At precisely 3:00 am, the clock in Room 20 of the abandoned hotel ticked its way into the dead of the night. The moon cast an eerie glow through the dusty windows, illuminating the decrepit interior. Room 20 had remained untouched for decades, its door sealed shut with rusted chains and padlocks, a testament to the secrets it held within.
Legend had it that those who dared to enter Room 20 never returned the same. Whispers of sinister spirits and unspeakable horrors echoed through the halls, keeping even the bravest souls at bay. But tonight, curiosity lured four friends – Mia, Ben, Emily, and Alex – to the hotel's crumbling entrance.
Their footsteps echoed as they ventured deeper into the darkness, flashlights quivering in their trembling hands. The air grew thick with anticipation as they approached Room 20, its ominous presence looming like a specter in the night.
"Are we really doing this?" Mia whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart.
"We've come this far. We can't turn back now," Ben replied, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
With trembling hands, Emily reached out and grasped the cold, metal handle of Room 20's door. The chains rattled ominously as she pulled, the hinges groaning in protest as the door creaked open, revealing a yawning darkness beyond.
They stepped cautiously into the room, their flashlights cutting through the shadows like knives. The air was heavy with the scent of decay, and the floorboards creaked beneath their weight as they moved further into the room.
"Look at this," Alex exclaimed, his flashlight illuminating an old, dusty mirror hanging on the wall. Its surface was cracked and warped, casting distorted reflections back at them.
Mia shuddered, feeling a chill creep down her spine as she stared into the mirror. In its fractured surface, she caught glimpses of movement – fleeting shadows darting just beyond her line of sight.
"Let's get out of here," Emily said, her voice trembling with fear. But before they could move, a sudden gust of wind extinguished their flashlights, plunging them into darkness.
Panic surged through Mia's veins as she groped blindly in the darkness, her hands searching for her friends. But they were gone, swallowed by the shadows that now enveloped her.
Alone and terrified, Mia stumbled through the darkness, her heart pounding in her chest. She called out for her friends, but her cries echoed back at her, mocking and empty.
Suddenly, a faint light flickered in the distance, drawing Mia towards it like a moth to a flame. With trembling steps, she followed the light, her pulse racing with each passing moment.
As she drew closer, Mia's heart froze in her chest. For standing before her was a figure cloaked in darkness, its features obscured by the shifting shadows.
"Mia," a voice whispered, sending shivers down her spine. "You should not have come here."
Terror seized Mia's senses as she stumbled backwards, her mind reeling with fear. But before she could flee, the figure reached out and grasped her arm with an icy grip, pulling her into the depths of darkness.
Hours passed, and Mia's friends searched frantically for any sign of her. But Room 20 remained silent and still, its secrets buried deep within its walls.
As dawn broke, the hotel stood silent and abandoned once more, its halls haunted by the echoes of the past. And in Room 20, a single mirror hung on the wall, its fractured surface reflecting the darkness that lurked within.