any options anywhere close we don't have any rooms available i said clearing my throat what about that one he asked pointing behind me to the open door it isn't clean i explained i don't mind he said closing the door to his truck i can pay in cash if you fancy it i shook my head he leaned one hand On the truck none of the rooms are furnished this

one was but an animal got in there and died i was cleaning it it wouldn't be sanitary he stepped forward into the lights of the motel his face was hard and serious and altogether unsettling i couldn't help but think back to that Writer about what he said this man could be one of them i thought here i was with my back to a danger that i couldn't comprehend while in front of me stood a potential serial killer he must have read the discomfort on my face okay then do you mind if i park here for

the night sleep in my truck he asked trying to sound Disarming i thought about it long and hard i don't see why not i said against my better judgment he smiled and opened the door to his truck i appreciate it he said disappointed i turned back towards the room but even with the light from the truck i couldn't see inside i closed the door unlocked it after that i locked every door i walked through Until i was in my own bedroom still uneasy about the two threats that were sleeping only a few hundred feet away

i decided to arm myself i don't like guns i've never owned one and i don't care to ever buy one but my father taught me how to shoot in fact he taught me to shoot with my grandfather's old revolver The same one that was locked in a box beneath my bed it was my father's lock box and aside from the gun i had no idea what i'd find i had to use a hammer and old screwdriver to break the lock and after only a few attempts i was able to pop it open as expected the

gun set atop a pile of important documents photos and small Mementos that meant something to my father at some point in his life six loose bullets rattled around the steel box they appeared to be handmade not purchased and somehow older than myself each one tipped in shiny polished silver i loaded the revolver and set it aside the photos hidden beneath it were not ones i'd recognized from my childhood These were all for some reason private to him the top photograph was of my parents years before i was born my aunt that i hadn't seen in

years stood next to my mother smiling and holding the hand of a man in his early 30s the man looked eerily familiar he reminded me maybe too much of the middle-aged man and the family though the man in the photo Looked too happy to be the expressionless shell i'd known my whole life the photo beneath that one was of my grandfather standing stone-faced in front of the earliest version of the motel beside him were four others who were without a doubt four members of the family none of them my grandfather included were smiling to the

right of my Grandfather stood the older two members of the family than the middle-aged woman and the teenage girl the boy and the middle-aged man were missing the photo was old and faded but even then it was clear they look the same as they did only a few days ago beneath that i found my sister's birth Certificate old bonds the deed to the motel and other uninteresting documents of worth below everything though was one more thing a stiff card wrapped in the same paper the family's money was wrapped in tied with the same twine i

opened it i unwrapped it to reveal the backside of a photograph newer than the others with chicago 1974 Written in a handwriting that was foreign to me it was not my mother's or father's i flipped the photo and felt a cold chill run down my spine i saw myself younger than i'd ever seen in any family photo i was dressed in corduroy overalls and standing in front of an old building the oddest thing though was that i was standing between two vaguely familiar adults holding Their hands all three of us were smiling i wish i

could say i was able to place their faces but i could not i had to assume they were family friends but to my knowledge my parents never had many friends and those that did would be the ones to visit us my entire life my parents made the motel the priority we'd never taken a family trip together Outside of a holiday weekend at my aunts in fact as far as i could recall neither of them had ever mentioned visiting chicago and they definitely never said anything about seeing friends there who were these people where were my

parents why wasn't my sister with me my breath grew more rapid with each thought and i slammed the box shut i already had too many questions that Seemed to be impossible to answer i wasn't ready for more thankfully the exhaustion overwhelmed my mind and i eventually drifted off to sleep the loaded gun sat safely on the nightstand next to me i'd even pushed a chair beneath a knob of my bedroom door with the heavy curtains pulled closed the sun never crept in and i awoke very late in the morning Even before coffee i made my

way out to the parking lot the truck however was already gone i started to feel a tinge of guilt for judging the strange man as i did that guilt though would only deepen as the day progressed i opened the door to the boys room the morning sun flooded in immediately casting away any dark corners the smell of iron hit my nose the carpet leading to the bathroom door Was soaking wet the door was unlocked but as i opened it i heard the familiar slash of coagulated blood being pushed aside i stepped into a familiar but

no less unsettling sight of a tiled white bathroom coated in a crimson blood i prayed to myself that it was again that of an animal though even that did not sit well with my conscience Just to be safe i decided to clean i needed to be sure that no trace of the teenage boy was left behind just in case somebody else came through unexpected that strange man now made me nervous in an entirely different way i was so focused that i forgot to make myself coffee instead i went straight to work sopping up the massive

amounts of blood it was only when i was on the floor Scrubbing then i noticed some of the blood seep through seams in the tiled floor narrow cracks in three straight lines forming a box against the wall i then noticed that the baseboard beneath the sink had been removed and there were small finger-sized holes in the floor where it met the wall i crawled across the floor still slick with Blood and slipped my fingers in i was able to get underneath and pull up what turned out to be a door or hatch on the floor

as i pulled it open blood seeped down into the crawl space beneath a bathroom a crawl space that until now i had no idea even existed i had no choice but to investigate it wasn't large but deep enough to walk Through without crawling it spread maybe 10 feet in every direction it was dark but my phone's flashlight was bright enough to reveal even the furthest corner thankfully the boy was nowhere to be seen the floor beneath me was soft dirt made muddy from the blood that seeped down the walls appeared to be crafted from old

red brick and mortared in place Unlike any other foundation on the property written in an unfamiliar language were carved into the walls it smelled of smoke stale breath and iron i moved further in to explore the hidden room strange crystalline rocks were scattered half buried around the floor much like the ones you'd find in the now closed caverns the most unsettling aspect though was The heaps of soft dirt that were arranged in seven large piles throughout the room one for each member of the family immediately the room itself felt heavy with dread i got out

as quickly as possible i left the crawl space as i'd found it and replaced the baseboard just in case i finished cleaning the bathroom and doused everything in bleach careful to avoid the cracks in the floor When i returned to the office there was a message flashing in red on the office phone i checked it and it was from my lawyer so i returned the call he informed me that the buyer from the property was expected to stop by i was told he wanted to see it firsthand but he was an odd fellow and may

not announce his intentions i could only assume it was the man from Last night he then changed the subject and with a somber tone in his voice he asked if i'd heard from anyone in my family no i told him aside from my aunt i had no family left well then i hate to be the one to tell you this but she passed a few weeks ago he said clearly uncomfortable what what happened i asked expecting anything at this point Uh well from what i understand there was a fire at her property and everything she

possessed had perished in it along with her her estate had a little trouble getting in touch with me he said so the business is gone i asked because she like my parents owned a small hospitality business while it wasn't a motel it was what you'd consider a bed and Breakfast honestly it was less of a business and more of a hobby for her everything he confirmed there was a moment of awkward silence and i could hear him shuffling through papers on the end of the line is there anything i need to do or are you

gonna take care of transfers or estate or whatever i mean other than the property i don't know what i'd want of hers hell Even the property i'm not sure i want to deal with this place is enough i chuckled in an awkward moment of levity he didn't laugh instead i just heard more shuffling that is the strange thing she left you nothing he said rather bluntly that's fine with me i'd rather not deal with it well He said you still may have to you see she left everything to your sister how old was her will

i asked she updated it after your parents passed oh but i guess now would be the time to open the envelope they left for her might have some answers oh okay i'll do that i said already worrying about dealing with it all the conversations shifted onto other Aspects of the sale and what i need to do to prepare for it all the while the man from last night was in the back of my mind in an unexpected turn of events i was hoping he'd return after the call i tried to push it all out of

my mind the boy was gone and as far as i knew the man had left in the morning as well i was alone again high in the mountains In this isolated lonely motel i wasn't hungry but i fixed myself a drink and decided to take my lawyer's advice i retrieved the third letter left by my parents from the cabinet where it had stayed since the day he dropped it off carefully i tore open one end even folded i could see through the thin parchment that the message was brief but it was undeniably written in my

