Summary: On a layover in the town of Hellbent, Ben and Joe find out that there are ghosts in ghost towns. Now they recount their story to Hoss and hope he believes them. Rating T WC 16,326<\/p>\n
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Hellbent, Population \u2013 Ninety-eight<\/strong><\/p>\n “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy” (William Shakespeare, Hamlet)<\/p>\n Hoss Cartwright dragged two sacks of grain across the floor of the livery stable and propped them up against the center wooden post.\u00a0 Next, he spread his bedroll out onto the hay-covered floor and finally settled down, tossing his ten gallon hat off to the side.\u00a0 Glaring over at his father and brother, he just shook his head with a combination of perplexity and amusement.\u00a0 Hoss couldn\u2019t figure out for the life of him just what had gotten them both so riled up.\u00a0 He had found both men across the street at the abandoned hotel and they were in the process of fleeing for their lives when Hoss had come up on the porch and almost scared both Ben and Joe half to death by his sudden unexpected appearance.<\/p>\n Pa and Little Joe still sat together huddled up a good ten feet in front of Hoss.\u00a0 They were whispering to each other and every now and then Hoss could sense that his family members were trying to get their stories straight before disclosing just what had gone on in the town of Hellbent.\u00a0 Little Joe, Hoss reasoned, was the most likely to offer a whopper of a tale, however his father was another matter.\u00a0 Pa was as straight forward as they came and as honest as the day was long.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, one of you tell me!\u201d Hoss finally interrupted the lengthy discussion that had gone on far too long in his opinion.\u00a0 \u201cI want to know why we\u2019re all laying in this wet and drafty livery stable instead of bunking down in that nice warm hotel across the street.\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe leaned close to his father and whispered in his ear, \u201cHow much of the truth are we gonna tell him, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben shrugged his shoulders and replied quietly, \u201cI suppose we\u2019d better just tell him the whole miserable tale, Son.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah — but remember \u2013 you aren\u2019t going to mention that scream\u2014you know \u2013 the one I mean \u2013 the one I sent off when that wall closed, and I was alone \u2013 well sort of.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben patted Joe\u2019s arm and gave a wry smile.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Joseph, I understand why you wouldn\u2019t want anyone to know that you screamed like a –,\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa!\u201d Joe called out indignantly.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright \u2013 I\u2019m sorry,\u201d Ben nodded and gave his youngest a reassuring pat to his arm.<\/p>\n \u201cPa, you go ahead and tell me what happened.\u00a0 We all know that Little Joe stretches the truth about most everything,\u201d Hoss laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cHey!\u201d Joe shouted over at his brother.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not funny!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben cast a quick glance between both of his sons and then replied with a tired smile, \u201cIt might not be funny, Joseph, but it is a fact.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI saved your life, and this is how you repay me?\u201d Joe asked, turning his hazel eyes on his father.<\/p>\n Turning around to face his youngest Ben\u2019s eyebrows raised when he replied, \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u00a0 I saved YOUR<\/strong> life, Joseph \u2013 and more than one time!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe a few times — but how about that registry book, Pa?\u201d Joe argued.<\/p>\n \u201cHold it, hold it!\u201d Hoss shouted trying to gain the attention of the room.\u00a0 \u201cCan you two stop the bickering for a couple of minutes and just tell me why we\u2019re in this darn livery stable and not in nice soft beds across the street?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked down at the hay covered floor and apologized to his father.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa \u2013 you did save my life a couple of times.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben sighed and patted his son\u2019s shoulder, feeling remorseful over the way he hadn\u2019t appreciated what his youngest had done across the street.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s just say we both helped each other, okay, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe grinned and nodded, \u201cYes, Sir, let\u2019s just say that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow about saying what happened?\u201d Hoss persisted, growing weary of watching the strange behavior of his father and brother. Throughout the last thirty minutes, as the three of them had tried to get dried off and comfortable, Hoss had heard both Little Joe and Pa fussing, fuming and even laughing with each other.\u00a0 It was just the strangest thing that he had ever before witnessed between those two.\u00a0 Hoss could only assume that Little Joe and Pa were getting a bit punchy, and that must\u2019ve been the cause of the varied mood swings that were going on across the room.<\/p>\n \u201cGo ahead, Pa \u2013 you tell him,\u201d Joe urged as he leaned back against another sack of grain and pulled up the bedroll to cover his shoulders.\u00a0 He was still a bit damp from the rain which had pelted the three men as they had made their way across the street and over to the stable.<\/p>\n Ben drew in a deep breath and casting one long look at his youngest son to gauge what he wanted to disclose and what he\u2019d prefer not to, began to tell the story.<\/p>\n \u201cIt all started when Joseph and I were on our way back from Stockton,\u201d Pa closed his eyes and the tale played out in his mind and in his words.<\/p>\n ****************<\/p>\n Ben Cartwright stood in his stirrups and surveyed the distance. The wind had picked up to almost gale force and his horse, as well as his son\u2019s pinto, had both started to rebel against pushing onward. Huge dust clouds up ahead whirled in strange configurations warning the weary travelers that they might be hit by a dust storm long before the rain fell.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d better find some shelter fast, Joe,\u201d Ben shouted, trying to rise in pitch to be heard above the whipping winds.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m for that and all, Pa\u2014but where? Don\u2019t see nothing round here!\u201d Joe replied as he gazed off into a desert of nothingness. \u201cGuess we should\u2019ve stayed over in Stockton an extra day.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that over there\u2014do you see it?\u201d Ben asked as he pointed. He had caught a glimpse of an outcropping of buildings to the east.<\/p>\n Joe attempted to wipe some of the dust out of his eyes as he looked over to where his father had indicated. \u201cI don\u2019t see anything!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2014look just past that bunch of cactuses\u2014looks like a town in the distance!\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe moved his mount so that it was closer to his father\u2019s horse, hoping to see what Ben was trying to show him. He was starting to believe that too many hours in the saddle were playing tricks on his father\u2019s eyes, when suddenly the remote buildings came into view.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go!\u201d Joe shouted and sent his horse forward.<\/p>\n It was a rough couple of miles to get to the outskirts of the small town that stood out in the middle of nowhere. Both Cartwrights stopped just outside of the town limits and stared down at the overturned wooden post. Joe dismounted and knelt next to what was a weathered sign.<\/p>\n \u201cHellbent\u2014population ninety-eight,\u201d Joe called to his father as he read what was carved deeply into the wooden plank. He then shot his gaze towards the town and shook his head. \u201cWell, if there\u2019s ninety-eight here\u2014they must be hiding pretty darn good!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben nodded as he also surveyed what was basically a ghost town. There were no signs of human inhabitants anywhere. Joe swung back into his saddle and followed his father into the town. Before them stood many buildings, not unlike the town of Virginia City. As they made their way down the main street, they could see what had been the local saloon, the bank, the livery stable, the mercantile, the jail, the hotel, a barber\u2019s shop, a church and a funeral parlor. Though the signs that were still very visible above each of the buildings indicated their identity, no one remained to tell the story of what had happened to the citizens of Hellbent, population ninety-eight.<\/p>\n Ben and Joe dismounted and tied the reins of their horses to the hitching post in front of the mercantile store. Without words exchanged between the father and son they stepped up the stairs and walked cautiously inside. The shelves were remarkably well stocked with various supplies. There were mason jars full of an array of vegetables and other foodstuffs. On top of each of the jars, however, was a good two inches of dust.<\/p>\n Joe made his way behind the customer counter and rang open the register. He was surprised to find the drawer to be full of money.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Pa\u2014come check this out!\u201d Joe called out to his father as he held up a good-sized wad of dollar bills.<\/p>\n Ben strode across the store, taking in the large inventory of items with his eyes. He was soon standing next to his son and the young man handed the money to him.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s odd\u2014wonder why the store owner would leave that kind of cash in here?\u201d Ben asked as he placed it once again inside the drawer.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well it don\u2019t look like he had to worry about anyone stealing it. This store looks like it hasn\u2019t seen a human in a long time,\u201d Joe replied.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, let\u2019s get some grain for the horses and find a stable for them before that storm starts up,\u201d Ben returned as he opened his wallet and withdrew the money to pay for whatever supplies they were going to take with them.<\/p>\n \u201cHuh? Why are you paying for the stuff, Pa? I mean\u2014no-one\u2019s here!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014maybe\u2014somebody will eventually come back\u2014I wouldn\u2019t want to think I took advantage of this strange turn of events,\u201d Ben insisted as he stuffed the money into the cash register and turned from the counter.<\/p>\n Joe gathered up a few things that he thought would come in handy on their one-night layover. He also hefted a sack of grain over his right shoulder and proceeded out of the store along with his father.<\/p>\n \u201cLooks like there\u2019s a livery right across the street here\u2014let\u2019s settle the horses in for the night, Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n The two men made sure that their horses were well fed and out of the elements and then decided it was time to see to their own needs. Three buildings down the street from the livery stood the Imperial Hotel, and that\u2019s where they headed next. Ben had wondered what happened to the citizens of Hellbent, but it didn\u2019t concern him to the extent that it was weighing on his son\u2019s mind. From the first moment Joe had stared down at the sign, he began to have second thoughts about staying there overnight. With a large storm coming in fast across the desert, there wasn\u2019t another option, but still, Joe felt uneasy as he walked with Ben into the lobby of the hotel.<\/p>\n The hotel wasn\u2019t quite as large as the lavish International House in Virginia City, but it was very expensively furnished. Both men gazed at the opulent decor and wondered how a town so far out in the middle of nowhere could sport such a fancy hotel. Despite the delicately crafted items, there were also huge cobwebs that stretched across every threshold in the place. That gave them both the indication that, just like in the mercantile, the hotel hadn\u2019t been occupied in a long time.<\/p>\n Joe walked over to the front desk and his curious nature took over where his fear stopped. He swung around the registry book and stared down at all the entries.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Pa\u2014come here\u2014look at this!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph\u2014what are you doing? Let\u2019s just make some grub and get to sleep,\u201d Ben sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2014really you got to see this!\u201d Joe protested staring over at his father.<\/p>\n Ben knew his youngest son and how he would pester him until he got his own way, so he headed over to the boy to see what had captured his imagination this time.<\/p>\n \u201cA registry book\u2014very nice\u2014now let\u2019s go get some things done before that storm is on top of us!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2014but look here\u2014there\u2019s ninety-eight people who have signed in on these pages\u2014the last entry\u2014it says March second, eighteen hundred and fifty-seven. That\u2019s three years ago\u2014almost to the day, Pa! Isn\u2019t that strange?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTomorrow is the second of March\u2014yes that\u2019s true\u2014but I wouldn\u2019t exactly say that\u2019s strange. No stranger than anything else I\u2019ve seen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah? Well, how do you explain that everyone just suddenly disappeared, huh? And how do you explain that the storekeeper never even took his supplies or his money before he left? And\u2014this book here\u2014it\u2019s got ninety-eight entries\u2014the same amount of folks who supposedly lived here!