The Loop

The footsteps echoed down the hallway, as the clock struck midnight. Shreya, Krisha and Sakshi were sitting on the couch watching a movie. They thought the footsteps were of the guard doing his night shift. The movie ended a little later. Turning off the television, Krisha asked Shreya to get her some water. Shreya walked over to the kitchen. Sakshi heard someone knock on the door and went to open it. Strangely, there was nobody outside, it was dark and there was unnerving silence. Thinking it was some kind of a prank, she closed the door. There was another knock. Irritated, Sakshi opened the door, there was nothing but the same eerie silence, but she did feel a chilling gust of wind blow past her. 

Sakshi came back into the living room and saw that Shreya had changed into a hoodie. Krisha said, "It is chilling outside, anyway who was it at the door?" "There was nobody outside. I think it was some kind of stupid prank." Sakshi said as Shreya handed Krisha a glass of water. It was getting late, so all of them headed to the bedroom. When she closed the door, Sakshi felt the same unsettling eerie wind blow in. They all fell asleep soon, but Sakshi kept hearing strange crying noises nearby throughout the night. Thinking that they were just a fragment of her imagination, she pulled up her covers and tried to fall back asleep.

Sakshi woke up the next morning, to face Krisha, her eyes bloodshot red as if she had not slept at all. Sitting up, she asked Krisha if she had heard the strange noise, and Krisha replied in a trembling voice, "That was me, watching helplessly as 'it' was crouched over you the whole night, staring at you, as if it was staring right through you, into your soul…" instinctively, Sakshi looked in the mirror in front, only to see Shreya standing behind her, grinning, and her neck bent completely, her head touching her shoulder. Her eyes stared at Sakshi inhumanly, and raised her hand and imitated a knock, as she mouthed 'knock' and grinned insanely, her eyes twitching. Sakshi blinked, and then she blinked again in surprise. 

She was now, sitting on the couch, and she saw Shreya and Krisha, and it was as if nothing had happened. Then she heard the footsteps echoing down the hallway, and the clock strike midnight, Krisha asked Shreya to get some water, and Shreya went into the kitchen and then, there was a knock on the door. Sakshi walked to the door but did not open it. After a while, the footsteps went away. Sighing in relief, she turned around to see Krisha opening the window saying it was too hot. Shreya came back to the room, in a hoodie, and this time, Sakshi saw her evil face and that devilish grin in her reflection on the glass of water she handed to Krisha. Shreya turned to Sakshi. Sakshi blinked, and then she blinked again....