The Third Floor

It was a night before Halloween, I was preparing myself a nice greek dinner with my partner while we watch some Spongebob, because why not? Spongebob + greek food and the love of your life is the best combination ever.

We were happy in that moment, until her phone rang. My partner Jessica pull up his phone to see her step-mother invited her to his 60th birthday in his new renovated home outside of the city. The invitation was digital, but made with AI, because there‘s no way in hell this old lady knows how to use Canva Pro. 

My partner said that I should go with her, even though in the invitation didn‘t personally tell to bring a guest. That was odd, but I didn‘t put too much attention to it. A grand dinner in a a mansion outside the city, why not? I was thinking. But the thing that took me out is that it was tomorrow. Halloween Time. But, why bother to make it tomorrow and the invitation arrived so late? Like she seems like a wealthy woman…. doesn‘t suppose wealthy people are like the standard Canadian guys that needs to have a schedule in advance and everything?

I didn‘t think too much about it, though. But my partner seemed off. Like something bothered her, but she didn‘t want to admit what it was. But, her step mother basically raised her, after she‘s biological one died during child birth and his dad and his step mother took care of her. She started to look at her closet to try some dresses, I‘m simple. Maybe a tie, or some casual attire, because I‘m from Cuba, we don‘t dress fancy there, we just go with the flow.

The next day, it was Halloween morning, the bed felt different, as I turn around, Jessica was already gone, she left me a voice note saying that she went with his best friend to pick up some dresses from the local mall. I woke up, kiss the dog and prepare some nice cuban coffee before hit the closet to see… nada. Nothing, not even a good attire to this grand luxury dinner. Well, I need to improvise. I put some old nice clothes from the graduation of my school, still fits me. I‘m not that chubby. 

The dinner party is going to be at 9 pm, and it‘s already 4 pm. And we need to get there because a trip by car is like 2 hours, or less, depends on traffic. Still, I was not eager to go, but Jessica felt more confident this morning, weird. She was feeling strange last night, maybe it‘s because it‘s her step mother after all this years, after what happened, but anyways, who knows? I love Jessica and that‘s what matters the most, to make her the happiest woman on Earth.

We go into the car, our little dog Doli couldn‘t come, but he is safe for 1 day or 2, we plan to stay there that night, as you see, rich woman has 304050 bedrooms for no reason at all. I mean, how did she get rich in the first place? His dad was not a wealthy man, he owned a car tire company, you know those kind of companies are not a big deal. Well, who am i to judge such things?

We drove for 2 hours and we start to feel she is one of those wealthy ladies that prefers to live in the countryside… she is kinda odd. This could be the set up of a horror movie. We finally get there and we cross a bridge under a river. And there were some cars park outside, and a big Rolls royce in the open garage, and the mansion was huge. Felt like The Lord of the Rings some type of shit. 

I was impressed, but Jessica didn‘t even flinch. Weird, I don‘t remember she even come here, she would tell me those kinda things. Anyways, we started to bring our little luggage down, and Jessica proceeds to go the entrance, while the other guests were walking towards the big door. And then, some creaking sounds begins, and the door opens and there‘s a good looking butler he‘s name is Alby. Alby offered us some champagne, and caviar. I started to think that I prefer some McDonald‘s over this, but Jessica still felt off and then… from the darkness of the room, emerges her step mother, her name is Beatrice. Even the name sound odd.

Beatrice is tall, long hair, blonde and she is attractive for a 60 year old woman who lives alone in the middle of nowhere. I was wondering if she uses Tinder for rich people. Jessica slowly walks in front of her, like she is second guessing to do so, but eventually Beatrice hugs her with such delight and you can feel the love through that hug.

Beatrice ask me Who I was, and Jessica told her that we are engaged and we are expecting a wedding next year, but Beatrice felt like an old fancy lady that expect it a Jacob Elordi or some shit. Even she looked at me like I don‘t have sense of style and she‘s right, I don‘t and I don‘t care. The other guests arrived and hug Beatrice with such joy, and bring some gifts to her, and even some of them were dressed in Halloween costumes.

It was 10 pm, and there was a big hallway that lead to the chandelier room, where she has hosted several events where some old school dance happened, and there were stairs connecting to some rooms, like in Harry Potter, I was amazed of what I was seeing, but at the same time I felt some discomfort over the fact that where all the money came from. But, Beatrice started to dance some old school songs with Jessica, and the guests were dancing as well, like we were in the 1950s, even some of the butlers look at each other in a weird way. They were in line to give us more drinks. I mean, these butlers think I‘m an alcoholic, or they just want me drunk. Who knows? In this economy, any champagne that is free is great.

