I stood in front of John, my hands clenched tightly. He was still sitting there, on the opposite bed, as calm as if nothing had happened. But I knew… **something was wrong.**
The Strange Signs
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.
"Who are you really?" I asked, my voice hoarse.
John tilted his head, the smile on his lips unchanged. "Good question."
"I'm serious." I clenched my fists. "You don't appear in any of my photos, your name isn't on the student list, no one remembers you. You don't eat, you don't sleep, you don't leave this room. **What exactly are you?**"
John was silent for a long moment.
Then, he laughed. A low, raspy laugh that sent chills down my spine.
"I'm not sure… you're ready for the truth."
My heart pounded. "What do you mean?"
John looked straight into my eyes.
"Are you sure… you want to remember everything?"
His words made my skin crawl.
Why did he say **'remember'**?
I had never forgotten anything… had I?
---
The Dream That Night
That night, I couldn't sleep. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
Something was wrong.
I felt like I had forgotten something incredibly important, but I couldn't recall what it was.
When I closed my eyes, strange images appeared.
I saw a door.
Old, chipped paint, standing at the end of a dark hallway. It felt familiar, yet I couldn't remember where I had seen it before.
Someone stood in front of the door.
A tall, thin figure, wearing a black hoodie… just like John.
I heard a whisper:
*"Open the door… You need to remember."*
My heart pounded, my body turned cold. I bolted upright, gasping for air.
That wasn't just a dream. **It was a memory.**
---
The Secret Behind the Door
The next morning, I decided to find out the truth.
I didn't know why that dream haunted me, but I had the feeling that if I didn't uncover the answer, I would never escape this nightmare.
I recalled the image from my dream… **the old door at the end of the hallway.**
I stepped out of my room, walking down the dormitory corridor.
And then… I saw it.
At the end of the hallway, between the peeling walls, was an old, worn-out door that looked exactly like the one in my dream.
My hands trembled as I reached for the doorknob.
It **wasn't locked.**
I slowly pushed the door open…
---
The Forgotten Room
The door creaked as it swung open, revealing a dimly lit, dust-covered room.
The light from the hallway was just enough for me to see the old, abandoned furniture. A rusted iron bed frame. An old desk. Papers scattered across the floor.
And on the opposite wall…
**There was a photograph.**
I stepped closer, my heart pounding.
It was a picture of a group of students… and in it was **John.**
He stood at the edge, his face just as expressionless as ever. But what made my blood run cold was that **the photo had turned yellow with age, as if it had existed for a long time…**
I hesitated before turning the photo over.
There was a faded inscription:
**"Year 1998. Dormitory Room 306."**
**1998.**
I could barely breathe.
I turned my gaze around the room.
On the desk, there was an old notebook. I picked it up and flipped through it…
**John's diary.**
---
The Final Entries
I flipped through the yellowed pages, my eyes scanning the messy handwriting.
*"October 12, 1998. I moved into the dormitory. Room 306. My roommate is strange. He always stares at me at night."*
*"October 20, 1998. I'm starting to feel uneasy. Whenever I take pictures, he never appears in them. I asked the dorm manager… but they said no one else was in Room 306 except me."*
*"October 25, 1998. I can't sleep anymore. Every night, I hear whispers in my ear. I don't know who it is."*
*"October 31, 1998. I know the truth now. He doesn't exist. But it's too late for me to escape. If anyone finds this diary… please, don't stay in Room 306."*
The last page was torn in half.
But at the bottom of the page, in shaky handwriting, as if written in desperation, was a final note:
**"He won't let you leave."**
---
History Repeats Itself
I felt my blood turn to ice.
I didn't know what John was, but I knew **I had to get out of here immediately.**
I ran out of the room, slamming the door shut behind me.
And when I turned around…
**John was standing right in front of me.**
The smile on his lips stretched wider than usual.
"You remember now, don't you?" John tilted his head, his voice barely above a whisper.
I took a step back.
"You can't escape."
The hallway lights flickered violently.
The air grew heavy, like an invisible force was squeezing the breath out of me.
"He couldn't escape, and neither will you," John whispered.
I felt the darkness swallowing me whole.
This dormitory, this room, **had already consumed someone before me.**
And now… it was my turn.
END OF CHAPTER 3.