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The Sanskrit Hotel wasn’t particularly well appointed and it didn’t have a nice restaurant attached to it, but it did have a haunted room. It was about the only thing the hotel had going for it.
All of its brochures talked about the haunting of Room 206 – stay there, if you dare! Some guests reported strange voices and a sense of uneasiness in the room. Others heard noises in the corners, but not enough to run screaming into the night. And some, well, they disappeared entirely and were never heard from again.
Word of mouth spread and soon people were anxious to see the room, but not actually ready to spend a night in it.
The owner then came up with a great plan. He roped off the room and started charging a nominal fee to see it. He even hired some previous guests to come and talk about their experiences. The room’s fame and its past grew, but no longer could anyone take it for a night.
The woman was ancient and Ralphie glanced under his counter for the first aid kit. She looked older than he felt.
“May I help you, Ma’am?”
“Yes, I’d like Room 206, please.”
“I’m sorry, Ma’am, but that room isn’t available for rent. It’s, well, it’s haunted.”
“Haunted? Son, I was born in that room and it wasn’t haunted then and it’s not haunted now.”
“It’s, well, it’s expensive.”
“Money is of no object.”
“Just… just a moment, please.”
Ralph ducked into the back room. Mr. Hendricks was studying the accounts and he didn’t look happy.
“Mr. Hendricks, sir, we have a problem.”
“Ralph, you’ve handled the front desk for seven years. What could possibly come up that you couldn’t deal with?”
“A woman is asking to rent Room 206.”
“No.”
“She said she was born there.”
“Listening.”
“And that she’d pay any price for it.”
“And we have a winner. If she wants Room 206, then she shall have it.”
Mr. Hendricks grabbed his jacket and followed Ralph back to the front desk. For just a moment, Ralph was hoping she’d disappeared, but, no, sadly, she was still there.
“Ma’am, this is our manager, Mr. Hendricks.”
“I understand that you are interested in Room 206.” Mr. Hendricks reached for the room key.
“That’s right and I understand it’s available for a price.”
Mr. Hendricks picked up her suitcase and gestured her towards the elevator. “After you’ve seen the room, we can talk. Ralph, take over.”
Ralph resisted saluting. “Will do, sir.”
He watched the pair walk away, chatting amiably and he thought nothing more about it until it was time for his shift to end.
“Hey, Ralph.”
“Hey, Digger.”
“Good day?”
“Not bad. We had someone insist upon renting Room 206.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“Ask Mr. Hendricks. He took her up there.”
“Where is he now?”
It was a question that was asked again and again, first by the staff, then his family and finally by the police. Nothing in Room 206 was disturbed. There was a suitcase, empty, in the middle of the room and the room key, but the people had vanished.
Word of mouth spread faster and soon people were even more anxious to see the room, but still not actually ready to spend a night in it.
“Xander, are you sure about this?” Buffy wasn’t against having an adventure, but this was a little bit like playing school while on summer break.
The young man turned in his seat and looked into the back of the car. “It’s supposed to be really haunted, Buffster, and they are offering $10,000 to anyone who can solve the mystery.”
“Well, it would be nice to have a little pocket money.” Buffy had to admit that one of the problems with growing up was, well, growing up and no longer having such childhood benefits as an allowance.
Willow looked quietly out the back window. She didn’t share Xander’s enthusiasm either. She wasn’t brave like Xander or strong like Buffy. Willow would rather be back in the library, drinking a soda and working on the computer.
“Are you all right back there, Willow?” It was as if Giles sensed her uneasiness about their mission.
“I’m okay.” Even to her, her voice sounded small and suddenly she found herself being hugged.
“You’ll be okay, Willow. I’ll protect you.”
“If it was just a run-of-the-mill vampire, I’d be okay, but… did I really just say that out loud?”
“Life with The Slayer, who’d a thunk it?” Xander joked and fumbled with the map. “Okay, G Man, it’s the next right.
