Chapter 2

Just as I was trying to calm myself, forcing my eyes shut, my phone suddenly rang.

"Ding-a-ling..."

A sharp, urgent phone ring pierced the silence.

My nerves snapped taut again. This was it.

My ringing phone was right there, on the bed, directly opposite me.

"Creak..."

The bedroom door opened again. This time, the footsteps were a little more hurried.

The phone stopped ringing.

He didn't turn on the light when he came in this time, seeming to walk straight towards the bed without hesitation.

I listened intently to every footstep, unable to control the sound of my swallowing.

And then, he stopped right in front of me.

The faint moonlight from the window cast his rough silhouette, but I couldn't make out any details.

I was praying he wouldn't find me when I suddenly felt something warm moving closer to my side.

My heart leaped. Before I could even react, I heard footsteps heading towards me again.

He had turned around!

The sound of his feet on the floor magnified in my ears, like a speaker blaring right next to me.

My nerves were stretched to their breaking point.

The air in the closet was already stale, and after being in this plushie costume for so long, I was drenched in sweat.

Just as he stood in front of the closet, about to open the door again.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

The front door was knocked.

It felt like a lifeline, and time stood still.

Aside from the knocking, I couldn't hear a single sound.

After what felt like an eternity, the footsteps that were heading towards me changed direction.

"Click."

He turned on the bedroom light, put his phone back on the bed, and left.

I strained to see the phone screen. It was the delivery guy.

[I'll pick it up later, just leave it outside.]

That was the delivery app's chat screen.

Sure enough, the knocking at the door stopped.

It was then, through the crack in the closet, that I saw Chloe's head suddenly contort. The hair that had covered her face now fell away, fully exposing it.

Blood, like crimson paint, smeared her entire face, and her eyes looked utterly grotesque.

She suddenly started to bounce up and down. My heart lurched. Had she become something... *undead*?

Sweat dripped down my face, but quickly, through the crack, I saw a hand grabbing her hair and dragging her towards the door.

Though I was still terrified, a wave of relief washed over me.

"Phew..."

I calmed myself down again, trying to listen for any movement outside.

But this time, I heard no footsteps. The room was eerily quiet.

It wasn't until I heard the front door lock again that I regained my senses.

However, the next second, when I looked back at the closet, I saw a pair of blood-red eyes staring intently at me.