Mother's handwriting it said i fear they are no longer the ones we loved burn it down burn it all down those words run clear in my head as if my mother were whispering them in my ear trust me i wanted nothing more than to be done with this the motel and the family but there were some things i just couldn't let go i started to worry that if i sold the Motel other secrets would be revealed dark secrets damaging secrets i could fill in that pit below their room but what else was hiding on the

motel grounds i had no choice but to wait for the sale to either go through or fail in the meantime i packed up what i could from our old family home every photograph of my parents now felt Different less genuine why would they keep so much from me i asked out loud to a room of family artifacts and meaningless mementos nobody answered me two days passed and i waited for either the boy or the man in the truck to return instead the first car to pull into my parking lot was that of the local sheriff

my body tensed And my mind went to the room and the blood-soaked carpet that i never replaced i questioned whether or not i'd actually be honest if he asked about it yes of course i'd be i had nothing to hide i knew nothing nothing except for the fact that i'd rented rooms to soulless immortal creatures that somehow acquired gallons upon gallons of Blood without notice i began to doubt my own composure i waited at the open door to the office while he sat in the cruiser for 10 minutes or so i wasn't sure if he

saw me or not but regardless i held my ground i noticed a little too late my cleaning supplies abandoned in the lobby next to gallons of bleach the cruiser door slammed shut And snapped my attention back to him as he approached he scanned the surroundings taking note of the unlit vacancy sign he turned back and registered the curtainless windows of each emptied room that is of course except for the families afternoon he said with the tip of his hat what can i do for you i asked as friendly as possible He removed his shades and

peeked over my shoulder into the lobby wondering if i could have a moment of your time to ask some questions he said with a smile regarding well he turned back to the mostly emptied rooms you have any guests recently he asked it closed down a few weeks back unfortunately i said trying to hide my anxiety that's not what i asked he said smiling Again but this time with menace sorry i apologized i don't mean to be rude or nothing but we know bill henley was on his way up here a few days back just wondering

if he made it sorry i don't know him i said hoping to end the conversation there you don't know the man who is fixing on buying your place He asked again looking back at the family's room oh him yeah him he said prying for more i um my my lawyer handled it all i didn't meet him i lied not even when he stopped here for the night he asked showing his cards i swallowed hard i wanted to tell the truth but i wasn't ready for what came with it oh did he drive a truck i

asked He did then yes i i saw it parked it over there i said foolishly pointing towards the room the sheriff turned to the room to the parking spot to my secrets he took out a notepad and began to write something down but he didn't stay with us we were closed so he slept in his car i think i stuttered think he asked looking back to me Well i i didn't see him leave but yeah he was here for a bit if you know the truck belonged to him and all i said fumbling over my

words it did he said putting the notebook away you mind if i take a look around of course not i said the words tumbling out of my mouth before my mind could stop them i stepped aside to sort of lead him into the lobby away from the family's Room immediately he took notice of the cleaning supplies and the bleach is there a problem is he okay i asked regretting my words immediately the sheriff's gaze lingered on the bleach for a very long time he then turned his attention back to me i could see his mind

working over something thinking suddenly it felt as if the air In the room shifted his entire demeanor changed and i felt an aura of warmth from him he shrugged and cracked a smile well i figured it's going to be on the news soon anyway if it ain't already what i asked well nothing good that's for sure that truck you saw they found it about 200 or so miles west of here off the 80. all the way out there What was he doing i asked feigning surprise well we don't know we don't know where he is

he said his gaze drifting now to the knick-knacks and photographs oh well that's not good i said truthfully well you really ain't gonna like the next part that buyer of yours has a lot to answer for like what i asked well The body they found in the cab burnt to a crisp abandoned he said picking up a photograph of myself and my parents i thought you said he was missing you sure wasn't him i asked trying to find something to do with my fidgeting hands too young too small to be him best we can recon

it's a young man they found no id though john doe he said Looking hard at the photo these your parents i nodded he looked back at the photo then back at me biological he asked i'm told that i look more like my grandparents really i said he smiled and returned the photo i believe he then looked for photos of my grandparents but there were none we stood there trapped in a long awkward silence i motioned towards the Kitchen door behind the front desk did you still want to look around i asked trying to lead him

nah maybe later just needed to confirm he was here really he said making his way back outside i followed okay well thank you for stopping by i said foolishly he paused at the door acknowledging my awkward statement then i saw it again his mind working He put his sunglasses back on he was alone here you said he asked i fought hard what did i tell him did i slip i couldn't remember i don't know i said he looked at me as if he could tell i was lying could have been someone else in the truck

it was dark i can't say for sure i stammered out he nodded in acceptance thank you for your time he said And with that he was gone but as he drove by the only remaining curtain still hanging in the motel rooms he made a point to slow and look as he passed i waited until he was out of sight and then ran back home as fast as i could as soon as i reached the bathroom i vomited my nerves were a tangle of anxiety and guilt i knew that the body they found had to Belong

to the teenage boy but what about the man he was either still alive or still here i searched the motel grounds for any sign of the man or other secret spots i wandered past the property line into the clearing and with the sunlight beating down on me i had an epiphany the teenage boy was on his way to another place like Ours a sanctuary he would never have let himself get caught outside like that not on purpose in all my years of knowing the family i'd never seen them at any time close to dawn or

dusk they were experts at avoiding the sun wherever he was going he couldn't have been far from his destination i knew what i had to do i had to find their next stop i had to know if it was Anything like the motel and if it was how why could there be more of these earthen rooms cluttered with crystals and soft dirt covered in strangely written runes i had to know i packed what i could into a small car and locked up the motel before i left i made sure to reload my grandfather's gun and

place it in my bag which i then placed on the passenger seat i wasn't sure what i was looking for But i was fairly certain that if i found anything i had to be ready the drive was long but i drove slowly i kept an eye out for any building or structure that could hide them luckily the highway was an extension of the one that the motel sat on it was another dead road a long stretch of nothing so spotting anything would be easy As i passed the 200 mile marker i slowed to a crawl

and leaned over my steering wheel an old barn crept into view around the 220 mark and i knew it had to be there it was the only building within miles i pulled into the old dark road alongside deep tire tracks left when the rain softened into mud i stepped out of my car and pocketed the Revolver the sky overhead was gray and made for a dark afternoon i followed the tracks as they led into the old rotted barn the heavy doors were in disrepair but the hinges swung as if they were new inside the barn

was what you would expect from an antique structure old brittle hay and rusted equipment were left and forgotten Everything looked as if it hadn't been touched in decades everything except for a strange metal watering trough in the center of the barn the sickening realization of what it was had set in before i even saw the familiar dark rings around the inside like the bath in their room this had been filled with blood the ground surrounding the trough Was stained from decades of crimson eye core seeping into it as i stepped close i stomped the hollow

echo of an empty chamber could be heard below i kicked aside the dust and hay to reveal the trap door there was less effort put into hiding this one but then again the location itself was a hiding spot i found the finger holes and pulled open the door That familiar scent of smoke stale breath and iron wafted up i pulled the revolver from my pocket and climbed down the room was smaller than the one at the hotel but it was very much the same odd words were again carved into the walls but wood replaced brick

in this more ramshackle construction the strange crystalline rocks were placed around the room In a pattern i hadn't noticed at the motel there were fewer here but enough to catch my eye i pulled one out of the dirt and held it in my hand soft dusted salt seemed to rub off with the slightest touch it was heavy in my hand more than you'd expect i held it into the light from my phone there were Dark red and blue mineral veins streaking through the otherwise milky white crystal it was so dry it felt as if it

sucked the moisture from my fingertips i pocketed it and continued on into the darkness my foot sunk into an exceptionally soft patch of dirt i realized i was standing on one of the earthen mounds same as the seven in the motel chamber One however was unlike the rest the dirt was discolored and more dry than the other mounds there was also a fleck of white protruding just beneath the gray unfertile soil hunched over i made my way to the dying mound and uncovered a note written on a white piece of paper a white piece of

paper that just so happened To be stationary from our motel it read father if you found your way here i'm sorry we waited for three days but the fire burned so hot masters said you could not return i begged her to wait but the soil grew damp and we had to move on if you've made it here you know about the orphan our oldest home is in danger in my slumber i still feel your presence so i have hope you will find us soon Hopefully so as we've left you a meal in the old farmhouse

far from the road i hope that it gives you the strength to find us again signed matthew i left the note where it laid the farmhouse in question was far from the barn but i worried that driving up might bring unwanted attention i walked through waist-high grass on the untilled soil of dirt Farmland this plot of land had long been forgotten the house itself was in better condition than the farm but not by much it had been lived in recently but how recent i couldn't be sure it was far from the highway and isolated in

a way only rural homes can be i approached from the side of the home and peered through the dust covered Windows the decor had a timeless untethered look and it was unclear if it had been abandoned for years or if the residents just had peculiar taste regardless i saw no signs of movement inside i thought about entering through the window but caught myself and did the rational thing i knocked on the front door I thought i heard a brief flurry of restrained movement somewhere inside the house my hand went immediately to the revolver my voice

was knotted and stuck in my throat i swallowed hard and tried to call out but my nerves wouldn't allow it instead i reached out for the doorknob and the moment my fingers made contact the door drifted open i felt as if i were being invited inside My shoes slipped slightly on an old pile of mail stacked up from years of neglect some were postmarked from as far back as the late 90s my first instinct about the decor was correct thick layers of dust seemed to coat most things in the home but certain spots had been