\u201d Joe continued to make his case, and rather loudly.<\/p>\n Ben shook his head, half amused at his son and half exasperated with the boy\u2019s need to read supernatural events into everything. However, Joe was eighteen years old, and Ben tried to understand the mindset of someone his age.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014here\u2014I will fix everything!\u201d Ben laughed and turned the book around. He licked the end of the quill pen that sat in an ink well, whose contents had all but dried up. With a hasty flick of his wrist, Ben signed both his name and that of his son\u2019s in the registry book. \u201cNow\u2014there\u2019s an even one hundred\u2014end of strange coincidences, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe frowned and stared over at the book. He wasn\u2019t very happy to see his name in there and showed his displeasure as he looked back up at his father, \u201cWish you hadn\u2019t done that, Pa. This place creeps me out!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben patted his son\u2019s shoulder and laughed. \u201cCome on\u2014you are letting all this spur that terrific imagination of yours. Let\u2019s go get settled in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean up there?\u201d Joe asked, his voice taking on a higher octave. He pointed towards the long staircase and the abundance of cobwebs, which covered the assent to the guest rooms.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I mean up there\u2014let\u2019s go\u2014a few cobwebs never hurt anyone.\u201d Ben replied as he spun Joe around by his arm in order to take him along towards the stairs.<\/p>\n Joe pulled his hat from off his head and used it as a weapon to push aside the vast spider webs as he walked up the staircase, making sure to stay right behind his father. Pa was doing his best to remove all the webs he could, knowing that his son wasn\u2019t too happy to be climbing the stairs. Just as soon as both Cartwrights made it up to the second story of the hotel, the registry book, which still sat on the front desk, slammed shut, unaided by human hands.<\/p>\n Ben stared down the long corridor and noticed the window at the very end was open and the wind was flapping what was left of the gingham curtain. Then there was a bright crash of lightning followed immediately by thunder and one by one each of the guest room doors suddenly flew open and just as quickly slammed closed.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat the heck?\u201d Joe called out.<\/p>\n \u201cJust the wind, Joseph\u2014the windows must all be open. Let\u2019s get to closing them!\u201d Ben replied and first headed to the window at the end of the corridor. Closing it tightly, Ben turned towards the first bedroom and called over his shoulder at his son, who hadn\u2019t budged an inch. \u201cYou get those bedrooms on that side\u2014I will get these!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe we should do it together?\u201d Joe asked meekly.<\/p>\n \u201cJust get them closed, Joseph!\u201d Ben hollered and headed inside the first room.<\/p>\n \u201cDadgum spooky hotel anyway\u2014I\u2019d just as soon sleep in the livery than up here!\u201d Joe protested to himself and began to do as he had been instructed.<\/p>\n After Ben had completed his task of closing the guest room windows, he walked to the other side of the hallway to see how far Little Joe had gotten with securing the other ones. Joe was still in the first room when his father walked in.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat, may I ask, are you doing?\u201d Ben called over to his son.<\/p>\n Joe was standing by the window gazing out over the town below. \u201cThose storm clouds, Pa\u2014don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen nothing like them!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben moved in closer to get a look at what his son was talking about. There were huge thunderheads looming towards the end of town and they appeared to be just hanging in the sky and not advancing.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes these storms spring up out of nothing\u2014especially in the desert. I\u2019ve seen clouds like that before!\u201d Ben tried to reassure his son.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2014when?\u201d Joe cast a suspicious look his father\u2019s way.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014I can\u2019t remember\u2014but I know I have. Now\u2014let\u2019s get the rest of these windows down before the rain starts in on us. Then we\u2019re gonna need some lanterns lit!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe took one last long look at the strange pattern in the sky and shook his head. \u201cWell, I ain\u2019t never seen nothing like this before,\u201d he muttered as he followed Ben out of the room.<\/p>\n Ben and Joe secured all the windows on the second floor and descended the staircase in order to get everything ready for their night\u2019s stay. Ben walked back to where he had set the two saddlebags, which contained normal supplies along with what they had procured from the mercantile.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s plenty of lamps upstairs and down here, Joseph, but we need to get some more kerosene for them. Why don\u2019t you head back over to the mercantile and get a few bottles?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe was not paying any attention to his father\u2019s words; instead, he had made it back over to the front desk. There was the check-in registry, and it was closed.<\/p>\n \u201cPa? We didn\u2019t close this\u2014look!\u201d Joe exclaimed, his suspicions getting him more nervous now.<\/p>\n \u201cWould you forget about that thing!\u201d Ben replied exasperated. \u201cDid you hear what I said about the kerosene?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa\u2014you didn\u2019t close this book\u2014and I didn\u2019t\u2014so you wanna tell me how it\u2019s sitting here like this now?\u201d Joe continued.<\/p>\n Ben made it over to his son and placed a hand on the boy\u2019s shoulder. He had noticed the same thing that Joe had but thought little about it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know how strong that wind was a little while ago\u2014probably just a gust of wind did it. Now will you get to business and go get us some kerosene?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGust of wind? All the windows are closed down here. Come on, Pa\u2014there\u2019s got to be someone here\u2014or SOMETHING<\/strong> here!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben opened the registry book and turned back towards his son and said, \u201cThere\u2014now you go on about your assignment and I will keep my eyes peeled. If any ghost stops by, I will catch it this time!\u2019<\/p>\n Joe shook his head, unamused by his father\u2019s sarcasm at the time. He also wasn\u2019t too keen on the idea of going over to the mercantile.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t we BOTH<\/strong> go over to the mercantile\u2014that way we can get a lot more kerosene!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t YOU<\/strong> go and not act like a little kid about this? Hellbent is a ghost town\u2014but that just means no one lives here, it has nothing to do with the supernatural! Honestly, Joseph, sometimes you can be aggravating!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll these people just vanished\u2014never taking nothing with them\u2014and things aren\u2019t right in this creepy place. If you weren\u2019t so set in your ways, Pa, you would see that something strange is going on!\u201d Joe fired back.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was probably a boom time for this town\u2014there\u2019s silver mining claims all around this area. The mines probably played out and folks left. I don\u2019t see anything strange about that, no more than I do about seeing cobwebs or hearing doors slamming. Now\u2014will you please do as I\u2019ve asked you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t know why I gotta go out there…\u201d Little Joe mumbled but then stopped when he noticed the stern expression on his father\u2019s face. \u201cOkay\u2014well\u2014you\u2019d better be standing right here when I get back!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben laughed and patted his son\u2019s back as the boy turned to leave, \u201cLord willing\u2014I will be right here!\u201d<\/p>\n ****************<\/p>\n \u201cHey, let ME<\/strong> tell this part, Pa,\u201d Joe insisted as he eased up from where he had been reclining against the sack of grain.\u00a0 \u201cI mean you\u2019ve done okay so far, well, except the part where you have me sounding like I was scared or something!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben cocked his head over to the side, indicating his youngest.\u00a0 \u201cOh yes, Hoss, your little brother was VERY<\/strong> brave the whole time,\u201d He returned smiling wryly.<\/p>\n Little Joe was keenly aware of both the grin on his father\u2019s face and the note of sarcasm which had been in his voice. \u201cHey, I wasn\u2019t the ONLY<\/strong> one running away half of the night, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course, Joseph,\u201d Pa nodded and patted his shoulder attempting to placate the kid.\u00a0 \u201cNow, go ahead and tell your brother all about your humorous adventures in Hellbent while I was waiting for you to come back to the hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe frowned and crossed his arms over his chest.\u00a0 \u201cNever mind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think you done hurt his feelings, Pa,\u201d Hoss laughed at the way his little brother sat evidently upset or pouting.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, tell your brother, Joe, I\u2019m sure he\u2019d enjoy it,\u201d Pa urged still fighting a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Little Joe, I want to hear how the whole day happened so tell me,\u201d Hoss attempted to pacify the boy.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay\u2014like Pa said \u2013 he sent me to go get the kerosene \u2013 even though he could\u2019ve done it with me and all,\u201d Joe paused and shot a quick grin over at his father as a form of payback for what he had said about his bravery earlier.\u00a0 \u201cSo, I went off on my mission all by myself.\u201d<\/p>\n ******************<\/p>\n Joe left the hotel and headed down the street to pick up what they\u2019d need from the abandoned mercantile. He kept a trained eye out for anything that might be out of the ordinary as he headed down the creaky wooden planking of the walkway. Joe stopped short of the mercantile when he noticed the church standing there next to it.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s the church…\u201d Joe spoke to himself as he stepped off the boardwalk and took a good look at the run-down building. His eyes trailed up to the roof and spoke again, \u201cThere\u2019s the steeple…\u201d Joe grinned to himself as he walked up the stairs leading to the front of the church. \u201cOpen the doors…\u201d Joe began again and pulled open the two entrance doors. He stared inside at the bare walls. \u201cWhere\u2019s all the people?\u201d Joe asked himself as he looked around. There was no sign of life, so he turned and walked back outside.<\/p>\n *****************<\/p>\n \u201cThat was very humorous, Joseph,\u201d Pa nodded and shot Hoss a warning gaze that he should attempt a laugh to appease his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cOh — yeah \u2013 very funny, Little Joe!\u201d Hoss laughed and winked over at Pa.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess you had to be there to appreciate it,\u201d Joe grumbled.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want any sympathy laughter and he could tell that Hoss\u2019 words had been forced.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it was funny, Joseph,\u201d Ben insisted and then shot Hoss over a grateful nod.\u00a0 \u201cIn fact, the more you tell it the funnier it gets.\u00a0 You\u2019ve what\u2014told me it about a dozen times now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo on with your story, Pa,\u201d Joe sighed and eased back against the sack of grain.\u00a0 He was not amused.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, let\u2019s see \u2013 oh yes.\u00a0 I was waiting for Joseph to get back with the kerosene,\u201d Ben continued to detail what had happened next.<\/p>\n ********************<\/p>\n Ben began to set out a meager meal of hardtack and beef jerky and waited for Joe to return so they could get some lamps lit before eating. Checking his pocket watch, he shook his head wondering what was keeping his son. Joe had left more than thirty minutes ago, and Ben figured he would be right back.<\/p>\n Pulling the front door of the hotel open, Ben stared down the street hoping to catch a glimpse of his wayward son. Joe finally appeared coming down the street, his arms loaded down with kerosene. He had just made it within a yard from where his father was standing when a loud crash of lightning lit up the town and then the sky opened up like a deluge. Joe ran up under the shelter next to his father.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was close\u2014guess the clouds finally moved, huh?\u201d Ben smiled and helped relieve Joe of some of his bottles of lamp oil. The two Cartwrights made it inside the hotel and secured the door behind them. \u201cJust set those bottles over here\u2014I\u2019ve got your dinner ready\u2014even found some old brandy for a nightcap\u2014so you should be happy!