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The End of the Floor
墨書 Inktalez
I stood outside the car, gazing up at the old apartment building. In the dim light of dusk, the seven-story structure appeared particularly gloomy, as if the dust of time had long buried it at the end of an era. The corridors inside were dark, illuminated only by a few flickering, worn-out bulbs. Occasionally, I could hear the low howling of the wind as it swept through the hallways, and the surrounding environment was eerily silent, as if all sounds had been swallowed by the building itself. The walls of the corridor were mottled and peeling, revealing the concrete beneath, while the iron railings by the windows were rusted and corroded. Lu Fan stepped out of the car, patted my shoulder, and smiled as he said, “Don’t think too much; we’ve finally found a place to call home.”
On the day we moved into our new home, Lu Fan and I busied ourselves all day long, arranging furniture and organizing our belongings until evening when everything was finally in place. I sat down on the sofa, exhausted, and let out a long sigh. Lu Fan brought over two cups of hot tea and handed one to me. “We did a great job today; this will be our home from now on.”
I took the cup and gently blew on the steam rising from it but couldn’t help frowning. Something felt off, though I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Outside, the sky gradually darkened, and I heard faint footsteps in the hallway, as if someone was hurrying past but then paused at some point, with the sound disappearing without warning.
“Did you hear that?” I looked up at Lu Fan, my brow slightly furrowed.
“What?” Lu Fan was adjusting the television signal and glanced at me casually.
“The footsteps; they seem to be in the hallway.”
Lu Fan chuckled lightly. “This building has many residents; it’s normal for people to be moving around. Don’t be too tense; it’s natural to feel a bit uneasy when moving into a new place.”
I nodded, forcing myself not to dwell on those sounds. After all, as a psychologist, I knew that stress reactions from changes in environment were normal. I told myself that perhaps I just hadn’t fully adjusted to my new surroundings yet.
As night deepened, Lu Fan had already fallen asleep with soft snores while I tossed and turned in bed, unable to find sleep. I vaguely heard low murmurs coming from the end of the hallway, like someone was quietly conversing. Sometimes their tone was urgent and low, almost warning in nature; other times it dragged on with a chilling tremor. I even caught some indistinct phrases like “leave” and “danger,” but I couldn’t make out everything clearly. These sounds felt oppressive and strange. After hesitating for a moment, I pulled back the covers and quietly left the bedroom.
The hallway was pitch black except for a dim yellow light filtering from around the corner of the stairs. I tiptoed to the door and pressed my ear against it, trying to catch those indistinct whispers again. However, when I truly held my breath to listen closely, there was nothing.
“Maybe it’s just my imagination,” I murmured softly to myself. Just as I was about to turn back to the bedroom, I suddenly heard a faint “thud,” like someone lightly tapping on the iron door at the end of the hallway. My heart raced; my pupils dilated involuntarily as chills ran down my spine.
I stood frozen for a few seconds, debating whether or not to check it out. Finally, I shook my head and turned back to the bedroom, gently closing the door behind me. Perhaps someone had just accidentally bumped into it, I reassured myself.
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