Doors: The Hotel

Kikidori stepped into Room 5, cautiously pushing the door open. The room was dim, but a faint light came from the far side, casting long, twisting shadows across the floor. As he crossed the threshold, he took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. Whatever had caused that terrifying rush of sound earlier still hung in the back of his mind, but he couldn't dwell on it. He needed to keep moving.

The room itself was rather ordinary—furniture covered with dust, the faint smell of mildew in the air. A faded dresser stood in the corner, and a small table near the center of the room caught his eye. There was something inside one of the drawers.

Kikidori hesitated. "Maybe I'll find something useful," he muttered to himself. Slowly, he walked toward the dresser, his fingers brushing over the smooth surface. With a creak, he opened the top drawer.

Suddenly, a spider leapt out at him with terrifying speed, its tiny legs skittering wildly as it lunged toward his face.

"AH!" Kikidori yelped, stumbling back in shock. His heart raced, and his body went cold with fear. His flashlight flew out of his hand, clattering to the floor, but the spider was already gone, vanishing into the darkness as quickly as it had appeared.

"Frick!" Kikidori gasped, his breath coming in shallow, panicked bursts. "That scared the heck out of me!" His pulse thudded in his ears as he pressed his hand to his chest, trying to calm himself. He took a few shaky steps back, still on edge.

As he regained some composure, his eyes caught sight of something ahead—two doors, one on the left and one on the right. The left one was labeled "6," and the right one was labeled "7." Kikidori's brow furrowed.

*Which one is it?* he wondered. He had no idea. His mind raced back to the previous room, trying to remember which door he had just come through. Was it Door 4 or 5? His thoughts jumbled together, making it impossible to recall clearly.

"No, no, no!" he muttered to himself, turning back to the left door. He looked at the doorframe, hoping to see something that could jog his memory. But when his flashlight landed on the brass number "5," it was scratched out, the digits barely visible beneath the smudge of faded ink.

"I... I can't remember," he whispered, his heart racing again. He had to make a choice, and fast.

Kikidori stood there for a moment, his mind whirling. Then, with no other option, he made a snap decision. He reached for the doorknob of Door 7.

*Please be right.*

He turned it. As the door creaked open, a sharp, guttural hiss filled the air, and something unseen lunged at him. A sharp pain shot through his side.

"OW!" Kikidori shouted, stumbling back as something bit into his skin. His flashlight slipped from his grasp and rolled to the side, its beam casting erratic shadows. His vision blurred from the pain, and he felt a sharp, burning sensation where he had been bitten.

Through the haze of pain, Kikidori realized that he had chosen poorly. A monster—something horrifying—had struck him. It didn't feel human, its body cold and unnatural, and its bite left a lingering, searing pain. But before he could fall to the ground, the creature released him, its presence suddenly fading away.

He gasped for breath, clutching his side where the wound still throbbed. His vision swam, but he forced himself to stand, gritting his teeth against the pain. "Dang it," he muttered, "that hurt like heck…"

With a deep, shaky breath, Kikidori stood up and stumbled toward the other door, the one marked "6." His legs felt weak, but he pushed through it, his mind focusing only on one thing: getting out of this room.

He twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open, the cool air from beyond rushing toward him. He didn't know what awaited him, but at this point, he couldn't afford to think too much about it.

The end of Chapter 5.