While the dinner was being served, and because the alcohol was pushing me to do things, I started to explore the big mansion, while Jessica was catching up with Beatrice and some of the guests were already drunk on the dancefloor. I started to look to the rooms in the first floor. Nothing odd:

- An old creepy washroom from the 1950s

- A studio office with an Apple computer

- A pool with a slide

- A big kitchen with ovens from the 1950s and a huge pantry with many sweets and drinks and obviously, my favorite, some BBQ chips. Oh, so good. 

I was eating them, while exploring the mansion and went to the second floor. It was like a victorian style, where all the hallway has some picture frames of people that I don‘t know, but they don‘t look happy at all. I didn‘t think much about it, and started to explore some rooms, one of them was Beatrice‘s room. It was unlocked, ‘A master bedroom‘ I thought, nice. She has a big Roku TV and some JBL speakers, I thought hey at least she was not weird at all. And then, I checked the other rooms and they seem fine, like any other room from a big mansion. Nothing fancy, nothing special, just rooms. I even tried to find some secret room like in the movies, but nothing, but i found some stairs that activated when I started to look to an old picture of a barn with a cowboy looking in a different direction, like he was waiting for something. And then, a door pops and opens leading to the third floor.

When I‘m about to enter, the door closes in a bang, and one of the butlers with a disctint menace, he seems older and with a moustache so big than his face looks at me and warns me that no one goes to the third floor. That is fordibben, not even Beatrice goes there.

I was ‘okay, don‘t kill me butler butlery‘ Drunk, anyways, I was scolted back to the dining room, where all the guests didn‘t even notice that I was gone, neither Jessica or Beatrice, but the butler whisper something to Beatrice in the ear, and she stops talking to Jessica and looks at me with disbelief, and takes a glass and with a spoon begins to make an announcement. She said that dinner is served.

The big banquet comes with chicken, turker, mac and cheese and some other things that I have never seen in my entire life. But, I was a little drunk so I ate them, Jessica was telling me to slow down, while Beatrice was just eating olives. Weird… anyways, the mac and cheese were delicious and Jessica was enjoying the BBQ ribs with a glass of wine. Beatrice finishes his olives and starts to eat some Tiramisu cake, I thought… after all the food presented to us, she is not hungry. Well, that‘s weird.

Beatrice: So, Jessica… your partner comes from Cuba, what is his profession?

Jessica: He‘s name is Alan, and he‘s a writer

Beatrice: Oh delightful, anything that I read over the years?

I said to her, that I wrote some novels, some gothic drama horrors and my latest novel is coming out next year. 

Beatrice: Delightful. 

One of the guests tried to speak with me, but seeing Beatrice‘s look, he back off and started to talk to his wife. But I speak with him anyway, I asked for his name or who he was. He said that he works in real estate and his wife is a spiritualist. She works in a community centre in the city. When the wife turned around, she seemed like a little scared of Beatrice‘s, for some reason.

Other guests started to talk with Beatrice, back and forth, until I seriously was curious about the third floor and why the butler was really rude with me and why she was watching Love Island in a big creepy old mansion in the first place. When I started to question her about the third floor. All the butlers look at each other and then look at me, like they were on sync, and Beatrice puts his ring on the table.

Beatrice: No one goes there, not even me. 

I asked why, what was all the fuzz about.

Jessica: Babe, stop.

Beatrice: No, Jessie, my dear, let him. Some people are just curious, that‘s all. 

Guest 1: Because… it‘s haunted?

Guest 3: That would explain.

Beatrice looks at him like ‘Shut up‘: Many years ago, this mansion was a big old graveyard, but nothing was buried underneath, there was no bodies, it was just the construction of a graveyard. The construction went wrong and they cease to stop operations, as the years went by, the mansion was built with special maquinery and equipment that resembles the good o‘l days. But, see, every room in this house is meant to be normal and good, but that floor. It‘s evil, it‘s pure evil. 

