THE THREE ROOMMATES: THE APARTMENT THAT NEVER SLEEPS

The rain poured heavily as Mia stood in front of the old apartment building, staring at its broken windows. The building looked abandoned, even though the landlord had promised that the apartment was clean, comfortable, and perfect for three young women. "Are you sure this is the right place?" Chelsea asked, pulling her jacket closer around her body. Mia checked the address on her phone. "Yes. This is it. Maybe it just looks scary because of the rain." Natasha said nothing. She stood a few steps behind them, staring at a dark window on the third floor. For a moment, she thought she saw someone standing behind the glass. "Guys," she whispered. "Did you see that?" Chelsea turned around. "See what?" Before Natasha could answer, the building's front door creaked open by itself. Mia forced a nervous laugh. "Okay, that's creepy. But we're not going to let an old building scare us, are we?" They carried their bags inside. The hallway smelled of damp wood and something strangely sweet, like flowers that had been left to rot. A weak light flickered above the staircase. On the wall hung an old clock, but its hands were moving backward. "That's impossible," Chelsea murmured. Natasha reached for Mia's arm. "I don't like this place. We should leave." Suddenly, a loud sound came from upstairs. BANG! All three women froze. Then they heard footsteps. Slow, heavy footsteps moving toward them. Mia raised her phone to use its flashlight. "Hello? Is someone there?" The footsteps stopped. For several seconds, the hallway remained silent. Then a woman's voice whispered from the darkness above them. "You're late." Chelsea screamed. The light went out. And somewhere inside the apartment building, a door slowly locked itself.