Haunted Hotel Room 1313: "Superstition" | Full-Cast Audio Drama

0:02 Speaker 1: Doorway to Nightmare is brought to you in part by Swanage Press. It lies in wait amidst your dreams, where nothing is ever how it seems. It is a portal to a terrifying world beyond the doorway. Nightmare. Come in. Welcome. I'm Artemis Black. American writer and journalist Judith Viorst once said, superstition is foolish. Childish, primitive, and irrational. But how much does it cost you to knock on wood?

1:10 Speaker 2: Jason, this whole setup seems weird.

1:15 Speaker 1: Don't you think?

1:17 Speaker 3: Oh, come on, Gwen.

1:18 Speaker 4: It's just a hotel room.

1:19 Speaker 3: Nothing more.

1:20 Speaker 2: We are on the 13th floor.

1:22 Speaker 5: Number 1313 for a room number.

1:24 Speaker 3: Come on, Jason. Come on.

1:29 Speaker 5: Let's just get out of here.

1:30 Speaker 1: Now.

1:30 Speaker 4: Look, just because you have superstitions doesn't mean it has to ruin our honeymoon.

1:37 Speaker 2: How many more signs do you need that something just isn't right about this?

1:46 Speaker 1: Our mystery drama, Superstition, was written especially for Doorway to Nightmare by Winslow Swan and edited by Crimson McKenzie. Our cast includes Dave Arkapoff, Robert Jackson, Crimson McKenzie, and Winslow Swan. I'll return shortly with Act One. Mystery. Horror. Thriller. Suspense.

2:09 Speaker 5: Novels and short story collections from Winslow Swan, now available from Amazon.

2:31 Speaker 1: Now, be honest and ask yourself, do you have any superstitious beliefs? Well, perhaps the quick answer is, of course not. But then think before you arrive at that conclusion. Have you ever avoided walking under a ladder? Perhaps you've seen a black cat and quickly changed your path. Do you avoid cracks in the sidewalk? So many superstitions, and yet how many of them could pertain to you?

3:13 Speaker 3: Hmm.

3:14 Speaker 2: Hi.

3:15 Speaker 4: I am so, so proud of you, Gwen.

3:19 Speaker 2: For what? Marrying the man that I love?

3:25 Speaker 1: No, silly.

3:27 Speaker 4: Getting married on.

3:31 Speaker 3: The dreaded Friday the 13th.

3:34 Speaker 4: All right, Jason.

3:37 Speaker 5: I told you.

3:38 Speaker 4: Before we got to the.

3:39 Speaker 2: Church, I would do it for you. You know I still have a few.

3:45 Speaker 3: fears.

3:47 Speaker 4: Babe, you are the most superstition person that I've ever known.

3:51 Speaker 2: Yes, but you married me anyway, right?

3:55 Speaker 1: Well, look at it this way.

3:56 Speaker 4: If it doesn't work out, we can always tell the divorce court that it was Friday the 13th to blame.

4:02 Speaker 3: Will you stop?

4:05 Speaker 2: Nothing is going to tear us apart if I have anything to say about it.

4:11 Speaker 1: Nothing ever will, my darling Bridie. Oh, oh, grab her.

4:15 Speaker 3: Pull over here.

4:30 Speaker 2: Oh, where are we?

4:32 Speaker 1: Here you go.

4:36 Speaker 6: And hey, thanks for the ride.

4:41 Speaker 2: Oh.

4:42 Speaker 5: Is this the hotel you were telling me about?

4:44 Speaker 4: That's right. The Chandler Hotel. Built in 1920 and is the host of some of the most prestigious people in the world. Kings, queens, diplomats, actors, anybody who is anybody has stayed right here.

5:02 Speaker 5: And we can actually afford this?

5:07 Speaker 4: And look, honey, don't you worry about money. I will not have my new bride developing wrinkles at our young age.

5:17 Speaker 2: I wouldn't dream of it.

5:19 Speaker 6: Ah, you have arrived.

5:24 Speaker 1: Good.

5:25 Speaker 5: Are you sure this is the right hotel?

5:28 Speaker 1: Uh, I'm pretty sure.

5:31 Speaker 5: It looks so shabby on the inside.

5:36 Speaker 2: Not anything that I pictured.

5:38 Speaker 4: Uh, desk clerk. This is the Chandler Hotel, isn't it?

5:44 Speaker 6: Yes, Mr. Williams, it is. And you and your wife are expected, so please sign the register.

