The maze
By: Menna Zain
Yesterday I joined a dorm, for the third year of college, every roommate teamed up with each other except me, since day one and I was the only introvert, having no body to belong to…
I placed my bags, unpacked them and settled the folding closet and installed it in my corner,
I looked around, the boys were greeting each other and two of them asked for my name and my learning stage and I found them all sophomores,
They’re younger yes but apparently more friendly than my colleagues.
They’re all partying outside and they invited me but I preferred staying in,
I opened my book to read, sitting by a window edge and watching a girl laying on her bag on the nearby pavement, she wasn’t sleeping, otherwise she’s not homeless,
I felt curious, therefore I took steps forward the door wondering if I can still help her…
I pretended as reading outside because it’s hot inside and my excuse was dumb,
It’s the winter already, but my fear of rejection prevented me, she laughed back at me and I thought I will be screwed followed by crowds to beat me thinking I’m harassing her,
But her response was simply “do you need something specific? Are you new?”
I confused a bit then collected myself and answered “I thought you needed a hand because you are new, you seemed suspicious the moment I caught you laying on the floor”
She laughed again and said “no thank you, you’re a good man”
I left her very angry wandering my mind a lot of regret,
I approached my desk and kept reading for hours, till the midnight,
I watered my cactus over the shelf and prepared myself to sleep.
I heard noises all of sudden,
I thought the boys came back, but no one enters, I felt very scared, I wish I could stay a stranger with them instead of staying a loner ready to fight any kind of evilness any time…
Some superstitions are common here states that whoever dwells this place specifically my flat gets cursed for no reason…
They claim a paranormal activity here and my senses never got that high since the first year,
But genuinely it’s my first time dwelling this flat and this floor even this building, as previous one was already rented, no one stayed here for a while
And it’s still needs a cleaning round one more time as the dust fills everywhere
I don’t care about superstitions but I care about the reality way too more,
I peeked from the door hole after I locked it with keys,
And I saw the worst scene ever, most closely a nightmare,
Bunch of girls wearing black veils are carrying a dead body up…
I saw the coffin and hesitated to call the boys,
I felt very scared to go out and ask what’s going on,
The footsteps kept knocking over my ceiling and I were able to locate them
Every step they take is line doodled up in front of my eyes,
Like a pattern
I kept noting down the dots, and made up a weird lined figure,
But they moved like professionals, everything is planned,
Like a choreography,
Or a ritual…
I waiting the boys, they kept wildly opening the door recognizing the key inside later,
I ran to it and told them to remove their key so I can open,
I opened the door to find no one outside, I thought they’re making a prank
But seriously no one came in or out for a while,
I froze in terror the light was fluctuating on the first floor and I heard a sound in,
I entered again and slammed my door wildly and I found my plant thrown on the floor out of the soil and the pot,
I swear to God there was no single air source to push it away,
I expected something supernatural now and I detected a contact on my phone
Once, I called the owner, no response
And second time I called one of the boys and yelled at him
They came all speaking no words to me all are intending to sleep and upset because they thought I’m bossing them for any kind of reason
It was really late and I was very scared to stay alone,
I left them all halt in their beds, and I stood by my plant and checked it,
But nothing happens,
I took the pattern written on the paper and grabbed it by a grip out of the drawer and opened the door,
I went upstairs to check this weird flat,
The girl whom I met underneath is the same one looking right in my eyes,
I gave her the pattern and asked what happened,
She didn’t mock me or laugh this time she only starred behind me and asked if anyone was accompanying me
I nodded from confusion, hence I apologized for a mistaken impulse,
I kept following her then she entered a room where the other fellows were staying,
Surrounding a dead rotten body, I could smell odor of decomposition barely close to spoiled egg
I wondered what they’re doing with this,
I kept warning them to keep it inside for too long and seems like they already know what they’re doing,
The girl closed the door and took the pattern to the girls and they put a spell over it holding up red candles
And giving a dim light out of the corridor,
I almost had a heart attack due to the weird scene I’m witnessing
And seems like I’m involved with no salvation
I wanted to leave but the door closed,
“you don’t believe in superstition, do you?”
I kept being silent,
She followed by another sentence “sometimes crazy people tell the truth, whether you believe it or not”
I blinked,
Everyone was staring at me, moving slowly towards me
And suddenly I was cuffed,
Sedated and the girl whispered in my ears,
“we had to sacrifice with a spirit in the opposite of another dead spirit to revive it and know who killed our friend last year, sorry to use your body, least we can do is to compensate you next year by another fresh gore”
And I fell into a maze
Heard echoes
Felt slight pain over my belly
And a cold breeze next to my head
Everything blurred again and I couldn’t feel anything anymore
Just fragments of memories
And…
The pattern, it was how I should put to protect myself not a ritual,
I opened my eyes,
Gasped,
“too late, sleep”…
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