There were vampires, witches, princesses, and clowns.
It was a weekend event and the hotel was full of folks there to solve a (fictitious)“mystery”. Bowls of candy and glowing jack-o-lanterns decorated the lobby and lounge. Everyone was in a festive mood. Beer and wine flowed freely and people were dancing everywhere from the hallways to the porch outside.
A bright yellow moon hung ominously overhead, bathing lawns and shrubbery in a mystical glow until, suddenly, thunder split the sky. A fast moving storm began it’s trek across the city, drenching what few revelers remained outside. Oaks swayed furiously, flinging moss-laden branches towards the earth.
Then, the power went off. We were plunged into deep obsidian darkness. A large bolt of lightning lit up the night and I could see rocking chairs and tables rolling about the porch. Everyone talked in hushed tones as we fumbled about for candles and flashlights. A deep rumble shook the building, sending glasses crashing to the floor. Blue lights raced by on the highway, one after the other.
Phones began ringing and general mayhem ensued.
Torrents of rain beat against the windows as thunder continued to deafen us. At that time, we learned of the devastation that had just occurred across town. A waterspout had come ashore and wound it’s way into a well populated area, destroying homes, felling trees, and knocking out electricity. All of us hotel employees ran around trying to make our guests as comfortable as possible in these trying circumstances.
At that point, it seemed to me that we had been transported back in time. Candlelight felt appropriate, as did the soft piano music someone had begun playing. Myriad halloween costumes added to the eerie effect. Somehow, hor d’oeuvres appeared from the kitchen as several guests waltzed in and out of semi-darkness. After they were called into the banquet room to be given “clues” to the fictitious mystery game, I began to assess our situation behind the bar.
Dirty glasses had piled up by the sink in everyone’s mad rush to have another cocktail before assembling to solve the “mystery." Plus, broken glass had to be swept up and done away with, tables wiped down, and chairs put back in place. We got busy preparing for the next rush, which would come soon enough. Meanwhile, police cars and ambulances continued to rush by on the highway.
I grabbed a bucket and started out to get more ice from the machine in back before it all melted. As I went down the hallway and out the door, my flashlight began to malfunction. I was able to see a little due to intermittent lightning flashes, but not enough to prevent me from crashing into a stray rocker that had been turned over in the storm. At that point, I lost the flashlight completely and had to fumble my way to the ice machine.
As I started back inside, a lone candle appeared in the night, held high enough to prevent me from falling over the same chair. Much to my surprise, I saw it was held by an unknown man, with a full beard and dressed in some sort of ancient rain slicker. He motioned me to the door, which I gratefully entered. But as I turned back to thank him, his image wavered and vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.
Later that evening as we were closing up, I searched for the bearded man, but did not find him, nor did anyone remember a man clad in such a costume. “Must have been the Captain!” someone suggested. At that, chills ran up my back. Legend has it that the ghost of Captain Woods roams the hotel, dressed in rain gear as he tries to get back to his ship. Years have passed since that eventful Halloween, but sometimes even now, on dark and stormy nights, I’ll see a faint candle flame and hear the rustle of his slicker as I make my way to the ice machine.