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe placed the bottles next to the meal his father had laid out and then stared yet again over to the registry book. \u201cVery funny, Pa\u2014very funny!\u201d he remarked.<\/p>\n \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe book\u2014you closed it again\u2014trying to spook me! Now I know where Adam and Hoss get their talent for teasing me. I guess I expected better from my own father!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben walked over to the registry and his face took on a confused expression. He thought on how the book could have possibly closed during the time he had been outside waiting on Joe. Ben knew he had closed the door behind him, and as Joe had earlier stated, the windows downstairs were shut tight. If it had been a wind gust of some kind earlier from the draft upstairs, then that was not an option now. There was not an opened window in the entire hotel.<\/p>\n \u201cPa? You did close it, right?\u201d Little Joe asked warily. He had noticed his father\u2019s furrowed brow and was starting to have second thoughts as to who had closed the registry book.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014no\u2014no I actually didn\u2019t. That thunder a minute ago\u2014maybe…\u201d Ben stopped his explanation, knowing it was just as farfetched as his son\u2019s ghostly suggestions earlier. \u201cLet\u2019s just eat and get to bed, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s something awfully weird in here\u2014and you know it! Let\u2019s go sleep in the livery!\u201d Joe insisted loudly.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are NOT<\/strong> sleeping with the horses when there\u2019s perfectly good rooms with nice comfortable beds upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe aren\u2019t alone in this place Pa! Now\u2014whether it\u2019s people\u2014who are hiding\u2014or ghosts\u2014well I ain\u2019t got a clue. But I still say it\u2019s a whole lot safer with our horses than in here!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHelp me get these lamps lit,\u201d Ben called over his shoulder as he moved towards the table where they had left the kerosene.<\/p>\n Joe followed his father, knowing good and well that the other man was not about to listen to his protests any longer. One by one, they poured the kerosene inside the three lamps that Ben had set aside. Soon they had them all lit, and in the nick of time. Darkness was falling over the town rapidly and the assault of raindrops became louder. The hotel did seem to be cold, but no breeze could be the cause of it at that point. Ben poured two good shots of brandy and sat down at the table with his son.<\/p>\n \u201cPa? I was just wondering…\u201d Joe began as he crunched down on his beef jerky. He stopped speaking long enough to figure out how to pose his question to his father again. Pa appeared to be avoiding the obvious, as was his nature. But Joe was not about to settle for the silence, which had fallen between him and his dad. \u201cIs it that you don\u2019t want me to get scared, or is it because you REALLY<\/strong> think there\u2019s nothing to this stuff that makes you discount everything I\u2019ve pointed out since we got here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEat your supper, Joseph,\u201d Ben replied gruffly. At that point in time all the weary father wanted was to eat and go to sleep and hope dawn would come quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cNot till you answer me. Come on!\u201d Joe whined, hoping the tone of his voice would force a response.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything in life has a logical explanation, son. It\u2019s very easy to get caught up in mysteries, but when you stop and reason them out, they are after all merely coincidental happenings and nothing more,\u201d Ben replied and felt secure that his vague answer would keep his youngest son thinking long enough to allow him to finish his dinner.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay\u2014let\u2019s see then. The book over there… Joe began.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s it\u2014no more talk of that book\u2014got it?\u201d Ben fumed.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, it\u2019s got you stumped too, hasn\u2019t it, Pa?\u201d Joe smiled smugly.<\/p>\n \u201cThe wind from upstairs gusted down the stairs and closed it earlier\u2014later it closed due to the thunder that shook the place. End of logical explanation. Now, eat your dinner and drink your brandy and let\u2019s turn in.\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe frowned, unimpressed with his father\u2019s logic. He did as he had been told, afraid that he might be pushing his father a little too far with his endless questions. Joe wasn\u2019t at all happy to finish his meal, as he knew it would mean going back upstairs. The first trip up there had made all the hairs stand up on his arms, but Joe never mentioned it to his father. Pa would just assume he was a scared little boy, and not the eighteen-year-old young man that he was.<\/p>\n Ben stood from his chair and grabbed his saddlebags and a lamp. \u201cGet your gear and a lamp\u2014we\u2019ll leave that other one down here in case we need to come down for something,\u201d Ben instructed his son.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, in case we have to run for our lives or something,\u201d Joe muttered to himself and took the lamp in his hand. He threw his saddlebags over his right shoulder and followed his father to the staircase.<\/p>\n \u201cWon\u2019t be so bad this time, Joe,\u201d Ben chuckled as they started to ascend to the second floor, \u201cwe\u2019ve knocked most of those nasty cobwebs down already!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGreat,\u201d Joe replied under his breath. He couldn\u2019t help feeling as though he was heading towards doom.<\/p>\n Ben stood at the end of the corridor opposite room number six and looked over at his son. \u201cI\u2019ll take this one\u2014you take the one across the hall,\u201d he said and pointed to room number six.<\/p>\n \u201cAcross the hall?\u201d Joe asked in disbelief. \u201cYou mean\u2014in a different room from you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve been sleeping in your own room for eighteen years, Joseph\u2014you should be used to it by now,\u201d Ben laughed at the look on his son\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2014but\u2014well\u2014this isn\u2019t exactly the Ponderosa, you know? We could bunk together\u2014couldn\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGoodnight, Joseph\u2014sleep well. Just pull the covers over your head if it gets too bad,\u201d Ben winked and stepped into his own room.<\/p>\n \u201cHey!\u201d Joe shouted and got his father\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat now?\u201d Ben asked, exhausted and not happy to see his son stalling.<\/p>\n Keep your door open\u2014okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf I MUST<\/strong>,\u201d Ben sighed and headed to his bed.<\/p>\n Joe stepped into room number six and held the lamp high enough to get a good look at the objects in the room. He wanted to make sure that no one or nothing was in hiding. Joe went so far as to open the wardrobe to make sure there wasn\u2019t a body inside of it. Once he gave the room a thorough going over, he headed over to his bed and sank down onto the down-filled mattress. Joe had to admit to himself that it did feel good but refused to take off his clothes or boots. He hadn\u2019t forgotten all the strange things that had happened and wasn\u2019t about to go running into the night half dressed.<\/p>\n Debating on whether he should at least remove his holster, Joe finally unhooked the buckle and set it on the nightstand nearby. He made sure that he could reach the Colt forty-five from where he placed his body on the bed. Once satisfied that he could, Joe sank back down against the pillows and pulled up the blanket at the bottom of the bed.<\/p>\n He laid there for a long time unable to close his eyes due to his mounting apprehension. Joe stared over at the two large pictures hanging on the wall across from the bed. One was a picture of an old lady, her hair pulled on top of her head with a huge hairclip in it. She looked like a grandmother type, or so Joe tried to tell himself so he could try and relax. The picture next to the woman\u2019s was a man, he was dressed all in black and his eyes seemed to stare directly over at Joe. The man had a long beard and big bushy eyebrows. Joe forced himself to look back at the picture of the old lady to break the mesmerizing stare of the evil looking man. Slowly, Joe\u2019s eyelids began to droop, and his breathing relaxed, and he could feel himself slipping under the cover of sleep.<\/p>\n Ben had little trouble settling in, despite the many questions his youngest son had raised with him all day long. Like Joe, however, he decided not to slip into the nightshirt, which was tucked away inside his saddlebags. He did remove his holster, as Joe had done also, and found his bed very comfortable. Ben assumed that first thing in the morning the two of them would leave the town of Hellbent and would make it a point never to end up there on any other trip. Soon Ben was deep in slumber and the only sound in his room was his snoring.<\/p>\n Joe awoke abruptly from a terrible nightmare, his heart felt as though it was securely lodged inside his throat. He had dreamt that something had been chasing him and sweat covered his forehead when he sprang up in the bed. It took a few minutes for Joe to remember where he was and what he was doing there, but as he stared over at the dying flame of the lamp it all came back to him. It was then that his eyes slowly drifted to the pictures on the wall. That was all it had taken to make him grab his holster and run blindly out of the room and into where his father was sleeping peacefully.<\/p>\n \u201cPa!\u201d Joe shouted as he pounced on the bottom of the bed, sprawling across his father\u2019s legs.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph!\u201d Ben boomed as he was abruptly pulled from slumber. \u201cWhat are you doing?!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa\u2014the pictures on the wall\u2014they\u2019re changed\u2014I\u2019m not kidding\u2014someone must\u2019ve come into my room while I was asleep!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben reached for his pocket watch on the nightstand and squinted towards the lamp to see what time it was. \u201cYou just went in there a half an hour ago\u2014you probably had a nightmare,\u201d Ben tried to quiet his son\u2019s worries. It wasn\u2019t as though he hadn\u2019t spent many nights helping the boy out of violent dreams, but at least those rarely happened outside of the confines of home.<\/p>\n \u201cPa\u2014I was NOT<\/strong> sleeping\u2014the pictures\u2014go on in there and see for yourself!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben muttered a few choice words under his breath, which though they were not discernable, Joe could figure out that his Pa was not happy. Both Cartwrights made it across the hall with the lantern from Ben\u2019s room held out in front of them.<\/p>\n \u201cThe picture that was here\u2014it was of an old woman\u2014the other one was of a man who looked real evil. Now look!\u201d Joe explained and pointed at the two still life pictures that were mounted on the wall.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe you are confusing them with pictures in one of the other rooms?\u201d Ben suggested.<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2014I SAW<\/strong> them\u2014with my own two eyes!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph\u2014it\u2019s late\u2014will you do your father a favor and go to sleep?\u201d Ben asked yawning as he leaned against the wall.<\/p>\n Joe didn\u2019t reply, he just turned and headed back into his father\u2019s room. Ben followed behind his son, all the while shaking his head. Joe made it over to the bed and plopped down on it. He folded his arms across his chest to show that he wasn\u2019t about to budge.<\/p>\n \u201cNow what are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am NOT<\/strong> sleeping in that room\u2014someone or something\u2019s been in there!\u201d Joe insisted loudly.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay\u2014fine!\u201d Ben yelled and grabbed his holster and saddlebags and headed towards the doorway.<\/p>\n \u201cHey! Where are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to sleep in the other room!\u201d Ben answered hotly.<\/p>\n \u201cNo need for that\u2014there\u2019s plenty of room on this bed\u2014heck there\u2019s enough room for you and Hoss let alone you and me. You don\u2019t need to go in there, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI would rather be in there with your ghosts than to listen to you\u2014now trust me\u2014Joseph\u2014DO NOT WAKE ME<\/strong> AGAIN<\/strong>!\u201d Ben advised sharply and headed into room six.<\/p>\n \u201cJust can\u2019t talk to some people,\u201d Joe sighed and pulled the blanket up over his shoulders. He looked around the room and was pleased to see no pictures hanging on the walls in his new room.<\/p>\n *****************<\/p>\n Hoss\u2019 laughter filled the livery stable and all of it was directed at his little brother.\u00a0 \u201cJoe, I betcha Pa wanted to clobber you for waking him up like you done.\u00a0 No wonder you\u2019re so tired, Pa \u2013 after dealing with Little Joe\u2019s very active imagination.\u00a0 Yep, he sure can get carried away,\u201d Hoss mused.<\/p>\n Joe stared over at Pa and raised his eyebrows.\u00a0 \u201cGo ahead, Pa \u2013 you just tell him all about MY IMAGINATION<\/strong>,\u201d He urged, smiling smugly.<\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u00a0 What\u2019s Little Joe talking about now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn with the story, Pa, go on,\u201d Joe insisted and then felt his father\u2019s strong hand on his arm and noticed his stern stare.