The Echoes of a Dormitory's Demise

In the heart of the bustling city of Jingdu, there stood an old dormitory, once a place of youthful dreams and academic pursuits. Now, it was a silent sentinel, shrouded in mystery and whispered about in hushed tones. The dormitory's last occupants had vanished without a trace, and the building had been abandoned for decades. Its walls, once adorned with vibrant student life, were now covered in layers of dust and cobwebs, telling tales of a bygone era.

One rainy night, a group of curious students decided to explore the dilapidated structure. They were a diverse bunch: Xiao Li, the adventurous leader; Wang Mei, the history buff; and Zhang Hong, the skeptic who was there to debunk any supernatural claims. The trio had heard rumors of ghostly apparitions and unexplained noises from the dormitory, but they were determined to uncover the truth.

As they stepped into the entrance, the air was thick with the scent of damp wood and forgotten memories. The floorboards creaked under their weight, and the echoes of their footsteps seemed to linger, as if the dormitory itself was alive. Xiao Li led the way, his flashlight cutting through the darkness, revealing peeling wallpaper and faded portraits of students long gone.

Wang Mei, with her keen eye for details, noticed a series of dates etched into the wall. "These look like the birthdays of the last group of students," she said, her voice tinged with a hint of awe. Zhang Hong rolled his eyes but couldn't help but feel a shiver down his spine.

They moved deeper into the building, their footsteps growing louder as they approached the dormitory's central courtyard. Here, the walls were adorned with the names of students who had once lived here. Xiao Li pointed to a name that seemed particularly worn. "This one, 'Liu Wei,' is the last entry. He vanished on this date," he said, showing them the etched date.

As they continued their exploration, the eerie whispers began. They were faint at first, like the distant calling of a lost soul, but they grew louder with each passing moment. Wang Mei's heart raced as she felt a cold breeze brush against her skin. "This is real," she whispered, her voice trembling.

The whispers grew more insistent, and the group found themselves drawn to the source. They followed the sound to a small, locked room at the back of the dormitory. Zhang Hong fumbled with the lock, his hands shaking. "We need to get in there," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

After a tense moment, the lock clicked open, and they pushed the door ajar. The room was dimly lit by the flickering flashlight, revealing a small bed and a few scattered personal items. On the wall, a picture of a young man in a school uniform caught their attention. "This is Liu Wei," Xiao Li said, his voice tinged with reverence.

As they approached the bed, the whispers reached a fever pitch. Suddenly, the room grew silent, and a chill enveloped them. Xiao Li stepped closer to the picture, his fingers tracing the outline of Liu Wei's face. "Why are you here, Liu Wei?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

The room was silent, save for the faintest whisper, which seemed to come from the picture. "I... I need help," it said, the voice barely discernible.

The group exchanged confused glances. "It's not Liu Wei," Zhang Hong said, his voice trembling. "It's someone else speaking."

The whispers grew louder, and the room seemed to shake. Suddenly, the picture of Liu Wei began to move, and a figure emerged from the frame. It was a young man, his eyes wide with fear and his clothes tattered and torn. He looked directly at Xiao Li and Wang Mei, and his voice was filled with urgency.

"Run!" he said, his voice breaking. "The dormitory is alive, and it's coming for you."

Before they could react, the walls began to close in around them. The whispers grew louder, and the room filled with a thick, suffocating mist. Xiao Li, Wang Mei, and Zhang Hong found themselves trapped, the walls inching closer, the mist enveloping them.

In the final moments, Xiao Li managed to grab a piece of wood from the bed. He swung it wildly, trying to break through the mist. "We can't give up!" he shouted.

The mist seemed to respond, and the walls began to recede. Xiao Li, Wang Mei, and Zhang Hong stumbled out of the room, the mist chasing them down the hallway. They ran, their hearts pounding, until they burst out of the dormitory into the rain-soaked night.

As they collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath, they looked back at the dormitory, now a silent sentinel once more. They had escaped, but the echoes of the dormitory's demise would forever linger in their minds.

In the days that followed, the story of the dormitory's ghost spread like wildfire. The whispers of Liu Wei had become a legend, a reminder of the power of the past and the haunting echoes that could never be silenced.