A bizarre experience of a receptionist at a hotel.
Reading time: 4 minutes.

Wake Me Up!

I used to work at the reception of this five-star hotel. My shifts used to keep changing, and sometimes I had to work the midnight shift. I hated that timing because I still had to keep myself awake all night, even when there was no one to attend to. Another reason I hated this shift is that it used to get super lonely. At times, I was the only staff member available. Sometimes, I literally had to go to a person's room to just open a window or show them how the cable works. I don’t know why I got so scared with all the goddamned lights switched on. Maybe, it was the creepy atmosphere here. When you walk in these corridors at night, you can hear your footsteps echoing throughout and back. You wouldn’t be able to tell if someone’s walking behind you in perfect synchrony or not. It gives you chills just to think about this.

Anyway, the bizarre incident that made me quit my job happened months ago. I was working the midnight shift alone. I was the only staff member there. It was my responsibility to solve all the guests' problems. I had nearly dozed off when the phone on the reception started to ring. I jerked myself awake and picked up the phone.

"Hello, good evening. How may I help you?"

There was no answer, just a high pitch tone, and it started growing even higher the longer I listened to it. At a point, it began to hurt my ear, so I hung up the phone.

I closed my tired eyes again, but suddenly, I heard a loud noise. At first, I thought a bomb had gone off, but then it came to my stupid, sleep-deprived mind that it could have been someone knocking on the door. ‘But which door?’ I thought. I was in the lobby. Did the loud banging come from another floor? Was it possible?

I was just waiting to see if I’d hear it again when the phone went off again. I jumped in my spot with shock and surprise.

"Hello, good evening. Can I help you with anything?" I picked up the phone and asked.

It was the same high-pitch noise again, but I caught a few words. And I’m not kidding, but they sounded like ‘I’m dying! Help me!’ I hung up the phone thinking it was someone pulling a stupid horror prank on me. I checked the indicator panel to see if the call had come from a room, but nothing. I had to wait for them to call again.

Now, I couldn’t sleep, so I just kept pacing back and forth in the lobby, waiting for the prank call. 'Man, I hate this shift!' I was thinking when I heard someone. It was a man calling for someone. I looked around, but I didn’t see anybody.

“Hey, right here!” he said.

I turned again and saw a man in his nightclothes, waving his hand at me. How was this possible? I was just looking there. Where did this man come out from?

“Good evening, sir. May I help you with something?” I asked as politely as I could.

“I’ve been trying to reach you ever since.”

“Was that you on the phone?”

"Wake me up!" he said, ignoring everything.

“Excuse me?”

“Wake me up! Wake me up!”

“I’m sorry, sir. Wake you up? How?”

“Wake me up! I’m in my room! Please, wake me up!” The man kept repeating the one phrase again and again. It was like he couldn't hear me. I was now pissed at this stupid prank at this hour of the night. I tried helping this man back to his room.

“Alright, sir, let me escort you back to your room,” I said and reached out to grab his elbow, but my heart dropped to my stomach. I couldn’t touch him; it was as if he was made of thin air. My hand went right through him. I dropped to the floor in sheer panic and started shaking with fear.

“Wake me up! I’m in my room, and I’m dying! Please, wake me up!”

Then he took a few steps forward, and I crawled back, crying and praying. He reached out to me. His hand was just an inch from my face when I woke up, breathing heavily and sweating profusely.

I looked around and saw no one. I told myself that it was just a nightmare. I stayed awake for the rest of my shift and then went straight home. The next night, I came back and learned that a man had died. They were talking, and I listened to them.

The man was drunk and went to the bathroom, where he must've passed out. Sometime past midnight, this man puked and choked on his own vomit. They had already removed his body, but I looked at his ID in the records. After that, the very first thing I did was write my resignation letter.

It’s been months now, and I still don’t understand what happened to me that night. Sometimes, I wonder if I could’ve saved that man. If the nightmares don’t stop, I plan to see a therapist.