The next day dawned gray and silent, as though the clouds themselves were holding their breath. Aryan stood at the motel window, staring into the fog that clung to the outer walls like a ghost refusing to leave. His night had been restless, haunted by sounds that should not have existed—a woman weeping softly through the vents, the scratching of nails on the inside of the wardrobe, and the faint echo of a lullaby.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZmMPXDr2M
He hadn’t told anyone what happened in Room 13. Not even Devlin. But something about that room had followed him into his dreams—and worse, into his waking hours. He glanced again at the photograph he’d taken of the room’s mirror. There was a shadow behind him in the image. But when he had taken it, he was completely alone.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMES1oKhu6b
At breakfast, Aryan forced down a few bites of toast and made his way to the reception. Devlin was reading the newspaper again, same spot, same eerie stillness.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswDeVbqSbw
"Devlin," Aryan said carefully, "has anyone ever... disappeared from Room 13?"
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8VMCeuQHA
Devlin’s eyes didn’t leave the paper. "That room was closed for a reason. People who enter it sometimes leave pieces of themselves behind."
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnVR04e0G8
Aryan felt a chill trace his spine. "What do you mean by 'pieces'?"
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoFltjvG0U
"Memories. Sanity. Sometimes more."
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiMz6MAGgr
Aryan’s throat went dry. He turned to leave but Devlin spoke again.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rqQEfmaLW
"If you're hearing her, it's already too late."
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3G13cjZRKm
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAMv302q2W
---
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZS74bBdaK
Back in the room, Aryan opened his laptop to search local records, missing persons, anything. What he found froze his blood. Every year since 1983, exactly one person had gone missing in this town—each disappearance occurring in July, within a block of the motel.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSZs5qCFfL
And this year, July had just begun.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHP3D42Rc7t
As Aryan stared at the screen, the lights flickered. Then dimmed. Then a whisper.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4Ap7Q0uEy
"Help me..."
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TppFOQ9oO
He whipped around. No one.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4yuzN1saf9
He turned back to the laptop—and every letter on the keyboard had changed. Rearranged themselves. Spelling out one sentence:
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKIH3HpsjO
"You shouldn't have opened the door."
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFms39KEhKu
Aryan slammed the laptop shut and backed away, only to find the closet door slowly creaking open behind him.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRrEwGkAnk
Inside wasn’t storage. It was... another hallway. A cold, dark corridor with peeling wallpaper and flickering lights.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5DJggzeIM
At the far end stood a little girl in a white dress, her head tilted, her eyes pitch black.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAu0KwjfUj
She lifted her hand and pointed at him.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxlkJh8rqe
"He’s here," she whispered to someone unseen. "He remembers."
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzRio5TJJ2
Aryan turned to run, but the motel room behind him had vanished. He was no longer in Room 13.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwrDWIM3Hf
He was inside the wall.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarqj5nZveX
And the walls were whispering his name.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBL4zosoLN
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjOrJmLfzD
---
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNMLRExBTF
Would you like Chapter 3 next?
Chapter 3 coming 🔜
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFrdCpqiPy
