Samantha (Corrections Officer)

My radio let out a burst of static, and Donnie's voice cut off mid-sentence. In that exact same instant, the forest dropped every sound it had. Not one chirp. Not one rustle. The hush felt alive, like I'd stepped into some bubble of silence. My pulse hammered in my ears, and I stumbled back into the tower, practically yanking the door off its hinges to close it.

My radio let out a burst of static, and Donnie's voice cut off mid-sentence. In that exact same instant, the forest dropped every sound it had. Not one chirp. Not one rustle. The hush felt alive, like I'd stepped into some bubble of silence. My pulse hammered in my ears, and I stumbled back into the tower, practically yanking the door off its hinges to close it.

I tried calling Donnie again, nothing but static. My flashlight spotlighted the corners of the tower's room, and everything looked normal, but my nerves were lit up. I decided to go back outside, maybe yell into the darkness a few times. That was when I noticed a shape below, next to the first flight of steps.

I tried calling Donnie again, nothing but static. My flashlight spotlighted the corners of the tower's room, and everything looked normal, but my nerves were lit up. I decided to go back outside, maybe yell into the darkness a few times. That was when I noticed a shape below, next to the first flight of steps.

It looked like a woman, but impossibly tall and unnaturally thin, with a soaked dress clinging to her body.

It looked like a woman, but impossibly tall and unnaturally thin, with a soaked dress clinging to her body.

her hair dangled in wet clumps and she seemed to be bent at odd angles like someone had tried putting a puzzle together the wrong way she wasn't just dripping she looked swollen with water her skin a sickly bluish color that glistened in the moonlight she lifted her face eyes cloudy like murky pond water and her mouth stretched open far too wide a sound emerged high-pitched gurgling way too loud to be human my stomach flipped

her hair dangled in wet clumps and she seemed to be bent at odd angles like someone had tried putting a puzzle together the wrong way she wasn't just dripping she looked swollen with water her skin a sickly bluish color that glistened in the moonlight she lifted her face eyes cloudy like murky pond water and her mouth stretched open far too wide a sound emerged high-pitched gurgling way too loud to be human my stomach flipped

Every cell in my body demanded I get the hell away from that door. I jumped back inside, locking the knob as fast as I could, though a flimsy piece of metal didn't feel like it'd stop anything. The radio squawked uselessly from the desk, providing zero comfort.

Every cell in my body demanded I get the hell away from that door. I jumped back inside, locking the knob as fast as I could, though a flimsy piece of metal didn't feel like it'd stop anything. The radio squawked uselessly from the desk, providing zero comfort.

I stayed there, pressed against the wall, trying to catch my breath, shining my flashlight at the door in case the woman decided to break it down.

I stayed there, pressed against the wall, trying to catch my breath, shining my flashlight at the door in case the woman decided to break it down.

i could still sense her presence outside but i had no idea if she'd left or if she was crawling her way up to the balcony the quiet returned in force making every second stretch out my hands trembled so hard that holding onto the flashlight was a challenge and i kept thinking

i could still sense her presence outside but i had no idea if she'd left or if she was crawling her way up to the balcony the quiet returned in force making every second stretch out my hands trembled so hard that holding onto the flashlight was a challenge and i kept thinking

if this is some weird joke it's the sickest one anyone's ever pulled but there was nothing funny in those eyes or that sound echoing in my head no that had felt horribly real i had a wild urge to bolt but stepping outside again seemed suicidal All I could do was stand in the darkness, alone, with no clue where Donnie was, or who, or what, was waiting by the stairs.

if this is some weird joke it's the sickest one anyone's ever pulled but there was nothing funny in those eyes or that sound echoing in my head no that had felt horribly real i had a wild urge to bolt but stepping outside again seemed suicidal All I could do was stand in the darkness, alone, with no clue where Donnie was, or who, or what, was waiting by the stairs.

I stood in front of that flimsy wooden door for what felt like an eternity, every nerve in my body twisted tight. The tower had gone so deathly quiet that each breath felt like a shout. My flashlight beam wavered, lighting up only empty corners and the reflection of my own terror in the glass panels.

I stood in front of that flimsy wooden door for what felt like an eternity, every nerve in my body twisted tight. The tower had gone so deathly quiet that each breath felt like a shout. My flashlight beam wavered, lighting up only empty corners and the reflection of my own terror in the glass panels.

A tiny rational part of me insisted that I was safe inside, but the rest of my brain kept painting images of that drowned figure lunging through the door, those cloudy eyes rolling as she shrieked. Eventually, I forced myself to breathe deeper, one step back, two steps back, until I bumped into the kitchen counter.

A tiny rational part of me insisted that I was safe inside, but the rest of my brain kept painting images of that drowned figure lunging through the door, those cloudy eyes rolling as she shrieked. Eventually, I forced myself to breathe deeper, one step back, two steps back, until I bumped into the kitchen counter.