Following the chilling success of their first collection, Lady Eckland, Glenn Riley, and new collaborator, Bella Darkwood return to guide you through the shadowy corridors of fear with their second compendium, *Whispers In The Dark 2*. These master...
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"I still can't believe we're actually doing this," Ava said, peering up at the looming brick facade of Mercy Hall as lightning flashed across the night sky. At ten stories tall, the campus's oldest dorm was an imposing Gothic structure, full of strange stories and student myths.
Tonight, she stood with her friends Mia and Zoe at the building's base. The late hour left the courtyard deserted, the windows of the hall dark.
"Getting cold feet?" Zoe asked. "We've been talking about trying this for weeks."
"No cold feet," Ava insisted, adjusting the backpack holding supplies for their adventure. "It's just...it's one thing to joke about the Elevator Game. It's another to actually play it."
According to legend, the Elevator Game could transport players to another dimension if they followed the ritual’s intricate steps. Skeptical but curious, the three friends intended to put the campus myth to the test tonight.
"Don't wimp out on us now," Mia said. Though her tone was light, Ava detected a quiver of unease. "Let's go before I lose my nerve too."
They crossed the courtyard and entered the dorm. Their footsteps echoed as they passed through the entryway into the still and silent lobby. The old building always seemed to groan and settle at night, and Ava felt the familiar trickle of apprehension.
At least the lobby lights were still on. Once they stepped into the elevator and began the ritual, things would get spooky.
The brass doors shone at the hall's end, and Zoe pressed the call button. With a soft grind of cables, the elevator arrived. The three gathered their courage and stepped inside.
As the doors whispered closed, Ava’s breath quickened. "Here we go.”
Zoe checked her watch. “Okay. One minute past midnight. Let’s do this.”
Mia pressed the button for the fourth floor. As the elevator jerked upwards, the lights dimmed. The aged lift machinery rattled louder in the dark. Finally, the doors slid open.
One by one, they stepped off, turned to the panel, and waited. Mia held her phone, timing each portion meticulously according to the steps they’d studied. At precisely one minute and thirty seconds, she nodded.
They re-boarded the elevator and rode to the second floor. Though Ava knew they had planned this late-night adventure, the empty stillness of the sleeping halls filled her with unease. She couldn’t shake the feeling they were being watched.
At the next interval, they descended to the sixth floor. The shadows seemed to lengthen and stretch. A cold draft swirled around Ava’s ankles despite the warm air of early summer.
“You good?” Zoe checked as the digits ticked down.
“Yeah. Just chilly for June.” She forced confidence into her tone. “Let’s keep going.”
