Doors: The Hotel

The door creaked behind Kikidori as it slowly closed, leaving him standing in the dimly lit Room 2. This room was larger than the first, with tall ceilings that seemed to stretch into darkness. Dust particles floated lazily in the faint beam of light from the flickering chandelier overhead. The walls, covered in faded floral wallpaper, gave off the impression of a once-elegant parlor now abandoned to time. Broken furniture was scattered about—an overturned chair here, a cracked table there—as if something had passed through in a hurry, leaving chaos in its wake.

Kikidori swallowed hard, gripping the key he had used for the first door tightly in his hand. His eyes darted around the room, half-expecting to see something watching him from the shadows. But everything was still. The only sound was the distant ticking of a grandfather clock, hidden somewhere in the murky darkness.

"Alright," he muttered to himself, forcing a steadying breath. "Just… look around, find the door, and keep going."

As he stepped further into the room, the wooden floor creaked under his weight, each sound echoing unnervingly in the emptiness. He scanned the area, looking for any sign of the next door. His gaze landed on a desk pushed against one wall, its surface cluttered with random objects—a broken lamp, a stack of yellowed papers, and a flashlight.

"A flashlight?" Kikidori murmured, stepping closer. The metallic device lay on its side, its bulb facing him like a single unblinking eye. He picked it up gingerly, brushing off the layer of dust that coated it. It felt heavier than it looked, but surprisingly, when he clicked the button on its side, it lit up with a soft, steady beam.

"Nice," he said, feeling a small flicker of relief. "This'll help."

The beam cut through the gloom, revealing more of the room. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling like ghostly curtains, and the wallpaper had peeled away in several places, exposing the cracked plaster beneath. Kikidori swept the light around, his nerves prickling as the shadows seemed to dance in response.

Finally, the flashlight illuminated the door. It was tucked away in a corner, partially hidden by a fallen bookshelf. Like the first door, it had a brass number affixed to it—in this case, a bold "2." Kikidori approached it carefully, stepping over scattered books and shards of broken wood.

As he reached the door, he hesitated again. His instincts were screaming at him to be cautious, though he couldn't explain why. Something about this place felt… wrong. He glanced back at the room, its shadows seeming to shift and ripple at the edges of his vision.

"This place gives me the creeps," he muttered, shaking his head. "Let's just get this over with."

With a steadying breath, he grasped the doorknob and twisted it. The door opened with a low groan, revealing yet another room beyond. This one was darker, the chandelier in the distance barely emitting any light. The shadows seemed thicker here, pressing against the edges of his flashlight's beam.

Kikidori stepped through, the door creaking closed behind him. He looked back briefly, but the door to Room 2 was already gone, replaced by a blank wall.

"Dang it," he whispered under his breath. "No going back, huh?"

As he turned his gaze forward and shone his flashlight into the next room, the sense of unease grew stronger. His fingers tightened around the flashlight as he took another cautious step forward.

The end of Chapter 2.