A special guest on Christmas night

    It was Christmas time on the Grand Manfis Hotel. The staff were arranging the place, decorating the big tree, placed in the middle of the reception hall, making snowflakes on the windows with the fake snow spray and wrapping paper boxes to look like presents. Some of them were so into Christmas spirit, that would even sing along to all the annoying songs that were playing all morning on the radio.

    Everyone was happy, but Mrs. Susan. She was not fond of the particular celebration and every year she would take the 24th of December off, to be at home, by herself. However, this year, Mrs. Susan was not able to do that, since Carol, the recent receptionist, twisted her ankle the day before and was sent home.

    Mrs. Susan was the head of reception since last year, so she felt obligated to fill Carol's place. Otherwise, she would have to call Edward for the duty, but the poor young man was so happy to spend Christmas with his family that she simply did not have the courage.

    The hotel was very quiet after dinner. The guests had already returned to their rooms after the party and all the staff was gathered around the bar, chatting and drinking eggnog. All, but Mrs. Susan. She was reading a book, seating by the reception desk. The outside security guard approached her and asked her to watch the door, as he was going to the bathroom.

    It was  about 10pm when a noise got Mrs. Susan's attention. It seemed like a door opening, so she peaked above the book, just to find that the door was closed. She returned to her reading, but seconds later, the same sound. Furious, she putted the book down, seeing the door remained closed, and yelled:

- Ok! Who is playing with the door? - she asked, having no answer, so she continued - Nathan, is that you?

    Nathan was the security guard, that was taking too long on the bathroom, so Mrs. Susan decided to call the bar, asking for one of the receptionists to go check on him.

- Right away Mrs. Susan! - said Tina, with a semi-drunk voice.

    Mrs. Susan putted the phone away and was about to return to the book, but, suddenly, she stops, staring at the door. It was opened this time. "Could someone have entered while I was on the phone?" - she thought. She got up from the chair and went closer to the door. She putted her head out, to check if someone was there, but the only thing she could see was the lightened path in front, leading to Nathan's cabin and the darkness of the road. While Mrs. Susan was shutting the door again, a voice startled her:

- Mrs. Susan?

- Jesus Christ Nathan! Where the hell where you?! - she asked.

- I was in the bathroom, as I told you. - he lied.

- Sure. Then I suppose we have eggnog in the bathroom as well. - said Mrs. Susan, noticing his breath.

- Oh...hum...

- Oh, don't try giving me excuses Nathan! Go do your job!

    Nathan putted on his coat and returned to his cabin immediately. Mrs. Susan returned to her desk but her book was missing. "What the hell?" - she said to herself. She looked under the desk, under the chair and all around the reception area, but there was no sign of the book.

    She was so angry that she went to the bar.

- Which one of you took my book?!

    Everyone stopped drinking and laughing and got very serious instantly. They looked at each other and Tina commented:

- Mrs. Susan, none of us left the bar. - then Tina remembered the phone call from Mrs. Susan and added - Well... I went to check on Nathan of course, as you asked...

- Oh shut up Tina! I know Nathan was here all the time. Don't you have anything more decent to do, besides drinking and chatting?

- It's Christmas Mrs. Susan... - said Jade, the barista, pouring some eggnog in a glass - Are you served?

    Mrs. Susan rolled her eyes and returned to the reception.

    Arriving at the reception hall, Mrs. Susan stopped. She could swear she had closed the door after Nathan had left. She thought her colleagues were playing with her, so she went to Nathan's cabin, but he was not there. She called him again and again, but no one answered. Where was he?

    As Mrs. Susan  was returning to the hotel, she could see someone looking at her from the door. She could not see very clearly, since she was far away. It looked like a crooked human shadow, and it was...smiling? Mrs. Susan felt goosebumps going through her body. The smiley shadow was so creepy that, when she started to walk to it, it didn't even look human anymore. It was more like a...

    Mrs. Susan could not end her thought, as the door was quickly shut.

- Hey! - yelled Mrs. Susan, while running to the door. - I am out here! Let me in! This is not funny!

    She started knocking on the door, but she stopped, as soon as she heard screams, coming from the inside of the hotel. She got to the closest window and peaked the inside, to the reception. Everything looked calm, but she knew something was wrong...

    Seconds later, a hand grabbed her leg and she screamed. It was Nathan, laying on the floor, covered in blood.

- What.... what happened?! - asked Mrs. Susan, grabbing him.

  Nathan tried to talk, but the only thing he could whisper before cast his last breath was "not...human...".

    At this point, Mrs. Susan was so scared that she could not say a word. She went back to the cabin to call the police, but the lines were occupied. Her heart was beating so fast she thought she could die. Her car keys were inside the hotel, as well as her phone and all her stuff. The hotel was isolated, and she could not even think about enter the forest that surrounded it. She was doomed... Unless she could get her car keys...

    She went to the back door of the hotel. The door leaded to the kitchen, and from there she could access the dress rooms, where she had her purse. 

    Mrs. Susan opened the door, quietly, and got into the kitchen. The lights were off, and she was afraid to be caught if she turned them on. She passed the kitchen and got to the hall. She was halfway through the corridor, when she heard a distant laughing. She stopped right away. Her legs started to shake and she started to sweat. She waited. 

    Minutes after, she tried to keep going, but as soon as she gave another step, she heard the laughing again. This time, it was so close she jumped and covered her mouth to prevent the sound of her scream. "Where did that laugh come from?" - she thought. "Am I going mad?".

    Then, she felt a drip on her shoulder. She refused to move, until she felt another. Slowly, Mrs. Susan looked up. And there it was... The crooked shadow, hanging on the ceiling and smiling at her. Suddenly...

...

    Mrs. Susan wakes up in her bed, sweating and scared. "It was just a dream!" - she said to herself. What a relief! She calmed herself down and went to the bathroom to have a shower. As she lifted the blankets, her book fell on the floor. She picked it up. "Of course..." - she thought. The title of the book was "My Happy Shadow". Our brain can be tricky sometimes...

   She putted the book on the table by the bed and looked to her phone. It had 3 missed calls and 1 voice mail. She clicked on the button to hear the message:

"Good morning Mrs. Susan! I tried to call you a few times but... Anyway. I know this is awful, but I won't be able to work tomorrow..." (Mrs. Susan took a look into the phone to check the date. It was December 23) "This sounds stupid, but I twisted my ankle...".