Locked Door - 6. A Nightmare Revealed

As the first rays of dawn began to pierce the night sky, casting an eerie glow over the campus, Emily’s exhaustion weighed heavily on her. The adrenaline that had fueled her throughout the night was fading, leaving behind a bone-deep weariness. The warmth of the blanket the police had given her offered little comfort against the chill that had settled in her bones.

She sat on the curb beside Hannah, their backs to the police cars that were still parked outside the student center. Officers moved in and out of the dormitory, their faces set in grim determination as they worked to secure the building. The flashing red and blue lights illuminated the scene with an unsettling rhythm, a constant reminder that the danger wasn’t over.

Emily’s thoughts were consumed with worry for Sarah. She had barely seen her friend all night, and the last message from Sarah still echoed in her mind, filled with fear and uncertainty. What if Sarah hadn’t made it out? What if she was still trapped inside, hiding from the very person who had terrorized them?

“Emily,” Hannah’s voice broke through her thoughts, pulling her back to the present. “What do you think is happening in there? Why haven’t they found Sarah yet?”

Emily shook her head, unable to hide the fear in her eyes. “I don’t know… but I’m so scared for her. We’ve been out here for hours, and we still don’t know if she’s okay.”

Hannah squeezed Emily’s hand, her grip tight with shared anxiety. “She’s strong, Emily. She’s smart. If anyone can make it through this, it’s Sarah.”

Emily wanted to believe that, but the gnawing fear in her chest made it hard to hold onto hope. She glanced at the dormitory, its windows dark and foreboding, and wondered if Sarah was looking out at them, waiting for rescue.

Just then, a police officer approached them, his expression serious. He knelt down in front of them, his eyes kind but focused. “Emily, Hannah,” he began, his voice steady, “we’ve secured most of the building, but we haven’t found your friend Sarah yet. We’re doing everything we can to locate her.”

Emily’s heart sank at the news. “What about the person who was in there? The one who… who unlocked our door?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The officer’s expression darkened slightly. “We believe that the person responsible for this may still be in the building. We’re proceeding with extreme caution to ensure everyone’s safety.”

Hannah’s hand tightened around Emily’s. “But what if Sarah’s still in there with them?” she asked, her voice trembling. “What if she’s hiding somewhere?”

“We’re checking every room,” the officer reassured them. “We won’t stop until we find her. But I need you both to stay here, where it’s safe. We’ll update you as soon as we know more.”

Emily nodded, though the fear in her chest only grew stronger. The officer gave them a small, encouraging smile before standing up and returning to the other officers. As he walked away, Emily felt a deep sense of helplessness. She had escaped, but Sarah was still trapped in the nightmare they had fled.

“I can’t just sit here,” Emily muttered, frustration boiling beneath her fear. “I have to do something. I can’t just wait and do nothing while Sarah’s in there.”

Hannah looked at her, concern etched on her face. “Emily, I know how you feel, but the police are doing everything they can. It’s not safe for us to go back in there.”

“I know,” Emily said, her voice strained. “But I can’t stand this… this waiting. I feel like I’m abandoning her.”

Before Hannah could respond, the door to the dormitory opened, and another group of officers emerged. They were supporting a disheveled, frightened-looking girl between them. Her clothes were torn, her face pale and streaked with tears, but she was alive.

It wasn’t Sarah.

Emily’s heart sank even further. She watched as the girl was led to an ambulance, where paramedics quickly began to tend to her. The girl’s eyes darted around, wild with fear, as she clutched the blanket they wrapped around her.

“Who is she?” Hannah asked, her voice filled with concern. “Was she hiding, too?”

“Maybe,” Emily replied, her voice hollow. “But she’s not Sarah.”

They watched in silence as the girl was placed on a stretcher and wheeled into the ambulance. The doors closed, and the ambulance drove off, its sirens blaring as it sped away.

Emily’s despair deepened. Every time the door opened, every time someone emerged from that building, she hoped it would be Sarah. But as the hours ticked by, that hope was slowly being chipped away.

Just as Emily was about to turn back to Hannah, she noticed a figure standing at the entrance of the dormitory, watching the scene unfold. The figure was tall and slim, their features obscured by the dim light of dawn. There was something unsettling about the way they stood, almost too still, as if they were waiting for something.

Emily squinted, trying to make out more details, but the figure remained in shadow. Then, as if sensing her gaze, the figure turned slightly, and for a brief moment, Emily thought she saw a flash of recognition in their eyes.

Her breath caught in her throat. Was it the person who had been stalking them? The one who had unlocked their door? The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

“Hannah,” Emily whispered urgently, tugging at her friend’s arm. “Look over there, by the entrance.”