5:52 Speaker 4: But I didn't make a reservation. I was just kind of hoping you'd have a room available. And how did you know my name?

6:05 Speaker 6: Your reservation is quite clearly printed here. Jason and Gwen Williams arriving today. On Friday the 13th. Now if you'll just sign the register, I will show you to your room.

6:46 Speaker 4: Sounds like somebody's having a good time.

6:49 Speaker 6: That is a special group, Mr. Williams. Don't worry. The party will be over by midnight, I can assure you.

6:56 Speaker 2: Do you know who it is?

6:57 Speaker 1: Um... Mr.

7:01 Speaker 6: I do apologize. I'm Mr. Chandler, ma'am. And yes, I do know them quite well. They come here every year for their small party. It's a sort of, well, a club. Again, I assure you, they will be finished by midnight.

7:22 Speaker 4: You use an actual key?

7:24 Speaker 6: How else would you open the door? Please, step in. Room 1313. Oh, wow, this just.

7:33 Speaker 1: Gets better and better.

7:34 Speaker 5: Jason, I don't like this at all.

7:38 Speaker 4: Is your triskaidekaphobia acting up again?

7:40 Speaker 2: It isn't funny. I mean....

7:45 Speaker 3: Look at this room.

7:46 Speaker 2: The mirror's cracked.

7:48 Speaker 5: There's a broom by the closet.

7:51 Speaker 4: Well, it was probably forgotten by the cleaning crew.

7:53 Speaker 2: I swear, if I.

7:55 Speaker 5: Find an open umbrella in the bathroom, we're leaving.

8:00 Speaker 2: That's it.

8:02 Speaker 6: I hope that you will enjoy your stay. Now, I must leave.

8:07 Speaker 4: Hey, I mean, you're not going to leave by the window, are you?

8:11 Speaker 6: Yes, sir, I am.

8:13 Speaker 3: Jason!

8:14 Speaker 2: He....

8:16 Speaker 3: He jumped out the.

8:17 Speaker 4: Hang on, hon.

8:18 Speaker 1: I've got you. Here.

8:20 Speaker 4: Just sit on the bed.

8:22 Speaker 3: Is he... I.

8:24 Speaker 2: Mean.

8:26 Speaker 4: See for yourself, Gwen.

8:29 Speaker 1: Look.

8:30 Speaker 2: But... That's... That's just not possible.

8:35 Speaker 6: It's a straight drop.

8:37 Speaker 4: Dirt came floors to the courtyard. But there's nothing there.

8:42 Speaker 2: But we saw him jump.

8:45 Speaker 4: I know we did, but he isn't there.

8:49 Speaker 3: He couldn't. He didn't.

8:52 Speaker 2: He didn't just disappear.

8:54 Speaker 1: Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, We boast our emancipation from many superstitions, but if we have broken any idols, it is through a transfer of idolatry. I'll be back shortly with Act Two.

9:14 Speaker 5: If you'd like to support us, visit our merchandise store. T-shirts, caps, mugs, and so much more. Visit doorwaytonightmare.com today.

9:42 Speaker 1: Madame Curie once said, nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.

10:00 Speaker 2: The phone doesn't even work.

10:03 Speaker 3: I'm going to the lobby.

10:04 Speaker 4: I want to try to find somebody.

10:06 Speaker 2: You're not going to leave me here, are you?

10:09 Speaker 3: Look, just lock the door.

10:12 Speaker 4: Don't let anyone in.

10:28 Speaker 6: What the hell is going on?

10:31 Speaker 4: Everything looks... different.

10:36 Speaker 1: Ahem.

10:37 Speaker 7: Yes, sir.

10:39 Speaker 3: May I help you?

10:40 Speaker 1: Oh, um, yeah.

10:42 Speaker 4: Where's the other clerk?

10:44 Speaker 3: Other clerk?

10:45 Speaker 7: If you mean the day clerk. He went home hours ago.

10:50 Speaker 1: No, no, no.

10:51 Speaker 4: I mean, uh, Mr. Chandler.

10:53 Speaker 7: I'm sorry, sir. We don't have anyone by that name working here. Are you a guest, sir?

11:00 Speaker 3: Yes, I'm a guest.

11:00 Speaker 4: I'm Jason Williams. My wife and I just registered an hour ago.

11:10 Speaker 7: I'm sorry, Mr.

