**Chapter 10: Friends Forever**
1223 Words
Mira froze as the whisper echoed in her ear. Her breath hitched, her body trembling uncontrollably. The air around her turned colder, so cold it felt like needles piercing her skin. Her eyes darted to the corner, expecting to see someone—or something—but the shadows mocked her with their silence.
Then, she felt it again. The breath. Hot and heavy on the nape of her neck.
Her chest heaved as she tried to scream, but no sound came out. Her muscles locked in place as if an unseen force had taken control of her body. Suddenly, she felt a weight on her shoulder—icy, clammy fingers that seemed to burn and freeze her at the same time.
“MiraaAAAAA,” a voice hissed, low and guttural, as though it clawed its way from the depths of the earth.
Mira wanted to run, but her legs refused to move. She wanted to cry, but her tears felt frozen. Then, as if summoned by her terror, a figure materialized in front of her, emerging from the shadows like smoke solidifying into flesh.
It was Sonia.
Her face was pale, her hollow eyes gleaming unnaturally in the darkness. But she was smiling—an unnerving, saccharine smile that made Mira’s stomach churn.
As Sonia stepped closer, Mira found herself able to breathe and speak again. The invisible grip on her face released. She gasped for air, her lungs heaving as she managed to scream, “What do you want from me?!”
Sonia’s smile widened, a grotesque parody of warmth. “I want us to be friends, Mira. Best friends. You and me... and the others.”
Mira’s stomach twisted at the mention of “others.” She stammered, “Others? What others?”
Sonia tilted her head, her expression one of innocent amusement. “All of us who disappeared here. We live together now, forever. You, me, and the others—we’ll never be lonely again. We’ll play in the garden, talk for hours, and laugh at the world outside. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?”
Mira shook her head, fear crawling up her spine like ice. “No! I don’t belong here! I have friends—people who care about me!”
Sonia’s expression darkened, her smile faltering. She let out a low, humorless chuckle. “Friends? Family? Care about you? Oh, Mira...”
Mira’s heart raced as Sonia stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “They don’t care about you. No one does. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? That’s why you left your life behind. You wanted to escape, just like I did. You and I—we’re the same.”
Mira’s voice wavered. “No... no, you’re wrong. I came here to study, to start fresh—”
“To run away,” Sonia interrupted sharply, her eyes narrowing. “I saw it the moment you stepped onto this campus. That loneliness in your eyes. The weight you carried. You thought you could leave it behind, but it followed you here. It always does.”
Mira’s legs felt weak, her knees threatening to buckle. “I... I’m not like you,” she whispered.
Sonia’s smile returned, though it was colder now, tinged with bitterness. “I was just like you once. I thought I could find freedom here. I thought I could start over. But this place... this *place* finds people like us. It keeps us.”
Sonia’s voice softened, almost tender. “Don’t fight it, Mira. I don’t want you to suffer like I did. Come with me. The others are waiting. They’re getting impatient.”
Sonia’s eyes flashed with something dark. “If you don’t give in... you wouldn’t like what they’ll do to you.”
Mira’s mind raced, her thoughts a tangled mess of fear and confusion. Desperation clawed at her as she stammered, “Wait! Sonia, you said you were invited here. Who invited you? What happened to you?”
Sonia’s gaze grew distant, her voice tinged with sorrow as she began to speak.
“My parents died when I was sixteen. I was left with my aunt, who treated me like a burden. I was nothing to her—just an inconvenience. So I ran away. I got a job, lived on my own... but it was hard. I was lonely. Depressed. I started spending all my time online, looking for connection, for someone who cared.”
Her lips curled into a wistful smile. “And then I met Ruby. She was kind, funny, understanding. She felt like the sister I never had. She promised me a new beginning. She invited me to this place, said she’d help me get into the university. She was even friends with the dean. She made it all sound so perfect.”
Mira listened, horrified yet unable to look away.
“I moved here, started studying, and got a part-time job at a grocery store. For a while, it was good. I thought I’d finally found a home. But then... I started seeing things. A figure in the garden. Shadows that didn’t belong. One night, I followed it. I don’t know why. Curiosity, maybe. Or something else...”
Sonia’s voice trembled, her smile fading. “I got lost in the garden. My phone didn’t work. I couldn’t find my way out. And then... something hit me. Hard. When I woke up, I wasn’t... I wasn’t alive anymore. I was trapped here. That’s when I met the others. They told me the same thing happened to them.”
Mira’s breath caught in her throat. “And Ruby? The dean? Did they look for you?”
Sonia’s expression hardened. “Ruby still comes to the university sometimes. I see her, but... I can’t get close to her. Something keeps me away. I don’t know why.”
Her eyes locked onto Mira’s, burning with an unsettling intensity. “But I don’t care anymore. I have you now. I couldn’t wait any longer, so I took you. I brought you here so we can be together. Forever.”
Mira’s blood ran cold as Sonia’s words sank in.
“No,” Mira whispered, shaking her head. “I don’t want this. I don’t belong here. I won’t stay.”
Sonia’s face twisted with anger, her voice dropping to a low growl. “You don’t have a choice, Mira. You’re already here. And if you don’t come willingly... the others will make sure you never leave.”
The shadows around Mira began to move, writhing like living things. Faint whispers filled the air, growing louder, more insistent.
“Miraaaaa... stay with us... forever...”
Mira backed against the wall, her heart pounding like a drum. The room grew darker, the shadows closing in.
“Run if you want,” Sonia said coldly. “But there’s no escape. This place is alive. It won’t let you go.”
Mira’s eyes darted to the door, her mind screaming at her to move. But her legs felt like lead, rooted to the floor.
And then, with one final breath, she forced herself to run.
The shadows roared behind her, and Sonia’s voice echoed through the darkness.
“You can’t escape, Mira! You’re mine!”
Mira’s screams were swallowed by the void as she sprinted into the endless hallway, the darkness closing in around her.
- Writer
