The Haunting of the Abandoned Dormitory

In the heart of the University of Nightmaria, where the night air carries the scent of ancient ivy and the campus is shrouded in mystery, there was a dormitory that had long since been abandoned. The students called it the "Abandoned Dormitory," a place whispered about in hushed tones during late-night discussions. The dormitory had been sealed off for years, its windows shattered and its doors locked tight against the encroaching ivy and overgrown weeds. But to a group of curious students, the dormitory was a siren call, a promise of secrets and perhaps even the supernatural.

The story began with a dare. It was a typical night on campus, the moon high in the sky casting an eerie glow over the campus buildings. The dormitory was one of the few structures still standing from the university's founding days, and it had a reputation that was both fascinating and terrifying. Four friends, with a penchant for adventure and a taste for the supernatural, decided to prove their bravery by exploring the Abandoned Dormitory.

The friends, Alice, Ben, Charlie, and Daisy, gathered their flashlights and ventured into the dark, forgotten corridors. The air was thick with the scent of decay and the silence was oppressive. They passed through the lobby, which had once been the heart of student life, now reduced to a shell of its former self. As they moved deeper into the building, the echoes of their footsteps seemed to echo off the walls, growing louder with each step.

Suddenly, Alice's flashlight flickered and died. In the sudden darkness, a cold wind seemed to sweep through the room, sending a shiver down her spine. The others' flashlights also flickered, as if the darkness itself was fighting back. But they pressed on, determined to uncover the truth behind the dormitory's legend.

They found themselves in a small room that had been a student's bedroom at one time. The bed was a skeleton of its former self, the mattress reduced to a pile of springs and fabric. On the wall, there was a portrait of a young woman, her eyes filled with sorrow. As Daisy approached the portrait, she felt a strange sensation, as if the woman's gaze was piercing through the canvas.

Charlie, ever the skeptic, scoffed, "It's just a painting. There's nothing to it."

But Alice, her curiosity piqued, noticed something odd. The painting seemed to be moving slightly, as if it were breathing. "Wait, look," she whispered, her voice trembling. The others watched as the painting's eyes seemed to follow them, moving with an almost life-like grace.

"Let's get out of here," Ben said, his voice tinged with fear. But it was too late. The room seemed to grow darker, and the air grew colder. The portrait's eyes seemed to glow, and a strange sound filled the room—a sound like the whispering of voices, but not human.

The friends, now terror-stricken, began to run. The corridors seemed to twist and turn, and they lost all sense of direction. They heard the sound of footsteps behind them, the sound of something following them. It was then that they realized the dormitory was alive, and it was chasing them.

As they reached the front door, they saw a figure standing in the doorway, a shadowy figure that seemed to blend into the darkness. It was the woman from the portrait, her eyes now glowing with an eerie light. She extended her hand, and in that moment, the friends knew their lives were in danger.

Alice, with a surge of courage, stepped forward. "We didn't mean to disturb you," she said, her voice trembling. The woman's eyes met hers, and for a moment, it was as if they were locked in a staring contest. Then, the woman's hand reached out, and a strange energy enveloped Alice.

The others watched in horror as Alice's body began to change, her skin turning pale and her eyes glowing like the woman's. The friends, too scared to move, watched as Alice merged with the woman, becoming one with the portrait.

The dormitory, now silent, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. The friends, still frozen in place, heard the sound of the dormitory locking itself again. They had become part of the dormitory's legend, forever trapped within its walls.

In the days that followed, the Abandoned Dormitory remained sealed off, a reminder of the supernatural forces that lurked within the University of Nightmaria. And the friends, once daring adventurers, were now the stuff of campus myths, their story passed down from generation to generation.