Episode 23: The Motel
The Rivera family and Frida were driving up to a lake for a family vacation. But when it comes to directions Rodolfo wasn't an expert.
"Are we there yet?" Manny groaned.
"Almost." Rodolfo said.
"You sure you know where you're going?" Maria asked.
"Yes."
"Why don't you just stop and ask for directions?"
"I don't need directions."
"What is it with men and asking for directions?"
"Will you let me drive?"
"Admit it we're lost!"
"Get off my back woman!"
"You know for a divorced couple you fight like husband and wife." Frida said.
They blushed and went back to driving. Then out of nowhere it just started to rain and storm.
"Looks like we're gonna have to pull over." Rodolfo said.
The car drove by a motel. The car stopped and they got out. The five of them knocked on the door. It opened and they hurried inside. There was a man at the front desk.
"Hello, I'm Ernesto. Welcome to my motel." He said. "How may I help you?"
"We're looking for a place to stay for the night." Maria said.
"Okay. Just sign in your name and you'll be ready."
"You don't want to stay here." A voice said. Then an old woman came out of a room. "Evil lurks here."
"Excuse me but, who are you?" Frida asked.
"That's just my crazy mother she thinks she's pyschic." Ernesto said.
"I am pyschic! Evil spirits are coming tonight!"
"Just ignore her."
They signed in and got their bags from the car. Rodolfo, Grandpapi, and Manny stayed in one room while Maria and Frida stayed in the other room. An hour later Grandpapi went to the bathroom.
"I knew I shouldn't have drank cactus juice." He said walking into the bathroom, then all of a sudden he just started shouting.
"Papi! What's wrong?" Rodolfo said.
He and Manny raced into the bathroom and found Grandpapi being attacked by a large spider. Quickly they engaged into a fight which ended with spider getting squashed.
"Are you okay?" Manny asked.
"Yeah."
"Where did it come from?" Rodolfo asked.
"The toilet." Grandpapi said.
"Okay maybe we should talk to Ernesto about pest control." Rodolfo said.
In the other room Maria was sitting in a chair reading a book when she heard whispers.
"Is someone there?"
Nothing was there, she went back to reading but she still heard them. Suddenly her chair started shake and a bunch skeleton arms appeared. They held her down and covered her mouth so no one could hear her scream. The closet door opened to reveal a fiery portal and a powerful force was pulling the chair toward it. She struggled and tried to cry out but it was no use. Then in the nick of time Rodolfo came into the room.
"Maria have you seen my- aye caramba!"
He tried to stop the chair while trying to free Maria. Manny and Frida heard the noise and came in the room.
"Manny! Frida! Close the door!" Rodolfo said.
Manny and Frida tried everything they could to force the door closed.
"It won't budge!" Manny cried.
"Please shut!" Frida pleaded.
Finally using all his strength Rodolfo broke the skeleton arms and pulled Maria off the chair and it when flying into the portal. As quick as light Manny and Frida slammed the door shut.
"Are you alright, Mom?"
"Yes Manny."
"Alright that's it! We're out of here!" Rodolfo said.
They all went downstairs to the front desk.
"Don't you think you're overreacting?" Ernesto said.
"Overrreacting?!" Manny said.
"A spider came out of the toilet and attacked me!" Grandpapi said.
"The closet tried to eat me!" Maria said.
"Okay, okay, I get your point. Just sign out and you can leave."
"Thank you." Rodolfo said.
Then a large tree came crashing through the window and grabbed Manny.
"Manny!" Frida shrieked.
"Oh my heavens!" Maria screamed.
"Hang on Miho!" Rodolfo yelled. "Frida stay here!"
All the adults ran outside to help him leaving Frida alone. She started to hear whispering.
"Who's there?" She asked.
Frida heard something crawling toward her.
Manny spun his buckle and tried to break free from the branches but he could hardly move. The tree started to go underground pulling Manny along with it. He felt the mud surround him and he could hardly breathe. Everything was just starting to go black when White Pantera and Puma Loco chopped the tree to bits. Manny sat up and started to cough and gasp for air.
"Are you okay?" Maria asked.
