The Haunted Airbnb
Mark books an Airbnb with an unsettling house rule: 'Do not acknowledge the man in the hallway.' Naturally, he ignores it. Now, the hallway man is moving closer, and Airbnb support is getting involved.
Mark should have known something was off when the Airbnb host’s house rules included:
- No smoking.
- No loud music after 10 p.m.
- Do not acknowledge the man in the hallway.
I. The First Night
At exactly 2:47 a.m., Mark got up to get water.
As he passed the hallway, he saw a man standing perfectly still, staring at the wall.
The man was slightly transparent, his clothes faded like an old photograph, and the air around him had that distinct "absolutely haunted" energy.
Ah. That must be the hallway guy.
Mark immediately broke rule #3.
“Hey man, you good?”
The hallway man did not respond.
Mark waved a hand in front of his face. Nothing.
This is fine.
He went back to bed.
At 4:12 a.m., he got up again.
The man was now closer.
Mark stared at him.
The man stared at nothing.
“Cool, cool, cool,” Mark whispered. “Love this place.”
II. The Second Night
At midnight, he received an email from Airbnb Support.
Hi Mark,
We noticed you acknowledged the man in the hallway.
Please refrain from doing so.
Best,
The Airbnb Team
At 1:04 a.m., the man was now in the living room.
Mark paused, stared at him for a moment, then nodded.
“Hey.”
The man did not respond.
Mark went back to bed, feeling mildly disrespected.
At 2:30 a.m., Mark received a second email.
Hi Mark,
You have now acknowledged the hallway man twice.
Further violations may result in a fine.
Best,
The Airbnb Team
At 3:17 a.m., Mark got out of bed.
The man was sitting at the kitchen table.
Drinking tea.
“You know what? No.” Mark grabbed his laptop. “I am leaving a review.”
But before he could type, a third email arrived.
Hi Mark,
Your account has been suspended.
The hallway man has reported you.
Best,
The Airbnb Team
Mark stared at the screen, then at the man, sipping his tea.
The man pointedly avoided eye contact, awkwardly looking everywhere but at Mark.
Mark waved a hand. Nothing.
Oh come on, Mark thought. Now he’s just being rude.
He sighed, closed his laptop, grabbed his bags, and left.
Weeks later, out of morbid curiosity, Mark checked the listing again.
The newest review said:
"Great place! Loved the kitchen. Only complaint is the host never responded to my messages."
5 stars.