On the cold evening, Ananya arrived at Hillcrest Hostel, an old building standing quietly near the edge of a dark forest. Tall trees surrounded the hostel from all sides, and the place where strangely silent. Many students had stayed their before, but the building still carried an eerie feeling that made people uncomfortable about sunset.
Ananya had been given Room 13
The corridor leading to the room was long and dimly lit. A few weak bulbs hung from the ceiling, flickering occasionally. As she walked down the corridor with her bag, her footsteps echoed softly in the quite building. The silence around her felt heavy, almost as if the hostel itself was watching.
When she open the door to Room 13, the room looked simple and ordinary. There was a small bed near the wall, a wooden cupboard, a study table, and window facing the forest behind the hostel. Nothing seemed unusual, yet the room felt strangely cold.
After arranging her things, Ananya sat near the window for a while. Outside, the forest was already covered in darkness. The wind moved through the tall trees, creating soft rustling sounds that reached the room.
Soon the night grew deeper and the entire hostel became quite. Most of the students had gone to sleep. The corridor outside her room was completely silent.
Ananya tried to sleep,but after some time she heard a faint sound.
It sounded like slow footsteps.
At first the sound was far away, somewhere in the corridor. The footsteps moved slowly across the wooden floor. Ananya listened carefully, thinking someone might be walking to another room.
But the footsteps slowly came closer.
And then they stopped right outside Room 13.
Then sudden silence made her uneasy. She sat up on the bed and looked toward the door. For a moment nothing happened.
Then a soft scratching sound came from the other side of the door, as if something was slowly touching the wood.
The sound lasted only a few seconds before stopping again.
Ananya waited quietly, listening.
But the corridor outside became completely silent.
Trying to come herself, she stood up and walked toward the window. The forest outside looked darker than before, with it tall trees standing like black shadows in the night.
As she stared outside, she suddenly noticed something strange.
Between the trees, far in the darkness, there was a tall shadow that looked almost like a person standing still.
Ananya blinked and leaned slightly closer to the glass.
The shadow disappeared.
A strange feeling ran through her body.
Slowly she turned away from the window and looked around the room again.
Everything appeared normal.
But the silence inside the room suddenly felt different.
It felt as if someone else was there with her.
And in the dark corner of Room 13, something slowly moved.
To be continued....