TRAPPED IN HIS TERRITORY

SHADOWS IN THE FIRELIGHT

Bethlehem's pov

The elevator hummed softly as it carried us upward, each floor flashing past in a muted glow. My classmates filled the space with chatter, but I barely heard them. My mind was still on the receptionist’s strange smile and the bus driver’s piercing stare.

The bell chimed and the doors slid open to the fourth floor. A thick carpet, wine-red with golden trims, stretched across the hallway. Soft sconces lit the walls, though the light felt dimmer here, almost as if the brightness was deliberately dulled.

Emma tugged at my hand. “C’mon, let’s find our room before someone steals the best one.”

We trailed behind the others, numbers glinting on brass plaques as people called out their room assignments. Laughter echoed down the corridor as doors opened and bags were dragged inside.

Finally, we found ours,Room 407. The brass numbers gleamed, freshly polished, though there were faint scratches on the door, like claw marks half-hidden beneath the sheen. I swallowed hard, telling myself it was just from old luggage being dragged against it.

Emma didn’t seem to notice. She shoved the key in, twisting until the door creaked open. The room was beautiful,too beautiful for a student trip. Two queen-sized beds sat on either side, their white sheets tucked tightly, pillows puffed to perfection. A chandelier hung low, casting a golden glow across the room.

“Now this,” Emma flopped onto the bed nearest the window with a dramatic sigh, “is the kind of school trip I signed up for.”

I set my suitcase down, scanning the room. Everything was neat, almost staged, like a showroom display. The only thing that felt lived-in was the faint scent in the air,not perfume, not cleaning supplies. Something…earthy. Like old wood and damp stone.

I shook it off and started unpacking. Emma was already rummaging through her things, complaining about how she should’ve brought more outfits.

“Beth, do you think Jason’s room is close to ours?” she asked suddenly, wiggling her eyebrows.

Heat crept into my cheeks. “Emma—”

“What? I’ve seen the way you look at him,” she teased, rolling onto her stomach. “Don’t even try to deny it.”

I zipped my bag shut harder than necessary. “We’re friends. That’s it.”

“Mmhm.” She smirked, clearly unconvinced.

I was grateful when a knock on the door cut her teasing short. We exchanged a glance before I got up to open it.

It was Samantha. She stood there, her suitcase still by her side, eyes flicking nervously up and down the hall as though she didn’t want to be alone out there.

“Hey,” I greeted, stepping aside. “You okay?”

Her smile was strained. “Yeah. Just…wondering if you guys wanted to come down to the lounge later. Some of the others are planning to hang out.”

Emma perked up instantly. “Yes! Finally, something fun. I’ll be there.”

Samantha’s eyes shifted to me. For a second, I thought I saw relief wash over her, like she’d only come because she didn’t want to walk through the halls by herself.

“I’ll think about it,” I said softly.

She nodded, then lowered her voice. “Did you…notice how quiet the town was when we arrived? No one was out. Not even at the shops.”

I hesitated. The thought had crossed my mind, but I hadn’t wanted to dwell on it. “Maybe it’s just late?”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “Yeah. Maybe.”

She left a moment later, her suitcase wheels dragging softly against the carpet as she disappeared into her room.

When I shut the door, Emma raised her brows. “See what I mean? You worry too much. Samantha’s probably just spooked because she doesn’t know how to relax.”

But as I sat back on my bed, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Samantha wasn’t just spooked. She had seen something,or sensed it,just like I had.

And when I glanced toward the window, I froze.

The curtains were slightly open, revealing the town below. Halestone’s streets were empty, not a single car, not a single person. Only the faint flicker of streetlamps against cobblestone roads.

The silence pressed against the glass, heavy and unnatural.

I let the curtain fall shut quickly, my chest tight.

Something about this place wasn’t right.

**********************************

The hallway outside our room was quieter than before, most doors shut tight. From behind a few, I could hear muffled voices and laughter, but the silence pressing between them felt heavier than it should have. Samantha waited stiffly by the elevator, her suitcase already tucked in her room. She looked relieved when she saw Emma and me, as though she hadn’t wanted to go down alone.

The ride down was slow, the kind of slow that makes you acutely aware of every passing second. The soft hum of the elevator filled the silence, broken only by Emma humming some pop tune under her breath. Samantha stood with her arms crossed, eyes fixed on the glowing numbers.

The bell chimed, and the doors slid open into the hotel’s lounge.

It was bigger than I expected—velvet couches clustered around glass coffee tables, dim chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and a grand fireplace along one wall. Only it wasn’t lit. Instead, dozens of candles sat on the mantel, their flames flickering too violently, throwing restless shadows across the walls.

The others were already sprawled around. Jason leaned casually against a couch arm, laughing with Mathew, while a few students lounged on the rug, sipping from soda cans and passing around a bag of chips.

“Finally!” Jason grinned when he spotted us. “Thought you guys got lost.”

“Beth was dragging her feet,” Emma announced with a dramatic sigh, flopping onto the couch nearest him.

Jason’s smile softened as his eyes lingered on me. “Travel wore you out, huh?”

Heat rose in my cheeks, and I quickly sat beside Samantha to avoid Emma’s smirk.

