Don’t Open the Door: Death in 403

Don’t Open the Door: Death in 403

Author: Michael Branch

Chapter 5: Scream in the Dark—No Way Out

"Please, don’t make me go outside. Let the cops come and arrest me, I don’t care. I just don’t want to die!"

We were all pretty sure the thief was telling the truth. The girl from 202 almost cried as she confirmed:

"My cat still hasn’t come home."

Her message was pure heartbreak. I pictured her clutching a ratty cat toy, tears streaming down her face. It hit me—this wasn’t just a story. It was happening to us.

I felt like a heavy stone was pressing on my chest. My breath came in short, shallow gasps. The room felt colder, the shadows deeper. I hugged myself, trying to keep the terror at bay.

God, whatever this thing is, it’s terrifying. If it gets in here... we’re in real trouble!

I tagged 203 directly:

"So did you really call 911 or not?"

My message was blunt, desperate. The chat went silent, everyone waiting.

203 paused for a moment:

"I couldn’t get through either."

His words hit like a punch to the gut. The isolation was total. We were on our own.

Suddenly, 203 sent a voice message, like he’d hit the button by accident. And in that message—there was a scream!

The sound was raw, animal, echoing through the chat. It cut through everything, sending chills down my spine. For a moment, nobody typed. We all just listened, frozen, as the scream faded into silence. That was it—whatever was out there, it wasn’t finished with us yet.

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