Hannah followed Emily’s gaze, her eyes widening as she spotted the figure. “Who is that?” she whispered, her voice filled with dread.

“I don’t know,” Emily replied, her voice trembling. “But I don’t like the way they’re just standing there.”

The figure suddenly moved, stepping back into the shadows, disappearing from view. Emily’s heart raced, fear gripping her once again. Had they been spotted? Was that person still hunting them?

Before Emily could react, a voice called out to them—one of the officers from earlier. “You two, come with me. We’ve got a safe location set up nearby where you can wait until this is over.”

Emily and Hannah exchanged a glance, both of them reluctant to leave the area. But they knew they didn’t have a choice. The officer gestured for them to follow, his tone firm but reassuring. “It’s not safe here. We need to get you to a more secure location.”

As they stood up, Emily’s gaze lingered on the entrance to the dormitory, the image of that shadowy figure still burned into her mind. She couldn’t shake the feeling that whoever it was, they were still out there, watching, waiting.

The officer led them away from the scene, guiding them to a nearby building that had been turned into a temporary command center. Inside, it was a flurry of activity—officers talking on radios, maps spread out on tables, and equipment being organized.

Emily and Hannah were shown to a small room off to the side, where they were told to wait. The room was sparsely furnished, with only a few chairs and a table, but it was warm and well-lit, a stark contrast to the cold darkness they had just come from.

As they sat down, the reality of the situation began to sink in. They were safe for the moment, but Sarah was still missing, and the person responsible for all this was still on the loose.

Emily’s hands shook as she tried to steady her breathing. She couldn’t let the fear take over—not now, when they were so close to getting help. She had to stay strong, had to believe that the police would find Sarah and bring her to safety.

But as the minutes ticked by, the fear only grew stronger. Every time the door opened, Emily’s heart would leap, only to sink again when it was just another officer with an update on the search.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a senior officer entered the room, his expression grave. He approached them with a seriousness that made Emily’s stomach churn with dread.

“We have news,” he said, his voice calm but heavy. “We’ve found your friend, Sarah.”

Emily’s heart skipped a beat, hope flaring in her chest. “Is she okay? Where is she?”

The officer’s gaze softened, a hint of sympathy in his eyes. “She’s alive, but she’s been through a lot. We found her hiding in a storage closet on the second floor. She was terrified but unharmed. We’re taking her to the hospital for a full check-up.”

Relief washed over Emily, so overwhelming that she nearly collapsed back into her chair. Tears welled up in her eyes as she clutched Hannah’s hand. “Thank God… thank God she’s okay.”

But the officer’s expression remained serious. “There’s more. While we were searching the dormitory, we encountered someone… someone who didn’t belong there.”

Emily’s breath caught in her throat. “The person who unlocked our door?”

The officer nodded. “Yes. We believe this individual is responsible for the terror you and the other students experienced tonight. They were found on the third floor, trying to break into another room.”

A cold chill ran through Emily’s body. The figure she had seen earlier by the entrance flashed in her mind. “Who are they? Did you catch them?”

The officer hesitated, his expression troubled. “It’s… complicated. The person we apprehended claims to be a student, but their behavior was erratic and dangerous. We’re still trying to piece together what happened, but we believe they may have had help—possibly from someone else on campus.”

Emily’s mind raced with questions, but the officer held up a hand to stop her. “I know you’re scared, and I wish I had all the answers. But for now, you need to focus on recovering. Your friend is safe, and we’re doing everything we can to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

Emily nodded, though the fear still gnawed at her. The thought that there might be more than one person involved in this nightmare was almost too much to bear. But she had to hold onto the relief that Sarah was safe and that they had made it through the night alive.

As the officer left the room, Emily turned to Hannah, her voice shaky. “I’m so glad Sarah’s okay… but I can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t over.”

Hannah looked just as shaken. “I know. But we’re safe now. We’re going to be okay.”

Emily wanted to believe that. She wanted to believe that the worst was behind them. But as the dawn light filtered through the window, casting long shadows across the room, she couldn’t help but feel that the darkness they had escaped from still lingered, waiting for the right moment to strike again.

And as they sat there, waiting for news about Sarah, Emily knew that the terror of that night would stay with them for a long time to come. The nightmare was over, but its shadows would haunt them for days, months, maybe even years.

For now, all she could do was hold onto the hope that they would heal, that they would find a way to move forward. But deep down, Emily knew that the events of that night had changed them forever.

And some nightmares, she realized, don’t end when the sun comes up.