Hotel Maxwell

It is November 5th and our vacation date has finally arrived. We have been waiting anxiously for months. We needed the quality time together after all our long hours of work. This was the first vacation we had in over a year. Both of our places of employment have had very busy years and this trip was much needed. Our first thought was to go to the beach but we have gone to the beach for our prior two vacations. We needed a change and the thought of a nice secluded cabin in the mountains sounded like a tiny piece of paradise. Standing on the balcony of the second floor of a log cabin overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains peering down at Mother Nature's beauty made our heart race of excitement. We were ready and nothing was going to get in our way to prevent us from going. Our trip to the mountains started off without a hitch. We left at 5 a.m. having packed all of our luggage the night before. The weather was a little blustery but there was no call for snow in the forecast. We would be gone for a week and we hope that any precipitation would hold off into we were at our cabin. The comfort of setting in front of a crackling fireplace while the snow fell etched in our heads. We didn't even care should we get stranded there for an extra week because of a blizzard. We actually welcomed the idea. We had been on the road for approximately 12 hours. We talked about our plans once we got there. Most of all, we conversed about the peace and quiet we would enjoy away from the stress and monotony of work. The drive seemed to be neverending and we were getting tired so we decided we were going to pull over to the first hotel we could find. We arrived in Breckinridge, WV. It seemed like a very quaint and friendly little town. As we pulled in, all eyes glared at us from inside the hotel lobby. We nodded our headed and gave a quick smile. The clerk kept staring, almost eerily at us, as she asked us if we had a reservation. We explained our circumstances to her that we had been traveling for a long time and needed to rest as she checked us into their last available room. As we received our keys, other patrons of the hotel also gave us that same ominous glance. As we entered the elevator to reach our destination floor, we encountered more glares. We understood that we were strangers to all but we couldn't pinpoint the awkward gawks we had been receiving from each and every one we had encountered. Their glares pierced through us and gave us goosebumps. Something wasn't right. We felt very uncomfortable and couldn't understand why. As we reached the destination of our floor and exited the elevator to our room, we walked down a long hallway covered by old pictures. Most of them were pictures of the hotel itself, but a few of them were of people. We were tired and famished so we didn't really pay much attention. We figured we would look closer in the morning as we were leaving. I have always love artwork. As we reached our room, we unlocked the door and entered our room. The room was decorated in historic decor'. The four poster bed was very ornated. The design resembled those of the late 1800's. The drapery and surrounding furnishings were old Victorian. The room looked untouched and everything seemed to have it's own special place in the room as if that was where it belonged. It was strange because I almost felt like I had been here before although I knew otherwise. I felt comfortable here, almost as if I was home again. As we laid down our luggage and prepared to unpack for the night, we decided to see if we could get room service to bring us something to eat. It had been a very long trip and we just wanted to satisfy our appetite and then go straight to bed. We would be back on the road again early in the morning. We called down to the lobby and had food ordered and sent up. Shortly after placing our order, we heard a rap at the door. We quickly answered to a startled look on the delivery person's face. Again, the way he looked at us was quite strange, almost like he was in fear. We paid him, thanked him, gave him a tip and he hurriedly took off down the massive, long corridor. My husband and I discussed the very strange events that occurred from the time of our arrival at the Maxwell Hotel. We ate our food, which was familiarly delicious and went immediately to sleep.

Morning arrived and we knew we had a tiring adventure ahead of us. We repacked our belongings and headed for the elevator. As we walked down the hallway, we decided to check out the artwork. Many of the pictures were of the Maxwell Hotel before what it currently looks like. The hotel was a few stories smaller but the overall architecture remained the same. As we strolled further, we noticed a photo of a young couple. As we approached the drawing, we noticed something very unusual and quite disturbing at the same time. Under the picture was a placard. Engraved on the placard was, "In loving memory of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Maxwell, founders and proprietors of the Maxwell Hotel." Deceased November 5, 1901. Our hearts beat rapidly. We looked at each other as all the color drained from our faces. We had to talk to the clerk in the lobby and inquire more details of this hotel and the owners. As we approached the lobby, we noticed a different clerk. The employee behind the desk stared at us and his mouth dropped. He turned completely pale. We asked him if he was okay and he stammered and pointed to another picture on the wall behind us. As we turned and looked behind us, we noticed another picture of a couple. The photograph on the wall was of us. We were Douglas and Martha Maxwell, the original owners of the Maxwell Hotel. We came back home. Both of us had died in an explosion of this residence and we frequented it every year on the anniversary of our death.