Gemotions

The pounding started again, precisely at 2:00 AM. It wasn’t loud, but the rhythmic thudding seemed to vibrate directly through the floorboards. Mr. Henderson, upstairs, had a new hobby. Or so he claimed. He'd come down earlier, a pinched look on his face, muttering about noise complaints. Now, as the sounds began again, I got out of bed, heart drumming a frantic beat against my ribs. I crept toward the door, my bare feet silent on the cold wood.

The peephole offered a sliver of the hallway. I pressed my eye to it, peering into the dim light. Silence. Then, a creak. I quickly ducked down, my breath caught in my throat. I waited a full five minutes, the silence pressing down on me like a physical weight.

Finally, I cracked the door open a few inches. Nothing. But the thumping, faint but persistent, continued above. I felt a prickle crawl across my skin, a feeling that something wasn't quite right.