\u00a0 \u201cI mean\u2014if you\u2019re ready, that is, Pa,\u201d he said meekly.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright,\u201d Ben sighed and continued.<\/p>\n *********************<\/p>\n Joe somehow managed to fall to sleep in his father\u2019s room. His dreams were not troubled ones and he had curled up under all the blankets and was finally completely relaxed and unaware of his surroundings. That lasted for an hour and then he felt the heaviness of something next to him on the bed. He sprang up again, trying to reach for his gun in the same swift move.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t shoot!\u201d came the voice on the bed next to him.<\/p>\n Joe blinked his eyes hard and stared over at his father. \u201cPa? What\u2019re you doing in here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014I got to worrying about you…\u201d Ben began, forcing a calm to his voice.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, sure,\u201d Joe smiled as he stared at his father\u2019s face. \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t be because some pictures changed, would it?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben cleared his throat and replied, \u201cJust the power of suggestion\u2014that\u2019s the only logical reason\u2014we didn\u2019t get a real good look at those pictures in the daytime.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did\u2014and YOU<\/strong> did too! You seen the old man and old lady\u2019s pictures, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben leaned back against the headboard and stared over at his son\u2019s questioning eyes. \u201cJoseph\u2014we are leaving at daylight\u2014let\u2019s just get some sleep, okay? We were on the trail a long while today\u2014and I think a whole lot of these things appear to be happening just because we are tired.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m wide awake!\u201d Joe insisted. \u201cYou know it\u2019s not too late to go join Buck and Cochise over in the livery stable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo to sleep\u2014please?\u201d Ben sighed as he slipped under the covers and rolled onto his left side to avoid his son\u2019s gaze.<\/p>\n Joe frowned and slowly eased into his holster. He buckled the gun belt and let his left hand ease down alongside his body. No matter what would happen next, he promised himself he would be ready for it.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben called over to his son, after a few minutes of silence.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Pa?\u201d Little Joe whispered, sure that his father had finally decided to concede defeat and agree to go to the stable.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you wearing your holster?\u201d Ben asked, still positioned on his side facing away from his son.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2014why?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour gun butt is jabbing my spine!\u201d Ben answered angrily.<\/p>\n \u201cOh\u2014sorry\u2014I\u2019ll move over a bit,\u201d Joe replied meekly.<\/p>\n \u201cTake that dad blasted thing off before you shoot me in my sleep!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut…\u201d Joe started to protest when he felt his father\u2019s hand come around and smack his wrist.<\/p>\n \u201cNo buts\u2014no gun butts\u2014no buts of any kind\u2014except YOUR<\/strong> butt if you don\u2019t take it off!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Joe sighed and unbuckled his holster and set it once again next to the bed.<\/p>\n \u201cNow can we please get some sleep?\u201d Ben asked harshly.<\/p>\n \u201cHey. YOU<\/strong> were the one talking, not ME<\/strong>!\u201d Joe reminded his pa.<\/p>\n \u201cNext time I take Hoss\u2014next time you stay home,\u201d Ben replied with a yawn.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I never would\u2019ve pestered you to go to Stockton if I had known we were gonna stop by spook central on the way home,\u201d Joe argued.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph\u2014no more speaking\u2014no more sounds of any kind, got it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf that means no snoring\u2014remember it\u2019s not me who snores around here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am going to toss you into room six if you say one more thing!\u201d Ben warned.<\/p>\n Joe rolled onto his side, afraid that his father meant business. He sure didn\u2019t want to go across the hall, so he decided not to make another sound until daylight. Soon he was hearing the typical sound of his father sawing logs.\u00a0Great, HE<\/strong> can sleep\u2014I\u2019ve got to contend with ghosts AND<\/strong> his snoring, Joe thought to himself.<\/p>\n Joe was finally able to ignore the sounds of both his father\u2019s snoring and the rain pelting the roof of the hotel. He fell into a deep sleep and the nightmares did not plague him again. After an hour of perfect peace for both Cartwrights, suddenly the door to their bedroom slammed shut; its impact shook the walls of the room and roused both men from their slumber. Rattled and terrified, Joe grabbed for his six-gun, and at the same time, his father followed suit. There they were, Ben and Joe Cartwright with loaded Colt forty-fives pointed towards the closed door, waiting for another assault to their senses.<\/p>\n \u201cI TOLD<\/strong> you someone was here!\u201d Joe whispered to his father.<\/p>\n Ben pushed his son\u2019s gun away from his own weapon. They had actually clinked gun barrels when they both drew as they sat up on the bed.\u00a0*** Forgot the kid was left-handed. *** <\/strong><\/em>Ben thought to himself. \u201cJust calm down,\u201d Ben replied, never taking his eyes off the door.<\/p>\n \u201cCalm down? Look at the end of your gun, Pa\u2014it\u2019s shaking as bad as mine!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably just the storm,\u201d Ben muttered and tried to get a firmer grip on his weapon.<\/p>\n \u201cNo windows opened in here\u2014gonna have to do better than that this time. YOU<\/strong> know we aren\u2019t alone\u2014so stop with that logic stuff, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben reached over to the nightstand with his free hand and opened his pocket watch. It was dead up midnight. He didn\u2019t want to mention that fact to his son. He knew what the boy would say.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat time is it, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAn hour after we last went to sleep,\u201d Ben gave his vague answer.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t be midnight, would it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust be quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, then it is\u2014and now it\u2019s the same day as that last entry in that registry. Thanks, a whole lot Pa for putting our names in that book!\u201d Joe fussed.<\/p>\n \u201cCoincidence\u2014nothing more.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014if it\u2019s just coincidence then why are you still pointing that gun towards the door, huh?\u201d Joe persisted.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause if I pointed it at YOU<\/strong>, I would get arrested for murder. Now cut it out\u2014put your gun away\u2014and I\u2019ll put mine away too.\u201d<\/p>\n Before Joe could make another wisecrack, a loud scream penetrated the room. It was like the shriek of someone being killed violently.<\/p>\n \u201cYour coincidence is getting louder,\u201d Joe muttered as he pushed himself back against the headboard, still pointing his gun.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014someone is obviously out there\u2014let\u2019s go check it out,\u201d Ben replied and stood from the bed and strapped on his holster.<\/p>\n \u201cHeck no! I ain\u2019t gonna go out there\u2014no telling WHAT\u2019S<\/strong> out there!\u201d Joe protested loudly.<\/p>\n \u201cSuit yourself, Joe\u2014but I\u2019m going to check it out,\u201d Ben stated moving cautiously towards the bedroom door with the lamp in one hand and his gun in the other one.<\/p>\n \u201cWait!\u201d Joe yelled scrambling from the bed. He quickly strapped on his holster and said, \u201cI ain\u2019t staying here by myself!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben turned and looked behind him where Joe was evidently planning on using his father as a human shield. \u201cYou pull the door open.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe? Why me?\u201d Joe’s question came out high-pitched.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I have my hands full\u2014now go on open it slowly.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe mumbled a few words that were not clear enough to get him in trouble with his father, but he did as he had been told. He slowly turned the doorknob and pulled the door towards them. Ben made the first move into the hallway, holding the lamp out in front of them both. Joe went back to his battle position, flanking his Pa.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe you were right \u2014maybe it\u2019s just the storm, Pa\u2014let\u2019s go back to our room, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2014all day and half the night you have been pestering me to find out what\u2019s going on in this hotel and we\u2019re gonna find out here and now!\u201d Ben said harshly as they made it to the top of the staircase.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t really want to find out…\u201d Joe started but stopped when he saw a flash of light down at the bottom of the stairs. \u201cDid you see that!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes\u2014let\u2019s go see,\u201d Ben whispered and carefully descended the stairs with Joe right behind him. They made it to the bottom and again noticed a bright flash that disappeared around the corner to the lobby. \u201cJoseph?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Pa?\u201d Joe whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not the barrel of your gun I feel in my back, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSorry…\u201d Joe mumbled and lowered his weapon.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are going to shoot your father!\u201d Ben fumed as he walked towards where the light had gone.<\/p>\n There became a loud groaning sound that grew in volume as the two men made it to the kitchen area of the hotel.<\/p>\n \u201cThat don\u2019t sound like a human to me, Pa\u2014let\u2019s go back upstairs\u2014or better yet\u2014let\u2019s go to the livery!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt sounds like it\u2019s coming from behind that door over there\u2014probably leads down to the basement,\u201d Ben said, ignoring his son\u2019s request to retreat.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014how about I go over to check on the horses\u2014 and YOU<\/strong> stay here to find whatever the heck is down there?\u201d Joe offered.<\/p>\n Ben spun around and held the lamp in front of his son\u2019s face. Joe had never noticed how spooky his father looked by lamplight before. \u201cNow listen to me\u2014we are going down there to see what\u2019s going on. You stay close to me\u2014but keep that dad blasted gun in your holster! If I trip and end up shot by my own son, it\u2019s not going to be easy for you to explain to your brothers!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll never see my brothers again anyhow,\u201d Joe replied grimly.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go\u2014open the door!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAgain, with the door opening!\u201d Joe whined and pulled the door open to the basement.<\/p>\n ******************<\/p>\n \u201cHold it a second,\u201d Hoss sang out and pulled himself up off the floor of the stable.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know if you two are pulling my leg or not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot,\u201d Joe mumbled as he glanced over at his father and then back to his brother. \u201cTell him, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, it\u2019s best you listen to the rest of this –,\u201d Ben interjected.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I plan to, Pa.\u00a0 I was just going to get something,\u201d He replied and moved across to where he had left his saddlebags.\u00a0 Reaching inside one of the pockets, Hoss removed a half pint of whiskey.<\/p>\n Joe smiled over at his father and witnessed the amusement in his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI told you it would eventually get to him, Pa,\u201d Joe announced.<\/p>\n \u201cI — well \u2013 it\u2019s a bit chilly in here so I\u2019d figure a little bit of this might warm me up,\u201d Hoss tried to come up with a valid reason for partaking in the alcohol.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, pass it over \u2013 I\u2019m a bit chilled myself!\u201d Joe insisted.\u00a0 He knew he could use a belt after all that had happened in the hotel.<\/p>\n Hoss sat down on his bedroll and looked over at his father.\u00a0 \u201cI ain\u2019t got no glasses,\u201d He remarked.<\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u201d Joe looked hopefully into his father\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cHand it here, Hoss,\u201d Ben sighed.<\/p>\n Hoss relinquished the bottle and watched as Pa opened it and then took a good couple of sips out of it.\u00a0 He smiled to see his father partaking as it was a rarity.<\/p>\n \u201cPass it here, Pa,\u201d Little Joe said and reached out his hand.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t let him drink it all up, Pa!\u201d Hoss protested as Ben handed the bottle to his brother.\u00a0 \u201cYou know how greedy that little varmint is!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust two sips, Joseph,\u201d Ben admonished sternly.