Dark Whispers

The night was falling, and raindrops struck the windows with a crisp sound. The surroundings were silent, occasionally interrupted by the distant rumble of thunder. Inside the room, only Jamie sat alone on the sofa, her gaze fixed on the desk in front of her. A sense of unexplained restlessness began to rise within her.

Suddenly, a faint knock on the door shattered the silence of the room.

Knock—Knock—

Jamie jumped up in surprise, immediately standing and walking swiftly to the door. She pressed her eye to the peephole, nervously peering outside. But the door was empty, the rain had soaked the ground, and only a vague shadow swayed in the downpour.

"It must be the wind," she murmured to herself, though unease stirred within her. She stepped back, closing her eyes, trying to calm herself.

However, the sound came again.

Knock—Knock—

This time, the sound was clearer, as if someone was intentionally knocking forcefully on the door.

Jamie's heart began to race, a cold sweat forming on her forehead. She walked to the door again, pressing her eye against the peephole and looking outside. Still, no one was there, only the endless curtain of rain and the dark street.

A chill crept up her spine. Then, the knocking became more urgent, as if urging her to open the door. Her hand involuntarily gripped the doorknob. After a moment's hesitation, she cracked the door open slightly.

"Who is it?" Her voice trembled, her gaze wary.

Yet the door revealed nothing but a rush of cold wind and the increasingly intense sound of the rain.

"What's going on?" she murmured, hastily closing the door, but the knocking did not stop. Instead, it became more frequent and insistent.

Knock—Knock—Knock—

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Ding-dong—

Jamie spun around, her heart nearly skipping a beat. She quickly walked toward the door, her fingers nervously pressing the doorbell button, intending to lock it, only to hear a familiar voice from behind her.

"Jamie, open the door!" The voice was clear and urgent.

"Jamie?" A jolt ran through her, and she quickly opened the door. Standing outside was Sandra, drenched in rain, panting heavily. Her brow furrowed, clearly disturbed by the strange knocking.

"You heard it too?" Jamie asked.

Sandra nodded, her eyes filled with confusion and caution. "There's been knocking all along. I thought… I better come check."

At that moment, the knocking outside became even more frantic.

Knock—Knock—Knock—

The sound now seemed to come from the depths of hell, urgent and with an eerie rhythm. Jamie grabbed Sandra's arm, feeling an overwhelming pressure.

"It's coming from inside," Sandra whispered. "We need to find the source."

"But there's no one outside," Jamie's voice trembled.

Suddenly, the phone in the room rang.

Ring—Ring—

The sound startled both of them, the phone ringing sharply in the otherwise quiet room. Jamie hesitated for a moment before picking up the receiver.

"Hello?" Her voice was tight with anxiety.

There was no response on the other end, just faint breathing. Then the call was abruptly ended.

Sandra tightly grasped Jamie's shoulder. "Who do you think it was?"

"I don't know," Jamie whispered. "I feel… there's something here with us."

Just then, a flash of lightning illuminated the room, casting everything in stark contrast. The curtains fluttered in the strong wind, and outside, the darkness persisted, the rain hammering on the glass with rapid tap-tap sounds.

Knock—Knock—Knock—

This time, the knocking felt like it was coming from within the door itself, its oppressive presence nearly suffocating. The temperature in the room dropped suddenly, as if the world itself had been encased by this sound.

A sharp sense of unease surged within Jamie, and she spun around, just in time to see a shadow dart across the corner of the room. She gasped and gripped Sandra's arm tightly.

"What was that?" her voice trembled with fear.

Sandra quickly drew her gun, pointing it toward the dark corner. "Did you see something?"

"No, I… I didn't." Jamie was about to speak when Jack's voice suddenly called out from outside the door, "What the hell are you two doing? Stop scaring me!"

"Jack!" Sandra exhaled in relief, quickly opening the door. Jack stood outside, pale and gripping his police pistol, looking jittery. "You're seriously going to give me a heart attack! There's nothing outside, so why are you hearing these sounds?"

Jamie remained silent, her gaze shifting to the dark corner of the room. The unease in her heart only deepened.

"We need to be careful," she whispered, her breath shallow. "This isn't just some ordinary knocking."

"We need to find out what's causing it," Sandra said firmly, glancing at Jack. "Are you ready?"

Jack's face showed deep anxiety, but he nodded and slowly stepped into the room.

"Alright," Jamie took a deep breath and turned to Sandra. "Let's solve this mystery."

Just then, the lights in the room flickered and went out, plunging the space into complete darkness.

In that instant, the silence became deafening. Suddenly, a shrill, eerie laughter echoed from outside the window, as if coming from a distant, unfathomable abyss—a sound that was not human.

This, was only the beginning.

(To be continued)