Room: Lucky Escape

"As a bachelor, I found this surprisingly affordable one-bedroom apartment that was hard to resist, especially as a new employee in need of basic necessities. However, my early morning shift hours forced me to adjust to a new sleep schedule. Before my alarm could go off, I was startled by the sound of a nearby door opening. This was strange because the landlord had assured me that the adjacent rooms were empty and there wouldn't be any noise issues.

Within seconds, I heard another door creaking open and the sound of footsteps, but there were no voices. It seemed like people were entering their rooms at this unusual hour, but they were neither talking nor turning on lights. It was a moonless night, and even the streetlights were out. Something was definitely amiss. As I wandered around, my heart pounded when a shadow appeared beside my door, ready to enter. I tried to grab a broken broom from the closet, but my door was already wide open, and there was no one there.

I rushed outside and shouted, "Who's there?" My voice echoed back, and a cold shiver ran down my spine. I started sweating profusely. Later that day, I learned from my neighbor that the room I had been staying in had a history of unexplained deaths in the past few years. This discovery prompted me to leave the apartment and move to a hostel with roommates."

*story shared by author's college friend who chooses to be anonymous.