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s hardly enough to get through half of the basement story, Pa,\u201d Joe complained and upturned the whiskey.<\/p>\n \u201cBe that as it may, hand it back,\u201d Ben reached for the bottle and then turned it over to Hoss again.<\/p>\n \u201cGlad there\u2019s some left,\u201d Hoss sighed and then leaned back onto the grain sack.\u00a0 \u201cGo on, Pa, get on with the story.\u00a0\u00a0 It\u2019s getting good now!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood?\u201d Joe asked, his voice high in pitch.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve no idea what we went through!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, settle down and I\u2019ll tell the story, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI could use one more –,\u201d Joe indicated the whiskey, but was met by two dark eyes warning him with their gaze.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, go on tell the story, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, this is what happened next, Hoss,\u201d Ben continued with the tale.<\/p>\n ***********************<\/p>\n Subconsciously Joe counted the stairs on the way down to the darkened sub-floor of the hotel. There were exactly thirteen stairs.\u00a0Figures,\u00a0Joe thought to himself when they finally had reached the bottom. Ben held out the lamp at arm\u2019s length to get a good look at their surroundings. It looked as though it was just a storeroom of some kind with jars and packages and tools on the shelves. It was just as Ben was starting to turn, in unison with his son towards the stairs again when the door to the basement slammed shut.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat!\u201d Joe shouted. \u201cIt has us trapped now!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNonsense\u2014we\u2019ll just go up there and open it,\u201d Ben replied calmly and ascended the steps. He handed Joe the lamp and then tried to get the door opened. The more Ben fought with it, the more it resisted. \u201cBack up\u2014I\u2019m gonna shoot that lock!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm\u2014Pa?\u201d Joe asked weakly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you have your hand on my shoulder?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow how can I have my hand on your shoulder\u2014I am a step higher than you!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I was afraid of,\u201d Joe whimpered. He spun around with the lamp and stared into the eyes of a man dressed in black. Screaming, he reached for his father to get his attention. Ben turned in time to see Joe fall down the stairs.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph!\u201d Ben shouted as he watched the lamp and Joe tumble to the ground. He hurried down the stairs in the dark and came upon Joe sprawled out on the floor. \u201cJoe? Joe, are you okay?\u201d Ben asked as he reached around trying to locate his son\u2019s head.<\/p>\n \u201cPa? Is that you\u2014or that man?\u201d Joe whispered, trying to sit up, while rubbing the back of his neck.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat man?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat man from the picture\u2014he had his hand on my shoulder a minute ago\u2014then all of a sudden I fell!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben felt around for the lamp and could tell from the feel of it that it had been busted. \u201cYou saw a man? You sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHeck yeah, I\u2019m sure!\u201d Joe insisted and soon felt another hand on his arm.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s me this time\u2014I\u2019m trying to pull you up,\u201d Ben explained.<\/p>\n \u201cHey\u2014don\u2019t do nothing without telling me from now on\u2014gee it\u2019s dark down here!\u201d Joe said as he stood next to his father.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019ve got some matches in my vest\u2014just a minute,\u201d Ben said searching in the dark for matches. He found one and felt around for something to strike it on. He found a wooden post and soon had the end of the match lit. \u201cYou okay, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah\u2014I\u2019m fine\u2014just about broke my neck on the stairs\u2014and some spook attacked me\u2014but I am FINE<\/strong>!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben looked around and found a small lamp on one of the shelves. He was glad to see that it had some kerosene still inside and went about to getting it lit. Soon they again had light.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go get that door open and get out of this place!\u201d Ben called to his son as he turned back for the stairs. \u201cStay closer to me this time!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow about letting ME<\/strong> go up first\u2014I don\u2019t like having someone behind me trying to kill me!\u201d Joe protested as he moved in front of his father.<\/p>\n \u201cOh really? Maybe now you know how I feel,\u201d Ben replied sarcastically and let Joe move to the lead.<\/p>\n Once on the top step, Joe drew out his gun. \u201cHold the light a bit higher so I can see where I\u2019m shooting, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo ahead\u2014just be careful\u2014don\u2019t need a ricochet to get either of us.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe took aim at the door and blasted it with a bullet from his Colt. He reached over and saw that the bullet hadn\u2019t even budged the doorknob. \u201cDamn\u2014what\u2019s this thing made out of?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLanguage!\u201d Ben reprimanded sternly.<\/p>\n \u201cUm\u2014Pa\u2014I could\u2019ve said a whole lot worse than that! Now what\u2019re we gonna do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMove back here and let me try at the door.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean\u2014get behind you again?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph\u2014do you want to get out of here or not?\u201d Ben asked, growing exasperated.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay\u2014but hurry up, will you?\u201d Joe replied and changed positions with his father.<\/p>\n Ben fired a bullet into the door, and it seemed to just vanish into the wood, not even leaving a hole where it had penetrated. He tried another time and gave up. Ben knew he might need his bullets for other things, so he turned back towards his son and sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cThat man\u2014the one you said was behind you\u2014he had to have gotten out somehow\u2014maybe there\u2019s another door down below?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa\u2014that was no MAN<\/strong>; that was a GHOST<\/strong>\u2014and we all know that they can vanish through walls!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot logical\u2014he was just someone who wanted to frighten us for some reason.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he got his wish\u2014now why won\u2019t he let us outta here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go down again and check around,\u201d Ben insisted and walked back to the basement with Joe close at his side.<\/p>\n Holding the lamp to eye level Joe searched all the walls hoping to spot an exterior door. He came up empty and turned back towards his father.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me see that lamp a minute,\u201d Ben called, and Joe handed it over to him. Ben looked around on the shelves and noticed there was a pickaxe, a hatchet, and several other tools. \u201cThis might do the trick\u2014if we can find a weak board somewhere,\u201d Ben announced holding the pickaxe as he holstered his gun. He walked over to the left of the staircase, chose a spot, lifted the pick high in the air, and struck at the wall. At that very moment, another loud shriek echoed in the basement and Joe jumped back and plowed into his father, knocking him to the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cYou almost broke that lamp!\u201d Ben shouted. \u201cBe more careful.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSorry\u2014something about hearing maniacal ear piercing screams does funny things to me,\u201d Joe replied sharply and pulled himself off of his father.<\/p>\n Ben stood and shook his head wondering if the night would ever end. He gained his composure and struck the wall again, but it seemed as though behind the wood planking was a solid brick wall. \u201cLet\u2019s try over there!\u201d Ben pointed to the opposite wall.<\/p>\n \u201cEver hear a sound like that scream before, Pa?\u201d Joe asked, his voice trembling.<\/p>\n Ben thought for a moment as he walked with his son to the other wall. \u201cWell\u2014no\u2014don\u2019t think I have.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s your logical explanation for this one? I mean there\u2019s screaming coming from nowhere and no one\u2014you gonna blame the wind?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust hold the lantern so I can try to get us out of here!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe lifted the lamp higher, and Ben took one mighty swing, and the wood finally gave way leaving a large hole in the wall. The two men knelt and held the lantern close to the hole and peered inside.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014looks like an exit of some kind\u2014not very high though,\u201d Ben explained as he examined the tunnel. \u201cMaybe it\u2019s an old coal shoot?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014what do you want to do? You want to stay here and wait for impending death or crawl on our hands and knees into a hole that may lead straight into Hell?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben looked over at his son and was just about ready to respond to his bizarre question when he spotted what appeared to be a man across the room from them. He sprang to his feet and shouted, \u201cYou there! What\u2019s the meaning of all this?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe turned and saw the man for a split second and then he dematerialized before their eyes. Joe grabbed his father\u2019s arm and said, \u201cOkay\u2014now what\u2019s your logical explanation for that one, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s get the heck outta here!\u201d Ben yelled and soon he and Joe were tunneling through the hole in the wall on their hands and knees.<\/p>\n Joe stayed as close to his father as the tunnel would allow. He had the lamp clutched in his left hand as they continued to crawl endlessly further and further into the bowels of the hotel.<\/p>\n \u201cOuch!\u201d Ben yelled.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u2019 Joe asked, petrified as to what had grabbed his father to make him yell so loudly.<\/p>\n \u201cHand me that lamp!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh? Why? You see something?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2014I don\u2019t see anything\u2014but you just burnt the seat of my pants with the danged thing. Now hand it to me before you set me on fire!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe passed the lamp over to his father. \u201cIt\u2019s too dark without it, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust keep a hand on the end of my pant leg\u2014believe me you won\u2019t get lost. Now let\u2019s get moving!\u201d<\/p>\n The two Cartwrights crawled for what seemed to be miles and finally reached what they believed was the end of the dark tunnel. It emptied out into a larger room, one where they could stand erect. Ben reached for his son\u2019s hand and pulled him up.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere do you think we are now?\u201d Joe asked as he watched his father walk around the narrow room.<\/p>\n \u201cI have no idea,\u201d Ben sighed and then noticed something written on the wall, apparently with red paint. \u201cNinety-eight\u2014need two more,\u201d Ben read the message scrawled across the side of the room.<\/p>\n \u201cJust great! I told you! We are the last two\u2014and all because you wrote our names in that book, Pa!\u201d Joe fussed.<\/p>\n \u201cCalm down\u2014there\u2019s got to be a way out of here!\u201d Ben answered and further inspected their surroundings.<\/p>\n \u201cShould\u2019ve brought that pickaxe with us!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh\u2014you want to go back there and get it, Joseph? I\u2019ll wait for you,\u201d Ben asked sarcastically.<\/p>\n \u201cNo thanks\u2014hey\u2014what\u2019s that?\u201d Joe pointed towards the opposite wall. There was a huge tapestry hanging, as if suspended in midair.<\/p>\n Ben brought the light over to the wall hanging and they both stared at the image of a man dressed all in black. He had a long beard and big bushy eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cOh oh\u2014seen him before, haven\u2019t we?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n Joe reached towards the tapestry and behind it he found a door. \u201cDo we want to know what\u2019s behind this thing?\u201d he asked helplessly.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014we can\u2019t go back\u2014not now\u2014open it up!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNO<\/strong> \u2014not this time\u2014you hand ME<\/strong> the lamp\u2014and YOU<\/strong> open this one. I\u2019ve been opening doors all night!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere,\u201d Ben groaned and handed the lamp to his son. He slowly turned the doorknob and pushed his way into an even larger room.<\/p>\n \u201cSmells funny in here, Pa\u2014almost smells like\u2014\u201d Joe stopped himself as he felt the grip of a hand on his shoulder. \u201cPa\u2014help!\u201d he was barely able to get out the words.