“All right and don’t call me that. It makes me feel… like a gangster.”
They parked and walked slowly into the hotel. It was a little shabby looking, but it was a carefully staged effect. Giles recognized the furniture as a particularly well-made brand and many antiques were scattered about.
“May I help you?’ The young man behind the counter looked as if he hadn’t slept in a month. Dark circles surrounded his eyes and he looked gaunt, thanks to his baggy clothes. Current guests milled about, many clutching various colored tickets.
“Yes, we’ve come about Room 206.” Giles checked his documentation. “That’s the one that’s haunted?”
“Supposedly, yeah.” He sounded less than enthusiastic. “The next three tours are booked.”
“Oh, so you’ve found your missing manager?” Xander asked. “He was supposed to have vanished from it five years ago to the day.”
“You don’t think so?” Giles asked.
“Well, just between you and me, he had a thing going with the owner’s wife and she vanished, too.”
“So, the room isn’t haunted then?” Buffy asked loudly enough to attract the attention of nearby guests.
“No, it’s haunted. I didn’t mean that. The next three tours are booked. You’ll have to come back tomorrow.”
“We want to stay in the room.”
“We can’t permit that.”
“Why not?”
“What are you some kinda ghost hunters? We’ve had our fill of those.”
“Is Room 205 or 207 open?”
“Yeah.”
“We’ll take one, your choice.”
“The four of you?” The clerk looked at Giles and then at the three students.
“Yes, I can assure you, no improprieties will occur.”
“At least not in this reality,” Buffy murmured and Willow giggled in spite of herself. Giles shot her a look and they both sobered.
“Whatever.” The clerk took Giles’s credit card and ran it through. A gong sounded and a young woman appeared wearing an old -ashioned outfit.
“Everyone who has a pink ticket, please follow me and check your skepticism at the door. We are about to enter the realm of Sadie Madison.”
“I didn’t know you knew who the ghost was?”
“We had to call her something, didn’t we?”
The room they had was well-appointed and you could only hear the slightest noise from the hallway as group after group passed.
“They really have a thriving business here.”
“Notice the way too much makeup on the desk clerk?” Willow asked as she tested first one bed and then the other.
“Someone should tell him less is more.” Buffy pushed a curtain aside and watched as Giles and Xander got their suitcases from the car. “This sort of steams me up. They are making a fortune on this and it’s a scam.”
“With all you’ve seen and heard, how can you say that?”
“Easy. If there was something happening here, my Spidey senses would be raging and all I’m feeling is hungry.”
“Still nothing?” The four stood outside the door to Room 206. Buffy rested her hand against the door and closed her eyes.
Slowly she shook her head. “Do you want to go in?”
“Can we do that?” Xander had taken refuge behind Giles. He was brave, but he was also careful.
“Sure. I can pop this door in a few seconds.”
“Or, I can open it with this”. Giles held up a key.
“How did you--?” Buffy grinned. “Probably best we don’t know.”
“Yes, quite.”
He slipped in the key and turned the lock. The door opened easily and he ushered them in before closing it behind them. Xander looked slightly panicked and Willow grabbed Buffy’s hand at the sight of an old woman standing, looking out the window.
“Excuse me, ma’am, we didn’t realize that room was taken.” Giles immediately started to backtrack. “We must have the wrong room.”
“I was born in this room.” She sounded so sad.
“How… lovely?” he said.
“It wasn’t… it isn’t. I was born here.”
“Wh - what happened?” Willow’s voice was a mere squeak at she took a step back. The face that turned to hers was so laden with emotion that she forgot to be frightened. “Can you tell us?”
“My mother was quite young. She was very scared.”
Willow held out a hand. “I can’t even imagine. I know how scared I would be.”
“It wasn’t her fault.” The old woman’s lips hinted at a smile. “At least not entirely. She… she made a deal.”
“What was that? With whom?” Willow had forgotten Xander was there until that point.
