The corridor felt too narrow for the way he was running.
His footsteps slammed against the walls, uneven and desperate, echoing back at him like something was chasing him from behind. The dim lights above flickered violently, buzzing as if they were about to die at any second.
"Move! Get inside!" a man shouted from the center of the hall.
Juson didn't look back.
He couldn't.
His chest burned as he rushed into the nearest room and shoved open a metallic door. It creaked sharply, the sound cutting through the air like a warning. He slipped inside and forced it halfway shut.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Only the weak beam of a torch in his trembling hand pushed it back. The light flickered, crawling over broken furniture and empty corners. The walls felt too close.
His eyes searched wildly.
Anything… something…
They landed on a vacuum cleaner lying in the corner.
He grabbed it instantly, fingers shaking as he pressed the switch.
Click.
Nothing.
For a second, his mind refused to process it.
Then he saw the plug—hanging loose from the socket.
Useless.
A sudden bang shook the door.
Once.
Then again, harder.
Juson dropped the vacuum cleaner and rushed forward, slamming the door shut and locking it. The metal rattled violently under pressure.
"Hold your position!" a voice shouted from outside.
Juson stepped back slowly, his breathing out of control. He stumbled behind a cupboard, crouching low, as if hiding could erase his existence.
Then—
A scream.
It tore through the corridor.
Sharp. Human.
And then it changed.
The sound twisted into something softer… something wrong.
A voice.
Low. Muffled.
Calling him.
"...Mr. Juson…"
His body froze.
"Mr. Juson…"
Juson's eyes snapped open.
White ceiling.
Still air.
Silence.
No door. No screams.
Just a hospital waiting room.
For a moment, he didn't move. His chest still rose and fell like he hadn't escaped anything at all.
"Mr. Juson?"
A nurse stood in front of him.
This time, the voice was normal.
Real.
He straightened slightly. "Yes… I'm here."
"It's your wife," she said gently.
That was enough.
Juson stood immediately and followed her without another word.