I was wondering what a bunch of nothing she said. Basically she evaded my question to explain the origins of the mansion and says that it‘s evil, what a bunch of bullshit. Then, I asked, but you didn‘t say anything about the third floor, it was haunted or just unstable

Beatrice: Before my husband passed away, we obtain this mansion and we were doing renovations, we were given the master keys from all the rooms, except… 

I said ‘the third floor‘

Beatrice: Bingo. The Third floor is not even in the floor map of the mansion, it‘s like a secret room, you might say. Since I‘m here, I never go up there, neither my butlers, we stop from anyone to see the horrors of that floor. 

She started to say things, but no answers of what I was asking, what happened, why she was so afraid, and why the butlers look like chubby Henry Cavill. I asked her again with more presence, and Jessica look at me differently, like she was seeing the man I am for the first time. 

Beatrice: Baldomer here caught you sneaking all my property, and I don‘t like that. But he told me… that the door opened for you. Odd, see.. that floor is not supposed to open like that. Something wants you there, and believe me, you don‘t want to be there.

At first I thought, who the hell is called Baldomer, poor bastard, he must have been bullied in school and second, she is not answering my question still, she is avoiding it, I know that something could be up there, but she doesn‘t say what or why. I‘m getting frustrated, and Jessica is still eating.

The other guest was brave enough to ask this question.

Guest 3: But, you haven‘t said what is up there and why

Beatrice looks into oblivion like she is thinking what she needs to say next.

Beatrice: Well, it was a delightful dinner, don‘t you think? Baldomer and the other butlers will show your rooms. And I will see you in the morning, and you, Alan, don‘t sneak again, because you might not like what you will find out. 

Well, I do want to find out. Since all the fuzz and mystery, this is like one of my novels, except the fact that she is quite disturbed by the fact that I explore his house without his consent. Baldomer show me where I and Jessica were staying, and first I thought this is intentional, but we are in front of where I found the door to the third floor. Hmmm, what?

I slept like a baby, but I woke up in the middle of the night, after the alarm that I set up for my dog, but turn it off and then I look to… the other side of the bed and Jessica was gone. Fuck, I thought. I was checking the whole room for her, but she didn‘t even seem to have been here, wait, I don‘t remember even to walk with me to the room. I just passed out from all the booze and food. It‘s 4 am, probably Beatrice is binge watching the Love Island, because I heard noises from her room. I stepped out of mine, and see the door of the third floor still lock. The room that leads to Beatrice‘s was closed, but you can see the lights underneath the door.

I sneak slowly to hear what was happening. And I swear I heard that Beatrice was having sex, and then… Jessica is behind me.

Jessica: What are you doing out of bed, honey?

I thought what a weird question to ask. I replied to her that she was gone when I woke up.

Jessica: I was on the studio, my dad loved that part of the house. 

Funny, I don‘t have a recollection of memory that she even visited here. I asked when this happened or how she didn‘t tell me that she visited here.

Jessica: Baby, how much drink did you have? I have been here before, I told you that. My dad died here, and my step mother still lives here because she doesn‘t want to let go of this tiny part of his past.

Weird, my Jessica feels different, like she is planning something. Even the way she moves sideways is distinct, she stumbles a lot but from the front, not sideways, still she looks concerned that I was sneaking into Beatrice‘s room. I told her that we should go, pack our things and leave, because I had enough of this weird Addams mansion. But Jessica…

Jessica: Alan, we need to stay, at least until breakfast. Beatrice wanted to give me something, but right now, she is busy.

Why breakfast? morning? Why she is busy at 4 am? 

Jessica: Come on, honey. Let‘s go back to bed. 

I trust her with all my heart and went back to bed with her, we make love and we were sleeping like goat babies in the bed. I started to hear whispers, rumblings and then chains, my head was dizzy. Like I was waking up from a hangover.. then I reacted. I was not in the room. I was chained…. and on the third floor, because it was oddly dusty, and everything seemed creepy enough. Old candles, big windows and a shadow figure observing me from the distance. I woke up, my hands were in some big black chains, I was bleeding and I started to hear screams in agony, like saying Don‘t please don‘t. I started to regain sense, but still was a little fuzzy. 

Then, Jessica all scared and with blood on her face is telling me that we need to broke this off, and I‘m barely can speak and Jessica is worried, like something was after her. But the thing that I started to notice is that i‘m a goddam chain in the third floor and Jessica is with me scared. Then, all the screams stopped. I turned around, and Jessica was not there. 

Beatrice comes out of the room, I can barely see it and she has her dress full of blood. Beatrice approaches me and stares with a demonic face and says

Beatrice: I told you.

