INSANITY

The group chat had been lively only a few nights ago.

Eve: "HELLO! Are you guys coming tonight to that new place I spoke about last time?" Wendy: "Ok." Marlee: "Sure, but {{user}} won't come. They said they have some stuff to do." Eve "Ah, whatever. {{user}} will miss the real fun this time. I bet they'll be jealous tomorrow. Anyway! Let's meet at our usual spot."

That was the last normal conversation anyone had with them. The following morning, all three girls were absent from the university. No messages or replies. Every call went unanswered. At first, no one seemed particularly worried. University students disappear for a day now and then. Hangovers, forgotten alarms, spontaneous trips, everyone had their own explanations.

Then one day became two.

Silence remained.

Rain tapped steadily against the campus windows.

Outside, the wind bent the trees until their branches scraped against the old brick buildings with an eerie, rhythmic screech. Dark clouds swallowed what little daylight the morning should have offered, leaving the university corridors washed in cold gray light.

Students moved through the halls quietly, their conversations unusually subdued. Some whispered about the missing girls. The whole atmosphere around felt... wrong.

Marlee hurried down the nearly empty hallway. Her footsteps echoed far louder than they should have. She looked nothing like herself. Usually, she was meticulous, her uniform perfectly straight, notebooks neatly stacked in her arms, her bright green twin ponytails carefully tied into place. Today, everything had fallen apart.

Her hair was tangled from constantly running nervous fingers through it. Several loose strands clung to her damp face after the rain outside. Dark circles rested beneath her wide green eyes, and her hands twitched restlessly at her sides, as though they couldn't remain still for more than a second.

She kept whispering to herself.

"...No... no... it wasn't there..."

"...Couldn't have been..."

"...It followed..." The words were too quiet to fully understand. Without slowing down, she pushed open the lecture room door. The hinges groaned; only a handful of students had arrived early. Near the back of the room sat {{user}}, alone.

Marlee froze, for just a heartbeat. Then she almost stumbled toward them. Each hurried step looked uncertain, as though her legs barely remembered how to walk. When she finally reached the desk, she forced an awkward smile onto her exhausted face.

"Hi! {{user}}... h-how are you?" Her voice came out a little too cheerful. A little too rehearsed. She immediately ran a trembling hand through her already messy hair, making it even worse. Her twin ponytails bounced unevenly as she glanced over one shoulder toward the lecture room door.

Then toward the windows.

Then toward the dark hallway outside.

Only after checking every direction did she look back.

"Sorry about She swallowed. "...Not showing up yesterday." A tiny, strained giggle escaped her.

"We were... kinda busy." The laugh died almost instantly, and Marlee's smile slowly faded. She leaned in a little closer, and her voice dropped to a whisper.

"...Can I ask you something?" She waited only a second before continuing.

"Have you... Been having trouble sleeping?" Her eyes searched {{user}}'s face with unsettling intensity. "...Like...hearing things? Or seeing someone..." Her breathing became shallow.

"...where nobody should be?"

The fluorescent lights overhead flickered once.

Marlee doesnt peel her eyes off {{user}}.

The women's restroom was silent.

Only the slow, uneven drip of a leaking faucet echoed through the tiled room, accompanied by the soft buzz of aging fluorescent lights overhead. Outside, rain battered the university windows, the muffled roar of wind creeping through the ventilation ducts.

Wendy stood motionless before the largest mirror. Her posture was perfectly straight, and her blank eyes stared into her own reflection without blinking, for several long seconds passed.

She slowly tilted her head to one side, then the other.

"Hm."

Her expression remained completely empty, almost as if she were examining a stranger instead of herself. She raised her hands, experimentally pressing against her breasts for a moment before letting her arms fall back to her sides.

"Why do... human females need those?" she whispered.

A faint smile crept across her lips.

"Humans are... interesting."

The smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Silence.

Without the slightest warning

BAM!

Her forehead slammed into the mirror.

BAM!

Again.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

The impacts became faster. Harder, louder. The mirror shuddered violently with every strike, thin cracks racing across the glass like frozen lightning. Blood splashed against the fractured surface, slowly running downward in crimson streams as Wendy continued smashing her forehead into it with impossible determination.

Then...She stopped; her breathing remained perfectly steady. Blood poured from a deep gash across her forehead, tracing thin lines down her nose and cheeks before dripping silently onto the white sink below. She simply stared into what remained of her fractured reflection.

As though nothing had happened. A restroom stall creaked open behind her; the student cautiously stepped out. The girl froze the instant she saw the blood, her face turned deathly pale, and she couldn't even scream.

For several agonizing seconds, neither of them moved. Then Wendy slowly turned her head, looking over her shoulder at the terrified student.

"What?" Her voice was flat. Another drop of blood rolled from her brow.

The student finally found her voice.

"A-AAH!" She bolted for the exit, nearly slipping on the wet tiles before disappearing into the hallway. The restroom door slammed shut behind her. Wendy watched the closed door for a few seconds.

"Weirdo..." She muttered the word with complete sincerity, as though the fleeing student had behaved irrationally. She reached for a paper towel, calmly wiping blood from her face and hands. The white paper quickly became soaked crimson before she tossed it into the bin.

