The Chongqing Dormitory's Ghostly Guests

The air was thick with the scent of damp concrete as Xiao Li stepped into the dimly lit corridor of the old dormitory. The walls, peeling and yellowed, whispered tales of bygone years. She had never been particularly superstitious, but the stories surrounding this place had made her skin crawl. Her friends had warned her about the ghostly guests said to inhabit the dormitory, but Xiao Li had brushed them off as mere urban legends.

The door to room 314 clicked shut behind her, and she turned the lock with a sense of finality. She had moved to Chongqing for a fresh start, a chance to leave her past behind and carve out a new life for herself. This dormitory, with its eerie reputation, was supposed to be the beginning of that new chapter.

Xiao Li tossed her bag onto the bed and took a moment to take in the room. The furniture was old and creaky, the walls adorned with peeling wallpaper that seemed to tell stories of its own. She walked over to the window and pulled back the curtains, revealing the sprawling cityscape of Chongqing at night. The lights of the city seemed to mock her, as if daring her to confront the rumors that had followed her here.

That night, as Xiao Li lay in bed, she heard a soft whisper. It was almost imperceptible at first, but then it grew louder, clearer. "Don't go to the attic," it said, its voice echoing in her mind. She sat up in bed, her heart pounding. Her eyes darted around the room, but there was no one there. She had imagined it, she told herself, trying to calm her racing heartbeat.

The next morning, Xiao Li met her new roommate, a girl named Mei. Mei was quiet and kept to herself, spending most of her time in the library or the common area. When Xiao Li mentioned the ghostly whispers, Mei's eyes widened in surprise. "You really think there are ghosts?" she asked, her voice tinged with fear.

Xiao Li nodded, unable to shake the feeling that something was watching her. She decided to confront the whispers head-on, hoping that by understanding them, she could put them to rest. She started researching the dormitory's history, learning about the students who had once lived there. One story in particular stood out—a young woman named Li Wei, who had vanished without a trace after being seen at the attic on the night of her graduation.

Determined to uncover the truth, Xiao Li made her way to the attic. The door creaked open, and she stepped inside. The room was musty and dark, filled with dust and cobwebs. She moved cautiously, her flashlight cutting through the shadows. The whispers grew louder as she ventured deeper into the attic, their voices like a siren call, pulling her toward an unknown fate.

Suddenly, the floor beneath her feet gave way, and she plunged into darkness. Her flashlight flickered and died, and she was left in complete darkness. She called out for help, but no one answered. She stumbled forward, her heart pounding in her chest, until she felt something cold and damp brush against her leg. She turned and saw a ghostly figure standing before her, its eyes glowing with an eerie light.

"Li Wei," she whispered, recognizing the name from her research. The ghostly figure nodded, her face twisted in a haunting smile. "You came to me," she said. "Now you will stay."

Xiao Li tried to scream, but no sound came out. She felt herself being pulled, her body floating through the air, her feet no longer touching the ground. She was being drawn to the figure, to the unknown. She fought against the invisible force, but it was no use. She was being pulled into the darkness, into the attic, into the past.

As Xiao Li faded into the darkness, Mei rushed into the attic, her face pale and her eyes wide with terror. She called Xiao Li's name, but there was no answer. She ran back down the stairs, her heart pounding, and found the dormitory's residents gathered in the common area, their faces filled with shock and horror.

"Xiao Li is gone," Mei said, her voice trembling. "She was pulled into the attic."

The residents exchanged worried glances, and the whispers grew louder. They were not just whispers now; they were cries for help, prayers for salvation. Xiao Li was trapped, and the dormitory was becoming a haunted house, its walls echoing with the voices of the lost souls within.

Mei and the other residents decided to investigate, hoping to find a way to rescue Xiao Li. They ventured into the attic, their flashlights cutting through the darkness. The whispers grew louder, more insistent, as they followed the trail of Xiao Li's disappearance. They reached the edge of the abyss where Xiao Li had fallen, but the darkness was too deep, too dark to penetrate.

Desperate, Mei called out to the spirits, hoping to reach Xiao Li. "Li Wei, help us," she pleaded. The whispers stopped, and the room fell into silence. Then, a voice echoed through the attic, a voice Xiao Li had never heard before. "Only one can go back," it said.

Mei turned to the other residents, her eyes filled with determination. "We need to choose," she said. Each person stepped forward, their eyes closed as they reached out to the darkness. The whispers grew louder, louder until one by one, they were pulled into the abyss, leaving Mei alone.

Mei looked down at the void, her heart racing. She knew she had to step forward, to face the unknown. She took a deep breath and stepped into the darkness, her flashlight illuminating the path ahead. She reached the edge of the abyss and felt a cool breeze brush against her skin. She closed her eyes and took a step, and then another, until she felt the solid ground beneath her feet.

Mei opened her eyes and looked around. She was back in the attic, but Xiao Li was no longer there. She turned and saw the ghostly figure of Li Wei standing before her, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you," Li Wei said. "You have saved me."

Mei nodded, her heart still pounding. She had faced her fears and had saved Xiao Li, or at least, she hoped she had. She left the attic, her mind filled with questions and uncertainties. She knew the dormitory was haunted, and she knew that the whispers would never stop.

As Xiao Li walked through the dimly lit corridors of the dormitory, she felt the weight of the past pressing down on her. She had been pulled into the darkness, but she had also been saved by the courage of her roommate and the spirits that had once haunted the place. She had faced her fears, and she had come out stronger.

The whispers continued, but Xiao Li no longer feared them. She had learned that some things were not as they seemed, and that the boundaries between the living and the dead were not as firm as she had once believed. She had faced the unknown and had found a way to overcome it, and in doing so, she had found her own courage.

As she stepped out of the dormitory into the night, Xiao Li knew that she would never be the same. She had faced the Chongqing Dormitory's ghostly guests, and she had survived. She had found a new beginning, and she was ready to embrace it.