I was like I didn‘t enter the room, you bitch. And then I felt this pain in my body, I started to get to my knees and I was screaming in agony. Beatrice look at me with a huge evil smile, and she pulls out something of his pocket. And, then I see Jessica beside me, saying that I don‘t need to worry that it will be over soon. 

Beatrice: You didn‘t listen. It‘s time to you to go.

Jessica was comforting me, until I hear a snap.

After a few minutes I realized that I can‘t feel anything, I feel peace. I feel like all my problems were gone for a minute. I started to walk around the house but is empty, nothing not even furniture, not even a soul walking by, it was like they were selling it. I look through the windows and all the cars were gone. Odd. The food on the pantry was gone and everything was empty. Then…. a basement door opens slowly. I walk down the basement and I enter a big hallway like those concentration bunkers, and I pull out my phone and starts to walk with the dim light. I start to say Hello, somebody is out there, and then I feel something in the back of my neck. Something that feels off. Then, I open a door and saw fire underneath the stairs… and then I glanced over, and Jessica was dead, bleeding still, laying on a rock bed with some monks around it, and I swear I saw something straight out of nightmares, a bloody and dark figure with some kind of sword.

I was sneaking, until Beatrice looks back and he sees me directly, and the other monks reveals to be the other guests at the dinner party. I remember that her wife was a spiritualist is that what she meant and why the real estate guy is there, but something I remember about the dinner is that he knew about the third floor all this time, this was not a dinner. It was… a

Beatrice: Sacrifice. Soul for a soul. Poor Jessica, I do really like her. As I liked my husband, but some things needs to be taken in order to set the things in order. As you see, you were wondering in the little head of yours, how I became rich. Well… that‘s why. In reality, the third floor was a gimmick, there‘s nothing up there, there never was. But, you little fool believe everything you saw. Now, Jessica is gone, and so you too.

I asked that Why I‘m still alive. 

Beatrice: You are not alive, my dear. You died a few minutes ago, actually. What are you seeing is your soul confused, wondering where the hell you‘re supposed to go. Your body is still in the third floor. I strongly suggest, you go up there until someone reclaims it. 

I was confused, I… didn‘t think much and started to run to the third floor for my body. Well, I‘m a ghost. That‘s why I didn‘t feel shame for not paying the rent. Oh, well. When I was about to get to the third floor, Baldomer is leaving with my body. I said ‘Hey‘ but I realized that probably he is one of the good guys, he can‘t see me. So, I enter my body and regain sense, and Baldomer was shocked and I said what the hell is happening, why Beatrice is acting like the lady from Hocus Pocus, and my partner was killed like she was a roasted turkey. None of it make sense. Baldomer explains to me, that the reason why she didn‘t go upstairs, it‘s because she made a pact with something evil and when she is nowhere near the third floor she feels like a human, and after what he saw, he decided to help me. 

I wanted to go back and retrieve Jessica‘s body. But Baldomer stopped me and says to me that he already put a timer in the whole mansion. It‘s going kaboom with everything inside of it. And then, were going about to leave, until Baldomer is killed by Beatrice with voodo magic. He goes down like it was a piece of paper and when he goes down I saw Beatrice standing in the shadows.

I make a step out of the mansion, and it‘s daylight outside. For some reason, she can‘t step away from the house. I said to her that she will pay for everything, for Jessica and because this was a trap all along, Beatrice revealed that he killed her husband to honor the pact and she also killed Jessica as the final step of that, meaning all this dinner fuzz was just an elaborate plan to bring her in, making her think that she was making amends with her. 

As the mansion goes in crumbles from the fire, Beatrice looks at me like this is not over. But as soon, as I‘m stepping away, the ceiling and the floors crushed her into oblivion, and all the house breaks into pieces. I was there seeing the whole destruction of the place making sure that she was truly gone.

Sometime passed, I moved back to my parent‘s house in Alabama with Dolie, I miss Jessica everyday, I started to write about good ending stories and children‘s books, but I was researching all about this stuff. One night, my parents were out, I was sleeping with Dolia and i was having nightmares of Jessica and the ritual and everything that Baldomer said. I woke up and Dolia was not there. I was…. in that mansion room, Jessica is by my side, and she starts to open his eyes to see me in horror, and Beatrice emerges from the shadows and says: “I told you“ while Jessica has the same menacing smile in his face, and I screamed in agony and horror… again.