wiped clean with use A path in the hallway rug was worn down from recent footsteps i followed them to the kitchen there were dishes in the sink and a box of discontinued cereal on the counter next to an empty jug of milk the power had long ago been shut off and the contents of the fridge had rotted past the state of decay and no longer even smelled the ash tray on the kitchen table however Was packed full of fresh butts a single unsmoked cigarette was left next to a matchbook one thing became obvious the meal

was not left in the kitchen hello i called out adjusting my grip on the revolver a metallic rattle and a pained moan came from somewhere in another room i stepped carefully in the direction of the ghostly noise I could hear a subtle rhythmic tapping coming from behind the door of a room at the end of the hallway the distance to that door felt longer than the distance from the house to the barn the long drawn out moan seemed to seep out from beneath the cracks on the door i removed the gun from my jacket pocket

and with my other hand i carefully opened the door the ghoulish noise ceased in the moments That the door opened replaced by the squeak of unused hinges i stepped back and aimed but it was just a bathroom the soft blue and pepto pink tiles were not the horror i expected on the other side of the door the pipes beneath the sink let out another ghostly moan as they groaned from unuse and the steady drip of a leaky faucet patterned behind the shower curtain i Understand now that it wasn't the brightest idea but i driven for

hours and i had no other options none that would provide the comfort of a seat so i placed the gun on the sink and sat down i only had a moment of relief before i saw the silhouette behind this semi-opaque shower curtain i pushed on the curtain Thinking it was just a trick of the light but my hand made contact with something solid before i could stand the silhouette formed into the figure of a person as it reached out towards me i stood quickly but a withered white hand covered in blood emerged from the shower

i tripped and tried to catch myself i grabbed hold of the only thing standing Between myself and the figure the shower curtain as i fell back the curtain tore from the rings and fell onto me frantically i crawled backwards out from under the curtain and out of the room away from the gun i struggled to my feet realizing that the thing standing in front of me was not pursuing me instead the emaciated figure of a dead man hung suspended above the bathtub swaying Slightly from my push the room began to spin as the horror of

what was in front of me became clearer with the sound of every wet drop of blood dripping into the bath he was the meal i grabbed the gun and before i knew it i was already outside i considered my options i thought about burning it down but that would only bring attention i knew nothing about fingerprints And fire and evidence the safest option was to do nothing this house had remained hidden for so long why wouldn't it stay that way just to be safe though i took the shower curtain and wiped down any surface i

remembered touching i locked the door from the inside and closed it the walk back to the barn was long and arduous i replayed the images in my mind over and over and thought back to the Bathtub i'd cleaned so many times before if there were any doubt in my mind before it had been erased the family that i had known my whole life were no longer human they truly were creatures of the night that preyed on the weak and drank their blood it should have been obvious and maybe it was maybe my parents knew all

along they had to but Me it had only coalesced in my mind after seeing the body it became clear as day every four years for a week at a time i had been in the presence of an unearthly evil they were inhuman unnatural and otherworldly they were vampires we were just one stop on their tour of death they must have other places like ours just close enough to make it in a Night's drive my aunt lived only a few hours east of us my memories of visiting her came flooding back it now made sense that

every time i stepped into the guest house behind her home the cellar door would smell of smoke stale breath iron and every once in a while soft lavender too it seems now That my aunt did what my parents couldn't that's probably why they left her that last letter they knew that she'd be capable of doing what they never could they'd made the deal and tolerated slaughter under their roof but part of me understood why even if they wanted to burn it all down she was still their little girl And she needed a safe place as

i stood in front of the burn pit out back behind the motel i watched the plastic shower curtain curl and melt in the flames a flicker of light off glass caught my eye just outside the center of the fire i used a stick to dig it out glasses thick rimmed glasses he was never coming back bill henley The man who was going to purchase my motel was not coming back like it or not this motel was still mine and as far as i knew i still had four years to figure out what to do with

it over the next few days i was little more than a ghost haunting the motel grounds i drifted from room to room trying to cobble together a purpose i'd quickly realized that i was bound to this property and whether it was an Ancient family curse or a legal contract i was supposed to stay here and maintain the property i felt obligated to protect my sister even if she barely resembled the little girl i remembered my mother for all her faults had done what she could to protect her daughter working over the events in my mind

and recounting the visits of the family i'd come to the conclusion that my parents had made a deal To save my sister i remember her illness i remember her withering away before my eyes she was going to die it was a fact but somehow she didn't she continued living as an eternal child cursed to walk in ever-evolving earth as she herself was frozen in prepubescence they'd changed her and i was determined to figure out how i looked for Clues in my father's old lock box but found little more than unfamiliar photos and documents that no

longer had any relevance one thing that stood out though was an early momento that my grandfather had kept it was the first brochure for the cave system if not for the scribbled red circle on the map it may have been worth something i spent An entire day sifting through the dirt in the space below their room the soft earth that filled their mounds was starting to change with the exception of what i assume was the teenage boys the dark earthen mounds were starting to dry and crumble the boy spot was still dark with a fresh

dampness about it though it grew more dry And brittle with every passing day the salty crystalline rocks placed near each mound seemed to draw out whatever moisture was in the dirt drying it into a dead useless dust the crystals themselves were not unique nor rare by any means they were the same ones that lined the ceilings and floors in the deepest chambers of the caverns i remembered them from my childhood visits i felt the strange longing to return there i needed to Uncover its secrets while they'd been closed for almost a year now there was

still a park ranger named graham who remained on the premises he would sometimes stop by for some of our free lobby coffee always overpaying he joked that we were the only coffee shop in town which was partially true i hadn't seen him in a few months but his truck would pass by regularly as he would survey the outlying grounds I could tell he was bored and i thought that i could manipulate that into an eagerness to help me i called ahead but the line went straight through to an automated recording an apology to potential visitors

about the indefinite closure with little else to do i made some coffee and filled the thermos for him i drove down to the closed lot and parked just outside the locked fence I could see his truck parked outside so i knew he was there he saw me arriving on the security camera so he was already greeting me with a wave as i crossed the closed parking lot afternoon graham i said don't approach what brings you down here research i said asking myself the same question when was the last time you made it here Years my

folks were still around ah well there's a lot to see the remodel finished right before the shutdown i've been dying to show somebody around so i'm glad you're here he said opening the door i gave him the coffee and his eyes went wide he stopped coming by after i closed up shop so i could tell he was grateful to have one last cup we walked into the dimly lit lobby Potent with the smell of new carpet and fresh paint wait here i'm gonna go turn everything on he said clearly excited i stood in the darkness

for almost a minute before the lights came on with a quiet hum of electric life the lobby was filled with media displays of the cavern's history There were photos and stories of opening day with updates for each anniversary as i waited for graham to return i studied the older photos behind the glass case nearest to me suddenly the hairs on my neck stood straight i swore i could feel someone watching me it was only then that i noticed his gaze staring back from one very old photograph in it a familiar figure stood at the Center

of a group of visitors looking back at me it was the old man from the family it was as if he were somehow staring at me through the photo his eyes locked on the lens of the camera and in turn on me it was hard to discern his age and that old faded photo but he looked very much the same as he did today The only difference was that instead of his usual gray suit he was wearing a park ranger uniform ah you've met jerry said graham with a laugh jerry i asked i mean we

don't actually know his name but we all call him jerry he was one of the first rangers to work the park him and his colleagues were responsible for a lot of the early mapping of the cave system This photo and a bunch of other stuff was found locked in an old utility closet didn't even know it existed because that particular cave was closed off check it out he said leading me over to the illustrated map covering the entire wall he pointed to a blank spot on the map found it right there actually i'd brought my

grandfather's Old brochure so i pulled it out to compare to the current map the black tunnel he was pointing to still existed on my grandfather's map yeah they left out a few of the trickier spots on the new maps they didn't want to entice explorers into places they might not get out of he said might not get out of i asked yeah steep inclines Drop-offs or just plain tight squeezes you know they left those spots off and the map you see today is just the safest what we call vanilla trails i showed him the red

circle at the end of a pathway that they decided to omit in the modern map any idea why that's circled i asked looks like the gulch or at least whatever is past it What's past it what's the gulch i asked not much to tell it's one of those steepest descents and it's almost impassable without gear or a ladder which is a shame really i hear it's the most beautiful place in the system it's got very unique veined stalagmites like this i sent pulling the crystalline rock from my pocket you're showing me a federal offense i

hope you know that he said with a Chuckle i mean you're literally showing me plundered goods where'd you even get it my grandfather's collection i confessed they were a little more willy-nilly with the rules back then everybody was taking tokens and souvenirs before the tucker boy they kind of let people just roam he said pointing at a photo of Well-dressed folks climbing a dangerous rock formation what happened to the tucker boy i asked no clue that was the problem they looked for him for weeks he was visiting with his wife and son and went missing

well right around the gulch actually which is why it's not on the maps he said with another educational chuckle i thought you said he was a boy eighteen but he was married with a son times were Different back then graham walked over to another glass case away from the main display they've talked about taking this down for the renovation i mean it is a little dark he said pointing in a display of old missing persons photos spanning the decades of the park's operations i had no idea i gasped that's him right there mr tucker himself