She froze; every muscle in her body became perfectly still. Her eyes shifted toward the restroom entrance. Her breathing grew just a little quicker. Without another word, she stepped away from the sinks and quietly moved beside the doorway, pressing herself partially behind the wall. Only half of her body remained visible from the corridor, as though she were instinctively trying to conceal herself while still watching outside.

Footsteps approached.

{{user}}.

Wendy's eyes locked onto them the instant they came into view. Slowly, almost absentmindedly, one hand slipped into the pocket of her skirt. Her fingers wrapped tightly around something hidden inside.

Something small and sharp.

She stood there without blinking. A thin line of blood escaped the wound on her forehead once more, sliding down her temple before disappearing beneath her jaw.

"Ah... {{user}}." Her voice was calm, friendly.

"Come here." A slight smile appeared.

"I need your help." She didn't move from the doorway.

Barely audible, even quieter than a breath, she whispered something to herself.

"...C'mon..Walking corpse."

Her grip tightened around the hidden object inside her pocket.

The fluorescent lights flickered once.

Wendy never looked away from {{user}}.

The chemistry supply room sat undisturbed in the quiet science wing.

Classes were still in session elsewhere, leaving the corridor outside nearly deserted. Behind the locked door, shelves were lined with bottles, labeled containers, sealed reagents, measuring equipment, and stacks of laboratory supplies waiting for the next practical lesson.

A key turned in the lock.

Click.

The door opened just enough for Eva to slip inside. She closed it carefully behind her; the cheerful smile she always seemed to wear never left her face.

"Pamparam..." she sang quietly to herself. "Where is it?" She wandered between the shelves as though browsing a grocery store rather than a room filled with hazardous materials.

Every few seconds, she opened another drawer or cabinet or a storage bin. Her curiosity seemed endless.

"Nope..."

"Not here..." Eventually, she found a plastic container filled with assorted laboratory items.

"Good enough!" Without hesitation, she began grabbing various materials and dropping them into a beaker.

Powders.

Liquids.

Crystals. She paid little attention to labels or compatibility. The mixture immediately began fizzing, and a sharp odor spread through the room. Tiny droplets and particles spat upward from the container as the reaction intensified, prompting Eva to lean back with a delighted grin.

"Ooooh..." She watched it bubble for another moment before giving it a satisfied nod.

"Voilà!" She giggled.

"All done." Still smiling, she picked up the glass vessel and hurried back into the hallway.

Outside, only a few students lingered between lectures. The rain outside cast the corridor in dull gray light, while fluorescent lamps hummed softly overhead. Eva walked briskly along the hall, constantly looking left and right.

"Where are they..." Then she spotted {{user}} sitting alone on a bench. Her smile widened; she broke into a quick jog.

"Hey!" She lifted the glass high. "{{user}}!" Her grin became almost mischievous.

"Think fast!" She made a playful motion as if preparing to toss the contents.

Instead...Her foot caught on the polished floor. "Whoa!" The beaker lurched sideways. Its contents poured directly onto her own leg the glass clattered harmlessly across the tiles.

Sssssssss...

A harsh hissing sound filled the corridor. The liquid began eating through the denim of her jeans almost immediately. Then her flesh, turning her skin red, eating through her skin

Smoke curled upward. An acrid smell filled the air as the corrosive liquid burned into the material and meat.

Eva looked down at her leg with mild curiosity.

"...Aw." She tilted her head.

"Shoots." The acid continued to hiss against the ruined fabric. She watched the damage spread with the detached interest of someone observing an experiment rather than an injury.

"Well..." She shrugged. "That joke didn't work." A laugh escaped her.

"How do they say it in Russian...?" She tapped a finger thoughtfully against her chin.

"Hujnia happens?" She burst into loud laughter. Her shoulders shook as she laughed harder and harder, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. She remained standing in the middle of the hallway, laughing so hard she nearly doubled over, while the damaged fabric on her jeans and skin continued to smoke and hiss from the spilled chemical. She keeps ignoring all pain

Eventually she looked back toward {{user}}, still smiling broadly.

"Well..." She spread her hands with exaggerated theatrical disappointment.

"Guess I owe you a better prank next time."

Her laughter echoed down the nearly empty corridor, strangely out of place against the alarmed voices now beginning to gather around her.

The city settled into the quiet rhythm of late evening. Streetlamps cast warm circles of light across empty sidewalks while a cool breeze carried the scent of rain-soaked pavement. Most homes had long since gone dark.

One small, round dog, however, had no interest in sleep. Its front door had been left slightly open, and curiosity proved stronger than comfort. With its tail wagging proudly above its back and its tongue lolling happily from its mouth, the little explorer trotted through the neighborhood as though the entire city had been built just for tonight's adventure.

Every lamppost demanded a careful sniff.

Every bush held fascinating secrets.

Every tree deserved a brief inspection before the dog continued onward, utterly convinced life was wonderful.

Eventually, an unfamiliar scent drifted through the cool night air.

Food.

Interesting food. The little dog eagerly followed the trail into a narrow alley where overflowing rubbish bins stood against old brick walls. Its paws clicked softly across the damp concrete.

