"In the heart of darkness, it's not the shadows that terrify us, but the whispers of what we cannot see."

The day had been long, and I was completely exhausted. All I wanted was to jump into the bed, wrap myself in the blankets, and enjoy a cozy night. After brushing my teeth and changing into some comfortable clothes, and stepped out of the bathroom.

Jessica was already lying on the bed, holding a book. As I approached, the book slipped from her hands and landed straight on her face.

“Ouch!” she hissed, and I couldn’t help but giggle at her clumsiness.

"Goodnight, Jessica," I said, climbing into the bed.

"Goodnight, sweet dreams," she replied with a yawn, closing her eyes. 

I reached over to turn off the bedside lamp, and the room was submerged into darkness, only leaving the faint glow of lights from the hallway. As the sounds of  footsteps and chattering faded away, silence took over, with only the distant hooting of an owl only breaking the stillness. Before I knew it, I had drifted off to sleep.

Moments later, I woke abruptly, feeling a strange sensation. I realized that the dim light coming from the hallway was flickering. I sat up in bed, confused of everything what just happened. The sound of a soft thud came from the next door.

 I strained to listen were the sound came from and suddenly, I heard it—a faint scratching sound. My heart pounded in my chest as each scratching increased, seeming to get louder and louder, more insistent, like the person doing it wouldn’t stop until its fingers bled.

I sat up and shouted, "Jessica! Wake up! Jessica!" But there was no response. My hands trembled as I shoved the blankets off the bed, and tried to on the flashlight because it was dark, eerily still. 

As each step of mine reach closer to her bed their was nothing just pillows aligned in an award manner.

Fear crept into me as I realized I was alone, completely alone, with only the darkness surrounding me. I rushed to turn on the lights, but the bulb merely flickered, casting unsettling shadows across the room. A chill ran down my spine when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

Terrified, I whipped around, but no one was there.

I exhaled a shaky breath, trying to calm myself. "It's just my imagination," I lied to my soul, walking back to bed to hide under the blanket until dawn. But then, something caught my eye. In the corner of the room, an ominous green light began to glow, brightening to an unnatural emerald hue.

Despite my fear, I couldn’t look away. My heart raced as the light seemed to draw closer, hypnotizing me. 

It wasn’t the warm, golden glow of the bedside lamp, but a cold, unsettling aura that seemed to be infinite like the universe. 

The air grew thick with an icy chill. 

I walked towards it slowly, but hesitant. My fingers trembling as I reached out to the wall where the light was the strongest. It seemed to emerge from nowhere and everywhere at once. There was no start or end. 

Suddenly, the light flared as if it attacked, blinding me momentarily. Different whispering voice filled my mind, not in words but in a sensations—presence trying to force its way in. I gasped, my hands flying to my head as a searing pain lanced. I staggered backward, clutching at the walls as the presence grew stronger, more insistent. 

“Stop!” I  cried, but my voice was a weak, ragged whisper. The cold wrapped around me, tightening like a dodder. I felt something dark and foreign pressing against my thoughts, trying to invade my mind, to take control of my body. Its presence, desperate and overpowering, trying to force itself into my very being.

I  fought back, pushing with every ounce of my strength. But the force was relentless, clawing at my consciousness, whispering twisted promises of power and secrets beyond imagining. My vision blurred, and I  felt myself slipping, my strength fading.

“No!” I  screams internally, summoning the last of my willpower. With a final, desperate push, I tried to shove the presence away, feeling it recoil as if burned. The light flickered, then blanked out. 

Six black lights emerged from the green light, encircling me. They all stared, and then it entered—they all entered followed by a scream. My heart churned as the question came into my mind—

Is this my story's ending?

Suddenly everything blacked out as I felt a soft touch on my forehead.

I  collapsed on the bed, gasping for air, my chest heaving as I lay lifeless, drenched in cold sweat. My mind was spinning, and my body felt weak, as if I  had just fought off a terrible illness.

The soft hand touched my shoulder. I turned my head around but was only able to see a figure beside my bed, dimly lit by the faint moonlight filtering through the curtains. 

“Emi, it’s okay. It’s just me,” the figure said, and my pulse slowed slightly. I guess it was Jessica—or at least, the one who can enter our dorm in such an odd hour. 

“Jess…?” I  whispered, my voice trembling. I felt the hand gently tuck a strand of mine behind the ear, as comforting gesture that made me feel safe, even if only for a moment.

“Yes, it’s me,” the voice assured me, soft and soothing. I don't know why it felt unfamiliar but known 

“You’re okay now. Just breathe.” she continued holding my hand, caressing it by the thumb 

I closed my eyes, letting the warm presence calm my frayed nerves. My body was still shaking, my breath still coming in ragged gasps, but the comforting presence beside my was like a balm to my raw nerves. I curled up on the bed, letting the exhaustion take over as I finally drifted off to sleep, the voice lulling me into a fitful slumber.

But as I faded into unconsciousness, a small part of my mind whispered a single, unsettling question:

Was it really Jessica?

Author's Note:

Hey lovely readers! 👻 I hope this chapter gave you a bit of a chill! I really wanted to capture the fine line between fear and comfort, and how sometimes, the things that make us feel safe might not be what they seem. Keep your eyes open as things are about to get more mysterious and twisted. Is everything as it appears in Emi's world, or is something darker lurking in the background? Stick around to find out!

What do you think happened with Jessica? And who was that person

Drop your thoughts in the comments! 😊