To outsiders, the restaurant didn't look special. Most who visited town simply drove past it without a second look. However, those who were familiar with the town knew the dark history of the building on the edge of town and steered clear of it.
For years, it had stayed dark. While most other abandoned buildings would have been host to squatters and vandals, this one remained intact. As far as anyone knew, no one had stepped foot inside the building for over a decade.
But that all ended late one night in early winter. With people filling the street coming home from work, a car stopped in front of the restaurant. Out of the car stepped a feeble looking old woman who was carrying herself down the sidewalk with a pair of crutches. The townspeople watched in horror as she walked down the sidewalk and opened the door to the restaurant. A nearly audible gasp could be heard throughout the town as she stepped inside and pulled the door closed behind her.
Fear took over the town like a sickness. Even though the tragedy at the restaurant had happened years ago, they still knew the story well. Late one evening a masked man had invaded the restaurant, killing everyone inside and making off with a wad of cash from the register. While that was nothing to cause this much fear, the events that took place after were terrifying.
It wasn't long before the owner of the restaurant opened the doors once more. While business was a little slow, it wasn't long before it had picked up significantly. The success of the restaurant came to an end one day during the dinner rush. Although it wasn't certain what exactly happened, the rumors said that the lights began to flicker, and smoke filled the air. As the diners tried to escape, the locks to the restaurant suddenly turned, trapping them inside.
Officials estimated that 50 townspeople had died that night. But what was truly strange about the mysterious fire was that it never happened. When police entered the building, they found a group of people huddled around the door with no marks on them. The restaurant appeared to be in excellent working order, and there were no signs of a fire. But autopsies showed that each person had died from smoke inhalation.
After that day, the restaurant's owner closed the doors, left town and never looked back. The restaurant was believed to be haunted. No one even took the time to speak about it until the old lady showed up. After she entered the building, hours passed before any sign of activity occurred. As the sun made its final descent over the horizon, the lights of the restaurant suddenly came to life.
Naturally, this activity caught the attention of the town in a major way. Police were dispatched, but none wanted to venture in the doors. Finally, three brave men approached the door and looked in the windows. What they saw was amazing; people were dining inside the restaurant!
The old lady was seen hobbling around on her crutches, talking to those who were in the restaurant. Stunned, the three men stared at the sight before them in utter confusion. The people inside the restaurant didn't appear to notice their stares and continued with their meal.
Suddenly, the lights began to flicker, and smoke started filling the room. The people in the restaurant screamed and ran toward the door. The men watching pulled on the handle to help the people escape, but the doors were now locked.
Calmly, the old lady began quieting down the patrons. Slowly, they returned to their seats as the smoke continued to fill the room. The building shook, but still, she held her ground, even as the people cowered in their seats. Before long, a strong wind blew through the restaurant and the smoke seemed to escape outside.
The smoke slowly dissipated, and the diners began to cheer. Several rushed to the old woman's side and embraced her. Tears filled her eyes as she watched the people around her begin to glow. While the men outside watched in horror, the people who were in the restaurant transformed into smoke that floated toward the heavens.
Soon, the woman was alone. The lights darkened in the restaurant, and she took one last look around. Picking up her crutches, she hobbled to the door and into the waiting arms of the townspeople. Questions began to swirl around her as she stepped outside. Who was she? What had just happened?
Her answer was as surprising as the things that they had just seen. She told them that she was the girlfriend of the man who had taken the lives of those in the restaurant robbery all those years ago. She had been the driver of the car that sped him to safety. She had learned that the spirits of those that he had killed had been angered and that they were the ones that caused the disaster that killed all those diners.
Sadly, she had also learned that the spirits of those killed had been trapped by the angry spirits all these years. Her guilt about that night had eaten her up for decades, and this finally allowed her to give it up. With her presence, she was able to confront the angry spirits and finally give the people the escape that they so desperately needed.
A Night Inside