Jess had always wanted to stay in a haunted hotel, ever since she saw The Shining as a teenager. She craved specters spotted down long hallways, flickering lights, creaky elevators with questionable freight.

“Come on,” she said, grabbing Mike’s hand. She led him away from the front desk, shouldering her bag. “I bet there’s a ghostly maid putting fresh towels in the bathroom right now!”

“Well she better be stocking toilet paper, too, because I’m about to lay an egg,” Mike said, and Jess slapped his arm.

“Ugh. So romantic,” she said, shaking her head.

Inside the room, Jess could see snow falling outside the window and suddenly felt chilled to the bone.

“I’m going to take a hot shower,” she said. “See if there’s anything good in the mini fridge.”

The water was heavenly. She soaped up and warmed herself in the spray.

“Shit,” she said. “Mike? Could you grab me a towel?”

Jess turned off the water and took the towel from his outstretched hand with a smile.

“Aren’t you even going to peek?” she asked, and slid back the shower curtain to find an empty room.

“But I’ve already seen,” whispered no one.

Amanda Crum can be followed on Twitter @MandyGCrum.