I'm not sure about tonight, but something is happening now... [Halloween Special, 2024]

As it always was. Scarlet was tense all the way to your rooms. Arabella and the twins were already tucked away, which left you, Bones, and Scarlet to stand in the elevator. The elevator skipped your floor and went straight above by one level.

When the doors opened, the corridor was dark and cold. Scarlet pressed the button to go down, but there was no action from your lift, which remained frozen. Scarlet pressed the button to your floor a dozen more times, each more frantic than the last.

“OK,” she looks at you. “Check the hall. Leave the dog.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes,” she replied. “Please. And we’ll take the stairs.”

Feeling a surge of pity for… whatever it is gnawing at Scarlet, you unclasp a light from your belt and check the hallway after focusing the beam straight down the hallway. They are all open on either side, giving an eerie appearance as your light isn’t able to light up everything that it should. You shine the light into some of the doorways, but all you see is a wall. Scarlet shifts her weight behind you. “What’s out there?”

“Nothing,” you look back at her as you reply. When you return to the hall, you notice that the doors are suddenly closed—all but one closet to the stairwell access. You were about to say something but didn’t want Scarlet to become more unhinged than she already was. “Let’s go.”

Bones growls and drags himself, not wanting to leave the elevator. Scarlet pats his head and practically begs him to come along with you. Reluctantly, he does as you make your way to the door to the stairs. You want to draw your gun, but you don’t as you reach and close the open door. Scarlet doesn’t miss this action but doesn’t ask any needless questions. All she wanted was to get out of there, and this time, you weren’t going to slow down that process.

The staircase is lit, but they flick as soon as the door behind you shuts. Scarlet shuffles and takes the dog down a flight. “Let’s hurry up. I hate this place.”

“I’m right behind you. " There’s urgency in both of your faces as you rush down the flight and nearly burst through the doors. From what you could gather, the lights had just been inexplicably turned off, too. Scarlet gives you the leash and lets out the air in her lungs. She tries to say something but ultimately shakes her head instead, already done with the night. She wishes you a safe and uneventful night, and you wish her the same.

You lay in bed and have Bones join you. He scratches a spot and spins a few times before lying down with a loud huff. You stay at the ceiling and start drifting off when your phone suddenly rings beside you. You lift it off the dock and then slam it back down, remembering at the last moment you were told not to answer the phone past a particular hour. Your clock said 2 am, but you were almost sure you didn’t fall asleep, so much time could have passed?

Beside you, at the end of your bed, Bones was looking at the front door door. He growled slightly and lowered his head.

“Knock that off,” you said, feeling more uneasy than before. “You’re freaking me out, dog.”

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

Bones barks.

“Shh!” you stand up and pat his head. “Relax.”

You grabbed your pistol, approached the door, and peeked through the peephole. Scarlet was standing there in white pajamas. Bones jumped off the bed and followed you, still growling. “Bones,” you whispered, pushing him back with your foot as you reached for the door lock. Then he barked and tried to pull you away.

You look at Bones and feel the notion that it’s just the dog preventing you from opening the door, but it’s also your instincts… You look through the peephole again and see Scarlet. She’s blonde now, but you can tell it’s really her by her face. Not to mention, she looks annoyed that she’s waiting so long to get a response from you. You watch her extend her fist out and pound on the door again, prompting Bones to bark and growl more. His fur is spiked along the back, and something tells you to ignore Scarlet for the night.

There was another rule that came along with the phone call when Scarlet was telling you what the staff told her on your first night here. You couldn’t remember at that moment, though.