The Haunted Library

We don’t tell our guests about the library.

Here at Chateau de Livres Resort, we have a wide array of amenities. An Olympic-size lap pool, a world-class spa, a Michelin star restaurant, and of course the most luxurious guest rooms this side of the continental divide. Despite our name, though, the library in the basement is strictly off-limits to all but a few select staff.

No one is exactly sure who built the library, or why. The property was originally developed by an eccentric oil tycoon back in the 50's. After he vanished, the property sat derelict for 15 years while the heirs fought over the estate. His brother obtained the property in the 70's, but also disappeared soon after. It wasn't until 1996 when the remaining family decided to liquidate the assets and sold the property to Open Sky Resort Group that the old mansion was renovated into a hotel and the library in the basement discovered behind a boarded-up entrance.

We avoid the library as much as possible. Unfortunately, the circuit breaker boxes are in the basement, so sometimes we have to go down there. The library like to play tricks on us while we're there.

The breaker boxes are along the wall. Sometimes it’s a one-minute walk to them, sometimes twenty. It depends on how the library is feeling that day. Whatever you do, stick to the wall. No matter how long your walk, as long as you stay on the perimeter you will eventually make it out. If you venture off into the stacks, it’s a death sentence. You’ll be lost forever.

The apparitions are best ignored. If you ignore them, they’ll ignore you. They wander about the aisles, but as long as you don’t interact with them you’ll be okay. Don’t give them more than a smile and nod. If you try to talk to them, stare at them, or run from them, they’ll drag you off into the stacks. No one knows what happens after that.

Don’t follow any sounds you hear in the library. The sounds will try to lure you off into the stacks. Whatever sounds you hear, ignore them and stick to the perimeter.

Just last week, I took a trainee down there. His name was Joe, and it was only his second week at the gig. Nice kid, fresh out of high school. He was saving up to go to college and still was deciding what to do with his life. There was a bright hopefulness about him. Life hadn't broken him yet.

Anyway, we had to reset a circuit that had been thrown. Joe did well at first ignoring the apparitions. It only took us five minutes to get to the breaker box. However, about twelve minutes into our return trip we heard a loud thud and a girl crying. Joe looked around to find the source. He said he was going to "just take a peek over there" and started to walk away. I tried to pull him back, but he slipped away. As soon as he stepped around the corner into the stacks, he was gone.

I felt bad for Joe. I almost followed him to try and call him back, but the stares of the apparitions told me what didn’t need to be said. Don’t go into the stacks. I smiled, nodded, and continued on my long walk back to the stairs. The apparitions returned to their usual business of walking about and ignoring me. I dreaded having to tell my boss that we lost yet another employee to the library. I dreaded even more coming up with an explanation to give Joe's parents.

We don’t tell people about our library.