The story itself is rather short spanning a mere 54 pages (and essentially 3 chapters), but as per King’s standard: it picks you up and doesn’t let go until you’re scared. The main character, Mike Enslin, is a man seeking supernatural events for his own success. Again, like many of King’s stories, the main character is a writer. I tend to believe that King truly enjoys fictionalizing himself and what he would do when presented with some of his own terrifying events. The character discovers the rumor of the Dolphin hotel in New York, that features a single room that has been home to numerous suicides and unexplainable phenomenon. The maids turn down the room once a month – and most that enter try not to be there for more than a fast turnaround.

When Enslin enters the room, at the sincere opposition of the hotel manager, he first chooses to believe that everything that is attached with the room is superstition. But within minutes he discovers that, while perhaps a ghost itself doesn’t reside in the place – the room itself doesn’t want him to live – to survive the night.

I don’t read much horror – I’m more of a space-travel scifi or post-apoc guy myself, but I will always commend King for his ability to give a reader goosebumps. The only other title of his that I’ve actually read from start-to-finish is Dreamcatcher, and even that I only saw after seeing the movie. Suffice it to say that the hollywood version of the story actually looks pretty good, and I’m also a fan of John Cusack – so that helps. If you’re looking for some great quick reads that can send some shivers down your spine, King’s Everything’s Eventual book of short stories might be worth your time.

Edit: Here’s the trailer for the upcoming movie… Releasing July 13th.