Red Stare Pale Skin




So, if you recall from my first post I mentioned I will also be reviewing scary stories. Not just movies and their trailers. Today is my first Scary Story Sunday, which is when I will be posting reviews of horror stories. Today I will be reviewing one of my favorites so more of you become familiar with this bone-chilling tale.
The story is known by multiple names: The Keyhole, White with Red, The Angry Ghost in Room 113. Prior to my review, I will post the story so you can read it, then my review right after.
There are so many version of this story that it is hard to review just one, but I'm going to tell you the version that I heard. Then I will post links to different version so you can see where the tale developed from.
It was a dark and stormy night when a distant traveller was passing through an unfamiliar town. Worried for his safety he knew he had to find a place to stay the night. Out of the fog, he saw the red fluorescent lights of a motel sign. Thankfully he pulled into the motel’s lot and ran inside trying to get as little wet as possible. The woman at the front desk looked just like your average everyday woman. He approached the desk and said to her, “Hello I need a room for a few nights, really just until the storm passes and I can get on a plane safely.” Without even lifting her head she handed him a room key and remained silent. “Uh thank you.” As he began to walk away he heard her shout “Wait! You will pass three rooms on your way to your room, whatever you do do not go near the second room.” He thought for a minute about what could be wrong with that room, so he just simply asked, “Why not?” “Just don't. It is a private room leave it be.” He obeyed her commands and walked straight to his room and slept soundly. The next day he awoke oddly thinking about room two. He remembered the check-in woman's warning but his curiosity got the best of him. Going against her words he approached the door of the mysterious room and jiggled the handle. Not surprisingly it was locked, he had to think of another to know what hid behind the wooden door. He crouched down and looked through the wide keyhole. All he was able to see was a woman who had extremely pale skin. Everything about her appeared white and dainty. He could not make out her face because she was in a chair facing away from him. He couldn't imagine why he was not allowed to go near this room. Was it a celebrity or maybe a family member of the motel's owner! He thought to himself. After investing the room he decided to move on. The next day he still had the image of that woman in his head. So, against the word of the check-in lady he once again peeked into the room. This time he did not see the white woman, all he saw was the color red. He assumed that the lady must have covered the hole with a sock or something. That same night the weather cleared enough for him to leave. During his check out the lady once again said nothing. He decided to admit that he investigated the room. “So listen, I went against your orders and looked into the room.” He awaited a stern scolding but that wasn't what happened “Well I might as well tell you the story of that room. It is a room that holds a dark secret, a murder occurred in that room. Although just the murder itself is dark and tragic, that is not what haunts that room. The two people who were killed were a husband and wife, sound like just two normal guests right? Wrong! They were not your ordinary visitors: their skin was as white as snow, and their eyes were bright red.”
Every time I tell someone this story they have the same reaction. They sit in silence for a solid minute, then reveal that they won't be able to sleep. For a story as simple as this one to be able to rid people of rest, that is pretty remarkable. I think that that's what makes this story so creepy, it's simplicity. The fact that it really grows then just ends with the big terrifying reveal. It also makes you think back to the part of the entire room appearing red. Some people don't get the red eyes thing right away then realize that the room being completely red was the ghost staring back at him. Could you imagine staring at someone staring back at you, but you don't even know that's what you're looking at? Also, readers of this story have to try and comprehend the feeling the man had when he realized he was staring right in the eye of the ghost. The writer just leaves you wanting to know what the man’s reaction is, but you have to try and figure that out yourself. So, next time you stay in a motel maybe you'll think twice about who is staying in the room down the hall.
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