11:11 Speaker 1: Williams.

11:12 Speaker 7: I don't seem to have you listed in our register.

11:15 Speaker 4: But I signed the book.

11:17 Speaker 6: Please, Mr.

11:18 Speaker 7: Williams, calm down. I'm sure that we can straighten this out.

11:24 Speaker 1: I'm Mr.

11:24 Speaker 7: Raymond, and I will do everything I can to help. Just tell me what room you're in.

11:29 Speaker 4: Room 1313. On the 13th floor.

11:35 Speaker 7: Did Bill put you up to this?

11:37 Speaker 4: I don't understand.

11:38 Speaker 1: What are you talking about?

11:39 Speaker 7: And on Friday the 13th. How do you know Billy?

11:44 Speaker 4: Look, Mr. Raymond, I don't know anyone named Bill or Billy. My name is Jason Williams. My wife, Gwen, and I checked into this hotel an hour ago.

11:59 Speaker 7: That is quite impossible, Mr.

12:01 Speaker 1: Williams.

12:02 Speaker 4: Well, why is it impossible?

12:03 Speaker 7: Because I have been here since this afternoon. This hotel is completely full.

12:09 Speaker 3: We have no vacancies.

12:11 Speaker 7: And most importantly, there is no 13th floor. You see the number, sir? 10, 11, 12, then 14.

12:25 Speaker 3: No, no, there is a 13th floor.

12:31 Speaker 1: At one time, yes.

12:32 Speaker 4: Over a hundred years ago.

12:39 Speaker 7: 14.

12:42 Speaker 4: All the rooms start with the number 14.

12:45 Speaker 7: Now do you believe me?

12:47 Speaker 4: Look, look, I'm not lying. My wife is in room 1313 now, and there's some kind of a party going on in room 1311 right next door.

12:58 Speaker 7: Mr. Williams, listen to me closely. There was a 13th floor some hundred years ago. The man who built this place went bankrupt in 1925. Him and his investors lost everything.

13:12 Speaker 1: So, what happened?

13:15 Speaker 7: They held a party in room 1311. On Friday the 13th.

13:21 Speaker 4: Just like what I told you.

13:22 Speaker 3: There's a party going on right now.

13:24 Speaker 7: They all jumped from the window.

13:27 Speaker 1: One by one.

13:29 Speaker 7: According to the newspaper, 20 people killed themselves. Funny though, Daryl Chandler, the builder, wasn't among them. He died later. After that, the entire floor was sealed off. That is why what you're saying could not possibly be true.

13:55 Speaker 4: It's not possible. An entire floor can't just have disappeared.

14:08 Speaker 3: I'm here. The 13th floor.

14:10 Speaker 4: I'm here.

14:19 Speaker 3: Gwen, you are not going to believe.

14:23 Speaker 1: Gwen? Gwen, where are you?

14:26 Speaker 4: Oh my God, that sounded like.

14:30 Speaker 1: Like Gwen.

14:32 Speaker 4: She's next door at.

14:34 Speaker 3: At that party.

14:45 Speaker 1: Ah, Mr.

14:45 Speaker 6: Williams.

14:46 Speaker 3: Welcome.

14:47 Speaker 6: Your wife is quite charming.

14:49 Speaker 4: You.

14:51 Speaker 7: Where's Gwen?

14:52 Speaker 3: I'm going to be getting her out of it. Hey, let go of me.

14:56 Speaker 6: Hold him tightly. We have to complete the preparations. Your wife will be joining us very soon.

15:13 Speaker 1: As Jason struggles to free himself, he watches as his wife, Gwen, begins to walk toward the window in a daze, as if she were hypnotized. I'll return shortly with our final act.

15:30 Speaker 5: Have you heard any good books lately? Audiobooks from Winslow Swan, now available on Spotify.

15:54 Speaker 1: Post-Civil War real estate developer George Washington Adair once said, everything you ever wanted is on the other side of fear.

16:08 Speaker 6: You see, Mr. Williams, every year we hold a party in this room. And every year we acquire a new member to our suicide club.

16:18 Speaker 4: Take your hands off of me.

16:21 Speaker 7: Gwen, get away from the window.

16:23 Speaker 6: She cannot hear you, Mr.

16:25 Speaker 1: Williams. She will be our newest member.

16:28 Speaker 3: I have to... Something... Wait. In my pocket.

16:35 Speaker 1: What?