He said pointing at a class photo of a face i knew all too well the teenage boy from the family stared back younger and happier i was transfixed but graham was already moving on listen i got nothing on the docket today so if you want i can take you close to the gulch i just gotta get some lights he said already on his way to get them as i waited for his return i made my way To the elevators that would bring us down into the caverns the gift shop was located just across from them

so it would be the first thing visitors would see when they resurfaced cheesy t-shirts postcards and other junk were crammed into the small space the entire shop seemed to be designed to frame a bookshelf filled entirely with copies of a history book about the caverns curious i opened the book and flipped Through the first few pages it was as if the old man were haunting me through time itself again his blank stare caught my eyes immediately looking out from a full page photograph of a staff photo inside the largest chamber of the caverns it was

labeled as october 23rd 1924 one year after opening day even in his friendly Park ranger uniform his presence was so chilling that i almost missed her holding the hand of the old man was the teenage girl she looked very much the same but thinner and more gaunt my attention was suddenly stolen by the cluttered plank of graham approaching with his gear did he have a daughter i asked pointing At the photo of the old man graham leaned over to give a half-involved glance like i said we don't even know his real name he said with

a half shrug he then walked over and hit the button for the elevator his excitement was doing nothing to soften my growing anxiety over the photographs the ride down took longer than i remembered and my Ears popped from the pressure change as we descended deep underground as soon as the elevator doors opened into the first chamber graham disappeared into the darkness wait here he said stepping out i followed but stopped right outside the elevator the dim emergency lights cast haunting shadows across the cavern walls it was just enough light for graham to navigate Without his

flashlight i could hear nothing but his footsteps and the muffled silence of the stale cavern air when he reached his destination his footsteps ceased and the silence settled in to my right i heard a distant flutter and what i thought was a faint screech a loud mechanical click signaled the lights turning on and filling even the deepest corners of The cavern with comforting light graham returned and with a wave he ushered me to follow him alright let's start this private tour he said heading right in the direction of the eerie sounds i just heard there's

no creaky plumbing down here is there i asked remembering the sink in the old house nope all creaky sounds are natural cave occurrences He joked at least i hoped he was joking i followed him anyway the walk through the main chambers and less traveled paths was long and filled mostly with small talk graham lamented on the fact that reopening wasn't guaranteed despite the money they spent on the remodel he truly loved the caverns and couldn't see himself doing anything else people would die for this gig i realize How lucky i am to have it he

said with a tinge of real sadness it became obvious that we were reaching the end of the modern map because the light started to stagger more with longer distance between each light the fixtures themselves were older than the rest and some were entirely out creating breaks of darkness in the already dim cavern each time we reached an old iron gate He would search a massive key ring for the one out of dozen keys that would open it eventually the lights no longer lit our way and he switched on the lamps and handed me a helmet

i probably should have given you this earlier but these low ceilings make it a necessity now he said with a smile i followed behind him in a half crouch as he pointed out Interesting geological sights that had been hidden from the public for decades i noticed that some of the cave walls were starting to display that same dark red and blue mineral veins as the crystals i'd collected from their chamber what's that i asked pointing to rune carvings i recognized from the room below the motel no idea what it says old-timey graffiti i guess He

assured me as the ceiling and walls seemed to close in around us with each step the warm air seemed thicker as well i felt as though it was getting difficult to breathe and my back was starting to ache from the unnatural posture graham must have sensed my discomfort it opens up a little bit further ahead we're almost there he said trying to comfort me he was Right and as soon as we reached the next chamber the air seemed to grow colder as well the floor that had until now been paved with a gripping cement had

given way to the cavern's natural floor a slippery surface that felt very much like sandstone i present The gulch he said while grabbing a hold of my jacket to prevent me from passing him he switched on a very bright lantern and lit up the enormous room my breath left my lungs as i noticed why he'd grabbed a hold of me the steep drop-off was only a few feet ahead and it was more of a cliff than an incline it dropped down maybe 20 or 30 feet into a lower tunnel that led into further darkness how

do we get down i asked leaning forward to get a better look we don't tour stops here if we so much as sprained an ankle we're pretty much done for no cell service nobody knows we're here and nobody will come looking for weeks that level Of irresponsibility would cost me my job he said finally serious but his adherence to the rules went out the door when we heard that haunting sound a faint cry echoed out from the darkness past the gulch do bats make it down this far i asked my voice shaky and afraid i

watched his mind wrestle with the possibilities as he shook his head slowly Then what's that i asked he turned to me his eyes wide and afraid he shook his head again as my own voice echoed down the cavernous path ahead the sound ceased as if hearing me in those brief moments of silence when we still shared a doubt that we'd heard anything at all i could feel him pull my jacket to lead me Back out but then we heard it you've returned asked a voice from the distant darkness it sounded like an echo without a

voice to reflect i could feel graham's body tense and stiffen with the acceptance that what we heard was very real and not from our own imaginations what if you brought me it called out vulnerable and afraid Nobody should be down here how'd you get down here graham asked as if he wanted an answer from himself and not the ghostly voice below there was a moment where neither spoke it was as if both of them were working out what to say next who's up there please help it said the voice now small and almost childlike more

vulnerable than before I'm a park ranger i can help you he said and i realized that it was now me holding onto his jacket trying to hold him back stay where you are he called out to the childlike voice in the darkness he turned to me with a look of defeat or unwanted heroism we have to help he choked out do we i asked as he moved past me to an old metal Utility trunk just to the right of the rum as he struggled to find the key that opened the trunk i peered into the

darkness looking for any sign of movement for a moment i thought i saw a small pale form move just beyond the edge of the shadows but my attention was soon taken by the metal groan of the trunk opening graham pulled out a rope ladder That attached to the side of the already secured trunk and dropped it below the ladder unraveled along the steep incline all the way to the floor i've been trapped please come down and help me the childlike voice said i followed after graham as he descended down the ladder as my hands grazed

the coarse granular texture of the cavern wall It felt as if the moisture was drawn from my skin with each labored step down the cold dry air stung my lungs by the time i reached the bottom graham was already halfway across the gulch with the lantern held high somehow the light seemed to stop at the edge of the shadowy darkness ahead how did you get down here he asked walking slowly towards the darkness Ahead i've always been down here said the voice it's childlike essence giving way to a frightening growl at the edge of the

darkness graham stopped to adjust the lamp doing everything he could to cast more light towards the unseen voice with his attention on the lamp graham didn't even see it coming he had no time to react a pale white figure emerged from the darkness And skittered across the cavern floor grabbed graham by the ankles and pulled him to the ground the lantern shattered on impact i stood there frozen at the bottom of the ladder my own light only casting a few feet in front of me graham i called out run he responded in a gurgled gasping

moan so i climbed i climbed faster than i thought possible Skipping rungs with each aching pole as my muscles worked on instinct and adrenaline i could hear the cold wet patter of naked flesh hitting the cavern floor as the figure raced towards me when i reached the top of the ladder i glanced back to see the figure pulling itself across the floor with an unnatural speed as i turned to pull the ladder up my light Cast just far enough to reach the bottom of the gulch a withered claw-like hand covered in bright red blood reached

out and grabbed the bottom rung it pulled with an inhuman strength i braced myself and pulled back i could hear its other hand clawing at the sandpaper-like surface of the cavern wall struggling to gain footing i looked to My right into the open utility trunk sitting atop a coil of rope and other gear was a silver coated pickaxe as i felt myself teetering on the edge of falling i let go of the rope i grabbed the pickaxe and in one fluid motion i swung hard severing one side of the rope ladder but still it climbed

the shriveled torso of a Ghost white child covered in graham's blood it looked up from below with soulless black eyes there was no fear only hunger from its waist hung long strips of withered flesh and mangled bone what i assume were once its legs the creature made it halfway up the ladder before i swung again fraying the remaining side of rope the Creature did not slow undeterred by my pickaxe my mind raced as i considered my next swing the rope or the creature i wasn't sure if the next blow would cut the rope but i

was even less sure that i could kill whatever it was that was climbing i swung the rope snapped and the ladder fell below the creature slid back down the incline hitting the bottom With a sickening wet thud i waited with baited breath as i listened for movement i called out hopelessly into the darkness graham he is no more said the voice from directly below i swallowed hard and held my lantern over the edge as the shadows crept back they revealed the creature below i expected a crumpled broken mess from the fall but instead there it

