I trembled in fear.

I remembered the last rule: "If you hear strange sounds in the restroom, please don't speak. Leave quietly."

I didn't expect it to come true so quickly.

I held my breath and listened attentively, being cautious even with my breathing.

I heard the sound of high heels stepping on the floor.

It seemed like she was standing on the toilet seat.

A sharp and thin voice came from above me again: "Are you a new student? Why are you ignoring me?!"

I didn't dare to lower my head or raise it.

I pretended not to hear and quickly adjusted my pants, opened the door, and left silently.

Giggling laughter echoed behind me.

The restroom felt especially eerie in the dead silence.

I hastened my steps, and as I stepped into the corridor, the laughter disappeared.

It felt like a hallucination that I had just experienced.

I comforted myself in my mind: It'll be fine once I escape.

I ran all the way back to the dormitory, drank half a bottle of mineral water to calm my nerves.

I took out my phone and planned to tell my parents about the strange things in the dormitory building.

"Mom, there's something wrong with this school!"

An exclamation mark in the chat box indicated that the message failed to send.

I took a photo of the rules again and sent it to the family group.

The image kept spinning, stuck at zero percent loading.

The small text on WeChat stood out glaringly: "No network connection available."

I held my phone and walked to the balcony window to get signal reception.

Unfortunately, my efforts were in vain.

The signal on my phone was extremely weak.

I felt frustrated and uneasy. When I lowered my head, I saw the dormitory administrator auntie downstairs, looking up at me.

Our eyes met, and her sinister face showed no expression. She raised her voice and said, "If you have an emergency, come to my dormitory on the first floor and use the school landline to contact your parents."

I smiled awkwardly.

I knew this third-rate school wasn't great. The environment was mediocre, and the tuition was expensive.

But I didn't expect it to be so backward that contacting parents relied on the school's landline.

I sat on the bed unhappily.

Creak—

The bed made a muffled cracking sound.

What kind of quality was this? Was the frame not sturdy?

I lifted the covers and saw a bright red handprint on the rough bed board.

The liquid was still fresh and not yet dry, as if someone had just pressed their hand onto the board.

I was frightened and panicking, so I grabbed a mop and wiped away the bloodstain.

Outside, crisp footsteps sounded.

A girl pushed the door open and said, "Hello, is this Room 404? I'm a new student, Wang Miaomiao."

I saw her name on the bed railing.

Gradually letting go of my nervousness, I forced a smile and said, "Hello, I'm Li Lan."

Wang Miaomiao entered the room, pulling her suitcase. Her gaze inadvertently fell to the floor.

"What happened to your shoes?"

I was stunned and subconsciously looked down.

My white travel shoes were stained with patches of crimson blood.

There was even a joss paper for the dead stuck to the sole of the shoe.

An eerie sensation spread throughout my body.

I immediately threw away the shoes and explained, "Look at the 'Dormitory Rules' on the cabinet. I just went to the restroom and heard strange sounds. I might have stepped on blood."

Wang Miaomiao looked at the black words on the white paper with half-belief and half-doubt.

She asked in confusion, "I just came back from the restroom on the left. Nothing strange happened."

I looked puzzled.

Did she violate the rules, making her actions correct?

Why was it that when I followed the rules, I was wrong?

In the face of my question,

Wang Miaomiao pondered for three seconds and said, "I've watched movieslike this before. It's possible that the rules are different for each individual. Maybe it's a test or a prank by the school."

I nodded in agreement.

It seemed like the most plausible explanation.

However, deep down, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease.

Wang Miaomiao and I spent the rest of the day together, exploring the campus and getting to know each other.

We laughed and chatted, trying to distract ourselves from the strange occurrences.

As night fell, we returned to our dormitory.

The atmosphere had changed.

The air was heavy and suffocating, as if something ominous was looming over us.

Wang Miaomiao and I exchanged uneasy glances.

She whispered, "Let's stick together tonight. We'll be safer that way."

I nodded, grateful for her suggestion.

We pushed our beds together and huddled close, seeking comfort in each other's presence.

As we lay there, trying to fall asleep, we heard faint whispers and rustling sounds coming from outside the room.

It was as if a group of people were whispering secrets and plotting in the darkness.

Our hearts raced, and we clung to each other, trembling with fear.

The whispers grew louder, and suddenly, the door handle began to turn.

I held my breath, my body frozen in terror.

The door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit corridor.

Standing in the doorway was the dormitory administrator auntie, her eyes gleaming with malice.

She grinned and said, "You thought you could escape, didn't you? But there's no escape from this nightmare."

Wang Miaomiao and I screamed in horror, but our voices seemed to be swallowed by the darkness.

The auntie stepped closer, her footsteps echoing ominously.

Just as she was about to reach us, a blinding light flooded the room.

I shielded my eyes, and when I opened them again, I found myself lying in my bed.

It was morning, and the sun was shining through the window.

I sat up, my heart still pounding.

Was it all just a dream?

I looked over at Wang Miaomiao's bed, but it was empty.

Panic gripped me as I realized she was gone.

I searched the entire dormitory, but there was no sign of her.

It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

I couldn't shake off the feeling that something terrible had happened.

Trembling, I reached for my phone and dialed the emergency number.

But when someone finally answered, all I heard was static and a faint whisper.

"You can't escape. This nightmare is just beginning."

A chill ran down my spine as I hung up the phone.

I was trapped in a nightmare, and there was no way out.

The rules of the dormitory had become my prison, and I was at the mercy of an unseen force.

I could only hope that someone would come to my rescue before it was too late.