16:37 Speaker 4: Master, the church gave me for a wedding present. Get off of me!

16:41 Speaker 2: No!

16:42 Speaker 1: Take that thing away!

16:44 Speaker 2: Jason?

16:46 Speaker 6: What am I doing here?

16:47 Speaker 7: Come on, Gwen.

16:48 Speaker 3: The cross.

16:50 Speaker 4: That little golden cross has broken the spell.

16:53 Speaker 3: We gotta get out of here.

16:54 Speaker 4: Now!

16:54 Speaker 7: No!

16:55 Speaker 6: Take the cross away. You cannot leave.

16:58 Speaker 1: You must join us.

16:59 Speaker 6: Come back!

17:10 Speaker 2: I don't understand. What about our luggage?

17:14 Speaker 1: Don't worry about it.

17:15 Speaker 3: We'll get more later. I just need to get you away from here.

17:18 Speaker 5: Jason, look at the numbers on the elevator. There isn't even a 13 on the buttons.

17:24 Speaker 1: I know, I know.

17:26 Speaker 4: Look, I'll explain when we get the hell out of this place.

17:34 Speaker 2: Jason, what's going on?

17:36 Speaker 3: The whole lobby looks.

17:42 Speaker 3: Just keep walking.

17:44 Speaker 1: Don't talk to anyone.

17:46 Speaker 3: I'll get us a cab.

17:46 Speaker 2: Will you please tell me what's going on, Jason?

18:03 Speaker 1: That hotel.

18:06 Speaker 4: Was cursed over a hundred years ago. The owner went bankrupt along with his investors, and they all committed suicide. The 13th floor was sealed off.

18:17 Speaker 3: But we were there.

18:20 Speaker 2: We didn't dream it, did we?

18:24 Speaker 3: No, no, we didn't.

18:26 Speaker 4: The only thing that I can understand is that of all the ones who jumped from the 13th floor, the original builder, Daryl Chandler, he wasn't among them.

18:38 Speaker 1: He died later.

18:40 Speaker 6: No, Mr. Williams. Not sometime later. That very night.

18:50 Speaker 3: You!

18:51 Speaker 1: Yes, Mr. Williams. Daryl Chandler.

18:56 Speaker 3: But... But you're dead!

18:59 Speaker 1: Yes, Mrs.

19:00 Speaker 6: Williams.

19:01 Speaker 3: I am.

19:02 Speaker 1: I couldn't bring myself to jump, so I went down, got into my car, drove out of the city and off the canyon bridge.

19:12 Speaker 5: Jason!

19:13 Speaker 3: Jason, the grass! Quickly! I must have dropped it somewhere. Oh, God, I can't find it. Where are you taking us?

19:26 Speaker 1: Haven't you guessed? We are going to the canyon bridge. Welcome to the club.

19:37 Speaker 2: No!

19:37 Speaker 3: No!

19:38 Speaker 2: No! No!

20:11 Speaker 1: The bodies of Jason and Gwen Williams were discovered in the back of the wrecked taxi. The driver, however, was never found. I'll return shortly with a final word. You can help support the channel and visit our merchandise store. T-shirts, caps, mugs, and so much more. The Chandler Hotel still accepts reservations. I've often been there myself. Perhaps you would like to take a trip. Possibly stay in room 1313 on Friday the 13th. There, I'm sure that you will meet Jason and Gwen Williams. They would love to have you join the club.

21:23 Speaker 1: Our cast included Robert Jackson, Dave Arkapoff, Winslow Swan, and Crimson McKenzie. The story was edited by Crimson McKenzie and directed by Winslow Swan. And now, a preview of our next tale.

21:43 Speaker 4: You know, Aaron, this really distracts me.

21:48 Speaker 1: It really does.

21:51 Speaker 3: Please, I've already told you, I'm not Aaron.

21:56 Speaker 4: Of course you're not. You just happen to be in Aaron's apartment, driving around Aaron's car, and quite obviously spending Aaron's money. Which, by the way, is actually my money.

22:15 Speaker 7: Please, please don't hit me again. I don't know anything about your money.

22:21 Speaker 4: Then let's see what you do know.

22:25 Speaker 1: This is Artemis Black, inviting you to return with us to the doorway to nightmare for another adventure into the terrifying world of your imagination. Until next time, slumber peacefully.

22:47 Speaker 3: Epilogue.

22:49 Speaker 5: The butler did it. The butler didn't do it!