Just a normal day... or is it?

Monday. It was the fresh start of every week, and almost no one liked it. Whether it started with the heavy dread of manual work, the monotony of school, or just the weight of endless daily obligations, everyone had to drag themselves out of bed.

 The sky above the city was a dull, washed-out gray, matching the mood of the thousands of people rushing through the cracked concrete streets. And so, my week began. Yet again."Ah..." I let out a long yawn, blinking away the heaviness in my eyes. "I'm already sleepy, and I had plenty of sleep last night."I muttered to myself, staring at the worn-out sneakers beneath my feet as I walked. 

I could only hope that the rest of the day would be just as lazy and uneventful as I felt. As I headed toward the cramped brick building where my workplace was located, the fog in my brain refused to clear. The cool autumn air did nothing to wake me up. I felt sleepier than ever, so I made a mental note to grab a second morning coffee—the cheap, bitter kind from the corner vending machine—before I even attempted to do any real work.I stood by the breakroom window, watching the steam rise from my paper cup."It seems like this day will last forever," I sighed, staring at the endless row of identical buildings outside. "Sometimes I wonder if this dull life will ever change. Every day is exactly the same: wake up, go to work, get tired, eat, sleep, and repeat. Over and over, like some endless hell loop."I leaned my forehead against the cool, smudge-stained glass. "Honestly, even some supernatural event would be great right now. An alien invasion, a ghost, a monster—anything. 

At least it would bring something new to life. I might actually get excited for the first time in this boring loop of mine.""Yo, Kuss!" a loud, overly energetic voice called out, breaking my dark thoughts.It was Yelit, my closest friend and coworker. He came bursting through the door with a wide, mischievous grin, waving a crumpled piece of note paper in his hand. He looked like a man who possessed a secret that could make both of our miserable days significantly better."I heard you have absolutely nothing to do today, huh?" Yelit teased, nudging my shoulder hard enough to almost spill my coffee."Oh, it's you, Yei..." I rolled my eyes, though a small smile crept onto my face. It was hard to stay completely miserable around his energy. "Yeah, same old stuff every day. What's bringing that massive smile to your face? Did you finally lose your virginity or something?"Yelit had clearly anticipated the jab. Without missing a beat, his grin widened, eager to deliver his proposal."I didn't," he laughed, leaning against the counter, "but I definitely will tonight. And honestly, you might lose yours too. But hey, that’s entirely up to you, my friend.""Hm? What’s going on?" I asked, my curiosity finally piqued. I took a sip of the bitter coffee. "Tell me already. I’m going to fall asleep right here if you keep wasting my day with suspense.""Okay, listen closely," Yelit lowered his voice, leaning in as if we were plotting a heist. "My parents went out of town and won't be home for the next two days. A girl I met online recently said she wants to come over to my place tonight, and she's bringing a friend along. Naturally, she told me to invite someone too, so I came straight to you. So, what do you say?"I stared at him, blinking in disbelief. "Wait a minute... You have a female friend? Who has another friend? And they are coming to your place? Am I already dreaming? Don't make a fool of me, man. I'm too tired for jokes.""Hey, I am dead serious!" Yelit insisted, raising his hands in defense. "Just say yes and come over. We'll have some dinner, some drinks, and who knows? 

We might finally become real men after tonight." He laughed, waiting eagerly for my answer."Okay, okay, I get it," I laughed back, shaking my head. The idea of actually doing something spontaneous felt incredibly strange. "I just have to show up, right? Alright, let’s do it, Yei.""So, it’s decided then! I’ll be waiting for you tomorrow after work. Don’t be late, and for the love of God, dress nice for once. Throw away that old hoodie.""Roger that. I’ll try my best, I promise," I said, waving him off as the shift bell rang.

