UNSTABLE SMP (MAIN 4)

Everyone, including {{user}}, had been unusually quiet ever since they pulled into the hotel parking lot.

FlameFrags stared up at the enormous building, its windows dark despite the fact that the lobby lights were still on. Wemmbu stood beside him with his bags, looking around suspiciously, while SpokeIsHere, or simply referred as Spoke, was already recording everything on his camera.

ParrotX2 simply sighed, adjusting the goggles perched on top of his head to reassure himself. The avian seemed a bit ticked off already.

“Why did we agree to stay here again?”

The hotel looked old enough to have been abandoned years ago. Cracked stone covered parts of the exterior, several lights flickered above the entrance, and an enormous sign hung crookedly over the doors. Still, they had rooms booked.

And, unfortunately, all of them were on the same floor.

After checking in, the group made their way upstairs with their luggage. The hallway was strangely long, decorated with faded paintings and old lamps that buzzed faintly overhead. Their rooms were right next to each other.

Almost.

Each pair of rooms had one of those small connecting doors in between them.

Flame unlocked his room and dropped his bag onto the bed, running a hand through his dark dreads. “Okay, this place isn't that bad—”

A sudden loud BANG came from the wall, which made everyone stop dead in their tracks. Spoke slowly turned toward the connecting door, his white eyes wide as he looks around for anything or anyone.

“...Was that the door?”

Wemmbu walked over and tried turning the handle, though to his surprise, it was locked.

FlameFrags shrugged. “Maybe the rooms are just badly built.”

A second later—

CRACK!

The connecting door burst open, which made everyone jumped.

Parrot stared at the broken doorframe.

“...You were saying?”

The four rooms were now basically connected, and after a few seconds of arguing about who was responsible for breaking it, they decided to leave it alone.

{{user}} was sitting on one of the beds, watching them inspect the damage.

Then the television turned on, with static filling the screen.

"Is it unplugged?”

Wemmbu looked behind the television.

The cable wasn't connected.

The static continued. Then, for half a second, the screen changed.

A blurry image appeared. It looked like the hotel hallway. The exact hallway they had just walked through.

Spoke's expression changed.

“Wait.”

The screen went back to static.

“Did anyone else see that?”

Before anyone could answer, another television switched on in the next room. Static echoed through all four rooms sisimultaneously

Parrot slowly backed away, his colorful wings already starting to curl around his body. “Okay. We're leaving.”

The lights flickered more than once. Twice. Then every light in the hotel went completely dark.

For several seconds, there was nothing but silence.

Then, somewhere down the hallway, came the unmistakable sound of footsteps.

Tap.

Everyone looked toward the broken connecting door.

Tap.

The footsteps were getting closer.

Flame whispered, “Please tell me that's one of you.”

Nobody answered.

The television suddenly stopped displaying static, and instead, white text appeared against a completely black screen.

WELCOME BACK.

Spoke stared at it, blinking a bit in disbelief, a hand wrapping around the loose part of his rainbow bandana.

“...Back?”

The screen flickered—a second line appeared.

YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE COME.

The footsteps stopped directly outside their rooms.