Ghosts drive John Torrance – the protagonist of the work by horror master Stephen King – insane. The «Overlook» Hotel was the site of blood-curdling events – from murders to disasters. And before long the place itself became unclean. Just like its real-life prototype – the «Stanley» Hotel.
It is said that Stephen King once stayed at this hotel, located in Estes Park, Colorado, USA. The writer was impressed and shaken after his visit and decided to write one of his most terrifying works.
And King is far from the only person to have been frightened by supernatural phenomena at the hotel. Throughout its long history, the hotel's guests have reported the appearance of ghosts. Some, for instance, claimed to have seen children in their rooms who vanished just as suddenly as they had appeared. Adding even more dread to the place is the pet cemetery next door, where all manner of creepy things happen as well.
The hotel's history
The infamous hotel was built in 1909 by the architect and inventor Freelan Oscar Stanley and his wife Flora. And they never imagined that their home, intended for the warm reception of guests and comfortable lodging, would turn into a mystical urban legend. However, for some reason the couple themselves very rarely lived in this house. Mr. Stanley came here only, supposedly, to improve his health. The clean mountain air helped the man, who suffered from tuberculosis, to recover. During one of his visits the owner of the hotel passed away. The hotel staff insist that his restless spirit remained in the house and often appears to «greet» guests. And sometimes faint music drifts out of one of the rooms – it is the ghost of Mr. Stanley's wife Flora playing the piano. Some witnesses have reported seeing the keys move under invisible hands.
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Ghostly residents
Several of the rooms hold a particularly terrifying secret and have their own ghostly guests, who refuse to leave the rooms even after death. For example, room 407 is inhabited by Lord Dunraven, the man who owned this land before the Stanleys arrived. In room 2017, the ghost of a janitor was seen tidying up. In room 418, children's laughter can be heard, and the ghost of a little boy lives in room 217. King himself was in this room and saw and heard the child. According to him, the boy was calling for his nanny.
Throughout the hotel's history, a number of inexplicable, strange accidents have occurred.
On June 25, 1911, head housemaid Elizabeth Wilson entered room 217 with a lit candle, unaware that there had been a leak in the hotel's gas lamps. The candle ignited the gas, causing an explosion that destroyed roughly a tenth of the hotel. Elizabeth fell into a coma, but miraculously survived and continued to work at the hotel right up until 1950.
Surprisingly, such a bad reputation has not only failed to scare off tourists but has, on the contrary, fueled interest. True, some «brave souls», having arrived at the hotel, turn back right at the reception desk. The unpleasant atmosphere of this place is so oppressive!
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