Chapter 1: The Midnight Warning

My roommate jolted awake that first night of freshman orientation, the room thick with darkness and the scent of new bedding. I was just drifting off when a sudden rustle made my eyes snap open, heart thudding in my chest.

Maya shot upright in her bed, breaking the deep hush that filled our dorm. The sheets whispered as she moved, her gaze locked on the foot of my bed. For a second, I wondered if I was still dreaming. The moonlight barely slipped through the blinds, carving sharp shadows across her face as she started to mumble:

"Go on, go on. You graduated years ago."

Her voice was low, almost desperate. It sounded like she was trying to convince someone only she could see. My skin prickled, and I pulled my blanket closer, nerves jangling as she kept going:

"Someone new sleeps here now."

The words just hung there between us. I felt my breath catch. For a moment, the silence was so deep I could almost hear my own pulse. I shot a glance at the dark corners of the room, half-expecting something to move, even though I knew it was impossible.

"You gotta find somewhere else."

She sounded worn out, like this wasn’t the first time she’d had this weird midnight chat. The air in the dorm seemed to thicken, pressing in on my chest until it was hard to breathe.

When she finished, Maya reached over and patted my cheek.

Her hand was ice-cold, and the shock made me flinch. My heart skipped a beat. She leaned in, so close I could feel her breath against my ear, and whispered:

"Savannah, scoot over for her."

I went rigid, my heart pounding so hard I thought she’d hear it. Was this some kind of prank? But Maya’s face was dead serious—no hint of a joke.

"She doesn’t have anywhere else to go."

Her words sent a chill straight through me. I tried to laugh, but my voice came out thin, barely more than a squeak.

I looked around—nothing seemed out of place, nothing ghostly—

The room looked just like it had when we’d turned off the lights. Posters taped to the wall, suitcases stacked by the closet, everything exactly where it should be. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something—or someone—was with us.

"Maya, are you serious? Are you sleep-talking again?"

I nudged her, hoping she’d snap out of it, desperate for some normalcy.

She just kept staring at the side of my bed. Then she put her finger to her lips and shot me a look that sent a jolt of panic through me.

Her finger pressed tight to her lips, eyes wide and unblinking. That look said, clear as day: Don’t make it worse.

After a minute that felt like forever, she grabbed my arm and pulled me out into the hallway.

The linoleum was freezing under my bare feet. I glanced back at the door, half-expecting it to swing open by itself.

Maya leaned close, her voice barely more than a breath, but her tone was dead serious:

"Savannah, just let her stay for one night."

Her voice wavered, almost like she was begging me. The hallway lights flickered, throwing weird shadows across her face and making my stomach twist.

"Once she falls asleep, it’ll be fine."

She glanced over her shoulder, voice dropping even lower. The tension in her words made my skin crawl.

"But if she’s still awake at midnight, someone could get killed!"

A shiver ran down my spine. I wanted to ask what she meant, but Maya just shook her head, lips pressed tight.

My mouth went dry. I tried to ask, but the words stuck. Something about the way she looked at me said, Don’t push it.

"It’s nothing, just an upperclassman. She’s a little bitter."

She tried to sound casual, but her eyes darted to the door behind us, making it clear she was anything but.

"Just don’t mess with her."

Her warning echoed in the empty hallway, making my heart thump even harder. I swallowed and nodded, wishing I could just go back to sleep.

Then, without another word, Maya slipped back inside.

She moved fast, almost like she was afraid something would follow her in. The door clicked shut behind her.

She cracked the door and waved me in, then tiptoed over to lock it.

The lock clicked, loud as a gunshot in the quiet. She shot me a small, reassuring smile, but her eyes were still darting, wary.

Seeing me get back in bed and yank the comforter up to my chin, she finally let out a breath and seemed to relax a little.

I watched her climb onto her top bunk, arms folded behind her head like nothing weird had just happened. But I could tell from the way she kept glancing down that she was listening for something.

I tossed and turned, the sheets tangled around me, every shadow suddenly suspicious.

Every creak, every groan of the old building made me jump. I kept peeking at the corners, convinced I’d see someone lurking there.

I checked my mattress over and over, trying to convince myself there was no bitter upperclassman hiding nearby.

I even shined my phone flashlight under the bed. Just dust bunnies and a lonely sock—nothing else.

The next morning, my eyes were bloodshot as I watched Maya hop down from her bunk, chipper as ever.

She landed light as a feather, like she hadn’t spent the night talking to ghosts. I, on the other hand, felt like I’d run a marathon in my sleep, every muscle aching.

She glanced over, eyebrows raised. "Savannah, what’s up with you? Didn’t sleep?"

She sounded honestly confused, tugging her hoodie on like it was any other morning.

I scowled, rubbing my temples.

"Can you check if that senior’s gone? I didn’t sleep a wink."

My voice came out sharper than I meant, but I was too tired to care.

Maya just rubbed her eyes, looking completely innocent.

"What senior? I went to bed at nine and never got up."

Her tone was flat, like I was the one making things up. I stared at her, searching for any sign she was joking.

Now I was just annoyed. So she really was sleepwalking last night.

I yanked the covers over my head, mumbled for her to cover for me this morning, and tried to sleep in.

The dorm was finally quiet, sunlight slanting through the blinds. Maybe, just maybe, I could get some rest.

But as I was about to crawl back into bed, I noticed my sheets were perfectly smoothed out.

Not a wrinkle, as if someone had carefully made the bed after I’d gotten up. I frowned, trying to remember if I’d done it myself.

I scratched my head. I was sure I hadn’t touched the bed!

That creepy feeling of being watched crawled up my spine again. I scanned the room, looking for any sign of the "senior."

Then I spotted two clean rectangles on the floor—exactly where a pair of shoes would’ve been placed.

The rest of the floor was coated in a thin film of dust, but those two spots were spotless.

It was like someone had stood there, just watching me sleep. My stomach twisted with unease.

Now I really couldn’t sleep. I rushed out of the room, not even bothering with shoes.

I grabbed my phone and keys, bolting into the hallway. Out there, under the harsh fluorescent lights, I felt a little safer.

But no matter how much I pressed her, Maya just insisted she’d been asleep the whole time.

She blinked at me, totally unfazed. "You sure you weren’t dreaming?" she asked, her voice light, but I caught a flicker of something deeper in her eyes.

As for the senior, she claimed total ignorance.

"No idea what you’re talking about," Maya shrugged. "Maybe you just had a bad dream."

Our other two roommates, Tessa and Brianna, chimed in with the usual:

"She’s a sleepwalker. You just moved in, you’ll get used to it."

Tessa was brushing her hair, sounding bored. Brianna nodded, eyes glued to her phone.

"We just ignore her."

"She’s harmless," Brianna said, not even glancing up from her phone. "Just don’t wake her."

I didn’t have much choice but to go along with it.

I sighed and tried to brush it off, but the unease lingered. Maybe this was just college—everyone had their own weird habits.

During the day, I watched Maya like a hawk.

She laughed at lunch, cracked jokes about her favorite shows, even shared her fries with me. If she was hiding something, she was a pro at it.

She seemed totally normal.

If anything, she was more together than I was. I started to wonder if I’d imagined the whole thing.