Was staring up at me unfazed though its resemblance to a human was slight i could see aspects of the family in its emotionless stare and pale waxy skin beneath wet red blood the naked figure was child-sized but its limbs and features were distorted odd and long its bulbous veiny head held two bulging black eyes with thin lips that barely restrained sharp jagged Teeth it looked as though it may have been human at one time but its form now was nothing more than a legless emaciated ghoul with dry and withered skin its few remaining strands of

hair were matted down with wet blood will you please help me out it asked why are you down here i cried they took my legs and left me to rot it said with its shark-like eyes Locked on mine who i asked already knowing the answer i gave her the gift but she turned on me i i can give you the gift too if you help me up how i asked i will drink from you and you will drink from me and when you slumber beneath this salted earth it will leach out the very essence of

death from your being we can live here Together forever but each night you will follow me here and we will die beneath the crystal and earth only to wake at night revived by the salted soils it's sent digging its claws into a patch of loose gravelly sand my fingers tightened around the pickaxe what's stopping you from killing me once I help you i asked solitude eternity is meaningless if you're alone what about graham i asked pointing into the darkness can you bring him back he is not worthy of the gift you must choose it he

is nothing more than a meal sustenance after a famine but you i can smell the gift on you you know of my children You know what it means if they're your children why are you here i asked she accepted the gift and we lived for years praying on the week that wandered into our realm and then he arrived and stole her attention from me when she gave him the gift he convinced her to leave our home when i refused to let her go He took my legs and they left me down here to starve but

as i said death does not come easy down here not for us if i help you you can make me like you i asked my voice shaky and unsure yes it smiled i looked down at the silver axe in my hands i thought back to the silver tipped bullets in my grandfather's box He must have known the pickaxe was here for a reason coated in shimmering silver i knew what i had to do i tied off the coiled rope in the box and dropped it down the creature quickly grabbed hold and pulled itself up one

clawed hand over the other it climbed as its mangled lower half dangled below i stepped back and readied myself as the creature crested the incline And pulled itself onto my level i raised the pickaxe high over my hand quickly i brought it down on the creature's skull with a sickening crunch i let go and the blood-covered ghoul fell forward onto the ground in front of me slowly it turned its head in the black expressionless eyes locked on mine silly silver slows but cannot kill us it smiled bearing its rows of sharp Teeth as it wrapped

its sickeningly long fingers around the handle of the axe i reached into my pocket it pulled at the handle trying to free the pickaxe from its head too focused on what was in my hand i lurched forward with the only weapon i had left the sharp crystalline rock but the creature was fast and swiped at my feet with an incredible quickness just as it did with graham I fell backwards hard and hit my head on the rocks but the helmet saved me from an almost certain concussion or worse i was still woozy when the creature

climbed on top of me the pickaxe still embedded in its skull with one arm i fought it back holding it by the neck with the other i gripped crystalline rock with its face only inches from mine i Closed my eyes and plunged it into the creature's chest almost immediately the skin around the puncture withered and cracked as the rock leeched the life from the creature i pushed it off of me and crawled backwards the creature's blank stare gave way to true horror as it looked down at the fatal piercing Blow confused its hands weakly clawed

at the embedded stone i stood up and removed the axe from its skull again i raised it high and then brought it down hard this time the skull collapsed beneath the blow its flesh crumbled and decay until nothing but dust and blood sat before me soaking into a sludgy mess Confident that i'd ended this ancient evil i pushed curdled blood and mudded flesh into the gulch below i then used the rope to climb back down into the gauche unwilling to take the creature's word that graham was gone as i stepped into the darkness the ground

squished beneath me i directed the light to my feet and the massive amounts of blood that surrounded them i found graham only A few feet into the darkness his body was cold but i could have sworn i still felt a pulse blood oozed from large gashes in his throat stomach and arms still i had to try he was heavy but i managed to drag him all the way back to the rope it was only then that i had the realization that there was no way i could get him out not on my own by the

time i could find Help he would surely be dead and if he were dead i would have to explain why the creature that inflicted his wounds was nothing more than blood-soaked dust which made for a poor explanation they would ask how i found him what happened and how we could have lost so much blood without a jagged rock in sight i stood there watching his blood Slowly ooze out into the grainy sand beneath mixing with the discolored sludge of the creature that had killed him i made peace with my only viable option i would leave

him here and hope that by the time they found him it would look like he fell climbing down i didn't want my friend to stay here forever but just long enough to not incriminate me with defensive wounds I knew that he'd understand we both witnessed an unnatural evil and there was no way anybody else would believe it not without evidence i pulled my crystalline stone from the bloody muck and stuffed it back into my pocket after i said my goodbyes to graham it took me hours to find my way back out of the caverns back

in the gift shop I cleaned myself up and did my best to remove any evidence i'd visited i even returned the helmet to the rack after wiping away any trace of blood i was tired and weak by the time i stumbled outside into the night i drove home in a daze and barely remembered crawling into bed the days that followed were heavy with guilt and sorrow graham lost his life because of my foolish actions and even Though it meant the evil down there was finally gone i couldn't help but wish it was me instead of

graham down there rotting waiting to be found on the third day after the events in the cavern i was awoken mid-afternoon by a knocking at the office door i expected to open it to a weary traveler but instead i found myself face to face With the sheriff he lowered his sunglasses and cut right to the point mind if i come inside i got questions and i got a feeling you might know something sure i said breathless and already worried i let him inside the office and he made his way over to the check-in desk he

pulled out a tablet from under his jacket And set it down you're familiar with ranger graham nillis he asked his brow furrowed i glanced at the coffee counter in the lobby and nodded you were with him on thursday correct he asked as if i'd already admitted to it i uh with him i stumbled the sheriff turned on the tablet and as he navigated it he said we have Cctv footage showing you at the caverns visitor center before i could even answer the video was already playing i watched myself walking across the parking lot and waving

to a smiling still living gram yes i brought him coffee he used to come in often but it had been a while so i stopped by is he okay i asked regretting my last question The sheriff cocked his head to the side questioning me just coffee he asked my brain seemed to shut down overloaded with the possibilities of what he knew why he was there and why he hadn't arrested me yet well he showed me around the renovations i offered he nodded accepting my answer gotcha he said already navigating to another video is there a

problem did he get in trouble I asked feigning ignorance well there is a problem not not that you did anything wrong he said in an almost apologetic manner he could sense my discomfort and cleared his throat before he hit play on the video he explained did he mention anything strange when he met did he seem afraid of anybody anything no i lied so After you left he missed his rounds we believe he slept in the center that evening which isn't illegal he has late nights and early days i get it but when he did emerge

later that night well he said hitting play i watched the grainy video fast forward until the door to the center opened the sheriff then slowed the video and i watched as graham staggered out of The visitor center still alive i bit my tongue to hide my surprise notice that he's possibly impaired he said pointing to graham as he stumbled across the parking lot we think he may have hit his head while well i don't know he added is he okay i asked with genuine hope without answering my question he asked another Do you recognize this

car i watched as the familiar old station wagon pulled into the parking lot i was too shocked to answer the family had returned almost four years too early i watched as they pounced on graham but they didn't hurt him instead they dragged him to the bed of his own truck and tied him down at the ankles and wrist his arms and legs were splayed out to each corner of the bed The two men holding each arm while the middle woman an older woman held his legs the teenage girl just stood there watching him and even

though the footage was grainy i swear i could see somebody else watching from the car window my sister hold on you don't need to see this he stumbled trying to end the video but instead fast forwarding it i watched As the family got back in their car and left leaving graham exposed in his truck i watched as the sun crept across the parking lot as it rose above the trees i watched his body ignite the moment the sunrise reached his foot i watched it burn him slowly from his feet all the way to his head

until there was Nothing more than a charred corpse i watched my friend die a second time i'm so sorry you shouldn't have seen that he stuttered finally just powering down the tablet there was a moment of silence as he let me process the horrific murder i just witnessed we believe they doused him in an unknown accelerant We're not sure how but they burned him alive we just want to know why do you recognize them he asked i shook my head in disbelief we don't know who they are but we feel they may be responsible for

both deaths he trailed off i felt my head spin and asked to sit down realizing that i just witnessed my friend's death the sheriff eased up on the questions And tried to soften the situation he offered me his card and told me to call him if i remembered anything he left me there on the couch in the lobby reeling from the realization that i no longer had four years to figure it out they were already here and that means they would be checking in sooner than later i couldn't help but feel that somehow they Knew