<\/p>\n Ben turned and saw an old woman with her hair on top of her head, and she was gripping his son\u2019s shoulder. Ben yanked the boy away and the woman vanished. Spotting another door on the other end of the room, Ben grabbed Joe\u2019s left wrist and screamed, \u201cMove!\u201d<\/p>\n The two Cartwrights ran as fast as they could and made it through another door, which opened into a long corridor. Joe was as close to his father as he could manage without occupying the same space.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014see that? What\u2019s your logical explanation for that one, Pa?\u201d Joe screamed as they both raced down the hall.<\/p>\n \u201cThe logical explanation…\u201d Ben started but paused momentarily. His ribs were aching from the sprint down the corridor, and he fought to catch his breath. He finally pulled to a stop and leaned against the wall to rest for a minute. \u201cAs I was saying\u2014the logical explanation is…\u201d Ben stopped again as he suddenly spotted two more apparitions closing in on them both.<\/p>\n \u201cThe logical explanation is WHAT<\/strong>?\u201d Joe asked, sucking in air.<\/p>\n \u201cThe logical explanation is that this place IS SLATHERED IN GHOSTS! RUN<\/strong>!\u201d Ben screamed, grabbing his son\u2019s wrist and heading back down the long corridor staying just a few steps ahead of the ghosts who were in close pursuit.<\/p>\n *******************<\/p>\n \u201cWait, wait, wait,\u201d Hoss insisted as he pulled himself up from the post he had rested against during most of the story.\u00a0 \u201cPa?\u00a0 Are you saying YOU<\/strong> saw ghosts?\u00a0 I can imagine Little Joe saying he saw ghosts \u2013 because \u2013 well \u2013 you know how he is.\u00a0 But you actually saw them too?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shot his father a penetrating stare, letting him know that he\u2019d better fess up to what he had seen.<\/p>\n Ben frowned and drew in a deep breath.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t really want to admit to what he had witnessed but he\u2019d have to now, especially after witnessing the way that Joseph was staring over at him.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Hoss, I saw apparitions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat means ghosts, Hoss,\u201d Joe nodded with a smile.<\/p>\n Hoss shook his head totally confused by the story thus far.\u00a0 He was sure that it was going to play out as just a wild yarn, the kind Little Joe often told.\u00a0 But with his father saying he had seen ghosts, he sat up rigidly and waited to hear what happened next.<\/p>\n \u201cGo on, Pa,\u201d Hoss insisted.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright,\u201d Ben sighed and continued.<\/p>\n *********************<\/p>\n Joe had not seen the pair of apparitions that his father had, but he could tell by the way he was being pulled along by the man, that something was very wrong. He tried his best not to let curiosity get the better of him for fear of what he would see if he looked behind him. At the end of the long hall were two other corridors, one going to the right and one to the left. Ben had to make a quick decision and took the one on the right. It seemed as though that one was endless, and neither Cartwright could tell how far they had jogged, but their bodies were winded by the time they came to the end. Ben and his son collapsed onto the ground trying to catch their breath.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was it, Pa? What did you see?\u201d Joe asked coughing from the long run.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t want to know. But I don\u2019t think we better stay here much longer,\u201d Ben replied and checked the cylinder of his gun.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019re you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing how many bullets I have left.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa…\u201d Joe began and touched his father\u2019s wrist, \u201cWhat difference does it make?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want to be ready if they pop up again!\u201d Ben insisted and holstered his gun.<\/p>\n Joe laughed and replied, \u201cLike those bullets are gonna help you. Or me for that matter.\u00a0 Pa, um as far as I know\u2014ghosts are already dead\u2014so you can\u2019t kill them! Get it?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben grumbled and pulled himself to standing. \u201cMaybe it will scare them off.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked down the corridor and noticed the advancing of two bright lights coming closer. \u201cI don\u2019t think so! Let\u2019s go!\u201d Joe shouted and searched for a way out. The lamp was almost out of fuel, but Joe took it from his father\u2019s hand and held it high in the air. \u201cLook\u2014there\u2019s an opening\u2014maybe it\u2019s another tunnel?\u201d Joe pointed at a hole in the wall, which appeared to be about four feet by five. \u201cBoost me up there and I\u2019ll check it out!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben frowned but his gaze trekked down the hall, and he knew they didn\u2019t have much time so he held out his hands in order for Joe to plant a boot heel in them. He helped lift Joe up into the small opening. Joe held the light inside the tunnel.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2014looks like another long one, Pa\u2014let me set the lamp inside and then I will try to pull you up.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben saw the two specters coming closer and yelled to his son, \u201cHurry up, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe set the lamp down on the base of the tunnel, turned back, and held out his hands to assist his father. He never wished he had the strength of his brother Hoss more than he did at that moment. Joe strained with all his might, and finally his father was up inside the dark passageway next to him.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Joe\u2014never knew you had that kind of strength!\u201d Ben smiled and patted his son on the back.<\/p>\n The two men stared back towards the hall below and the image of the two ghosts stood right below them. \u201cYeah, amazing the things you can do when you are terrified! Let\u2019s go!\u201d Joe replied and started crawling down the tunnel.<\/p>\n They crawled for a good distance when the tunnel abruptly stopped and channeled off in two directions. Joe was still in the lead with the lamp, and he called back to his father.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay\u2014which one you wanna try this time?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am getting the awful feeling that it won\u2019t matter, Joseph\u2014just choose one and I will follow.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe moved to the left and Ben stayed close all the way to the end where there was another opening. Joe held the lamp down and peered into the darkened room.<\/p>\n \u201cGuess I will climb down\u2014here hold the lamp for me so I can turn around and go feet first, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got it\u2014be careful,\u201d Ben warned.<\/p>\n Joe slowly lowered himself down into the room below and called up to his father, \u201cHold that light down so I can see what\u2019s in here!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben crawled to the edge of the tunnel and held the light right above his son\u2019s head. Joe was still facing his father and not the room when Ben saw the image of a man in a dark suit coming up from behind his son.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph! Get back up here!\u201d Ben shouted and reached his hands down for the boy.<\/p>\n \u201cHuh?\u201d Joe called up, confused by the intensity on his father\u2019s face. \u201cWhy? I don\u2019t…\u201d Joe stopped his statement when he felt the strong arms of something grabbing him around his waist. He struggled to break free of the hold. Ben grabbed his son\u2019s wrists and yanked with all his might until Joe was pulled from the clutches of the ghost. Making his way back inside the tunnel, Joe followed right behind his father as they sought the safety of the passageway once more.<\/p>\n \u201cWas it\u2014was it that man again?\u201d Joe asked, breathing hard and feeling quite faint from the harrowing experience.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2014that ghost\u2014the one with the evil eyes!\u201d Ben responded as they came upon the other side of the tunnel. \u201cGuess we will go right this time\u2014no other avenue.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know about you, Pa\u2014but I\u2019m worn out from all this running\u2014and crawling for my life. Hope this one doesn\u2019t end up inside another ghost room, I could use a break!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll know soon\u2014I can see the end\u2014we\u2019re coming up on it now,\u201d Ben called and stopped as soon as they reached the end of the passageway.<\/p>\n Joe scrunched down next to his father and looked at him with an expression of pure fear. \u201cOkay\u2014well I climbed down last time\u2014guess you get to do it this time, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d better be able to pull me up, Joseph!\u201d Ben warned as he handed the lamp to his son and slowly lowered his body down into the room below.<\/p>\n Joe held the lamp with a very shaky hand, so that he could see down into the room. \u201cI don\u2019t see nothing behind you, Pa\u2014here\u2014take the lamp and I will climb down with you.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben reached for the lamp and watched as Joe jumped out of the opening. They slowly began to survey the room. This one was different from the others that they had been inside during their long night of terror. It looked like a regular den of some sorts. There were huge bookcases on one wall and strange paintings on another. There didn\u2019t appear to be a door anywhere. Defeated, the two men sat down on the floor and tried to regroup.<\/p>\n Sitting in silence for a long while, both Joe and his father tried to come up with a valid plan that would free them from the room and hopefully the haunted hotel as well. Joe spotted some strange figures hanging on the wall behind them. He held the lamp above his head to get a good look. The figures appeared to be small dolls, some dressed as men, some as women. They were fashioned with twigs and rope and the clothes they wore had been made from burlap.<\/p>\n \u201cOne\u2014two\u2014three\u2014\u201d Joe began counting out loud.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t bother\u2014I already did,\u201d Ben muttered. \u201cThere\u2019s ninety-eight of them.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe frowned and lowered the lamp next to his side. \u201cWell\u2014maybe the ghosts are busy right now\u2014they\u2019ve gotta make two more dolls!\u201d Joe quipped.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d Ben asked as he spotted a book on the bottom shelf of the bookcase next to them. He crawled over to it and then sat back down next to Joe. Holding the light so that he could read, he began to speak. \u201cHellbent, established in seventeen hundred and sixty. Founding father, Lucius Deville. Hey\u2014this is all about this town!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know Pa\u2014if I wanted a bedtime story\u2014it sure wouldn\u2019t be the one you\u2019ve just started to read.\u201d Joe protested.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, maybe it will give us some insight into what\u2019s happening here,\u201d Ben insisted and started thumbing through the book.<\/p>\n \u201cInsight! You want insight? I can tell you\u2014YOU<\/strong> put OUR<\/strong> names in that book up in the hotel\u2014you made it an even hundred\u2014and now they are gonna take our souls!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNonsense\u2014no-one can take your soul, Joseph,\u201d Ben reprimanded.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay\u2014so why have we been running all night then? If they can\u2019t hurt us\u2014well let\u2019s just crawl back in that tunnel and meet back with the spooks and invite them for tea!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s hand found his son\u2019s leg and he squeezed it, \u201cJust because we are having a rough night doesn\u2019t mean you can smart off to me!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014I\u2019ll apologize to YOU<\/strong> when you apologize to ME<\/strong> for writing my name in that book!\u201d Joe replied.<\/p>\n Ben shook his head and continued to read some of the printed articles about the town. \u201cSeems like they were a religious sect at first\u2014they founded the town\u2014and were hoping to bring in one hundred citizens to help run it. Lucius\u2014oh and his wife\u2014Shandria\u2014built the hotel and then sent for some of their relatives from the old country.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOld country? And which old country would that be?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA town in France\u2014according to this…\u201d Ben stopped when he spotted the name of the city.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll bite\u2014what\u2019s the name?\u201d Joe persisted.<\/p>\n \u201cNever mind\u2014let\u2019s just try to find a way out!\u201d Ben insisted and closed the book. He had read enough.<\/p>\n \u201cWouldn\u2019t be Hell or anything?\u201d Joe asked again, raising his eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2014it wouldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen\u2014what was it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014it was\u2014Hades\u2014actually,\u201d Ben finally answered the question.<\/p>\n \u201cHades\u2014um\u2014Hell\u2014same thing\u2014so they were Hell bent on coming over here\u2014started a weird religious sect\u2014they needed one hundred folks, never got enough\u2014and now they are waiting to kill us. Guess that\u2019s about the size of it, huh Pa?