The Room Across Mine

Ava Morgan stepped into Ridgeview University with a mix of excitement and unease. Transferring here was supposed to be a fresh start — a clean slate away from the shadows of her past. The hallway of her new dorm stretched long and quiet, sunlight spilling across the pale walls. The air smelled faintly of old paint and something she couldn’t quite place — loneliness, maybe. Across the hall, one door caught her eye. Its paint was chipped, the number barely visible. Near the handle, faint scratches marked the wood, like someone had once tried to get in… or out. She brushed the thought away. It was just an old building, nothing more. “Don’t forget to unpack,” her roommate Lila said cheerfully, tossing her a box of clothes. “And… don’t listen to rumors about the guy across the hall.” Ava paused mid-unpacking. “What rumors?” Lila shrugged with a playful smirk. “Just… rumors. You’ll see.” That night, the dorm grew still. Only the hum of the ceiling fan broke the silence — until soft piano music drifted through the wall. The melody was slow, haunting, almost sad. Ava froze. Who played piano in a dorm at midnight? The sound stopped. Silence. Then — a single, sharp knock on her door. Her chest tightened. She stepped forward slowly, her breath shallow, and pulled the door open. No one was there. Only a folded note lay on the floor. Ava bent down, her fingers trembling as she unfolded it. “You shouldn’t have come here.” Her heart pounded as she stared at the words, the hallway empty and cold. Somewhere behind the walls, a piano key pressed again — one long, low note — before the sound faded into silence.