what i'd done i needed to come up with a plan to keep myself safe and somehow free my sister from their grasp but instead all i could do is replay the last words the sheriff said before i completely shut down he'd pointed again to the frozen frame of the old man the old woman the middle aged couple and the teenage girl And asked have you ever rented a room to this family i lied and told him no the family was coming and there was no way i could escape not without my sister unwilling to die

in my bend i decided to wait for them in the office just as i always had the revolver rested neatly on my lap and the coffee pot brewed in the corner I considered collecting the crystalline rocks beneath the room to fashion some sort of weapon but i feared they would notice their absence and act before i could i still had the one that ended that ravenous fiend in the caverns but there was no way i could dispatch all of them in the same manner not like that they were never alone so i sat in the

office plotting their Demise and fighting the overwhelming urge to sleep it was some time after midnight when they arrived despite the unlit vacancy sign and the empty parking lot they pulled in as they always did parking right outside their room the middle-aged man was the first to exit from the car rushing to the door with a restrained Urgency the middle-aged woman followed behind when they found it locked both stood at the door in unison they turned towards the old man as he stepped out of the car there he was the park ranger from the photos

with the same haunting stare the three exchanged knowing glances then turned their attention to the office to me I gripped the revolver tight and watched as the old man opened the back door of the station wagon when he stepped inside a dark figure emerged for a moment it appeared as a walking shadow devoid of light but the truth was more horrifying than that the teenage girl covered head to toe in fresh blood stepped into the parking lot of my Motel on the other side of the car the old woman emerged the teenage girl stood facing

my direction for what seemed like an eternity waiting for something i realized all of them were looking directly at me the teenage girl moved first she turned back to the car and reached inside when she turned back to me she was Holding my sister it was the way that she held her in her blood-soaked arms that i could tell this was a threat the old man broke from the group and walked towards the office behind them they all stared i took a deep breath and readied myself for what i had to do as he approached

he glanced up at the old sign that hung Above you're always welcome he grabbed the knob and turned it and when he opened the door he smiled it was the same fake smile i'd seen a hundred times he then removed his hat and entered hello we'd like to rent a room please he said i sat there in disarmed shock i was unsure of what to do next but my Instincts took over for me okay i said surprising even myself i turned to grab the key hanging behind my desk and once again got a glimpse of

the teenage girl her eyes were still locked on me and my sister was still gripped tightly in her arms here you go i said swallowing the lump in my throat he took the key with a polite nod and walked Casually out of the office i watched him join the family and head directly to the room with an unnerving sense of normalcy he opened the door and entered the rest followed in a straight line except for the teenage girl she put down my sister who then ran into the unlit room behind the others the teenage girl

remained she watched me through the window With an unnerving gaze i only looked away for a moment but it was long enough for her to disappear immediately i reached for the phone i had lied for too long and brought pain and despair to everyone around me i pulled the sheriff's card from my pocket and dialed he picked up after one ring sheriff i whispered ah you again did you happen to remember there here I said cutting him off there was a moment of silence the motel he asked yes same room there the line went dead

i dialed again no answer i gathered my thoughts and tried to work out a plan i had to figure out a way to separate them from my sister i needed to get her alone so that we could escape together monster or not she was still my only Family i'd only gotten as far in my plan as i need to get her alone when i heard the car approach the red and blue lights flashed in the distance as the cruiser approached at a very high speed however the moment he hit the parking lot he killed the

lights and slowed to a crawl i watched him Park too close to the family station wagon then again he was the only other vehicle in the parking lot there was nowhere to hide i went to the door revolver in hand and peered out through the window next to it with one hand on the knob i waited for him again he stayed in his car for an uncomfortably long time His sense of urgency seemingly lost i then realized he was probably calling in support but i thought wrong instead he opened the door and with a casual

saunter he made his way to the family's room no i said in a horse whisper i opened the door to warn him but before i could get out a word he knocked he waited then opened the door himself and went inside Terrified i wanted nothing more than to go back inside the office but it was foolish to think anywhere was safe i stepped outside with the gun in my hand and crept towards the room i lingered back by the cars listening for any sign of a struggle that sign came in the form of six gunshots

they were followed by silence i ran But not in the direction i expected i ran towards the room six shots for six members of the family foolishly i'd hoped he'd missed the last one stay where you are he said from inside the room i pushed open the door and stumbled inside what i found was not the heroic scene of a small-town lawman standing over slain Demons but instead he was lying in the corner of the room bleeding profusely from the gut as i stepped into the room the family gently pushed me aside as they walked

calmly out of the room they paid no notice to the revolver dangling at my side the old man tipped his hat and flashed that fake smile as he passed as if this were nothing out of the ordinary Where are you going you can't leave now the sheriff shouted through the blood pooling in his mouth he fired the gun again straight into his own stomach now you have to turn me you have to turn me now he shouted and with each word the exertion pushed oozing blood from his wounds the older woman ignored him as she

collected her earrings from the side Table and walked out the door followed by the teenage girl now cleaned of blood and changed into a modest dress neither acknowledging the dying man in the corner i covered up everything for you you owe me this he whimpered and with that the door shut behind them leaving me standing in the cursed room with this Dying man did you did you shoot yourself i asked frustrated he waved the gun wildly as blood seeped from his nose mouth and multiple bullet holes it seemed like a good idea at the time

he joked laughing through the pain i know they need me but i guess i miscalculated how much i looked down at this dying man and i couldn't help but feel vindicated in my mistrust call an Ambulance will ya he said the color draining from his face i pulled out my phone a look of momentary relief flashed across his face i started to dial but then stopped what do you mean they need you i asked my finger hovering over the send button frantic worry set in as he realized why i hesitated oh cut the we both

know what they Are you don't have to lie anymore you helped me find him we both want the same thing you and i he sputtered i don't think so what did you do for them i asked he laughed in disbelief really did you ever wonder what happened to the bodies once they were done with him the ones they didn't leave on the side of the road for me to handle I shook my head it's your property it's big but not that big he said realizing that i didn't know where i asked thinking about all the

off-limits places my father had restricted us from dangerous sinkholes the old septic tank the open caves my parents would never i said knowing it was a lie your parents maybe but the old couple that ran this place did every damn thing they were asked and look what it Got him i shook my head tears welling in my eyes it got him their little girl back he said weakly i stood over the dying man my whole world coming down around me i knew the answers but i still wasn't ready for the truth i looked out in

the direction of where the bodies were hidden as if looking through the wall itself searching for them The septic he said as if he could read my mind but you don't want to see that i realized how close to death he was and hit send on the phone don't bother he said even if you drove i'd only make it the gillis road 911 what's your emergency said the voice on the other line i tried to answer but the words wouldn't come stuck in my mouth with uncertainty The sheriff shook his head sorry miss style my

apologies have a nice night i said and hung up do what you will with my body but without me they're gonna come looking and when they do those monsters will be long gone and you'll be left to clean up and take the blame you should probably have a plan for that but i didn't do anything it was all them I said choking on my words it's your property sort of he said pausing as a thought slowly came to him they don't care if you fear them they're smarter than that they only care that you fear

death i watched as the life slowly drained from his body i wanted to hold his hand to comfort him but my own repulsion of what he'd done Overrode my empathy as he faded away he looked me in the eyes and muttered one last thing i remember your parents what a shame you should never have been left here with them his voice trailed as his eyes glazed over and his heart finally stopped i rolled him into an old sheet and dragged his body to the cruiser outside With great effort i was able to heave his corpse

into the back seat i drove it around to the back of the motel and then returned to clean up the trail of streaked blood that led from the room to the parking lot i used buckets of warm water from the shower and scrubbed it clean with an old push broom it was a poor job but i didn't have time for perfection I drove the cruiser along the strange path i'd avoided my entire life my father had told me as a child that this place was unsafe and as an adult he further emphasized the danger of

it this is where he took old rusted propane tanks that had sat for so long the sulfur smell had faded into a deadly absence this is where he disposed of waste that Was unfit for the burn pit this is where he said that if i ever wandered into it would cause everlasting harm at least he was telling the truth about that when i reached the unrecognizable location that i'd avoided for years i stopped the car i retrieved the large flashlight from the trunk and continued on looking for any sign Of well death i saw the

rusted white paint of old propane tanks buried halfway beneath a layer of dirt and fallen leaves and walked in that direction the smell hit first the putrid stench of decay that was so thick you could taste it the ground beneath me seemed to soften as i neared the trench where an old septic tank once was it was Never used and removed some time after i was born it was the remnants of the dream home my father always promised to build for my mother instead they settled into their macabre routine and lived out their lives in

