Counter Data.com

website traffic company Counter

Time for a Cuppa!

The Magazine

For all the Family

The Power
By
Mike Coatesworth

It was almost dark as they drove up to the car park at the Cow and Calf Hotel. After signing the register, they were shown to their room.

The Hotel was situated in the middle of the Yorkshire moors, completely isolated from any other buildings. Being on the northern slopes of the moor it commanded a magnificent position overlooking lower Wharfedale, and was surrounded by an attractive landscape garden, which contained a charming rockery and a collection of rhododendrons, which made a stunning display. It also had direct access to the moor, which was ideal for them and was a paradise for their outdoor pursuit. Although the Hotel had twenty individually decorated bedrooms, the only room with a four poster bed was their room, the Norfolk suite, which also had a magnificent view from its large picture windows.

As they unpacked their cases, Sarah suddenly stopped what she was doing and turned to him. Placing her arms around his neck, she gradually brought her lips to his, parting for only a moment, 'I'm so glad you brought me here,' she said with a twinkle in her eye, slowly undoing the buttons of his shirt...

He placed his hand on hers. 'I know this is what we've both been wanting,' Peter replied gazing longingly into her eyes. 'But I think we should wait until later, when we can enjoy it without interruption.' He noticed the look of disappointment that appeared on her well-bronzed features. 'Don't worry my angel,' he added with a sly grin. 'Believe me, it will be well worth the wait.'

The smile that captivated his eyes when he first met her returned. 'It had better be,' she whispered placing her long sun-tanned arms around him and resting her head against his chest. 'We've waited too long already.'

Taking her bronzed features between his hands, slowly he brought his lips down to hers, they kissed with frenzied passion for several moments. Lifting back his head, he gazed once more into her magnificent eyes. 'That's to be going on with,' he said. 'Something, to remind you what to expect.'

As they parted to finish their unpacking, he felt her hungry eyes on his back. Knowing that if he turned around and returned her gaze, he would be putty in her hands and would be unable to control his emotions, but this time was special and he wanted to wait, to savour the moment.

He was almost finished unpacking when the pain in his buttocks brought shock and disbelief to his features, a pain so great it brought a yelp from his mouth and a tear to his eyes. Turning quickly to face her, he noticed that Sarah was on the other side of the room with her back towards him. For a moment his befuddled brain tried to comprehend how she managed to get to the other side of the large room so quickly. Looking around, he saw only the two of them. 'What was that?' He asked her rubbing his buttocks with his right hand. 'What did you just hit me with?'

She turned towards him, a puzzled look upon her lovely features. 'Pardon?' she replied walking over to him. 'I haven't done anything!' She noticed him rubbing his rear vigorously. 'What's happened?' The concern showing plainly on her face.

For a moment, he stood there rubbing hard wishing the pain would go away. He looked into her eyes and knew she had nothing to do with it. 'I've just been belted across the bum,' he whimpered, rubbing a tear from his cheek. 'It felt as if someone has just used a cricket bat on me.'

For a moment she stood in front of him, her left hand was on his shoulder. She watched amusingly as he massaged the top of his leg. Unable to control her emotions, she let out such laughter, that she had to turn away, laughing so hard brought tears of merriment to her features, soon her sides were hurting so much with the laughter, that she had to hold them tight. A while later, when she finally stopped laughing, she turned and looked at him.

The pain subsided in his rear, and as he watched her hysterical laughter, for a moment, Peter was not amused as he tried to figure out what had just happened. She returned to his side to console him. Placing her hand on his shoulder once again. 'It was probably...' She was cut off short as she suddenly found herself being picked up by unseen hands and thrown onto the bed. For a moment she was shocked at this event, then sitting up, she saw him standing there with his mouth agape, his shirt ripped almost in half. She looked from him to her left hand, in her tiny fist was part of his shirt that she'd taken a hold of when she was suddenly thrown across the room!

They stared at one another and knew that they are thinking the same thing. "What the heck is going on?"

