The sleep over

Chapter three

The first night

As the evening wore on, the conversation became stilted, strained. The laughter that once flowed so easily among them now felt forced, unnatural. Emma couldn’t shake the feeling that they were all playing a part, trying to recapture the camaraderie of their youth while knowing it was impossible. The weight of what had happened in this very cabin ten years ago hung over them like a dark cloud, stifling any genuine connection.After dinner, they decided to call it a night. The storm that had been threatening all evening finally broke, and rain began to lash against the windows, accompanied by the distant rumble of thunder. The cabin creaked under the force of the wind, making it feel even more isolated than before.“Guess it’s a good thing we’re stuck inside,” Mia said, trying to lighten the mood as they cleared the dishes. “Wouldn’t want to be out in that.”“Yeah,” Tom muttered, “as long as the roof doesn’t cave in.”The joke fell flat, and they finished cleaning up in silence. The group drifted off to their respective rooms, each one more than ready to be alone with their thoughts.Emma’s room was the same one she had stayed in years ago, on that fateful trip. As she stepped inside, she was hit with a wave of memories. The bed was still covered with the same old quilt, faded but familiar. The wooden dresser and nightstand hadn’t moved an inch, and the window still looked out onto the thick, dark woods that surrounded the cabin.She set her bag down and began to unpack, but her hands were trembling. She couldn’t stop thinking about Sarah’s words earlier. “Secrets have a way of coming out.” What did Sarah know? What was she trying to say?Emma glanced at the door, half-expecting Sarah to appear there, but the hallway was empty. She shut the door and locked it, needing the barrier between herself and the rest of the cabin. She knew sleep wouldn’t come easily tonight.As she climbed into bed, the storm raged outside, and the sounds of the cabin settling filled the silence. Every creak and groan of the wood made Emma flinch, her nerves already frayed. She tried to calm herself, telling herself it was just an old building reacting to the weather, but it was no use. The cabin felt alive, as if it were breathing, watching.Emma pulled the quilt up to her chin and closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep. But her mind kept drifting back to Rachel, to that last night they all spent here together. The details were hazy now, but the fear and confusion she felt were still vivid, as if no time had passed at all.Just as she was beginning to drift off, a noise startled her awake. She sat up in bed, heart pounding. It had been a faint sound, like a door creaking open, followed by a soft thud. Emma held her breath, listening intently. The storm was louder now, but she thought she could hear something else, something inside the cabin.She told herself it was just the wind, just the storm playing tricks on her mind. But then she heard it again—a soft, shuffling sound, like footsteps, moving slowly down the hall.Emma’s blood ran cold. She reached for her phone on the nightstand, but there was no signal, no way to call anyone. She was alone in this room, in this cabin, with no one to turn to.The footsteps grew louder, closer. She could hear them outside her door now, slow and deliberate. Her heart was racing, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Who was out there? Was it one of her friends? Or was it something else, something darker?The handle of her door rattled, and Emma’s breath caught in her throat. The door was locked, but she could see the handle twisting, as if someone—or something—was trying to get in. She wanted to scream, to call out for help, but her voice was stuck in her throat, strangled by fear.And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the noise stopped. The handle went still, the footsteps ceased. The only sound was the pounding of Emma’s heart and the storm raging outside.Emma sat frozen in her bed, too terrified to move. Minutes passed, and the door remained closed. Whatever it was, it was gone. But Emma knew she wouldn’t sleep a wink that night, not with the knowledge that something—or someone—had been outside her door.