\u201d Joe asked as he stood and started to flail his arms in the air, totally panicking.<\/p>\n \u201cGet a grip\u2014no time to lose control!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I lost control a long time ago, Pa!\u201d Joe laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou check over there\u2014see if you can find a door\u2014a tunnel or anything\u2014I will take out the books off the shelves\u2014there might be some secret entranceway behind them!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe moved over to the wall across from where they had been seated. Ben set the lamp in the middle of the room so that they could both have some light as they searched for a way out. Running his hands along the wall, Joe tried to see if there was a loose board somewhere as his father threw the many books down from the shelves.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019ve found something!\u201d Ben called to Joe. He reached over and pulled the lamp closer to get a good look at what he was feeling on the inside of the bookcase. Joe started to turn to move back over to his father when Ben\u2019s hand hit on a lever. Suddenly another wall slid across the room separating the two Cartwrights.<\/p>\n \u201cHelp!\u201d Joe screamed as he hugged up against the newly formed barrier.<\/p>\n Ben tried to pull the lever back, but it wouldn\u2019t budge. He grabbed the lamp and headed over to the partition separating him from his son.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe? Joseph\u2014can you hear me?\u201d Ben yelled through the wood.<\/p>\n \u201cGet me out of here!\u201d Joe screamed as his hands pounded on the planking.<\/p>\n Ben was able to find a small knothole in the wood and with his pocketknife pushed it out so that he could get a look into the room that housed his son.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph?\u201d Ben called through the knothole and held up the lamp.<\/p>\n Joe moved towards the small shaft of light. He positioned his eye in the knothole at the precise time that Ben did. When Joe saw the huge brown eye staring back at him, he screamed and jumped back.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s me\u2014Joe it\u2019s me!\u201d Ben shouted through the small opening.<\/p>\n Joe dusted off his backside and walked back towards the light. \u201cYou scared the hell out of me, Pa! Now get me outta here, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have to figure out how to work that lever\u2014gonna try again\u2014just relax.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRelax!\u201d Joe screamed. \u201cI am in here\u2014in the dark\u2014with God knows what alongside of me\u2014while YOU<\/strong> are in there with the lamp.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben shook his head and sighed and left Joe at the knothole to yell to himself awhile. He went back to trying to move the partition back out of the way. The lamplight was fading fast as Ben ran his fingers up and down the interior of the bookcase hoping to find another lever that might move the wall that separated him from his son. He stopped his search when a loud scream filled the air.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph! Joe, are you okay?\u201d Ben asked as he moved back over to the wall.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I am still behind here, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI heard a scream\u2014sounded like a woman\u2019s this time,\u201d Ben called through the knothole. \u201cDid you hear it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm\u2014well\u2014that was not a woman\u2014actually that was me,\u201d Joe replied with heavy embarrassment.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014cut it out\u2014I\u2019m trying to get you out of there!\u201d Ben called into his son and turned back to the bookcase again.<\/p>\n *********************<\/p>\n \u201cHey!\u201d Joe yelled and grabbed his father\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cYou promised you wouldn\u2019t tell Hoss about that!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSorry,\u201d Ben returned, trying to hide his smile.<\/p>\n Hoss grinned over at his little brother and nodded his way, \u201cIt\u2019s okay, Little Joe, I\u2019ve heard you scream like that before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery funny,\u201d Joe sneered as he crossed his arms over his chest unamused.<\/p>\n \u201cGo ahead, Pa \u2013 what happened after Joe screamed like a girl?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t be smiling if you\u2019d been in the dark with some spook grabbing you!\u201d Joe called out indignantly.<\/p>\n Ben reached over and patted Joe\u2019s arm and replied, \u201cIt\u2019s okay, Joseph, just settle down.\u00a0 Let\u2019s finish this story so we can get some shuteye.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe frowned and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cGo on.\u201d<\/p>\n *******************<\/p>\n Joe sat on the floor; his face pressed up against the wood barrier. He stared one-eyed in towards where he could see the back of his father. It was then that he felt the hairs at the nape of his neck move. It was as if someone or something was breathing on him.<\/p>\n \u201cPa!\u201d Joe screamed.<\/p>\n \u201cLeave me alone\u2014I\u2019m trying to save you!\u201d Ben fumed, never turning around towards his son\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you better hurry up\u2014something\u2019s in here with me!\u201d Joe shouted and then felt hands grab him around his neck. \u201cPa\u2014help!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben began to bang with his fists on the bookcase, hoping to jar something loose and free his boy. Just as Joe\u2019s screams started to become more muffled, the wall slid aside, and Ben stood there terrified at the sight before him.<\/p>\n \u201cLet go!\u201d Ben screamed and lunged towards the specter who held his son. By the time he was to Joe, the ghostly figure disappeared again. Joe sat on the floor coughing as if he was still in the grips of the evil force.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s okay, Joe, I\u2019ve got you!\u201d Ben encouraged as he pulled his son to his feet and dragged him towards the bookcase. It was in the nick of time too, as the wall automatically closed once more.<\/p>\n \u201cGet us out of here\u2014there\u2019s got to be a way!\u201d Joe pleaded and started to kick and punch at the bookcase. Suddenly the back of the shelving gave way exposing another door. Ben lifted the light to take with them. The kerosene inside of it was almost played out, but both men hoped it would help them find their way.<\/p>\n This new door, which had been hidden behind the bookcase, opened out into yet another room. As Ben held the lamp out at arm\u2019s length the terrible sights took form around them both. There were stacks and stacks of bones lining the room. Set into the man-made rock wall were many sets of manacles, revealing the fact that the room had been used for torture and later for the deaths of the many inhabitants of the town of Hellbent.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat\u2014the spooks led us right to the scene of the crime!\u201d Joe yelled as he looked around at the gory scenery.<\/p>\n \u201cThose poor souls\u2014left in here\u2014to die such a horrible death,\u201d Ben sighed sadly.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2014well I\u2019m sorry for them and all, Pa\u2014I mean rest in peace and all that\u2014but we are numbers ninety-nine and one hundred.\u00a0 Now unless you want to wait for the head ghosts to grab us, we have to find a passage back to the place we were before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLook here!\u201d Ben exclaimed and held the lamp up against one of the walls. There in either red paint, or blood, were the words \u201cSurrender Cartwrights\u2014no turning back now.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe read the warning and turned in time to see the man in the black suit, and evidently his lovely wife Shandria coming up from behind.<\/p>\n \u201cRun!\u201d Joe screamed and grabbed his father\u2019s arm, pulling him along with him.<\/p>\n Ben and Joe were able to circumvent the two apparitions and ran back through the opening in the bookcase. However, that was not going to stop the spirits from their pursuit. They floated across the room and stayed just inches behind both Cartwrights as they tried to crawl back up into the passageway they had used earlier. Ben made it up first and turned to grab his son\u2019s hands to pull him into the opening. Joe was then engulfed in a tug of war between the spirit world and his father. He cringed when he felt both sets of ghostly hands groping at him, trying to pull him back into the room and steal him from his father\u2019s grasp. Cold slimy ectoplasm soaked into Joe\u2019s shirt and splashed onto his face as he fought with all his might to escape. Finally, with one last tremendous tug, Ben was able to pull his son to freedom. Joe sat momentarily inside the narrow passageway and tried to catch his breath.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was intense\u2014\u201d Joe muttered and then felt his father\u2019s hand again.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s get out of here\u2014the light is going out\u2014just stay really close in case it doesn\u2019t make it to the end of this tunnel!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHope we\u2019re doing the right thing!\u201d Joe called to his father as he crawled behind him.<\/p>\n \u201cIf they\u2019re gonna kill us\u2014at least we are making it hard on them! Maybe even ghosts get tired!\u201d Ben mused as he turned down the main tunnel heading towards the basement where they had originally started their flight for life.<\/p>\n It felt as though hours had elapsed since they first entered the tunnel that night to the time they finally came out at its end. But, at last, Ben was able to see the exit and lowered himself down and reached to help his son. There they stood, in the basement of the hotel and watched the last flicker of their light die out.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat\u2014now we can\u2019t even see what\u2019s haunting us!\u201d Joe fussed as he held onto his father\u2019s vest.<\/p>\n \u201cGoing to try to go up the stairs and force that door, Joseph\u2014stay close behind me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf I was any closer, I would be you, Pa,\u201d Joe laughed and started up the staircase. \u201cThat\u2019s thirteen steps\u2014we have to be at the top.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben fumbled around for the doorknob and soon had it in his hand. \u201cWhen I say go\u2014push with me on the door. Maybe a good charge will work this time?\u201d Ben instructed.<\/p>\n \u201cCount to three\u2014works better that way for me\u2014if you just yell go\u2014I might not be ready.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben sighed and shook his head at Joe\u2019s remark. \u201cOne…\u201d<\/p>\n ***Please let this work***<\/em><\/strong> Joe thought to himself.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo…\u201d Ben continued.<\/p>\n ***Hope there aren\u2019t more ghosts on the other side\u2014but with our luck there will be. ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThree!\u201d Ben yelled and went for the door.<\/p>\n Joe hurled his body towards the door and his father. At that very moment the door opened all on its own and the two Cartwrights went flying across the kitchen floor landing one on top of the other.<\/p>\n \u201cThey sure have a great sense of humor around here,\u201d Joe muttered as he tried to get off of his father.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014at least we know where we are now. We sure could use a lamp though,\u201d Ben replied.<\/p>\n \u201cGot any more matches, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben felt inside his vest and came up with a solitary match. \u201cLast one\u2014let me feel around to find something to strike it on.\u201d Ben searched until he came upon a doorframe and struck the match and there was light once again.<\/p>\n \u201cAchooooooooooo!\u201d Joe sneezed, and the impact of it put the match out.<\/p>\n \u201cVery good, Joseph!\u201d Ben fussed.<\/p>\n \u201cHey\u2014not my fault\u2014probably from all that ghostly goo that\u2019s still on my face!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, now we have no light and have to try to get out of here in the pitch dark.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou could\u2019ve at least said God bless you,\u201d Joe mumbled as he turned with his father trying to figure out in which direction to go next.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the lobby is this way\u2014give me your hand\u2014I can\u2019t see you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m holding your hand already, Pa,\u201d Joe replied.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, you\u2019re not!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014if it\u2019s not YOUR<\/strong> hand then\u2014oh no!\u201d Joe screamed as he felt something pulling him from behind. \u201cIt\u2019s got me again!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben reached out in the darkness until he hit on something solid. It was Joe\u2019s outstretched arm. \u201cLet go of my boy!\u201d Ben screamed.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat\u2014another tug of war!\u201d Joe replied as he felt his body being pulled on by both his father and some unseen ghost.<\/p>\n \u201cCan you feel my hand, Joe? Do I have you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI feel about a hundred hands at the present time\u2014pull harder!\u201d Joe yelled.<\/p>\n Ben pulled with all his might, Joe\u2019s body was free again, and he went sailing across the room knocking them both down to the floor once again.