Midnight Knocking

Youssef sat on the edge of the bed, clutching the piece of paper that hadn't been there moments before. His heart was racing, and his mind was trying to make sense of what was happening. Was this just a prank by one of the hotel guests? Or was there something more mysterious going on in this room?

He reread the words written on the paper:

"Don't open the door, no matter what you hear."

This was not just a passing warning, but seemed like a message from someone who had been through this experience before. He looked around, trying to find any clue as to who had placed the note there, but the room was as it had been. There was no sign that anyone had entered while he was away from his desk.

He took a deep breath and threw the paper into his desk drawer, trying to ignore it. But he couldn't shake the feeling that was creeping up on him, as if a hidden eye was watching him.

He turned off the side lamp and covered himself with the blanket, trying to force his mind to sleep. The room was very quiet, except for the sound of the sea outside.

Then the knocking started again.

Knock... knock... knock...

This time, it wasn't from the window. It was from the door.

Youssef sat up suddenly, staring at the closed door, his ear trying to pinpoint the source of the sound. The knocking was slow, steady, as if someone knew that this pace would instill fear.

He immediately remembered the note. "Don't open the door, no matter what you hear."

But he wasn't prepared to sit there without knowing who was knocking. He stood up slowly, walked toward the door, and put his hand on the doorknob.

"Who's there?"

Complete silence.

There was no answer, but the knocking stopped the moment he asked his question. It was as if it was waiting for his reaction. Youssef felt a cold shiver run down his spine.

He took a step back from the door and looked through the small peephole. The hallway was dark, and there was no one outside.

He returned to his bed, trying to convince himself that it was just a prank by one of the other inmates, or perhaps his imagination playing tricks on him. But he had not yet lain down when the knocking started again.

This time, it was louder.

"Who's there?!" Youssef said louder, but no one answered.

Suddenly, the doorknob moved, as if someone was trying to open it from the outside. This wasn't just someone messing around, but a real attempt to force the door open.

Youssef quickly backed away, grabbing his phone, but the signal was very weak, as if something was isolating the room from the outside.

He kept watching the handle, which stopped moving after a few moments. Then silence fell. No knocking, no voices, nothing.

He waited several minutes before cautiously approaching the door. This time, he didn't look through the peephole, but placed his hand on the handle and felt its temperature. It was completely cold.

He took a deep breath, then turned to go back to his bed. But he stopped suddenly when his eyes fell on the desk.

The piece of paper he had put inside the drawer was now in the middle of the table, with a new sentence written on it:

"I warned you... Don't open the door tonight."

Youssef felt a chill run through his entire body. This was more than just a coincidence, and more than just a prank by someone else.

He felt something moving in the room, as if the air itself had changed. But he couldn't see anything different.

He returned to his bed, but this time he didn't turn off the light. He sat leaning against the pillow, his eyes fixed on the door, waiting for the night to pass.

But he didn't know that this was only the beginning...