Note: This story will be featured at the 2016 Ghost Walk on the Fear Tour.
This Annex was built in 2 phases….1913 and 1926. It 1st served as a girls dorm for the staff of this hotel. Later..a boys dorm was added to the back. That bridge goes straight across to a stair case that goes down to the kitchen, where they would start their day. Our story is about a young girl, just 17 years old…named Maggie. . .
It was Halloween and Maggie was one of the few staff still working. She was orphaned at a young age & had to start working early in life. Since she didn’t really have any family or friends to spend the holidays with…she was always willing to work so others could have the night off ..and..of course… so she could make a little extra money.
It was just past midnight & she was heading to her room. She always dreaded walking across that small, dark, bridge to her room. Tonight …there was a thick cloud cover ..so it was much darker than usual. And maybe….just maybe..since it was all Hallow’s Eve …her imagination was working a little harder than normal.
There is a large cross just before the bridge….and for some reason…she always imagined someone …or something…crouched upon it…ready to jump. She diverted her eyes and hurried towards the gate. The gate closed behind her with a resounding click. She started across the bridge…and felt as if someone had followed her… and was right behind her. Terrified…she paused. The hairs on her neck stood up. She took a deep breath and whipped around and started to say ‘Who’s there’?!’ and her question fell short….
She was greeted by darkness….and dead silence.
She had a bad habit of biting her nails when she was nervous….and tonight…she looked like a wild, animal caught in a trap…. As if it were chewing upon its own flesh to free itself from the steel jaws.
She picked up her pace and made her way across the rest of the bridge and went straight to her room!
She was glad to find Beth there. They had become best friends and confidants in the last year since they started working together. Beth had taught her a lot about her job…
Maggie started to get ready for bed and thought she heard humming. She paused to listen ….and it stopped. She chided herself… Oh Maggie.. you are really letting your imagination get the best of you tonight.. Stop this nonsense!
She continued getting ready for bed and suddenly there was a loud noise…like something falling to the floor. Beth woke up …and rolled over…
Maggie…are you OK? What was that?
Maggie: with a strained voice said… It wasn’t me Beth.. I don’t know what that was!
Beth sat up ..wide awake now & reached for some matches. Electricity was still very limited in places…and their rooms were always dark. Beth lit her candle and together, they started looking for the source of the noise. They found a book on the floor by the chair and nightstand. It was Beth’s from earlier. She thought maybe she might have set it too close to the edge of the table earlier….as she was quiet tired when she had retired for bed. They both let out a strained laugh and went back to what they were doing.
Maggie: Beth..I thought I heard someone humming when I came in. Is there anyone else in the dorms tonight?
Beth: I don’t think so…but maybe ….
Maggie: OK. I swear…ever since that boy, Mark, told me about seeing strange apparitions in the catacombs and that some guests had been mysteriously pushed down the stairs near the honeymoon suite…I think I jump at just about everything these days!
Beth: Oh Maggie…they are just silly stories the boys made up to scare us!
Maggie: I guess so. But even tonight…as I crossed the bridge…I swear It felt as if someone had followed me and when I turned around…there was no one there.
Beth: Wow…that is odd. But I’m sure its just your imagination.
Maggie shrugged: Yeah…probably….
Maggie finished getting ready for bed and Beth was almost asleep when Maggie thought she heard humming again.
Maggie:Whispering… Beth…do you hear that?
Beth: In a half sleepy voice….Hmmm..what?
Maggie: The humming…I hear it again.
Beth: Mmmm…maybe there is someone here then….
Maggie; I’m going to go look & see if I can find anyone else…
Beth OK….and she instantly fell back asleep as Maggie went out to look.
The next morning….Beth awoke and Maggie was not there. She figured since they were so short handed…that maybe she had already started work. Although it was unlike her to just leave without saying something….
She got ready and headed down to start her day. She asked several of the other staff members if they had seen Maggie yet. No one had. Beth went to the Security office to ask.. they hadn’t seen her and she hadn’t clocked in either.
No one had seen or heard from Maggie since she got off work the night before.
Beth thought it odd that Maggie would just go off without saying anything. She had no friends or family out here in Riverside. So where would she go??
Beth went about her day and hoped maybe Maggie would be back in their room later. When Beth ended her shift…she went straight to their room. No sign of Maggie…or that she had even been there at all.
No one knows what became of little Maggie….
And sometimes….to this day…people report hearing what they think is a young girl humming …just up there…where the girls dorms used to be…
Inlandia: A Literary Journey 