Haunting Shadows

Mandy jolted awake in her hotel room, her heart was pounding in her chest. The room was eerily silent, the dim light of dawn creeping through the small crack in the curtains. She squinted at the alarm clock on the bedside table—5:26 AM. Too early, she thought, annoyed at herself for waking up so soon. Her body ached from the lack of proper rest, and she considered lying back down, desperate for more sleep.

But then she saw it—a shadow.

It moved behind the curtains, a tall, ominous figure shifting ever so slightly. Mandy froze, her breath catching in her throat. Fear surged through her veins. Her voice trembled as she called out, "Who's there?"

No response.

The shadow shifted again, and this time, her entire body went cold. She screamed, but the thick, soundproof walls of the hotel room trapped her voice. No one would hear her.

The curtain slowly parted, and out stepped the figure. Tall, menacing, familiar.

Mandy’s blood turned to ice as she recognized the man in front of her. It was