The next evening, the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in deep shades of purple and orange. A strange, heavy sense of anticipation hung in the air. The two of us were actually going to hang out, but this time, there would be girls involved. Would our lives actually change after tonight, or would everything just snap back to the boring, everyday routine?Ring, ring.The doorbell cut through my thoughts. Yelit opened the door, a surprised look on his face as he took in my appearance. 

His apartment smelled of cheap cologne and frozen pizza that was currently warming up in the oven. The living room was a typical mess—a large television, a gaming console with wires tangled across the floor, and a worn-out fabric couch."Hello there, buddy! To be honest, I thought you wouldn't show up," he said, offering a high-five. "But I must say, as expected from my best friend.""Hello to you too, man," I replied, hitting his hand. I looked him up and down. He was wearing a ironed button-up shirt that looked completely unnatural on him. "Oh, look at you. You dressed nice, and now you're trying to act smug? Nice. Should I say 'as expected of you', or... never mind. Let’s just get through this so I can go back to my 'sweet', quiet life."We sat down on the couch, waiting. 

Ten minutes turned into thirty, and thirty turned into a full hour. The pizza in the oven was done, filling the room with a thick, greasy scent, but there was still no sign of the guests.Suddenly, the overhead lightbulb flickered violently. The hum of the refrigerator died down. The entire room plunged into pitch blackness for a split second, making the shadows on the walls twist strangely, before the electricity snapped back on with a loud pop."Don’t tell me you haven't paid your bills, Yei," I joked, though a cold shiver ran down my spine. The air in the room suddenly felt noticeably colder. "That’s not like you, man.""Of course I paid them!" Yelit snapped back defensively, though he looked nervously at the ceiling light. "Unlike you, I’m a grown man. I know what I have to do and when to do it.""Hm, okay then. But it seems like you didn't pay the girls to show up on time," I teased, checking the glowing screen of my phone. Still no notifications."They’ll come for sure, just be patient. 

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the two of us."Ring... ring...This time, it wasn't the doorbell. It wasn't my phone either. It was a sharp, vibrating sound, but it felt like it was ringing inside the room. No—it was ringing directly inside our skulls. A bizarre, high-pitched frequency that made my teeth ache."Whoa, whoa... what is going on?" I groaned, dropping my phone onto the floor. I pressed my palms against my ears, but the noise wasn't coming from the outside; closing my ears did nothing to block it."Wait... you can hear it too, Kuss?" Yelit’s voice trembled. He stood up, stumbling back against the TV stand. He looked around wildly, trying to confirm his own sanity, but the sheer panic in his eyes told me everything.Bzzzz-f-ds-fs... Ring! Ring! Zzz-g...The static distortion grew louder and louder with every passing second, morphing into a deafening, metallic screech. It felt like someone was driving a needle straight through my eardrums."Ah! I think my head is going to explode!" I screamed, dropping to my knees on the cold floorboards. My vision began to blur. "I can't take it anymore! What is this?!""I have no idea! It's too loud! Just what in the world is thi—"Suddenly, the lights cut out completely.Total, suffocating darkness wrapped around us. And with the darkness, the horrific noise vanished instantly. The silence that followed was so absolute that I could hear the heavy, frantic thumping of my own heart."It’s over, right?" I whispered into the dark, my hands shaking violently as I stayed on my knees. "Oh, thank God... that madness is over, even if we're stuck in the dark now.""Shh!" Yelit hissed sharply from somewhere across the room. "Kuss... listen.""What?""I can hear something," Yelit whispered, his voice cracking with pure terror. "It sounds like... footsteps. 

Right there. Can you hear it too?""No, man," I breathed out, straining my ears, but all I could hear was a faint, low hum from the aftershocks of the noise. "After that screech, my ears are completely shot. I can't hear anything."But Yelit wasn't lying. In the deep, absolute darkness of the sealed apartment, the heavy, rhythmic thud of boots echoed against the floorboards. Slowly approaching.There had been no click of a lock. No sound of a breaking window. The front door was still chained shut.How had someone gotten inside?