The Shadow of Forgotten Scream

In the heart of the bustling university town of Willowwood, nestled among towering oaks and whispering pines, stood a dormitory known only by whispers and shadows—the Abandoned Pines Dormitory. To the outside world, it was merely a dormitory with a slightly eerie reputation. To those who knew the truth, it was a place of untold horror, where the echoes of screams from decades past still lingered in the walls.

Lily, a freshman at Willowwood University, had just moved into room 316 of the Abandoned Pines. Her room was on the second floor, where the most sinister tales were said to brew. She was greeted by her roommate, Emma, who had a wary smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "You'll see," Emma said, her voice tinged with a hint of fear. "But just remember, you're on the floor where the ghosts like to hang out."

Lily chuckled nervously, not fully taking her roommate's warning to heart. She had always been a dreamer, someone who found comfort in the unknown. But as the night wore on, Lily's dreams began to turn nightmarish. She would awaken to the sensation of someone sitting on the bed beside her, their breath warm on her neck, but no one was there. She had sleep paralysis, a condition where her body was awake but her mind remained in a dreamlike state, unable to move.

The first few nights were unsettling, but Lily tried to laugh it off. Then, it escalated. She would feel the weight of something heavy pressing down on her chest, as if the bed itself was trying to suffocate her. Her breath grew shallow, her heart pounded in her ears, and the fear crept up like a snake in the dark.

The dormitory was not only haunted by Lily's sleep paralysis. Students spoke of hearing voices, cold drafts sweeping through the rooms, and ghostly figures seen out of the corner of the eye. Some whispered that the dorm was built over a grave, a remnant of a tragedy long forgotten. But Lily was determined to find out the truth for herself.

She started by researching the dormitory's history. She learned that it had been constructed during the Great War, a time of both prosperity and despair for Willowwood. It was rumored that the architect had taken great liberties with the plans, incorporating an ancient ritual into the building's foundation. As the war progressed, the construction halted, leaving the dorm unfinished. Many who worked on the project never returned, their fates shrouded in mystery.

One evening, Lily stumbled upon a hidden room behind the second floor's old storage unit. Inside, she found an old journal, belonging to the architect. As she read through its pages, she realized that the ritual he had performed was designed to bind the spirits of the departed to the dormitory, forever trapped in a place they called home. The architect, in his madness, had sought immortality, but in doing so, he had cursed the building with their restless spirits.

That night, as Lily lay in bed, the weight returned, and she felt the familiar presence pressing down on her. This time, she felt the spirit's cold hand on her face, and she heard its whisper. "Leave me alone, human. You do not understand."

Desperate to escape, Lily reached for the journal and read aloud, reciting the ritual that the architect had failed to complete. The spirit seemed to respond, its grip loosening. As Lily struggled to break free, the weight lifted, and she found herself on the floor, gasping for breath.

When she opened her eyes, Emma was beside her, her face pale and eyes wide. "You were screaming," Emma whispered. "Do you know what you did?"

Lily shook her head, the journal in hand. "I read the ritual from the journal. It was supposed to be about bringing peace, but..."

Emma helped her to her feet, and together, they looked at the journal. On the final page, they found a drawing of a figure in the shape of a triangle, its mouth wide open in a scream.

"I think it's working," Lily said, her voice trembling. "I think it's finally working."

Over the next few weeks, the hauntings in the dormitory began to subside. Students no longer reported strange occurrences, and Lily and Emma found a new sense of peace in their shared room. Lily's sleep paralysis had stopped, and she was finally able to rest without fear.

One evening, as they sat on the dormitory steps, gazing up at the moon, Lily reflected on what they had learned. "It wasn't just about us," she said. "It was about giving those spirits a chance to rest."

Emma nodded. "It was about honoring their memory."

And as the moonlight cast long shadows over the Abandoned Pines Dormitory, the dormitory stood quiet and still, the whispers of the past now replaced with the sound of laughter and the dreams of students who had found peace.