“He was an evil man, an ogre. He prized money more than life itself.”
“Ogres are like that.” Buffy glanced over at Giles, who nodded.
“He told her he would take me in exchange for her life.”
“Bastard,” Xander said, then looked sheepishly at Giles. “Sorry.”
“I think, given the circumstances, that is the perfect word.” He stepped forward and offered his hand. “How can we help?”
“And by we, he means me,” Buffy muttered. “Call him.”
“You are too much like she was, slender and blonde.” She turned back. “I can’t allow another to be taken. So many in the past. He hungers so.”
“Let him try.”
She wearily shook her head. “I… can’t. I’m so tired.”
Buffy walked to her and took her hand. “We can do this – together.”
A man entered and glared at them. “What are you doing here?”
“Who are you?” Xander challenged.
“I am Mr. Charth, the owner of this hotel.”
“Oh, we just got the wrong room--” Willow started but the name interrupted her. The old woman had vanished.
“Don’t give me that. You… scallywags! You burst in here and try to rob honest people of making a day’s wages. Get the hell out!”
“I say, you can’t--” Giles said, but Willow and Xander grabbed him and dragged him to the door.
“Come on, Giles. There’s no use arguing with Mr. Poopyhead,” Willow said, setting her bottom jaw.
“Jeez, what an ogre…” Xander started and Buffy laughed.
“Exactly. You got it in one, Xander. Hey, Poopyhead!”
“My name is Charth.”
“It’s a rather popular name among ogres. The original one was a very powerful mage.”
“Powerful enough to trap a person forever?”
“You will soon see.” The man’s shape shifted into something vastly more ogre-like. Xander grabbed Willow and pushed her behind him, just as Giles was stepping in front of him.
“Just leave me, then?” The ogre growled and Buffy sighed. “It’s always just me.”
He took a swing at her and Buffy avoided the blow easily, giving him a solid roughhouse to his midsection. It took him back a step, but it otherwise didn’t faze him.
The trio watched as the battle blazed on around them, complete with the obligatory smashing of furniture and destruction of property. Suddenly, there was a turn of events and Buffy was flat of her back with Charth’s large fist aimed at her face.
“Say, goodbye, girlie.”
“Leave her alone!” A chair broke across Charth’s back and he half turned. The old woman stood there, looking terrified, but determined to help her rescuer. Charth turned and aimed his next blow at her.
“You will regret that. I killed your mother and I will kill you.”
“NO!”
Charth was abruptly flying through the air and slammed into the wall, his head making a strangely satisfying crunch as it came to rest against the old-fashioned radiator. Willow stood there, arms in front of her, a look of determination on her face.
Willow looked around at her friends and mentor.
“Will, what did you do?” Buffy asked.
“I don’t know?” She gave a weak smile and looked over at the old woman. “Are you okay, ma’am?” she said as Xander was helping Buffy to her feet.
Buffy headed for the ogre and quickly dispatched him with a fast twist of his head. “Don’t rest in peace, jerk.”
“Thank you.” The old woman didn’t see quite as old. “You saved me… you saved my baby.”
“Wait… your… baby.”
She looked at the floor boards. “I was dying and I thought it was the only way I could save her. He tricked me. The only way either of us would be free of this was to find someone who would avenge us. Both of us.”
Giles knelt on the floor and carefully pried up a floorboard and then another. Beneath them was a perfectly formed tiny skeleton behind cradled in the arms of a larger skeleton.
“Buffy, call the front desk and tell them we need a police officer up here.”
“I can’t want to explain him.” She looked over at the ogre.
“I suspect he will be gone by the time we arrive, as will we.”
“What?” Xander said, with a whine in his voice. “But we solved it. We figured it out.” He looked from one of his friends to the other. “It’s $10,000, guys. It’s not fair.”
Buffy grabbed his arm and propelled him towards to the door. “Welcome to my world, Xander. All the bloodletting and none of the happy.”