the small cottage attached to the motel i always thought that my sister's death was the reason the dream was abandoned but it turns out They just found other uses for the plot as my view crested over the ditch my mind struggled to comprehend the amount of death that was discarded just a few feet in front of me bodies in various states of decay most of them were years or decades old stacked without regard to their humanity rotted bodies saratop sun bleached bones resting on a thick layer of Decayed flesh and on top of it all

was poor bill henley his body was almost unrecognizable no longer the strong imposing man that stood outside his truck now he was nothing more than a withered white corpse drained of everything that gave him life small incisions covered his legs arms belly and neck he was Drained of blood and wiped clean his eyes were now nothing more than deep black sockets i felt guilt for not warning him but i realized i had a chance to make it right i pulled the sheriff from the back seat and dragged his body to the pit and rolled him

down he landed next to bill i collected the bloody sheet and carried them over to the nearby Burn pit the one my father rarely used i lit a match and tossed it onto the sheets as i watched the flames consume and burn the bloody sheets i laughed at the futility of burning evidence when i had a pit of dead bodies only a few feet away what was i trying to hide in the wake of that epiphany i formulated a plan i stomped out the burning sheets and Smothered the fire i would need those later i

returned to the cruiser and siphoned most of the gas from the trunk spilling it into a bucket i found nearby i soaked the sheets and any dry wood i could find which wasn't much i then maneuvered the cruiser to the edge of the grave so the headlights would illuminate the rotting mound of death As i walked across the corpses searching for fat soaked clothing or anything that would burn i could feel the old bones snap and crunch beneath my weight i listened to the nauseating sound of rotted organs rupturing below by the time i climbed

out the smell of death and gasoline were indistinguishable it didn't matter though i knew exactly how i was going to dispatch these Horrible soulless creatures i knew exactly how i was going to kill these vampires that it haunted me my entire life these beings that cursed my family's very existence i was going to bring justice to these people i was going to murder every last one of the family except of course my sister red blood seeped into the clean white Towels sitting where the sheriff took his final breath it smelled of a rusted iron and

musty linen it was an odd feeling to stand in that empty motel room where decades of untold carnage had taken place so close to where i spent my life somehow though it still felt like home in all my years of emptying the ashtray and replacing their unused sheets i Never lingered for longer than i had to in the back of my mind i believe i'd always sensed the evil beneath the floorboards but now i had all the time in the world to linger i was waiting for their return it was only an hour or so

before sunrise when i heard the familiar rattling shake of their old station wagon pulling into the parking lot i gathered up the towels stuffed them Into my cleaning cart and did my best to remain small and invisible when the door opened the old man was the first to honor he greeted me with that eerie fake smile the others followed in after i pushed my things aside and waited for my chance to exit the teenage girl entered last holding the hand of my sister they continued about their business as if i weren't even there Most of

them headed straight to the bathroom where i heard the trap door open to their lair below the old man stayed behind and lit up a cigarette and then offered one to the old woman she turned back from the bathroom and joined him at the table my sister on the other hand immediately turned on the old television she stood in the center of the room and watched as an old black and white western movie Began with a shot of the sunrise with the old couple paying no attention to me i leaned in and whispered to my

sister i think you left this i said pulling the photo of her and i from my pocket she broke her gaze from the cowboy on the screen and glanced at the photo she took it from my hand i have the other half if you want it with Mama and papa in it i said looking over at the old woman who only spared me a passing glance i lowered my voice even more i can bring it to you in a few hours but you'll have to wake up early she glanced at the curtains covering the window

and the world outside i tapped at the backside of the photo she turned it over i had written the words If you are alone i'll protect you in red ink she nodded i left and returned to my room i did my best to sleep for the next few hours but i was constantly awoken by horribly vivid nightmares that reflected my current maddening reality when the alarm went off i'd already been awake for an hour i crawled out of bed and forced myself to eat Something with such a heavy sense of impending doom i found it

difficult to focus on the menial tasks like brushing my teeth too anxious to think about anything else i checked the family's room cracking the door slightly and peeking in it was empty except for some lingering smoke that danced with the dust and the sunbeams My sister was still asleep beneath the floorboards i used this time to walk back out to the septic tank where i lit the gasoline sheets and fat soaked clothing in the burn pit the flames reached high and i prayed this would burn for at least a few hours long enough to be

noticed when the time came at the edge of the pit i looked down at the legacy of Horror that my family would forever be aligned with if it were ever discovered this quaint motel in the mountains would not survive and my grandfather's legacy would no longer end with its demolition but live on as macabre folklore as the corpse fat fueled flames danced in the burn pit nearby it became clear that i was on the precipice of insanity My plan was little more than a half-baked assumption that i could somehow defeat beings that had lived over

three of my lifetimes but it felt as if i had no other choice so i collected every single tank of propane that would fit into the cruiser i stacked them floor to ceiling in the back seat with a few more on the passenger side Seat and floor there was just enough gas left in the tank to make it back to the parking lot even sputtering on fumes i was able to coast into a spot near the family station wagon the sun was low in the sky and daylight was waning i checked the room again knocking

lightly as i entered i slipped inside without opening the door wide And found my sister sitting on the bed shrouded in the darkness of the heavy blackout curtains i produced the photograph of my parents from my back pocket and i handed it to her do you still want to leave she asked yes but i'll make sure you're safe they won't trap you in those caves i promise they think you changed your mind master said you're too afraid to leave this Place that you're weak and insignificant master said that you are nothing to fear master's wrong

i sent pulling the comforter from the bed the light was low but it was enough harm for her pale fragile skin i'd seen how quickly it engulfed graham i knew how little it took to kill them i had my sister lay on the bed and wrapped her in the comforters I tucked in every last corner and picked her up holding the seams close to my body i carried her to the office as fast as i could once inside i took her behind the desk and i told her to hide the window shades were already drawn

but she remained covered hunkered down behind the check-in counter do not move until i return do you understand I asked she nodded i sprinted back to the room as fast as my legs would take me the sun was now setting and i only had a short time before the family would wake i remade the bed with the comforters from next door and smooth them out as if they would even notice with everything back in place i returned to the cruiser and dragged each tank into the room one by one I took the heaviest ones first

and opened the valves wide some hissed violently while others were a low breathy whistle the faded odor of sulfur was faint with age and i barely noticed the scent with the last tank open i sealed the door shut and shoved wet towels at the base i set a timer for sundown and hurried back to my sister I found her huddled beneath the comforter with both photos and hand holding them together as one she looked up at me with sad eyes i wish i never had to leave i miss being a child she whimpered the statement

itself sounded so odd coming from such a little girl do you remember why you left i asked she nodded mother said it was the only way she Promised to always be waiting though she lied she did her best but people can't wait forever i said brushing her hair back we can she said looking up at me with eyes that i only now realized were marbled with deep black veins why do you visit when you do every four years i asked the road is long and the further we go from caverns the more we must feed

The more we feed the more dangerous it gets why don't you stay here where it's safe i asked we can only stay for as long as the earth allows us if we stay too long the soil becomes impure and poisoned so we must always move only in the caverns can we sleep forever then why not stay in the caverns i asked would you choose a life of eternal Darkness in constant hunger she replied with the slightest hint of indignance no i admitted before now we'd never stopped and we'd never turned around so why now i

asked already knowing the answer we had to return so master could destroy the betrayer she said my watch alarm beeped in warning dusk was coming Graham i asked she leaned in with the intensity of a zealot when uncle matthew felt his father burn he begged the master to come back and seek vengeance but she refused she felt he was responsible for his own demise until she felt her maker die you see we can feel the pain of the ones that made us it keeps us connected it keeps us safe It makes us family when we

found that the betrayer had stolen the gift and killed our others he deserved a painful death my watch beeped again i needed to return to the room but my sister sensed this and grabbed me by the wrist he was my friend he didn't kill them i said taken aback by her reveling in his murder but he did and she let him burn in the Sun so that his agony would last only she decides who lives forever that's why mother's sister was mad she was refused the gift despite what uncle matthew promised so she lit herself

on fire and tried to take us with her uncle matthew begged master to wait for his father but the boy was buried and the sun was coming Soon so we left him master said we do not have room for the weak she said her eyes ablaze with righteousness i pulled my arm from her grasp and stood that all changes tonight i said stepping away from her i remember the day you arrived that was the day that everything changed she replied you were a child when i was born i said dismissively yes but i remember the

day You arrived here mother found you hiding beneath the bed too small to consume and too young to be worthy of notice they left you orphaned and mother took you in she said with a wicked smile as if she could taste my pain my mind immediately went back to the photo of myself with those strangers i thought back to The coldness my mother had for me while her warmth for other children was always evident i don't remember any of that i said my hand on the doorknob why would you she said with an evil smirk

