Kyushu

“I can’t believe they can’t move us.” Kristine moaned, watching the bedroom hallway with haunted eyes. She’d been spending every night out in the living room to avoid having to sleep next to the third room.
“There’s nowhere to put us.” Sara said disconsolately. She hunkered down in the chair. “I just can’t believe it.” she muttered.
“I need a drink.” Sara declared.
A square patch of light appeared in the hallway, right in front of the third bedroom. Sara saw it first. “What the fuck is that?” She demanded, jumping up into the seat and nearly going over the back of the chair.
“What is it?” Kristine said anxiously, craning her neck to see around the corner.
“It looks like Dina’s door is open and the light’s on.” Sara whispered. She could see nothing else but that small, innocuous patch of light.
“Go see what it is!” Kristine urged.
“Fuck that!” Sara replied shrilly. “You go see what it is.”
“Hell no, not on my own.” Kristine replied haughtily. “It’s probably nothing.” she added after a moment’s silence.
“Then go see.” Sara said, sliding back down into the seat cushion.
“Come with me.” Kristine repeated her request.
“Fine.” Sara grabbed Kristine’s hand to keep her from backing out. They edged cautiously down the hallway until the tips of their toes were bathed in that little patch of light. They leaned around the doorjamb to see the empty room. The smell of fresh plaster was cloying.
“I told you it was nothing.” Kristine said with a smile, taking a few daring steps into the room.
Sara followed her inside with morbid curiosity. Then the door shut behind them.

Pam came in late the next day; she’d been spending every night at her boyfriend’s since the…incident. “Sara? Kristine?” she called, dropping her stuff by the door and knocking on Sara’s door. There was no answer, and in the strange darkness of the unlit apartment, she could see that the light was on in the third bedroom. “Guys? This isn’t funny. In fact, it’s pretty fucking sick.” she roared, storming down the hallway and forcing the door open.
There was no one in the room, and the only piece of furniture left was the tiny dresser the school allocated to all the dorms. Pam frowned. “I thought they took everything out.” she murmured, touching the dresser lightly with her fingertips. She looked at the wall across from the dresser; the hole was outlined brilliantly by the fresh plaster. “Seriously fucked up.” Pam muttered again to herself, turning fully away from the drawer and turning towards the door. She stopped, and looked again at the dresser. “I wonder if they took everything out.” she mused, her curiosity turning decidedly morbid in her mind.
She reached for the bottom drawer, where Dina had once kept her DVDs, and laid her hands on the knobs. Suddenly the sensation of being watched was overwhelming; she needed to leave and to hell with the dresser. Pam turned once again towards the door, only to find it closed. She frowned and tried the knob. “The fuck?” She looked at the handle to see whether the lock was in force or not. It didn’t seem to be, and she started to play with the handle to coax the door open.
There was the unmistakable squeak of warped dry wood scraping more warped dry wood; the sound Dina’s dresser always made when she went to get a movie. Pam didn’t want to turn around. She really, really didn’t want to turn around. When cold slimy fingers wrapped around her ankles, she still didn’t turn around.
“Pam; come join us for a drink. It’ll be fun.” the whisper in her ear was hard and low, the breath fetid and wet against her ear. Pam closed her eyes, trying to fight against the numbness that had already robbed her legs of movement.
“We might even have enough people to play beer-pong now.” the whisper added cheerfully, gurgling wetly.
Pam didn’t even get to scream.