Horror / Good Thing You Didn't Turn on the Lights (Analysis)
Susan’s heels clicked loudly on the tile floor of the hallway, dimly lit from only every other rectangular light in the high ceiling. She almost dropped the large calculus book in her hands, but recovered in time to save it from crashing to the ground.
The hallway was empty of any university students and dead silent. That was definitely an advantage to her. The time was way past lights out in the campus and the last thing she needed before returning to Brian’s dorm was someone running off to tell on her. Enough calculus, she thought. It was time for some biology. She felt a smile stretch across her tired face.
She got to her dorm door and slipped her key in. The door squeaked loudly and she noticed the lights had been turned off. Danielle must have gone to bed already, and Susan didn’t see much point in waking her with the lights. She knew this room well anyway and her destination was in the same spot it had always been.
The door closed with a soft click and Susan guided herself through the pitch-black through the living room and kitchen into hers and Danielle’s room. She could almost see her sleeping soundly in the bed next to Susan’s empty one. She treaded carefully, to not wake her sleeping dorm mate, and reached what had felt like her backpack beside her empty bed. She looked forward to resting tonight, after such a long day. Her muscles ached since six thirty that morning and the thought of soft sheets on her skin almost made her fall into it now. But she still had an obligation.
She quietly unzipped the bag and stuffed her calculus book inside, feeling around for the larger one, chemistry.
Suddenly, she heard a groan, then ruffling, and froze. A low, muffled cry came after a silent second. Danielle must have turned in bed. Maybe a bad dream? She was relieved to hear not a word from her friend and turned to leave the room as quietly as she had entered, satisfied with her stealth. So far not a soul had found her out.
By now her eyes had gotten more adjusted to the dark and she made her way to the front door, slipping through and closing it softly behind her.
She rejoiced inside. She would be seeing her boyfriend home-free now. She didn’t expect anyone to be out this late so her treading into a boy’s dorm would be unnoticed. She would “study” with him for a while and return to her own dorm, slip into bed, and fall asleep before anyone could find the footprints. It was perfect, and not even Danielle would know.
No one but Brian would see her.
- * * * * * * *
Susan woke with a start at the sound of slamming doors. Her eyes opened to a cloudy room with light gray painted walls. She groaned and checked the time. Seven thirty-four in the morning. Just in time for her to get ready for her first class at eight-thirty.
She smiled at the thought of the night before. Maybe she would even be able to chance it again tonight. Not only had the non-study times been nice, but the very few times when a book were opened also helpful for the day’s final. All in all, even the dishonesty was worth the prize.
Her heart stopped like a rock in her throat when she realized her walls were not painted light gray. She looked over and gasped to find a large lump in the bed beside her. Brian! She had fallen asleep here last night!
Fear snaked through her veins like ice as she hastily crawled out of the bed, sickened by the thought of the trouble she’d be in for. Images of her explaining her expulsion flashed through her head. She and Brian hadn’t done anything worthy of extreme punishment but there was no otherwise proof to anyone on the outside looking in. Would she be able to get to her own dorm in time for anyone to not see?
She grabbed her book and saw that Brian still was asleep. That would be good. Maybe that would mean he would be in less trouble. Before tearing the door open, she snuck a glance out of her door and searched the halls. Not a soul. Home free.
She eased out of the door and checked again to make sure she was clear, then dashed for the front door to the quad. Sunshine burned her eyes and skin, but she kept her head low and quickly made for the opposite side of the field. Still not a soul. Why so vacant?
After some eternal seconds, she opened the front door of the girl’s dorm and was immediately met with what seemed like twenty voices, all muttering and whispering. She eased around the corner and was startled to see a large crowd of people, all girls from her dorm, circled around her own door and peering inside with white faces.
She thought she felt vomit crawl up her throat. What if Danielle had started to report her missing after she wasn’t with her in the room? Susan had always woken up after or even by Danielle, so what would she think when she wasn’t even in the dorm when that time came to start the morning? Would she believe her if she said she’d gone for an early walk? Her appearance through the front door would back that up, she realized. But what of her neat bed? She always made her bed in the morning but Danielle would wake up to a neat bed and Susan would have probably woken her if she’d tried to while Danielle was still asleep.
She crept to the crowd and dove in, twisting her body to squeeze through the crowd. Why hadn’t any of them suddenly shouted in joy to see she was okay? Had something else happened? She didn’t want to think of it but perhaps someone had broken in and robbed them. She would have to ask Danielle when she got through these mad people to her door.
And that’s when she saw the uniformed cop scribbling on his notepad inside her dorm living room. All the lights were now on and he looked up at a doorway. Covering it were strips of yellow tape. Susan’s felt the life melt through her skin. She was in deep now.
But wait, that was their bedroom! Someone had broken not only into their dorm but their bedroom, where Danielle was sleeping! No doubt she would be questioned and force to expose why she wasn’t in the room when Danielle needed her. She was with her boyfriend while Danielle was most likely trying to fight to protect herself. It had to have happened after she left with the chemistry book. Panic rose in her throat and she tore into the room, despite the shocked looks from the crowd around her.
The cop saw her out of the corner of his eye and turned to grab her tight in a locked hold. Why was he holding her back? What had happened?! Her heart burned hotter than the tears streaming down her face. She had to know!
She tried to fight the larger man but he held her firm, dropping the clipboard.
“Let me see! What happened?!” She screamed, no longer caring for her own punishment but what possibly could have happened her Danielle. Why didn’t she stay with her last night? Was a night with Brian worth having something happen to her best friend for almost a year? The panic turned to guilt and then dread. Of what, she didn’t know yet. This pig kept her from knowing what was eating her heart out of her chest. And the terror was only weighed down by knowing she was seeing nor hearing any sign of her. It was like she didn’t even exist anymore.
Finally, she managed too free herself from the cop’s grasp and darted past him to her doorway. She turned into the room and as soon as her eyes met the sight the cop was trying to protect her from, her blood temperature plummeted.
Crimson stains covered her white sheets, pulled over a lumpy pile on her roommate’s bed. The air smelled like rotting flesh already. A couple more cops inside were startled to see her standing, hands by her quivering lips, in the doorway.
On the wall above Susan’s untouched bed were the words, “Good thing you didn’t turn on the lights.” written in Danielle’s blood.
You need to log in to urbis or create an urbis account to review this writing.
Reviews
Sort Reviews by Newest | Oldest | Highest Quality | Lowest Quality | Newest Comments |
It’s a good, well written story. Although short, it’s filled with lots of suspense.
I love the beginning(Susan’s heels clicked loudly on the tile floor of the hallway, dimly lit from only every other rectangular light in the high ceiling.)It sets up a classic horror scene. And the build up to the climax at the end left me shocked and terrified- a good way to end a story. Good Job!
- add/view comments (0)
Showing 1 - 1 of 1
Review item
Add to faves
GENERAL
REVIEW QUEUE
Ratings & Rankings
