Monday, May 17, 2010

The Haunted Crescent Hotel

This past weekend I had the great honor of being invited to Books in Bloom, a book signing event at the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. What a wonderful time, and wonderful people! The weather didn't cooperate, but it really didn't matter. We sat on the veranda, under shelter, and with plenty of coffee to keep us going.

My husband and I really NEEDED this weekend to get away. We've planned it for months, booking a room at the Crescent, preparing the kids for our departure. And booking a room at the Crescent.

The Crescent Hotel. Yes, I'm easily spooked. It isn't really that I believe in ghosts. But I do have an wild imagination and I am afraid of my own shadow. I didn't read up on any of the Crescent Hotel ghost stories. Instead we went bravely, even laughing when our bellhop, John, made this comment, "Oh, room 218. Wow, they put you in the haunted room."

We laughed and happily checked into ROOM 218!! ewwwww, scary.

Saturday evening we snickered as we followed the ghost tours. Yes, they give tours. They stopped outside our door and discussed the construction worker that died, the crazy doctor who did research on patients, and on and on.

And then inspiration hit. We hurried into our room, laughing and plotting. I tossed a towel over my head, joking that I would run into the hall and scare the ghost hunters. When I opened the door, still joking, Doug pushed me into the hall and in the path of a couple of wayward ghost hunters. I yelled boo. They were less than amused.

That evening we had fun sitting on our veranda making ghostly noises.
And then we went to bed. After a full evening of MOCKING THE GHOST. Now, if I was a ghost and I'd been mocked all night by a couple singing the theme song from Ghost Busters, I'd be thinking of ways to get back at the non-believers.

At 3:30 am, I woke up. What was that noise? Oh, the TV. AND THEN, wait, the curtains are moving. Why are the curtains moving? Back and forth, back and forth. I kept watch, one eye cracked open. (because everyone knows that you can't be attacked if your head is covered up or your eyes closed)Back and forth, back and forth went the curtains. Shouldn't the ghost's arm get tired?

Oh, never mind, it was the air conditioner blowing the curtains.

I have to admit, I made my husband leave the bathroom light on.
Perhaps I'm just not a ghost magnet, but I can happily say that nothing appeared the night we stayed in room 218.