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe? You okay\u2014it is YOU<\/strong>, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Ben asked as his hands searched for his son\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope so,\u201d Joe answered and felt the leather of his father\u2019s vest.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we can just make it out to the lobby\u2014we can get outside!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go\u2014but first\u2014squeeze my hand two times if it\u2019s really YOU<\/strong> this time\u2014and well\u2014three times if it\u2019s not!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben pulled his son up and squeezed the boy\u2019s hand twice. \u201cSatisfied?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAchooooooooo!\u201d Joe sneezed loudly.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery time you sneeze, the spooks appear\u2014stop doing that!\u201d Ben insisted and began to pull Joe along with him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s it take to get a simple God bless you around here?\u201d Joe fussed and walked in unison with his father towards the lobby.<\/p>\n As soon as both Cartwrights cleared the kitchen and started into the lobby there was a bright flash of lightning followed by thunder, which almost tossed them to the floor. Then the room seemed to be alive with floating white balls of light that hovered all around them. The glow they gave off was just faint enough to light the path towards the doorway. Ben hurriedly pulled Joe with him until he was standing at the front door to the hotel.<\/p>\n \u201cWait!\u201d Joe yelled and let go of his father\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Where are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat book\u2014it\u2019s still got our names in it\u2014and I don\u2019t think it\u2019s a good idea to leave it that way. I\u2019m gonna go get that page and rip it up!\u201d Joe yelled and hurried over to the front desk.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph! Get back here! We\u2019ve gotta get out while we still can!\u201d Ben argued.<\/p>\n Joe was able to fumble around on the counter until his hands set on top of the registry book. He tried with all his might to pull it open but could not. Finally, he decided to take it with him and get rid of the entries once he and his father were safely outside. It was at that moment that the orbs of light all darted directly towards Joe. He ducked and screamed trying to avoid them, but they surrounded him.<\/p>\n Ben had seen what was going on and he ran to assist the boy. He dodged the balls of light and soon was huddled along with Joe on the floor next to the front desk.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do they want? They won\u2019t let us go!\u201d Joe asked his father, clutching the book to his chest.<\/p>\n \u201cGet rid of that book right now!\u201d Ben yelled.<\/p>\n \u201cHow am I supposed to do that? These ghosts have us surrounded!\u201d<\/p>\n Across the room stood a huge fireplace, and the strange orbs of light suddenly formed a procession over to it. When the lights were all there somehow, they ignited the old wood embers and a brilliant flame erupted.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess they are trying to tell you something, Joseph\u201d Ben replied staring over at the crackling fire.<\/p>\n \u201cHere goes nothing!\u201d Joe yelled and charged towards the fireplace with the book in his hands. With one mighty throw, he hurled the registry book into the flames. One by one, the bright orbs disappeared, as if they were finally freed from their bondage there in the hotel. Joe ran back over to his father and smiled. \u201cHey\u2014I think I did it! I think we are finally safe!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood job, son\u2014now\u2014\u201d Ben started and was cut short by a loud demonic voice coming towards them.<\/p>\n \u201cYou let them go! You will die for that! Now I must find ninety-eight\u2014but I will have the two of you!\u201d the strange voice hovered in the air directly above Ben and Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cHead for the door!\u201d Ben yelled and sprang to his feet, hoping Joe was right behind him.<\/p>\n Joe started to run but he felt the hands reaching behind his body pulling him away. Then he began to sneeze. \u201cAchooooooo\u2014um\u2014Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, I know\u2014it\u2019s got you AGAIN<\/strong>!\u201d Ben sighed and headed back to once again free his son.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no escape for you!\u201d the voice was joined by a loud sadistic laughter filling the air.<\/p>\n \u201cLet him go!\u201d Ben screamed as he continued to tug on his son.<\/p>\n At that moment, the one last ball of light darted across to where Joe was being held and encircled the demon who was pulling at the boy. Ben was able to set Joe free while the orb was dancing across the devilish face of Lucius Deville.<\/p>\n \u201cMove!\u201d Ben shouted and pulled Joe along with him.<\/p>\n Joe stood there against the door as his father tried to pull it open. The screams that emanated through the hotel were enough to set both men\u2019s hair on end. Ben fought with all his might to pull the door open when he spotted both Lucius and the ghostly apparition of his wife moving towards them.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, Joe\u2014one…\u201d Ben began the countdown.<\/p>\n ***Here we go again***<\/em><\/strong> Joe thought to himself.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo…\u201d<\/p>\n ***I\u2019m so tired I\u2019m ready to turn over my soul for some shuteye. ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThree!\u201d Ben screamed and he and his son charged the door.<\/p>\n The door to the hotel gave way and Ben and Joe made it to the front porch just as another flash of lightning lit up the sky. They both screamed when they saw the huge form of a man standing in front of them there. It was bad enough that they had to do battle with the spirit world inside the haunted hotel, but now they would evidently have to contend with evil beings in the town itself.<\/p>\n \u201cPa? Joe?\u201d came the voice of the man wearing the black slicker. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss!\u201d both Ben and Joe gasped in unison.<\/p>\n \u201cHow \u2018bout letting me in\u2014I\u2019m soaked to the bone?\u201d Hoss asked as he pulled his lantern closer to the faces of his family members. He was surprised to see terror in their eyes and wondered what was going on.<\/p>\n \u201cLet you in!\u201d Joe shouted and hurried down the porch steps with his father right behind him. \u201cHeck\u2014we\u2019ve been trying to get OUT<\/strong> all night!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust follow us to the livery, son\u2014we\u2019ll tell you all about it!\u201d Ben urged and Hoss trailed along behind his father and little brother.<\/p>\n Once the three Cartwrights were safely inside the warm and ghost free environment of the livery stable, Hoss searched around for something to give to them both to dry some of the rain from off their clothes. As he went about his task, Ben and Joe huddled closely trying to get their story straight.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd\u2014another thing, Pa\u2014don\u2019t tell him I screamed like a girl neither!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t\u2014relax!\u201d Ben chuckled, amused that suddenly Joe had turned back to the brave soul he had been prior to the night of terror.<\/p>\n \u201cYou CAN<\/strong> tell him that YOU<\/strong> got US<\/strong> into this by signing that damn registry book though,\u201d Joe mentioned with much sarcasm in his tone.<\/p>\n \u201cLanguage!\u201d Ben reprimanded his youngest once again.<\/p>\n \u201cPa? You think it worked?\u201d Joe asked quietly, still watching his big brother across the room, and wondering how the heck he had found them both so soon.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know\u2014tossing the book in the fireplace. You think it freed us\u2014and the rest of those souls? That one kinda helped us there at the end you know!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI surely hope so, Joseph. It\u2019s a night I will never forget\u2014I can tell you that!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere you go,\u201d Hoss smiled and handed his father and brother two horse blankets he had shaken the cobwebs off. \u201cWrap these around you to ward off the chill.\u201d<\/p>\n *******************<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you know the rest,\u201d Ben sighed and eased back against his bedroll and saddle.<\/p>\n Hoss shook his head over all that he had heard.\u00a0 He wondered how much of the story was real and how much of it was due to his little brother\u2019s vivid imagination.\u00a0 But then again, Pa had told the story, and he had looked deadly serious as he told it.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was some story,\u201d Hoss nodded over to his father.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t a story!\u201d Joe insisted.\u00a0 \u201cIt really happened to us.\u00a0 We were running all night long, right, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben sighed and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cJoseph is telling the truth this time, Hoss.\u00a0 From midnight to just a short while ago we were running from those ghostly specters.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m just glad I got here when I did,\u201d Hoss replied fighting back a yawn.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Hoss\u2014so glad you showed up. By the way\u2014what brought you out here tonight?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014with you being two weeks late and all\u2014after I checked in Stockton, I had a heck of a time finding this place!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTwo weeks LATE<\/strong>!\u201d Ben boomed. \u201cNo\u2014we just left Stockton yesterday!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Pa, you couldn\u2019t have. The manager at that hotel said you left on the first of March.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe did leave on the first of March\u2014and today is the second!\u201d Ben argued.<\/p>\n Hoss looked back and forth between his father and brother and shook his head confused. \u201cI hate to tell you this\u2014it\u2019s the sixteenth of March. And if\u2019n you don\u2019t believe me\u2014I picked me up a paper in Stockton\u2014date\u2019s right on it if you want to see it!\u201d<\/p>\n Ben and Joe exchanged confused expressions and then shrugged their shoulders.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014it DID<\/strong> seem like days \u2014the whole time we were running from those ghosts, Pa,\u201d Joe nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cYes\u2014no telling how long those tunnels were\u2014and we crawled for ages,\u201d Ben agreed.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore you told me that story, I couldn\u2019t figure out why you wanted to sleep out here with the horses when there was a perfectly good hotel across the street!\u201d Hoss grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2014that\u2019s what YOUR<\/strong> father said to start this whole thing!\u201d Joe threw in.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014at least I screamed like a man!\u201d Ben countered and saw Joe\u2019s face flush with embarrassment.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2014well how many times did those ghosts grab you? They got me again and again!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2014WHO<\/strong> saved you again and again?\u201d Ben reminded his son.<\/p>\n \u201cI reckon you two just happened by that hotel at the wrong time, huh?\u201d Hoss asked, trying to stop the argument which was growing louder.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Pa hadn\u2019t signed our names into that registry book none of it would\u2019ve happened to us, Hoss!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStop mentioning that damn book will you!\u201d Ben fumed.<\/p>\n \u201cLANGUAGE<\/strong>!\u201d Joe grinned over at his father and they both started to laugh.<\/p>\n Hoss felt like he was lost. Here his brother and father were at each other’s throats one minute and laughing the next. He decided not to question what had happened any further that night. All he wanted was a good night\u2019s sleep before heading back to the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m turning in\u2014you can tell me more about your harrowing experience tomorrow,\u201d Hoss said, fighting back a yawn.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay\u2014get some rest\u2014both of you,\u201d Ben said to his sons and settled back against his saddle to rest his head.<\/p>\n \u201cAchoooooooooo!\u201d\u00a0 Joe sneezed loudly.<\/p>\n Ben pulled himself back up and stared apprehensively over at his youngest son. He recalled that every time the boy had sneezed while they were fleeing from the hotel that a ghost soon appeared.<\/p>\n Joe noticed the appearance of panic spreading across his father\u2019s face.\u00a0 He laughed and then reached across to his father, patting him on the shoulder. \u201cJust the hay this time, Pa!\u201d Joe explained and offered a quick wink.<\/p>\n \u201cGod bless you!\u201d Ben grinned and settled back down.<\/p>\n The End<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Written by: Wrangler.<\/p>\n 10\/26\/25<\/p>\n (This was an older story that I gave a little bit of a face-lift to for October 31, 2025)<\/p>\n (Dedicated to my story consultant Rob and to Michael Landon who was born on Halloween, and K.M. who requested a spooky story in honor of his own birthday this week)<\/p>\n