Have you ever experienced something that ought to be in a book?
If I wrote paranormal or horror fiction instead of clean, small-town romantic suspense, I could have ended up with some good research on a recent family trip!
The Airbnb we stayed in was lovely, a home that could have been featured in a magazine. We were awed by the layout and decor--a formal dining room with a fireplace, high ceilings, two full bathrooms, three bedrooms, and a gorgeous white, completely updated kitchen.
The home was supplied with lovely china, glassware, goblets, wine glasses, and serving platters—everything one could ask for if they were serving a meal during a holiday stay. The off-season rate was very reasonable, and it all looked perfect.
And it was, until...
The lights began brightening and fading out, then brightening and fading out again. They would be fine for a while, then start fluctuating again.
The microwave abruptly snapped and blew out while not in use.
The air conditioner stopped working. I turned on one of the bathroom lights, which was suspended from the high ceiling, and it sizzled, popped, and blew out.
I'm sure the owners (lovely people) have addressed the electrical situation already. But it wasn't just the electrical system. One of the toilets quit working. And then the grand finale...
The night before we checked out, I cleaned up the kitchen and put a final coffee cup in the cabinet where it belonged, on a higher shelf...and the entire, extra long, heavily loaded shelf of glassware and cups collapsed.
As if on a children's slide at a park, all of its contents sped toward me, the weight of it unstoppable, shattering on the counters, stove, sink, and floor. And...the dinnerware on the shelf below was toast as well.
If I hadn't been wearing shoes, I would have been marooned in the sea of glass all over the floor.
I don't believe in poltergeists, but this experience does seem like a taste of something out of a horror movie: unwitting travelers end up in a perfect place almost too good to be true, and then things start to happen. LOL!
Have you ever had a strange experience like this?
I would love to hear about it! Leave a comment, and you will be in a drawing for a free copy of any ebook in my Northern Pines Suspense series.
On a happier note, I have a new release this week! DANGEROUS SECRETS is a clean, small-town romantic suspense.
Do you believe in second chances? Here's a quick peek:
The last thing she'd expected was to see her husband back in town.
He'd wanted to start a family. Jill had wanted to wait...just for a while, while she established her medical practice in this small town. But in the midst of that uncertainty and other, bigger issues, he'd simply walked out. Or...was it really that simple?
Now he's back in town, and an unknown enemy appears whose threats are escalating against them both.
And then one night changes everything...
Click here to read more about it on Amazon. Free on Kindle Unlimited, or just $3.99 to buy.
Wishing you a wonderful summer,
Roxanne Rustand
www.roxannerustand.com
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ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com
Oh my goodness, Roxanne! I've heard so many wonderful stories about AirBNBs, but this one is a little on the creepy side! Yikes! And so glad you weren't injured!
ReplyDeleteWell that's just bizarre! I hope they didn't charge you for damages from the shelf collapse!! So glad you were wearing shoes!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness!!! That sounds awful. Hopefully you are able to laugh about it a little bit! What a story to be able to share with the younger generation in your family tree!
ReplyDeleteWhen are children were little ( 35 years ago) we got us a room on line in Washington DC. When we got there and went to our room. The bed looked like someone had just ate fried chicken on it. You had to park your car in an underground gated parking lot. There was homeless people on the steps where you entered the hotel. Needless to say . I told my husband we are not staying here!!
I just shared the story about the hotel that our family visited in Washington DC. I forgot to put my name and email.🤦🏻♀️
ReplyDeleteSo I’m doing it in this one and hoping it will count for the comment I made before. Sorry!!!
Sherry Brown
ozdot4@sbcglobal.net
Glad you were not hurt. Sounds like poor workmanship.
ReplyDeleteI had that experience. I was lying in bed one night and I heard a crash, I got up and found out that a shelf in my china cabinet had collapsed causing my china that my parents bought in Japan to come crashing down onto the floor.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a weird experience. We had a trip where everything kept going wrong - delayed flight, me getting a migraine, a passenger on the previous flight throwing up on the plane so another delay while they cleaned, driving to our hotel and being hit by a deer - yes it ran into us, and then a toilet that wouldn't stop running in our hotel room. It was the longest day ever!!! lexihenegar at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteI am not sure I would have been abel to finish out my stay. I hope the owners gave compensation for the inconveniences. This definitely belongs in a book. frazierhlhs@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteWell, that escalated quickly! I'm glad you weren't hurt in the shower of glassware, and I hope that you were properly compensated for the craziness of your stay. "They" say, "Truth is stranger than fiction!"
ReplyDeleteHeather Mitchell crhbmitchellfam@gmail.com
Looking forward to reading this
ReplyDeleteSounds intriguing. I lived through an apartment fire thanks to our dog who woke me up. My Mom lived across the street. On our way to her house, I noticed a gentleman walking to the corner. When we made it to my Mom's she was at the door and opened it right away. She said a gentleman had knocked and woke her up. She looked through the peephole. He told her she needed to get up. That Debbie needed her. My Mom and I are the only ones to see the gentleman. dpruss@prodigy.net
ReplyDeleteI've lived in a few houses where crazy things happened all of the time. Things turning on and off, our things getting moved from room to room or disappearing for periods of time and then showing back up in places they never would have been. The older I got the less it bothered me.
ReplyDeleteLaredo at aol dot com
Msredk at aol dot com
DeleteDangerous Secrets sounds like a page turner.
ReplyDeleteSuch a crazy adventure! I can’t say I’ve had anything like that happen but we have had crazy experiences with flight delays and barely catching a plane after running through the airport. Lcisson at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteHmm, I think I will want to pass on such experiences!
ReplyDeleteJanice M.
Well, no but I did actually see a ghost when I was four years old, my grandfather's farm was built over the graves of an ancient burial ground in Maine.
ReplyDeleteThat was a stay that you will not likely want to repeat. I know I would want to stay there again and only if I was assured everything was in working order.
ReplyDeleteWow--what an experience for you....and I do believe in second chances!! --Connie H chendryx(at)nctv(dot)com
ReplyDeleteWow thats intense
ReplyDeleteI have seen ghosts and believe in them
ReplyDeleteYes I believe in second chances. Enjoyed reading your post.
ReplyDelete