"I think I swallowed a gallon of mud." Manny said.
Suddenly Frida screamed in a petrifying way. Everyone ran back inside but she was gone.
"Where did she go?" Grandpapi said.
"We have to find her." Manny said.
"Manny stay with your mother. Papi, Ernesto, and I will look for her."
While the men searched outside, Maria cleaned the mud off him with a towel.
"Don't worry Manny, we'll find Frida." She reassured.
Manny walked down the hallway and headed for his room. Then something sparkly caught his eye. There under an old mirror was Frida's locket. He picked it up and looked in the mirror. At first all he saw was his reflection but it changed to an image of Frida.
"Frida!" He gasped.
She was in a dark room shivering all over. Her skin was terribly pale and tears were streaming down her face. She breathed on the glass and using her finger she wrote: HELP ME. She looked so helpless and scared. Manny put his hand on the mirror and Frida put her hand where his was. Then the image faded and he saw his reflection.
"No! Please! Frida!" He banged on the mirror until it shattered to pieces. He fell on his knees.
Maria came into the hallway.
"Manny what is it?"
"Frida was in the mirror."
"What?"
When the guys came back Manny told him what he saw.
"She's been taken." Ernesto's mother said.
"What do we do?" Rodolfo asked.
"First we need to see if she's still alive. I'll contact her."
"Mama, you're not physic!"
"Quiet Ernesto! Now two things, first you old man!"
"Yeah." Grandpapi said.
"Are you singal?"
"Uh...yes but I'm still in love with my deseased wife."
"Shoot! Okay now which one of you has a closer bound with the girl?"
"I'm her boyfriend." Manny said.
"Okay lover boy, you need to call her."
"Okay. Frida! Are you there?"
"Manny? Is that you?" A voice called.
"Yes! Where are you?"
"I don't know where I am but it's cold and dark!"
"Are you okay?"
"No! I'm scared and I feel so weak!" Her voice sounded faint and he could tell she was crying.
"Frida! I promise I'll find you!"
"Please hurry. Oh no! Not you again! Get away from me!"
"Frida! What's wrong?"
"There's someone in here and I don't think he's human! No! Don't touch me!"
"Leave her alone!" Manny shouted. "Don't you dare hurt her!"
"Manny calm down!" The old woman said. "Worse than I thought she's being held by a demon. We need someone to go into the spirit world and bring her back."
"I'll do it." Manny said.
They tied a long and strong rope around his waist.
"Now remember the demon won't give up easy." Ernesto's mother said. "In fact he'll try to take you too."
"I don't care! I'll die before I let someone take her from me!"
The woman pulled out a chant and read from it.
"Great spirits of evil and good. Open the gate to your world."
A portal opened in the ceiling. Manny jumped up and disappeared into the ceiling. The portal closed but the rope was still sticking out with Rodolfo, Maria, Grandpapi, and Ernesto holding on tightly.
"I can't see him." Grandpapi said.
"Manny! Are you okay?" Rodolfo asked.
"Yeah. But it's really dark up here!"
"Try to call Frida." Maria said.
"Frida, where are you?"
They waited patiently for response.
"It's okay Frida! It's me!" They heard him call. "Guys, I found her!"
In a flash a powerful force started pulling the rope. Rodolfo, Maria, Grandpapi, and Ernesto pulled the rope as hard as they could.
"Get us out of here!" Manny shouted. "He won't let me go!"
"No! You can't take them!" Rodolfo shouted.
"Please! They're only children!" Maria begged.
Finally Manny and Frida were pulled down and caught by the adults. Manny was out cold with his arms protectively holding Frida who was also unconscious.
"Are they...?" Maria asked.
"There alive but we need to get out of here now!" The old woman.
The motel started to fall apart. Rodolfo grabbed Manny and Maria picked up Frida. They all ran out of the falling building and got into the car. Rodolfo slammed on the pedal and the car drove away.
"Mmmm! Huh? What's going on?" Manny said waking up.
"We made it!" Rodolfo said.
"Thank God!" Manny lifted Frida up and kissed her forehead.
She woke up and hugged him.
"It's over right?" She asked.
"Yeah." He sighed. "It's all over."