For several moments all was quiet, even the birds outside the window had stopped singing. They still stared at each other, unable to speak, fear fleetingly appeared on both their faces.

The sudden knock on the door, made both of them jump , and automatically their eyes focused on the bedroom door from where the sound had just come, they did nothing but stare at the closed door, expecting any moment for something else strange to happen.

Again there was a knock at the door, louder this time. 'Room service' a voice called out from the hall beyond the door.

After taking a quick look around, Peter was the first to move. Going over to the door, he opened it slowly to find a young man dressed in a white uniform holding onto a large silver tray.

The young man smiled at him. 'Room service sir,' the young man declared. 'You ordered tea and scones in your room.'

Quickly gathering his composure, Peter ushered the young man in to the room. After he had tipped him, he was about to leave.

'Excuse me young man,' he asked politely. 'Is this room haunted?'

The smiling features of the young man changed suddenly to one of surprise then fear at the question he had just been asked. 'I wouldn't know sir,' he replied a little too quickly and immediately left the room after giving a fleeting glance around. Once in the hallway, he stopped and turned. 'I'll say one thing though sir,' he added. 'I've yet to see anyone stay longer than a week in there!' With this, he disappeared at a fast pace.

Peter and Sarah said nothing to each other while they were drinking the tea. But both of them were on tenterhooks, expecting something to happen at any moment and continuously their eyes searched every nook and cranny, looking for any clue as to what might have caused these events to happen.

After they drank their tea, they decided to go outside for a walk to clear their heads. Putting on their overcoats, they were about to leave when the room became icy cold!

Without thinking twice, he took her arm and they quickly made an exit. Once in the hall, they noticed how warm it was compared to the room they had vacated. As they approached the reception area, Peter began to ask questions from the smiling receptionist, whose features also changed exactly as the young man's had.

'I'm sorry sir,' she replied in answer to his questions. 'I've only worked here a few weeks and I don't know anything about any haunting.'

The reaction of the young man and the receptionist were the same, and Peter thought they knew more than they were letting on. Deciding to leave it for a while, he took Sarah's arm and they went out to the cool refreshing air of the garden.

Walking around the beautiful array of blooms, Peter felt Sarah pressing close to him and he reciprocated by placing his arm around her shoulder. After a while, he felt her relax and looking into her features, he saw she was smiling. 'Feeling better?' He asked as they arrived at the edge of the large flower garden. 'You're not worried, by what happened in there are you?'

She stopped and faced him. 'No I'm not worried,' she replied smiling. 'It just surprised me, I have no fear of the unknown.' They continued down the pathway that lead from the garden towards the moors, 'anyway, it's not the dead you have to worry about, it's the living.'

They had now walked a fair distance from the hotel and the darkness enveloped the whole area, looking over his shoulder, he saw the lights from the Hotel. 'I think we should go back now,' he said reaching out to take her arm. For a second time in less than an hour surprise hit him in the face as he noticed that she was no longer there. Sarah? He called, but there was no response.

Searching the whole area he could find no trace of her at all. It was as if she had vanished into thin air!

Racing back to the Hotel, he took the same route that they had just covered and shouted out her name, all to no avail.

Entering the Hotel, he went to the receptionist and asked if they had seen her or whether she had returned to their room, but on checking, the keys were still behind the desk. Peter then blurted out the event that had just taken place.

The now ashen features of the young receptionist stare back at him. 'Oh no!' she replied. 'Not another one!'

Mike Coatesworth

If you would like to read the more of this tale, please contact Mike at the email address below.

*****

If you think my stories are true, then they probably are

If you think my stories are fiction, then just relax and enjoy the tales

*****

No part of this story can be reproduced in any way without the author's written permission. All rights remain with the author.

My novels can be seen at

http://www.btinternet.com/~mikeco158/onetear1.htm

http://www.btinternet.com/~mikeco158/cuppa1.htm

*****