'Dad, we've got the Stitch room!' I said as I looked at the number on the keychain from the TIA Hotel in Riga, Latvia.
'The what?'
'The Stitch room, room 626.'
My dad gave me a confused look.
'Experiment 626?'
'Oh. I get it.' My dad laughed, a little too late. The joke wasn't funny anymore. In fact, mentioning room 626 would never be funny to me again.

Room 626 was, what a surprise, on the sixth floor and had a view of a parking lot and another building. It actually consisted of two rooms: the actual bedroom, where my parents slept, and the living room, where I slept on one of those couches you can turn into a bed.
I was very happy with this set-up, since not sharing a room with my parents also meant not having to go through the six stages of sleeping near a snorer, That night I made myself comfortable on the couch/bed and fell asleep in no time.

*PANG*
*PANG*
I woke up in the middle of the night. Two loud pangs had echoed through my room. I had no idea where they'd come from, but I wasn't worried. Room 626 was one of those rooms that made unexplainable sounds from time to time. The door rattled almost all the time and if the neighbours moved their feet an inch I could hear it. So two loud pangs? Probably a noise I'd identify in the morning.
I rolled over. That's when I saw it. Bright red light. I initially dismissed it as the tv's stand-by light, maybe reflected in the shiny wood of the cabinet it stood on. But something wasn't quite right about that. If it was just a reflection, there wouldn't be some fog-like substance floating through it. And that fog-like substance certainly wouldn't be floating around a tiny figurine.
Alarm bells went off inside my head. The figurine was about seven centimeters tall and yellowish. It kind of looked like the tiny stuffed elephant my mom had made me as a 'reminder of home', but that elephant could not be there. I'd held it in my hand when I fell asleep. Besides, it couldn't stand on its own.
In a moment of clarity I put on my glasses. The figurine was probably only there because my eyesight sucks and probably plays tricks on me. The thing will be gone as soon as I put my glasses on, I thought.
It was still there, only more visible for my bad eyes. Arms spread, legs next to each other, it almost looked like Jesus on the cross. Except Jesus wasn't maniacally grinning like this thing was. Its eyes were on me, as if to say: 'I'm watching you.'
That's when I panicked. I'd been on the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania earlier that day. Maybe I'd accidentally taken something from there? Maybe I'd done something bad in a sacred place without knowing it? Oh no, was I cursed?
Nope, I decided. That could not be it. At the very worst I had some sand from the Hill in my shoes. I'd been nothing but respectful. If I turned the light on now, there would be nothing there. Nothing.
The light switch was on the other side of the room, next to the door. To get there I'd have to turn my back on the nasty little figurine, which was about the last thing I wanted to do. No problem though. I picked my phone up, made the screen as bright as possible and pointed it at the figurine.
Still there. Grinning, staring. I could almost hear my own heartbeat and my hands started shaking. More light. I needed more light. The small lamp on the desk was closer than the lightswitch and if I went for that option I'd spend less time with my back turned to the figurine. I was afraid it would make the small thing jump onto the bed if I stopped looking at it for too long, so I turned around quickly and searcged the desk for the tiny lightswitch of the desk lamp. I knew where it was. I knew exactly where it was. Yet I couldn't find it. I felt my glass of water, my camera, the lamp itself and the cord that disappeared behind the desk to an invisible socket. But no light switch.
My heart was racing at full speed as I turned back around. The figurine was still standing there, in the same place, but for how long? I picked my phone up again. Shone light towards the thing. It did not disappear or move, it just grinned at me. I wanted to cry. Instead I backed away from the figurine in the red light. I didn't even blink while I backed up until I felt the wall against my outstretched right arm. Almost there. I felt for the lightswitch, found it, flicked it on.
Gone.

Of course, of course the thing was gone when I turned the lights on. Of course my parents didn't believe me. Of course my best friend said it was just a reflection. But I don't think so. This all happened within five minutes, starting at exactly 1am. The next morning I checked all the angles and lights in the room. It didn't add up. Of course everyone wanted me to stay calm and think it was a dream. But I don't think it was. Something about that room felt wrong. Very, very wrong. Let me know what you think happened in that room. Or don't if it freaks you out like it freaked me out. Either way... Stay Awesome!