I never should have agreed to stay at that dorm. I mean, I knew about the history. We all did. But it was cheap and close to campus, and the other places were either too expensive or too far away. Plus, I didn't really believe the stories. Who would?
The building used to be a school, about a hundred years old. It was abandoned for decades after the tragedy. Students had died there - mysteriously, they said. Some claimed it was an accident, others whispered about a curse. No one knew for sure, but the place was shut down and left to rot until someone had the bright idea to convert it into a dormitory.
When I first moved in, the place was as creepy as you'd imagine. The floors creaked no matter how carefully you walked, and the walls had these old, peeling murals of kids playing. It was weird as if they were trying to cover up the building's dark past with cheerful paint.
The first night was fine, I guess. Nothing happened, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't alone. It was like someone was always watching me, just out of sight. I'd catch myself glancing over my shoulder or staring into the shadows a little too long, expecting something to be there.
The second night is when things got really weird. I woke up at exactly 3 AM to the sound of children laughing. At first, I thought it was a dream. I mean, how could it not be, right? But the sound kept getting louder, more distinct. It was like they were just outside my door.
I got up, heart pounding, and opened the door just a crack. The hallway was empty, dimly lit by those old, flickering bulbs. But the laughter - it didn't stop. It echoed down the corridor like the kids were playing some kind of game. My stomach twisted. The murals on the walls seemed different like the painted kids were looking right at me. Their eyes were darker and more alive.
I closed the door, backed away, and sat on my bed, trying to calm down. That's when I heard it - a knock. Just one, soft, almost polite. I didn't move at first, just stared at the door, hoping it would stop. But it didn't. There was another knock, a little louder this time, more insistent.
"Who's there?" I called out, trying to keep my voice steady.
No answer. Just another knock, followed by a faint giggle. My skin crawled. I didn't want to open the door, but I couldn't just sit there either. I reached for my phone, thinking maybe I could call someone, but the screen was dead - completely black, like it had been drained of all power.
I was about to reach for the door when it swung open on its own, just a few inches, enough to let a sliver of darkness seep into my room. I froze, staring at the gap, waiting for something - anything - to happen. But there was nothing. Just the silence and the oppressive feeling that something was watching me from the other side.
I don't know how long I sat there, but eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. I jumped up, slammed the door shut, and dragged my desk in front of it. I didn't sleep at all that night. I just sat there, wide awake, waiting for morning.
The next day, I told the dorm manager about it, but she just shrugged it off and said it was probably my imagination. But I know what I heard. What I felt. And I wasn't the only one. Over the next few weeks, others started talking about it too - the laughter, the knocks, the feeling of being watched.
Some people moved out, but I stayed. I don't know why. Maybe I thought I could figure out what was going on. Maybe I was just too stubborn to admit I was scared. But whatever it was, it didn't matter. Because last night... last night, something changed.
I woke up again at 3 AM, but this time, it wasn't laughter that I heard. It was crying. Soft, pitiful, like a child lost and alone. I knew I shouldn't, but I got up, opened the door just a crack, and there, standing at the end of the hallway, was a little girl. She was just standing there, her back to me, her hair hanging down in long, dark strands.
I called out to her, but she didn't move. Didn't even flinch. Just kept crying, so soft it was almost a whisper. I don't know what possessed me, but I stepped out into the hallway and took a few steps toward her. And that's when she turned around.
Her face... gosh, I can't even describe it. It was twisted, wrong, like something out of a nightmare. Her eyes were black pits, her mouth a gaping, toothless hole, and she just stared at me, her crying turning into this horrible, raspy laugh.
I ran back to my room, slammed the door shut, and I swear I heard her footsteps, slow and deliberate, following me down the hall. I don't know what she is, or what she wants, but I can't stay here anymore.
I'm leaving tomorrow. I don't care where I go, as long as it's far away from this place. I just hope whatever's in that dorm doesn't follow me.