i didn't want to believe her the alarm beeped a final alert and i realized i was out of time i sprinted to the family's room and pulled back the wet towel I held it to my mouth and entered i smelled nothing but i swear i could sense a haziness to the air i tied the towel around my mouth and grabbed the first two tanks they were lighter than before which means they were emptied i hurried as fast as i could throwing them into the parking lot i just needed them to be out of the room

it was impossible to do quietly But i did my best to muffle any bump while keeping the door closed as i entered and exited while it took me a half hour to fill the room it only took me minutes to empty it of the tanks my hands bled from cuts on the rusted metal handles on the way out with a final tank i heard the floor and the bathroom creak as the hatch opened i locked the Door and returned the towel to the crack beneath it i moved a few of the tanks around the corner

but abandoned the task when i heard movement inside i sprinted back to the office and found my sister already standing in the center of the room what are you doing she asked keeping you safe i replied i am safe she knows you won't hurt me You can't hurt any of us she said standing in the doorway to the office with my sister staring through me with those deep black eyes i began to realize that she was not the little girl i thought i knew it was her reveling in the pain of others that made me

realize she was more them than me in more ways than one she wasn't my sister anymore it was then that i heard an unholy Scream come from inside the family's room the teenage girl the master had noticed my sister was gone i thought for a moment that my plan was unraveling but the old man was stuck in his habits the door was thrown open and the teenage girl emerged beast-like in her anger but the old man the park ranger was not concerned instead He did as he always did he lit a cigarette the explosion shook

the very foundation of the motel pictures were thrown from the walls and glass shattered when i looked out at the parking lot my ears still ringing i saw the master lying motionless on the asphalt i stepped outside with my sister rushing past me Letting out a primal scream as she ran to the master behind them the motel room was a flame in hellish fire i could hear a loud ghoulish moan even above the crackle of embers the old man stumbled out howling in pain it was the first time in my life that i'd ever seen

any sign of emotion from him his flesh dripped from the bone as the Heat melted his skin his white skull was slowly revealed behind blackened flesh as it sloughed off his face with each step he left behind charred chunks of melted skin in a smoldering trail of burning gore he made it only a few more feet before collapsing in a heap of scorched agony he struggled to crawl away from the Flames but as he tried his muscles separated from his body like what i can only describe as pulled pork the building collapsed in on itself

trapping the others inside i could hear their screams as they begged for the master to save them she awoke suddenly and leaped up her eyes seemed to darken and the black orbs set deep in her skull she let out Another primal scream and she ran towards me i reached into the back of my pants and pulled out the revolver aimed and fired the first shot struck in her shoulder and it seemed to surprise her the pain from the silver tipped bullet she slowed for a moment feeling the sting i watched as my sister felt it

too the master beared her sharp teeth and Continued on but i waited to fire i waited until i knew i wouldn't miss i waited until she was close enough to see my own reflection in her black eyes i waited until it was almost too late and then i fired all six rounds struck her with the last catching her right between those dead soulless eyes she dropped to the ground but i remembered silver cannot kill It only slows i pulled out the crystalline rock that killed the very creature that started this nightmare and approached the master

with caution i could hear her rapid short breaths as her body worked to push out the silver-tipped bullets i rolled her over and raised the crystalline rock above my head ready to plunge it into her heart when i was blindsided my sister tackled me to The ground you can't kill us she screamed her eyes now full black orbs she is the killer she is evil i'm your family i said back she showed her teeth and leaned in so close i could feel her cold breath on my neck she hissed and then she opened wide and

bit down i could feel her sharp jagged teeth As they pierced my skin tearing at my flesh i had no choice i had to fight back i only meant to hurt her when i plunged the crystalline rock into her side she howled in pain and rolled off of me i saw the strange salted rock do its work as the skin around her wound started to shrivel and dry i went to pull it out but she pushed me away And grabbed hold of it herself she yanked at the deadly stake piercing into her side trying to

remove the crystal and rock but it broke the larger part fell to the ground with a dull end the rest remained inside her eating away at her innards she looked me in the eyes one more time and for a moment just a moment I could see the face of the little girl i once knew she collapsed to the ground as her rib cage collapsed in on itself she was gone i looked back to the master but the place where she fell was now just a spot of wet blood on the asphalt i looked frantically for

her the orange flames of the fire illuminating everything she was still alive and i was defenseless i picked up the Doll crystalline rock and ran towards the cruiser i could feel the moisture leech out of my hands as i grip the rock as tight as i could the explosion shattered the front window of the cruiser so i had to work fast from the front seat i retrieved the items i'd taken from the sheriff's body Handcuffs keys and a service pistol when i stood up and turned around she was already there a silhouette among the backdrop

of flames i fired again the bullet struck her chest but she didn't even flinch instead she flashed a ghoulish smile there was nowhere to hide and i knew that it was impossible to outrun her so i chose the only safe place i could Think of i threw open the back door to the cruiser and crawled in though i was careful not to pull it shut just yet the master leapt under the hood of the car and sneered at me through the metal gate separating the front and back seats slowly she crossed over to the opposite

side of the car Her gaze locked on me like the predator she was i was backed against the door ready to push it open behind me but even then i knew i couldn't outrun her she opened the rear door across from me her long clawed nails gripped the metal grate over the windows as she pushed the door wide open i know she was sure that she had me trapped so She toyed with her prey she moved slow and deliberate as she crawled into the back seat with me her pitch black eyes swirling with reflections of

the fire outside she smiled and her jagged toothy grin was revealed dripping with foul smelling slime again i waited until she was close enough to kill and then i taunted her this is what i Used to kill your maker i send holding up the broken crystalline rock her emotionless eyes remained fixed on mine her expression was unchanging with an inhuman quickness she grabbed hold of my wrist tight enough to break a bone but i held the rock as long as i could i watched her eyes and waited the moment she broke away to glance at

the dull broken rock That killed her creator i acted with my free hand i slammed the handcuff link onto her wrist she squeezed tight with retribution and i could hear the bones snap i dropped the rock and kicked backwards i tumbled out of the cruiser and into the parking lot hitting the asphalt with a sickening thud she then leapt at me but fell short Unable to break free from the handcuff that i'd secured to the metal dividing grate inside i kicked the door shut and then ran around the vehicle as she yanked at the handcuffs

i slammed the other door shut with her free hand she tried to open the door but found it locked from the outside slowly i stepped away watching the violent flurry of movement As she struggled to break free from the restraints she kicked at the middle-graded windows managing only to dent them from a distance i watched the fire burn in the darkness hidden by the night sky and i waited for her to die i was waiting for sunrise to come and purge this world of her evil from the backseat of the cruiser she screamed and threw

herself against the Windows i watched her fight for hours locked in the back seat eventually she even resorted to gnawing off her own hand thick black blood spurted from her wound spraying the glass and obstructing my view inside as the sun crept over the trees she stopped fighting i wasn't sure if she accepted her death or just Expended the last of her murderous will to live i expected her to scream as the sun took her body but she did not i watched as the flames inside the vehicle licked at the blood-spattered windows and i knew

that she was dead [Music] just as graham's body became a charred black husk so did that of my sister and the old man the master though She burned so hot nothing but dust remained in the backseat of the cruiser as i stood over the corpse of what i now knew was never my sister i realized that i was no longer linked to this hellish place i was free of the tether of this bloodline that kept me here burdened by a sense of loyalty to a family that was never mine i emptied the safe Of the

blood money that was meant to maintain this motel forever there was no longer anything that held meaning for me here so i watched as the flames leapt from room to room and eventually the office and the cottage itself the smoke from the septic tank burn pit still billowed thick black smoke and i hoped That whoever came it would draw their attention there i hoped that finding those bodies would bring closure to the families who lost their loved ones to the dead roads i hoped that those bodies would be the last i hoped that i had

actually ended it tonight i hope that after hearing my story you'll understand I hope that if you ever meet a family that seemingly never ages you will know what they are and know that whatever they promise you will never be a part of their family i left in their old station wagon with nothing but a duffel bag of old bills no longer bound to the motel by a legacy of blood as i passed the fire engines on the way down the mountain i thought to myself the family May have been able to live forever but

until now i had never been able to live at all [Music] hey everyone remember to like and subscribe if you enjoyed the video and a huge thank you to the author strange dangerous for allowing me to narrate such an awesome story make sure to check out more of their work there's a link in the description If you'd like to support me further there's a link to my patreon in the description and remember if you come across a family of vampires don't try to become one of [Music] them [Music] you