I tense up at the sudden noise from my headphones that breaks the silence in my dorm room. It takes a while, but I adjust to the noise, letting the video play out with mild interest. My stomach growls harshly, I should get something to eat from the basement. I glance at the clock; 3:06 a.m. About bedtime, Kyle. I think to myself.
I roll over after laying my laptop aside and cover my tired eyes, only more tired by the effects of the glare from a computer screen that has shone into them for hours. The covers are warm against me, and my roommate’s steady breathing adds more white noise to the air conditioning unit above my bed. The air conditioner shuts off and the room is still, even my roommate’s breathing is too light for my sleep-deprived ears to pick up. It seems at night, silence breaks even itself.
So I lay there, for God knows how long. Listening. The silence is good for that. I lay there and adjust to a more comfortable position and as I get comfortable, I am brought back to alertness by the sudden noise of a few drunk friends in the hall coming back from a late-night party. They don’t say anything important; just being extra loud like most of their kind. So, I lay there, listening to one complain about his girlfriend being whiney and another tell him how whipped he is.
After the ramble calms, I close my eyes and attempt to sleep again, rolling over. My stomach growls loudly, ravenously, wolf-like, begging for a snack. So, I get up and slip on some short and flip-flops to go downstairs, pocketing a few quarters as I leave the room.
Newberry is always empty after midnight, but I don’t feel like taking the elavators, they take too long. So I walk across the hall to the stairwell, very reliable and fast when you live on the second floor.
The door closes behind me and the solid thud echoes up and down the eight floors of the stairs. It’s eerie how quiet it is afterwards. Not even the usually annoying, cheap, flourescent lights buzz. Just the sharp SMACK! of my flip-flops hitting my heels as I make my way to the stairs leading down.
I softly climb down the stairs, strangely nervous about being alone. I feel like I’m being watched, so I lean over the side of the railings and look straight up the stairwell. Nothing. And then I look straight down. Nothing.
I must just be getting paranoid at nothing, so I shake it off the best I could and make it down to the first floor, smiling at the only camera above the door and walking into the door leading to more stairs, which lead to the basement. So far so good.
This door is incredibly loud, and the sound rings off the walls for what felt like forever. But there was something else. I listen as hard as I can, but I don’t hear it again. It sounded strange, like a wheeze or a shuffle of something. Just another student, I think to myself, waving off the paranoia, with little effect. My eyes droop heavily, and I slowly continue marching down the stairs, ready to eat.
I make it to the basement and walk through the small maze of hallways into the open area we affectionately call “The Man-Cave,” which is nothing much, just a pool table, some ping-pong, and of course, vending machines. It’s dimly lit, and empty, save a few couches and those previously mentioned.
I walk slowly towards the machines, which stand in the darker area, the shadows seem to twist and stretch. My sleep-deprived brain can’t comprehend much. And out of the corner of my eye, in the hallway, I see a figure. It’s gone now. But it was incredibly tall, and dark. I didn’t look directly at it, because I’m always cautious to not move when in danger. I read The Ranger’s Apprentice… I really may seem weird for it, but I follow a lot of the stealth patterns presented in it. I mark off this sighting as mere sleep-deprivation. But my mind is racing. I don’t feel very hungry anymore… And my hands won’t stop shaking. I have no idea why I’m so scared… I just need to get to the room.
YOU ARE READING
The Creepy Pasta (Slenderman, Jeff the Killer, The Rake, and More)
ParanormalIf you read this you are awesome. It's so long.