Everybody, at some point of its life as already been afraid. But don’t be mistaken, fear is not something you feel when you see horror movies. That’s the easiest part of fear. Fear has layers. Fear gets more intense when it gets more real. The real fear, from what I have seen and experience, that one comes from people. People just like us, or so we think. But there´s a special place on Earth, where the fear is born. Not just the fear, but the origin of it as well.  People used to say that Los Angeles gained the name because of its connection with god, however, in these days, god seems to have abandoned the city.

Innumerous stories of hunted houses and unsolved murders and serial killers on the loose are told through the streets, but no one really know which one are true or not.  The only thing that they are sure, is that some things, simply can´t be explained. Or so we think.

I moved into L.A when I was 19 years old, with no experience in life or what so ever. The world to me, was a beautiful place, where things like hate and destruction didn´t exist. Until I met him.

Back when I arrived, I checked-in in the cheapest hotel I could find, since I was jobless and couldn’t live of my savings forever. A friend of mine had stayed in there before, and said that for the price they asked, it delivered. So, I trusted in those words. Now I know I shouldn’t have.

—Hello! Welcome to the Hotel Cecil! How can I help you?

The man in the reception seemed nice and trustable. He had grey hair and caring brown eyes. He smiled at me, waiting for an answer.

—Hi! I’m Sara Buckingham, I booked a room a few days ago.

—Great, let me just check in the reservations, it will only take a minute darling.

While waiting I looked across the principal hall. For an Hotel with very small prices and so close to everything in the city, it was really well decorated. Even though it didn’t have much of and inviting aura, there was no doubt that it had its charm.

You see, I had never been to the United States before, I was born in England, my mother was from Portugal and had met my dad on a trip to Liverpool. Unfortunately, my mother died when I was 10, of Cancer. Soon after, so did my dad, in an car accident. When I realized, I was all alone. So I went to live with my grandmother in Portugal. Things calmed down until I turned 18. That year, my grandmother had been sick and fighting for her life, and in the end of that year, I was left alone in this world. She left me everything she had, and that how I could afford moving to America. I´ve always felt attracted there, like there was something bigger waiting for me.

All my thoughts were interrupted at once.

—Miss, I was not able to find your reservation and the only room we have left is the 1418.

—How can’t there only be one room free in the hole hotel? It seems almost empty!

—I know miss, but many of the rooms are being remodeled and because of that, the number of numbers reduced a lot. Probably the cause I can’t find your reservation its because it was made for one of these rooms, but don’t worry, room 1418 its an beautiful room, you will feel just like home, trust me.

The man had a strange look at his face, it was not like before, now seemed a bit darker, his smile gave me shivers through my spine.

—Fine, ill take room 1418.

—Good miss Buckingham, I hope you enjoy your staying here. Oh, and please, when you go to sleep, close all the four locks of the door and never forget to check if your window is well locked. You know, for your own safety. I believe you understand that we are in the Skid Row, and the environment here is way different from wherever you came. Anyways, I wish you the best experience of what the Cecil Hotel has to offer, if you need anything, please just say.

I had read about the Skid Row, and I knew that it was not sunflowers and rainbows, but I was not afraid of its reputation. I had never been afraid of anything before in my life, so it wouldn’t be some silly place with a bad reputation that would change that.

—Thank you for all the help sir. Wait! I just realized that I never asked your name.

—Samuel Hicks, miss.

—Right, thanks Samuel, have a nice day.

I went directly into the elevator.

Know that, above all things, the one that made me more uncomfortable was, no doubt, elevators. I just didn’t pay much trust into it. I always tried to go for the stairs instead, but in this case, the stairs were closed for renovation. Everything in that place seemed to be ether closed for renovation or simply falling apart.  Yes, in general the hotel was very charming, like it was made to be a very luxurious one.  Something must have not worked in its way to become a prestigious hotel, maybe it was the location. On my way there I had seen many other beautiful hotels, those seemed to be for and high elite class of people, and yet, there was Cecil Hotel, so close to all of that luxury and so far from the prestigious clients it was made to receive. That was probably why it was so cheap to get a room in there. I wonder if in other reality the Cecil Hotel couldn’t be one of the most famous around the world.