That night, rain came down in heavy sheets, hammering against the windows, carried by howling winds that rattled through the old boarding house. The usual suffocating heat had disappeared, replaced by a damp, penetrating chill.
A dull ache pressed against Susan's lower abdomen. The urge to pee had yanked her out of sleep.
She groaned.
"Ughhh…" she mumbled, pulling the blanket tighter around herself.
Maybe if she ignored it, it would go away. "Just hold it a little longer…" she whispered, curling into a tighter ball under the covers.
The wind outside whistled through cracks she didn't even know existed.
Susan shut her eyes, trying desperately to fall back asleep.
"Arrgh…" she groaned again, angry that her own body was betraying her.
The more she tried to ignore it, the worse it got.
Helpless, she threw off the blanket and swung her legs off the bed, her feet hitting the cold floor.
Her sleepy eyes drifted to the table.
2:00 AM.
Great.
Dragging herself up like a zombie, she shuffled toward the door.
Outside, the rain hammered the roof, and the wind moaned through the gaps in the old wood. The living room light was still out—the bulb had died earlier that evening. Some of the girls had tried to find Joko, the mute man to replace it, but his door had been locked. He must've been out all night.
Thankfully, the single dim bulb above the bathroom still worked, casting just enough light to keep the hallway from being pitch-black.
Barely awake, Susan staggered toward the bathroom.
The moment she pushed open the toilet door, the hinges screeched loudly, echoing through the quiet hallway.
She let out a long sigh of relief as she finally sat down, her head tilting back slightly.
"Ahhh…"
The simple act of peeing made her feel just a bit more awake.
When she was done, she flushed, rinsed her hands, wiped them half-heartedly on her pajama pants, and stepped back into the hall.
That's when she felt it.
Brrrrrr.
A sudden, sharp gust of cold air hit her skin, making her shiver violently.
Weird… it's never this cold.
This wasn't normal night air. It felt like standing right in front of an air conditioner set to maximum.
She hugged herself, rubbing her arms.
Maybe it's just the wind…
She took one step forward—
And then—
Tip… tap… tip… tap…
The soft slap of sandals against the floor.
Someone was coming down the stairs.
Her breath hitched.
The sound was coming from above.
From the third floor.
Her body reacted before her brain could catch up. She turned her head.
And—
She froze.
Completely.
Her entire body locked in place.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Her mouth fell open, but no sound came out.
Her eyes widened—unblinking—unable to look away.
Her legs refused to move.
Her body ignored every screaming signal from her brain telling her to run.
Because standing halfway down the stairs…was something that shouldn't exist.
At the middle of the staircase, she stood.
A girl.
Draped in a long, white dress.
Jet-black hair spilling over her shoulders.
Her skin unnaturally pale.
Her expression empty—except for her eyes.
Those eyes—They burned with hatred.
Pure, concentrated malice aimed straight at Susan.
The moment their eyes met, terror flooded her chest.
Her brain screamed RUN!
But her feet stayed glued to the floor.
Her breath hitched, her throat tightening as if invisible fingers were squeezing the air out of her lungs.
The girl didn't move.
Didn't blink.
She just stared.
Cold.
Susan's chest rose and fell in panicked heaves, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst through her ribs.
God… please help me.
The prayer echoed silently in her head.
Her lips trembled. She wanted to scream but no sound came out. She only froze looking at the girls on the stairs, and the girl stared her back.
After a while, a few minutes too long, something snapped like an invisible force gripping her body broke. Air rushed back into her lungs.
She could move.
Without hesitation, she jumped back, spun around, and sprinted toward her room.
Her feet barely touched the ground as she bolted, her trembling hands yanking her door open—
SLAM!
She threw herself inside, shoving the door shut with all her strength. Her fingers fumbled with the lock—click!
Locked.
Safe. For now.
She slid down to the floor, curling up against the wall. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she rocked back and forth, shaking uncontrollably.
She didn't dare look at the window. Because deep down… She knew it was still out there.
Watching.
Waiting.