Locked Door - 4. The Suffocating Night

The oppressive darkness seemed to swallow the room whole, leaving Emily and Hannah feeling completely isolated, as if they were the last two people left in the world. The only sound was the faint, irregular breathing of both girls, each breath a struggle as they tried to keep their fear at bay. The door had closed, but the sense of danger remained, hanging in the air like a thick fog.

Emily’s mind raced as she tried to process what had just happened. Someone had unlocked their door, someone who knew exactly where they were and what they were doing. The voice—cold, calculated, and dripping with malice—echoed in her mind, sending shivers down her spine. She could still feel the presence of the intruder, even though they had retreated down the hallway. The danger was still there, lurking just beyond the thin walls of their dorm room.

For a long moment, neither Emily nor Hannah moved. They sat frozen in place, backs pressed against the wall, clutching each other’s hands as if that small connection could keep them anchored in reality. The darkness was suffocating, pressing in on them from all sides, making it difficult to think, to breathe, to hope.

Finally, Emily broke the silence, her voice barely more than a whisper. “We need to get out of here.”

Hannah nodded, though she knew as well as Emily that escape was far easier said than done. They were on the second floor of the dormitory, with no immediate way out other than the front entrance, which was likely guarded by whoever—or whatever—was prowling the halls. The windows were small and locked, designed to prevent any easy exit. They were trapped, surrounded by darkness and fear.

“We can’t just sit here and wait for them to come back,” Hannah whispered, her voice trembling with fear. “But how do we get out? Where do we go?”

Emily wished she had an answer. She racked her brain, trying to think of anything that might help them escape. Her thoughts turned to the building’s layout—rooms stacked in neat rows on each floor, with only a narrow hallway separating them. If they could make it to the stairwell, maybe they could find a way down to the first floor, or even out a fire escape if one existed.

But every step they took would be fraught with danger. The hallways were dark, filled with unknown threats. And the fact that someone had been able to unlock their door meant that the intruder had access to the entire building.

Emily’s hands tightened around Hannah’s. “If we can make it to the stairwell, we might be able to get down to the first floor and find a way out. But we have to be careful—really careful.”

Hannah nodded, her grip on Emily’s hand so tight that it almost hurt. “Okay… okay, let’s do it. But… what if they’re still out there?”

“We’ll just have to move quietly, stay in the shadows, and listen for any sounds. We can’t afford to make any noise,” Emily said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. The truth was, she was terrified, but she knew that staying put would only make them sitting ducks for whoever was hunting them.

Slowly, they both stood up, moving cautiously in the darkness. Emily felt her way to the door, her heart pounding in her chest as she reached out to touch the doorknob. It was cold to the touch, sending another shiver through her body. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She had to be brave, had to keep it together for both their sakes.

“Are you ready?” Emily asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Hannah swallowed hard. “Yeah… I’m ready.”

Emily carefully turned the doorknob, wincing at the faint creak as the door began to open. She peered into the hallway, which was only partially visible in the dim emergency lighting that cast long, eerie shadows along the walls. The corridor was empty, but the sense of foreboding was almost tangible, as if the walls themselves were closing in on them.

Stepping into the hallway, Emily motioned for Hannah to follow. They moved slowly, cautiously, each step deliberate and measured. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the occasional creak of the floorboards beneath their feet. Emily’s senses were on high alert, her ears straining for any hint of movement, any sign that they weren’t alone.

As they made their way down the corridor, Emily’s mind raced, trying to recall every detail she knew about the building. The stairwell was at the far end of the hall, past several other dorm rooms. It felt like an eternity before they reached it, though in reality, it was only a few dozen steps. Each one felt heavier than the last, weighed down by the constant fear that someone—or something—might be waiting for them around the next corner.

When they finally reached the stairwell door, Emily paused, her hand hovering over the handle. She glanced back at Hannah, who was trembling, her face pale in the dim light. Emily took a deep breath and slowly pushed the door open.

The stairwell was just as dark as the hallway, lit only by faint emergency lights that barely cut through the gloom. The stairs descended into shadows, each step a potential trap. But they had no other choice—they had to keep moving.

Emily and Hannah began their descent, the stairs creaking softly under their weight. The sound seemed to echo through the stairwell, amplifying their fear. Emily kept her movements slow and deliberate, trying to minimize any noise they made. She could feel Hannah’s breath on the back of her neck, rapid and uneven, a clear sign of her mounting panic.

Halfway down the stairs, they heard it—the unmistakable sound of footsteps from the floor below. The sound was distant, but it was getting closer with each passing second. Emily froze, her heart racing. Someone was coming up the stairs, heading straight for them.

Panic surged through her, and she instinctively reached out to grab Hannah’s hand, pulling her into the small alcove beneath the stairs. They crouched down, huddled together in the cramped space, trying to make themselves as small and silent as possible. The darkness enveloped them, hiding them from view, but it did nothing to calm their frayed nerves.

The footsteps grew louder, more distinct. Whoever it was, they were moving slowly, deliberately, as if they knew exactly where Emily and Hannah were hiding. Emily’s heart pounded in her chest, so loud she was sure it would give them away.

As the footsteps reached their level, Emily held her breath, praying that whoever it was wouldn’t notice them. She could see a shadow moving on the wall, elongated and distorted by the dim light. The figure paused just outside the alcove, so close that Emily could almost feel their presence.

For a few agonizing moments, the figure stood there, as if listening for any sound, any movement. Emily didn’t dare breathe, didn’t dare make a sound. The silence was unbearable, stretching on for what felt like an eternity.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the figure moved on, continuing up the stairs. Emily didn’t relax until the footsteps had faded completely, disappearing into the darkness above.

“We have to keep moving,” Emily whispered, her voice barely audible. She could feel Hannah trembling beside her, but they both knew they couldn’t afford to stay there. They had to keep going, had to find a way out before it was too late.

They emerged from the alcove and continued down the stairs, moving as quickly and quietly as they could. The tension in the air was palpable, every creak of the stairs sending a jolt of fear through Emily’s body.

When they finally reached the ground floor, Emily let out a small sigh of relief. They were one step closer to freedom, but they weren’t safe yet. The front entrance was still several hallways away, and they had no idea what awaited them there.

Emily carefully pushed open the door to the ground floor hallway, peering out to make sure it was clear. The hallway was empty, but the sense of danger was as strong as ever. She motioned for Hannah to follow, and they slipped out of the stairwell, keeping close to the walls as they moved.

The ground floor was eerily quiet, the silence broken only by the faint hum of the emergency lights. Emily’s heart raced as they approached the entrance, every instinct telling her to turn back, to find another way out. But there was no other way—they had to keep going.

As they neared the front doors, Emily noticed something that made her blood run cold. The doors, which should have been locked for the night, were slightly ajar, as if someone had forced them open.

Emily’s breath caught in her throat. The doors were their only way out, but going through them meant stepping into the unknown. For all they knew, the intruder could be waiting for them on the other side.

She turned to Hannah, who was staring at the doors with wide, terrified eyes. “We have to be quick,” Emily whispered. “We get out and run as fast as we can. Don’t look back, just keep running.”

Hannah nodded, though Emily could see the fear etched into every line of her face. They were both terrified, but they had no other choice.

Taking a deep breath, Emily pushed the door open just enough for them to slip through. The night air was cold against her skin, a stark contrast to the suffocating darkness inside the dormitory. She could see the empty parking lot stretching out before them, illuminated by the faint glow of the streetlights.

“Go,” Emily whispered urgently, giving Hannah a gentle push. They both broke into a run, their footsteps echoing loudly in the stillness of the night.

They didn’t stop, didn’t look back. The fear drove them forward, propelling them across the parking lot and away from the dormitory. Emily’s lungs burned with the effort, but she didn’t slow down. She knew they had to put as much distance between themselves and the building as possible.

As they neared the edge of the campus, Emily finally allowed herself to glance back. The dormitory loomed in the distance, dark and foreboding, but there was no sign of movement, no indication that they were being followed.

They kept running until they reached a small grove of trees near the edge of the campus. Only then did they stop, gasping for breath as they collapsed onto the grass, their bodies trembling with exhaustion and fear.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. They lay there in the darkness, their hearts pounding, their minds reeling from the ordeal they had just endured.

Finally, Hannah broke the silence, her voice shaky. “What do we do now? Where do we go?”

Emily shook her head, her mind still racing. “I don’t know… but we can’t stay here. We need to find somewhere safe, somewhere we can call for help.”

Hannah nodded, though she still looked terrified. “What about Sarah? We can’t just leave her in there.”

The thought of Sarah, still trapped inside the dormitory, sent a fresh wave of guilt and fear through Emily’s heart. But she knew they couldn’t go back, not now. They had barely escaped with their lives.

“We’ll find help,” Emily said, trying to sound reassuring. “We’ll call the police and get Sarah out of there. But we have to stay safe until then.”

Hannah nodded, though she still looked uncertain. They both knew that their ordeal was far from over, but for now, they were alive, and that was enough.

They stayed hidden in the grove of trees, their eyes scanning the campus for any sign of danger. Emily clutched her phone, praying that they would find a signal soon so they could call for help.

The night was dark and cold, but it was the silence that scared Emily the most. The silence, and the knowledge that something—someone—was still out there, hunting them.

And as they waited in the darkness, Emily couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of a much longer nightmare.