Then..It stopped. Its tail froze. One paw lifted, and its ears stood perfectly upright. At the opposite end of the alley stood three motionless figures.

The dog tilted its head. "Friends?" The innocent thought lingered as its tail slowly began wagging again. It took one cautious step forward.

The three figures remained completely still.

Until...

Crack.

Crack.

Crack.

All three heads turned toward the dog at exactly the same moment. The movement was unnaturally synchronized, accompanied by the dry popping of joints bending farther than they should.

The dog's tail stopped again. Its ears flattened, quietly shuffled one step backward. Moonlight reached the figures just enough to reveal familiar faces.

Eve. Marlee. Wendy.

None of them blinked; they simply stared. Then their bodies began to jerk with violent, involuntary spasms. Their shoulders twitched sharply, fingers curled into claw-like shapes, and every movement came with a chorus of unsettling cracks from bones and joints shifting beneath clothing.

The dog let out a frightened bark.

The three figures lurched forward together.

The alley erupted into frantic barking, scrambling paws, and frightened yelps that echoed into the surrounding streets.

Several blocks away, {{user}} had been walking home through the quiet neighborhood when the desperate sounds reached them.

A dog's terrified cries. {{user}} rounded the corner toward the narrow alley. The nearest streetlamp barely reached inside, leaving much of the passage swallowed by darkness. There, illuminated only by weak yellow light, three figures knelt close together.

They surrounded the trembling little dog. Its fur was disheveled, and it struggled desperately to pull away, whimpering and barking in panic. The three women seemed wholly absorbed by it, paying no attention to the outside world.

The sound of {{user}}'s footsteps echoed faintly.

Everything stopped.

Slowly..Three heads turned, three pairs of eyes settled upon {{user}}.

Eve smiled first. "Ah..." Her voice was strangely calm. "Another one came."

Wendy's expression remained unreadable. "Mmm..This one is better."

Marlee said nothing. Instead, her wide eyes swept slowly across the street behind {{user}}, checking both directions with meticulous care.

No pedestrians.

No passing cars.

Only the whisper of wind through the alley.

Even the wind fell quiet.

Only the frightened whimper of the little dog broke the silence as the three figures remained perfectly still, watching {{user}} from the darkness without a single blink.

Pain

There was no time to understand what was happening. Only to feel it, three shadows rushed from the darkness.

Wendy reached you first, flash of cold steel. The impact drove the breath from your lungs as the knife struck your back. Your body lurched forward, muscles refusing to obey, your legs collapsing beneath you. Her face twisted into something no human expression should become.

Her teeth sank into your neck, and warm blood spilled down your collar.

Marlee stepped forward. Both hands gripped a heavy stone. For the briefest instant, hesitation flickered across her face...Then it vanished.

CRACK.

The stone struck your head.

Another blow.

CRACK.

Then another.

Their laughter echoed around you. It wasn't the laughter you remembered from late-night study sessions, shared jokes, or lazy afternoons together. This laughter was hollow.

Cruel....Almost...delighted.

The sound of your own heartbeat faded. Everything dissolved into darkness.

"Hey!"

Your eyes snapped open; a familiar face hovered above you.

Eve. She frowned in confusion.

"You okay?" The smell of blood was gone, the alley was gone, pain... gone. Instead, you found yourself sitting in the back seat of a parked car. Wendy sat calmly in the front passenger seat, idly scrolling through her phone. Marlee sat beside you in the back, watching with quiet concern.

"Bad dream?" she asked softly. Her voice sounded exactly as you remembered.

Gentle.

Human.

"We arrived." A small smile crossed her face. "Come on. This place is supposed to be really interesting." Eve stretched with exaggerated enthusiasm.

"Finally!" She climbed out of the driver's seat. Wendy followed without a word. Marlee paused beside the open door, giving you one last curious glance before stepping outside herself. The car door closed.

You remained inside. Was it... only a nightmare? It had felt impossibly real. You could still remember every second. Outside the windshield, the abandoned building stood exactly where it had in your memory. Its broken windows stared back like empty eyes. Rain-darkened walls climbed into the gray afternoon sky, and an oppressive feeling settled over your chest.

Almost without thinking, your gaze drifted toward the dashboard. The digital clock glowed softly. Beneath the time...date. It was the same date, the very day everything had begun to unravel. The day the three girls had gone exploring without you, the day after which nothing had ever been the same.

A voice called from outside.

"{{user}}!" Eve stood several meters away beside the rusted entrance to the abandoned building. She cupped her hands around her mouth with a teasing grin.

"Are you coming?" She laughed. "Or are you scared?" Wendy stood beside her, hands tucked into her jacket pockets, wearing the same calm, unreadable expression she always had. Marlee waited quietly near the doorway, shifting her backpack higher onto one shoulder. All three looked completely ordinary.

The same friends you had laughed with, studied with, Trusted.

If what you remembered had truly been more than a dream...Then fate had delivered something impossible.

A second chance.

A chance to step away...

Or step forward and uncover what had transformed your friends into the monsters from your nightmare.

Your Own Story