(Hotel California was a song written by the Eagles. And is the inspiration for this story.)

On a dark dessert highway, with a warm smell of colitis rising through the air. A lone car drive along the dark highway. The driver was a young woman named Samantha. She had long blond hair, she wore a yellow tank top, and blue gene shorts. She had left her family to go to California with dreams of becoming an actress.

As she boarded the plane to California, she had promised her parents and her younger sister she would be back before they knew it.

"And when I make it in the big time." She had promised. "You will all get tickets to my first show. I promise I won't forget you guys."

As she drove along the dark highway she couldn't help but feel nervous. She didn't quite know what she was doing. She was miles from home, and didn't know who she could trust.

An Eagles song played on the radio as she drove. Soon the car started to make clunking noises and smoke came out of the hood.

"OH COME ON!" Sam cried out. Her car limped along the highway, about to give out. Sam was terrified at the thought of being stranded in the middle of nowhere. She felt relieved when she came across a hotel.

It was a large fancy looking Hotel with green siding. She pulled into the parking lot, just as her car gave out. She walked through the front door. The lobby was huge. A chandelier hung from the high ceiling. The ground was covered in red carpet, and the interior walls were painted red. Huge plate glass windows lined the front wall providing a gorgeous view to the outside. A large fountain stood in the middle of the large room. There was also one of those self playing pianos playing classical music.

Sam walked up to the front desk. No one seemed to be there. On the desk she found a potted plant. The leaves of the plant were shaped like bear traps. Green on the outside, and red on the inside. Sam watched as a fly flew onto one of the bear trap shaped leaves. The leaf snapped shut, closing the insect inside.

"The Venus fly trap." A voice said. "Marvelous species isn't it?"

Sam looked up startled. Across the desk before her stood a tall, well kept looking man. He had short blond hair, and sky blue eyes. He wore a navy blue suit and a grey tie. He spoke in a soft voice, with a British accent. His name tag read: "Michael Aiden"

"Oh yeah." Sam said. "I've heard about these."

"It's actually a carnivorous plant." Michael said. His voice so soothing, Sam could listen to it all day. "The red coloring of its leaves resemble rotting flesh, which attracts flies and other insects. Once the fly lands on the leaf, it triggers tiny hairs on the plant, which then snaps shut, trapping the fly inside to be digested alive."

"Wow, that's a um... cheery thought." Sam said.

"Well aside from a botany lesson, how may I be of service?" Michael asked.

"Oh my car broke down just outside, I need to get a hold of a repair shop and I would like a place to stay for the night." Sam explained.

"Ah, what an unfortunate situation." Michael said. "I assure you, this hotel also has an excellent repair shop."

"I didn't know hotels repaired cars." Sam said.

"This one does." Michael explained. "And I'm pretty sure you'll find this to be a wonderful place to stay. After staying the night, I'll bet you'll never want to leave."

"How much does it cost to stay here?" Sam asked.

"Oh don't worry." Michael said. "Considering your unfortunate situation, your cost of staying here will be on the house."

"Wow, no catch?" Sam said, surprised at Michael's generosity.

Michael looked at her for a moment, not answering her question. For just a second he had a look on his face that seemed to suggest he was almost insulted by Sam brining up a "catch" but only for a second.

"You'll just need to sign this form, and we'll get you a room." Michael explained.

He handed Sam a form to sign.

As she scribbled down each letter of her name, she couldn't help but feel like she was somehow making a great mistake.

"Samantha Shields huh?" Michael said as Sam finished signing. "I suppose every great story needs a Sam."

"So I'll just go get my things from my car." Sam said.

"Oh no need young Samantha." Michael said. "The staff will take care of your luggage. If you have any questions, my name is Michael Aiden, I am the manager hear." He handed her a key. "If you don't mind my asking, what brought you to this hotel in the first place?"

"Oh I was on my way to meat a talent agent." Sam said.

"A talent agent?"

"Yeah, I came to California to become an actress."

"Well if I do say so myself, yours shall be the loveliest face to grace the silver screen." Michael said.

Samantha blushed. "Well I don't know about that."

"Enjoy your stay Miss Shields." Michael said.

...

Sam entered her room. It was what you'd expect from a hotel room; two beds, a TV and a bathroom. The wallpaper had white flowers running in rows from floor to ceiling.

A knock on the door. A bell boy had came to her room with the luggage. She thanked him and he left without saying anything. Something was off about the bell boy. He had no expression, and moved almost robotically. Never once did the young man look Sam in the eye, nor did he say a single word.

When she was once again alone she sat down on the bed and turned the TV on. The TV was tuned to Nickelodeon, and an episode of The Loud House was playing. A charming cartoon about a young boy living with 10 sisters.

Sam sat back and watched the show for a while. Things seemed pretty normal, until she looked at the clock, it was almost midnight. It was almost midnight and The Loud House was playing on Nickelodeon. Typically around 8pm or so Nickelodeon would switch over to Nick at Night, the night time slot of Nickelodeon reserved for live action shows aimed for adults. But here it was, nearly midnight, and a kids cartoon was playing, as if it were 4 in the afternoon.

Sam thought nothing of it after all she really liked The Loud House, and preferred cartoons to live action anyway. She finished watching her show, and went to bed.

She was awakened around 3am by whispering voices. She stat up in bed, she could hear whispering. It was impossible to tell where the whispers came from or... what they were even saying.

"Hello?" Sam called out.

Silence.

Then all of a sudden "KA THUMP! KA THUMP!" a loud banging echoed through the halls as if something big was moving through them.

She knew she should just stay in her room and ignore it.

It's probably just one of the employees moving around heavy equipment Sam told herself. However she couldn't help it. She peaked her head out of her door. The hallway was pitch black. Sam took out her phone and used the flashlight app to shine a light from the mobile device. She slowly walked down the hall. She saw the shadow of something large round the corner at the end of the hall and disappear.

"Hell no." Sam said out loud. Then she turned around to head back to her room. As she turned around she saw that somehow she had wondered far from her room. Funny, she didn't even remember walking down the hallway.

She frantically waved her flashlight trying to figure out where she was, and where her room was. Then she heard it again, ka thump ka thump. Whatever that large creature at the end of the hall was, it was coming back for her.

Sam closed her eyes, wishing it would just leave her alone.

"Lost are we?" A voice came from behind her.

"AAAAHHHH!!!!" Sam screamed at the top of her lungs and jumped in the air. She turned around to see Michael Aiden standing before her.

"Do try to keep it down Samantha. There are other guests here." Michael said.

"Sorry you just scared me." Sam said.

"Apologies miss." Michael said. He held a candle that illuminated his face in the most eerie of ways. "Allow me to show you back to your room. And in the future, I suggest you stay in your room when the lights go out."

"Yeah sounds good thanks." Sam said.

Michael escorted Sam back to her room.

As Sam lay back down to sleep, she again started to hear those whispers. Louder this time, now she could make out what they were saying.

"Welcome to the Hotel California. What a lovely place, what a lovely face."