The Silent Scream of the Dormitory

The night was as dark as the dormitory’s reputation, a place where whispers of the past lingered in the shadows. It had been years since the last reunion, but tonight, the old dormitory was the chosen venue for a gathering of former students who had once shared the same walls, laughter, and fears. Among them was Li Wei, a quiet man with a past he had long tried to forget.

The dormitory, now abandoned and decrepit, was a stark contrast to the vibrant life it once held. Its walls, once painted with the dreams of youth, were now covered in peeling paint and the marks of time. As the group stepped inside, the echoes of their shared memories seemed to follow them, a haunting reminder of the days gone by.

Li Wei, the last to arrive, was greeted by a chorus of laughter and a warm embrace from his old friends. He smiled, trying to shake off the unease that had settled in his stomach. The dormitory, he realized, was not just a place of memories; it was a place of secrets, some of which had never seen the light of day.

As the night wore on, the group settled into the old living room, a space that had once been the heart of their student life. They swapped stories, reminiscing about the pranks they had pulled, the exams they had failed, and the late-night study sessions. But as the laughter died down, a silence fell over the room, a silence that seemed to be filled with unspoken words.

The conversation turned to the legend of the dormitory, a story that had been whispered among the students. It was said that a young woman, a freshman, had been found dead in her room under mysterious circumstances. Her spirit, it was believed, had never left the dormitory, haunting the halls and the rooms she had once called home.

Li Wei, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "I remember hearing that story," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I never believed it. It was just a scare tactic, a way to keep us in line."

The others exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?" asked Xiao Mei, the most adventurous of the group.

Li Wei hesitated, then shared a story that had been buried deep within him. "I stayed in that room for a semester," he began. "I never saw her, but I felt her presence. I heard her screams at night, felt her cold touch on my skin. I thought I was going crazy."

The group gasped, their eyes wide with shock. Xiao Mei, ever the skeptic, stood up. "Let’s go check out that room," she declared. The others, despite their fears, followed her lead.

The room was as it had been years ago, the bed still made with the same meticulous care, the desk cluttered with papers and books. The group entered, their footsteps echoing in the silence. Xiao Mei, her eyes wide, pointed to the bed. "Look," she whispered, "there’s something there."

Li Wei approached, his heart pounding in his chest. He saw it then, a faint outline of a woman, her eyes closed, her mouth open in a silent scream. The group gasped, their fear palpable.

Suddenly, the lights flickered, and the outline of the woman vanished. The room was plunged into darkness, save for the faint glow of a single candle. The group stood frozen, their hearts pounding in their chests.

Then, the door to the room creaked open, and a voice echoed through the hallway. "You can’t escape your past," it said, the voice chilling and familiar. The group turned, but there was no one there. The voice was just a whisper, a haunting reminder that some secrets were meant to stay buried.

Li Wei, his mind racing, knew then that the dormitory was not just haunted by the past; it was haunted by their own secrets. The reunion had brought them back together, but it had also brought back the spirits of their past, spirits that were not ready to let go of their secrets.

As the night wore on, the group left the dormitory, their minds filled with questions and fears. They had come to remember their past, but they had left with a new understanding: some secrets are best left buried, even in the most haunted of places.