The “something wrong” was the front door being wide open.  I offered to go in first and check the place.  I put Muffin’s slingshot on her and off we went in the big front door.  Jessica didn’t want to stay outside alone so she came along behind me.  This room is large running the full width of the hotel and there was a large stone fireplace on each end of the room.  The entire room is full of rustic style furniture mostly made from smaller logs.  There are several large comfortable looking chairs, smaller game tables, a lot of kerosene lamps around.  There is no electricity out here, everything is propane, but lighting is all with kerosene lamps and candles.  It is a high ceiling going up to the second floor.  There is a wide staircase in the middle of the room going up to the balcony like hallway on the second floor.

There are two smaller stairways on each end of that balcony leading up to the third floor.  Apparently there are rooms on each side of the hallway up there.  This will take some time to search.  If someone came in there are a lot of places to hide.  There is also a narrow stairway in the kitchen, Jessica said, leading down to a large cellar.  Muffin is looking wide eyed around the room.  Can Muffin go looking around?  Certainly, said Jessica, she has the run of the whole hotel.  That’s all Muffin needed to hear and she was off.  There’s no point looking for anyone, said Jessica, there won’t be anyone here, that’s just the way it always works.  There’s never a trace of anyone.  She went into the kitchen to start making dinner.

Muffin and I go looking around a bit on the second floor.  The place does need a lot of work, but could be a wonderful hotel once it’s restored to it’s original beauty again.  But way out here?  Who would come, except maybe a few hunters?  Meow, meow.=I don’t think she tell everything.  I agree with you Muffin.  Well, we couldn’t find anyone, just like Jessica said and dinner was now ready.  Jessica is definitely a good cook and she even let Muffin sit on top of the table with her own plate of food.  Do you get people coming out here?, I asked.  No, said Jessica, just my handyman, Gordon and he only comes out Thursday and Saturday.  Hmm, this is Monday, so he shouldn’t be out here. And he doesn’t have a key, added Jessica.

Have you changed the locks on all the doors?  I tried to get Bill to do that, but he always had other things he wanted to do first, she said.  I think we better do that tomorrow, I suggested.  Sounds great, said Jessica, we can get locks at the store in town.  I would have done that but I just don’t know how to do that kind of thing and Gordon has been away for awhile.  I guess I should tell you everything, said Jessica.  That would be nice.  Okay, ever since we bought this place strange things have been happening.  We would lock the doors when we went to town and they would be open when we came back.  Sometimes even at night they would be open.  A couple times a fire had been started in the fireplaces, or tools would go missing one day and would reappear the next day.  One time flour was tossed all over the kitchen.

Meow, meow!=Ghosts! Time to leave, I’ll go pack.  No Muffin, we’re not leaving, there are no ghosts, remember?  Then how do you explain all of this?, asked Jessica.  You and Bill never heard anything?  I’m a heavy sleeper, but Bill was a very light sleeper, even little things would wake him up and yet he never heard anything either, which is very odd.  Hmm, yes, it is odd for sure.  Meow, meow.=Good, you agree, I’ll go pack.  No Muffin, we’re staying.  And stop sighing like that.  Meow, meow.=Only way to sigh that I know. Jessica got that puzzled look, how do you know what Muffin is saying?  Practice, I said.

To be continued.

Steve and Muffin.

© 2020 Steve McLeod.