THE DORMITORY THAT WHISPERED

CHAPTER ONE: THE EMPTY BED Night always came too early at Blackwood Boarding School. By 8:30 p.m., the corridors were silent except for the ticking of the wall clock near the dorm master’s office and the distant hum of insects outside. The school sat far from the nearest town, surrounded by tall trees that blocked moonlight like giant shadows standing guard. Inside Dormitory C, five friends shared the farthest room at the end of the hall. Mira was the first to notice something was wrong. She sat up in bed, her book sliding off her lap. “Guys…” she whispered. No one answered. Leo was pretending to sleep. Jax had his blanket over his head. Tari was sketching in the dim glow of a torchlight. Nina lay on her side, facing the wall. Mira swallowed. “Nina’s bed is empty.” That got Leo moving. “Huh?” He sat up. “She’s probably in the bathroom.” “She went before lights out,” Mira said. “And she never leaves her slippers behind.” They all turned toward Nina’s bed. The blanket was folded. Her pillow was neatly placed. Her slippers were still under the bed. “She wouldn’t do that,” Tari said quietly. A cold feeling crept into the room. Jax jumped down from his bed. “Relax. Maybe she went to the matron’s office.” “At night?” Leo asked. “Without telling us?” They stood there, staring at the empty bed like it was staring back. Then… Tap. Tap. Tap. A soft sound came from the window. Mira froze. “What was that?” Nina whispered— Then they remembered. Nina was missing. The tap came again. Jax slowly pulled the curtain aside. Nothing was outside. Just darkness and trees moving in the wind. “Maybe a branch,” he said, but his voice was not convincing. They all went back to bed, though sleep did not come. Minutes passed. Then the whisper started. It was faint, like someone breathing words through the walls. “…don’t look… don’t look…” Mira covered her ears. Leo sat up. “Who’s saying that?” Tari’s torchlight shook as he aimed it at the door. The whisper grew clearer. “…she’s awake…” Nina’s voice. All five of them sat up at once. “That’s Nina,” Mira said. “But she’s not here,” Jax said. The dorm door creaked. Slowly. Painfully slowly. The handle turned. They watched as the door opened by itself. No one stood there. The hallway was empty. Then a shape appeared on the floor. A shad CHAPTER ONE: THE EMPTY BED Night always came too early at Blackwood Boarding School. By 8:30 p.m., the corridors were silent except for the ticking of the wall clock near the dorm master’s office and the distant hum of insects outside. The school sat far from the nearest town, surrounded by tall trees that blocked moonlight like giant shadows standing guard. Inside Dormitory C, five friends shared the farthest room at the end of the hall. Mira was the first to notice something was wrong. She sat up in bed, her book sliding off her lap. “Guys…” she whispered. No one answered. Leo was pretending to sleep. Jax had his blanket over his head. Tari was sketching in the dim glow of a torchlight. Nina lay on her side, facing the wall. Mira swallowed. “Nina’s bed is empty.” That got Leo moving. “Huh?” He sat up. “She’s probably in the bathroom.” “She went before lights out,” Mira said. “And she never leaves her slippers behind.” They all turned toward Nina’s bed. The blanket was folded. Her pillow was neatly placed. Her slippers were still under the bed. “She wouldn’t do that,” Tari said quietly. A cold feeling crept into the room. Jax jumped down from his bed. “Relax. Maybe she went to the matron’s office.” “At night?” Leo asked. “Without telling us?” They stood there, staring at the empty bed like it was staring back. Then… Tap. Tap. Tap. A soft sound came from the window. Mira froze. “What was that?” Nina whispered— Then they remembered. Nina was missing. The tap came again. Jax slowly pulled the curtain aside. Nothing was outside. Just darkness and trees moving in the wind. “Maybe a branch,” he said, but his voice was not convincing. They all went back to bed, though sleep did not come. Minutes passed. Then the whisper started. It was faint, like someone breathing words through the walls. “…don’t look… don’t look…” Mira covered her ears. Leo sat up. “Who’s saying that?” Tari’s torchlight shook as he aimed it at the door. The whisper grew clearer. “…she’s awake…” Nina’s voice. All five of them sat up at once. “That’s Nina,” Mira said. “But she’s not here,” Jax said. The dorm door creaked. Slowly. Painfully slowly. The handle turned. They watched as the door opened by itself. No one stood there. The hallway was empty. Then a shape appeared on the floor. A shadow, stretching toward Nina’s bed. The whisper stopped. Leo stood up. “This is stupid. I’m going to check the hall.” Mira grabbed his arm. “Don’t.” But he pulled away and stepped outside. The door closed behind him. They waited. Ten seconds. Twenty. “Leo?” Jax called. No answer. They rushed to the door and opened it. The corridor was empty. Leo was gone. They searched the hall quietly, afraid of being caught by the dorm master. “Nina?” Mira whispered. “Leo?” Jax called softly. Only their footsteps answered. Tari stopped walking. “Guys…” They turned. On the wall near the staircase was something written. Not with chalk. Not with pen. It looked scratched into the paint. FIVE CAME. THREE WILL STAY. Nina’s handwriting. Mira felt dizzy. “Why would she write that?” “She wouldn’t,” Jax said. “Someone’s messing with us.” But deep down, they all knew something worse was happening. They heard a sound below. A slow dragging noise. From the basement door. The basement was f*******n. It had been locked for years. They stood at the top of the stairs, staring down. The dragging sound stopped. Then they heard a whisper again. “…help me…” Nina’s voice. From the basement. Leo’s voice joined it. “…please…” Mira’s heart pounded so hard she thought it would burst. “We should get a teacher,” she said. “But what if they disappear before we come back?” Jax said. Silence filled the stairway. Then the basement door opened. By itself. Cold air rushed up the stairs. Inside was complete darkness. A handprint appeared on the wall. Wet. Not blood. Just water… like someone came out of a river. Tari shook. “That’s not normal.” Mira stepped back. “We’re not going in there.” The whispers became louder. “…you left us…” “…your turn…” The lights flickered. And went out. Total darkness. Someone screamed. It wasn’t Nina. It wasn’t Leo. It was right behind them.