Chapter 1: the girl in room 307

Chapter 1: The Room Across the Hall

Amara hated new beginnings.

New school. New hostel. New room. New people.

Everything felt unfamiliar.

She stood in the middle of her tiny hostel room, staring at the boxes scattered across the floor.

“Finally,” she whispered, dropping onto the edge of her bed.

It was almost midnight.

Her roommate, Teni, had already fallen asleep.

Amara reached for her phone to check the time.

11:58 p.m.

She sighed and plugged in her charger.

That was when she heard it.

Knock.

Amara looked up.

Another knock followed.

Knock.

She glanced at Teni.

“Teni?”

No response.

Amara got up and opened the door slightly.

The hallway was empty.

The lights flickered above her.

She stepped outside.

Her eyes moved from one room to another.

301.

302.

303.

Then she stopped.

307.

The door was directly opposite her room.

There was something strange about it.

Unlike the other rooms, Room 307 had no name written beside the door.

No padlock.

No notice.

Nothing.

Just an old, faded number.

Amara stared at it.

Then she remembered what Teni had said earlier.

“Don't ask about 307.”

At the time, Amara had laughed.

Now, she wasn't laughing.

She slowly walked toward the door.

“Hello?”

Silence.

She took another step.

Then she heard something.

A soft sound from inside.

Someone was crying.

Amara's heart began beating faster.

“Is someone there?”

The crying stopped.

For several seconds, there was complete silence.

Then a girl's voice whispered from behind the door.

“Please…”

Amara froze.

The voice came again.

“Please help me.”

Amara reached toward the doorknob.

Before her fingers touched it, Teni suddenly grabbed her arm from behind.

“Amara!”

Amara screamed and spun around.

Teni looked terrified.

“What are you doing here?”

“I heard someone inside.”

Teni stared at Room 307.

“There is nobody inside.”

“But I heard a girl crying!”

Teni shook her head.

“Amara, listen to me. Room 307 has been locked since before I came here.”

“Then who was talking?”

Teni didn't answer.

She pulled Amara back toward their room.

“Just come inside.”

Amara followed, but she couldn't stop looking at the door.

As Teni shut their door, Amara whispered,

“What happened in that room?”

Teni's face changed.

“Don't ever ask that question again.”

Then she switched off the light.

Amara lay awake for a long time.

Eventually, exhaustion took over.

She closed her eyes.

And just as she was about to fall asleep—

Knock.

Her eyes opened.

Knock.

She sat up slowly.

The clock beside her bed read:

2:17 a.m.

Then came the third knock.

Knock.

But this time, it wasn't coming from Room 307.

It was coming from inside their room.

Amara slowly turned toward Teni.

Teni was still asleep.

Then Amara noticed something on the floor beside her bed.

A small white piece of paper.

She picked it up with trembling hands.

There were only six words written on it.

“You shouldn't have opened the door.”

Amara's breath caught.

Because she hadn't.

At least…

she didn't think she had.