Across the room, Marcy was perched on the arm of another couch, her blonde hair falling over one shoulder. She twirled it idly around her finger as she scrolled through her phone. “Ugh, no signal. My i********: stories are going to be days late.”

“Maybe that’s a good thing,” Mathew teased. “You might actually survive without posting every five minutes.”

“Please,” Marcy shot back with a grin. “The world needs me.”

A round of laughter followed, easing some of the tension in the air.

Two new students I hadn’t spoken much to before joined the conversation—Leo, tall and lanky with glasses too big for his face, and Hailey, a petite girl with sharp cheekbones and an even sharper tongue.

“Forget i********:,” Hailey said, shaking out her curls. “I want to know where the professor went. He ditched us the second we got here. Weird, right?”

Leo adjusted his glasses nervously. “Maybe he had something important to handle.”

“Or maybe,” Hailey smirked, “he secretly lives here and didn’t want us to find out.”

That earned more laughter, though it sounded louder than it needed to, like everyone was trying too hard to feel normal.

Samantha stayed quiet beside me, her eyes flicking toward the unlit fireplace. Her fingers twisted the hem of her sleeve.

“So,” Jason said, glancing around, “anyone else notice how empty the town was? Not a single person outside when we drove in.”

“Small towns do that,” Leo shrugged. “Shops close early, people keep to themselves.”

Marcy rolled her eyes. “Or they’ve all been murdered, and we’re next. Classic horror setup.”

Emma threw a chip at her. “You’re such a buzzkill.”

The group laughed again, but Samantha’s shoulders tensed. She leaned closer to me, her voice low. “Beth…do you hear that?”

At first, I didn’t. Then—faint. Almost too faint. A slow, steady rhythm, like footsteps pacing directly above us.

I glanced up at the ceiling, smooth and ivory, giving nothing away. “It’s probably other guests,” I whispered back, though even saying it didn’t convince me.

Jason tilted his head, noticing my distraction. “You sure you’re okay?”

I nodded quickly, forcing a smile. “Yeah. Just tired.”

But my gaze drifted again toward the candles. Their flames flickered high, shadows leaping across the walls. No breeze stirred the air. No one had walked past them.

Still, the shadows moved as if someone unseen was pacing the room with us.

---

The chatter grew louder as more students trickled into the lounge, each claiming a seat or patch of carpet. Someone found a speaker in their bag and started playing music, low enough not to echo but just enough to fill the silence.

For a moment, it almost felt like any ordinary school trip.

Almost.

“Okay,” Marcy announced, swinging her legs off the arm of the couch and onto the rug. “This is boring. We need a game. Truth or dare.”

“Oh God,” Leo groaned, adjusting his glasses. “We’re not twelve.”

“Relax, nerd,” Hailey smirked. “It’s fun. Unless you’re scared.”

“I’m not scared,” he muttered, but the flush creeping up his neck said otherwise.

Emma clapped her hands. “Yes! Finally! I second truth or dare.”

Jason chuckled, leaning back. “Fine. But if anyone dares me to strip, I’m out.”

“Boo!” Emma jeered, throwing another chip his way.

“Okay, I’ll start.” Marcy looked around the circle, her eyes landing on Samantha. “Truth or dare?”

Samantha’s lips parted, then pressed together. For a second, she looked like she might say no. But everyone was watching. “Truth,” she said quietly.

Marcy grinned. “Do you believe in ghosts?”

The group groaned, some laughing, others rolling their eyes.

“That’s so lame,” Hailey said.

Samantha, though, didn’t laugh. Her eyes flicked to the fireplace, the candles burning too brightly. “Yes,” she said simply. “I do.”

The group quieted for a moment, as though her answer had sucked the humor right out of the air. Then Jason cleared his throat. “Alright, my turn. Emma,truth or dare?”

Emma’s grin widened. “Dare.”

Jason smirked. “I dare you to shout out the window and see if anyone answers.”

The group howled with laughter as Emma jumped up, dramatic as always. She marched toward the nearest window, yanking the curtains aside. “Hello, Halestone!” she yelled into the night.

The sound bounced back, hollow against the silent streets. No voices answered. No movement stirred. Not even a dog barked.

Emma laughed nervously. “Guess they’re all asleep.” She closed the curtain quickly and flopped back onto the couch, her bravado slipping just slightly.

“See?” Hailey teased. “Dead town. I bet no one even lives here.”

“Shut up,” Leo muttered. “That’s not funny.”

But when the group quieted, the sound returned,the faint footsteps above. Slow. Deliberate.

Marcy frowned. “Okay, who’s in the room upstairs?”

“Pretty sure those floors are empty,” Jason said, brows furrowing.

“Then who’s—”

Before she could finish, one of the candles on the mantel sputtered violently, flame stretching high before settling again. A collective hush fell over the group.

No one moved.

Then Emma forced a laugh, breaking the tension. “Okay, creepy. But it’s just…bad wiring. Or drafts. Or whatever.”

The others nodded, though uneasily. Conversation started again, but it was softer now, the jokes not landing as easily.

I sat stiffly, the weight of unease pressing down on my chest. Because no matter what excuses Emma or anyone else tried to make,there had been no draft. And yet, the shadows on the wall still swayed like someone unseen was walking among us.