Midnight Sounds
Rain poured heavily that night, striking the apartment windows like impatient fingers tapping on glass. The city was still alive with its never-ending noise, but inside the dimly lit bedroom, only the ticking of the clock and the patter of water filled the silence.
Fatih hadn't slept. He sat on the edge of his bed, holding his mother's locket tightly in his hand. There was something unfamiliar about the quiet tonight. The air felt heavier, as if it had settled deep within the walls of the aging building—growing old alongside its secrets.
Then came the sound.
A knock.
Soft at first, then silence. Then another knock. This time, it was clearer—coming from above. The eighth floor. The floor that was supposed to be empty. The units up there hadn't been renovated yet and were securely locked.
Fatih strained to listen. Soft footsteps. A dragging sound. Something falling. Then silence again.
He stood and walked to the window, looking out. Streetlights reflected off puddles, creating the illusion of movement. But no one was there.
He sighed, grabbed his jacket, and opened his door. The hallway was damp and quiet. The dim lights flickered, as if reluctant to stay on.
Another set of footsteps. Behind him.
"Don't tell me you heard it too," came a soft voice he was beginning to recognize.
Fatih turned. Keyla stood there in an oversized sweater and fuzzy slippers, holding a small flashlight.
"I heard it," Fatih replied quietly. "From upstairs?"
Keyla nodded. "I thought it was just me going crazy. But you heard it too, huh?"
They exchanged a glance before heading toward the stairs. Their steps were slow, almost in rhythm with the creaking of each stair. The eighth floor felt different. The air was colder, and a musty, metallic scent lingered in every corner. The hallway lights were completely out. Only Keyla's flashlight pierced the darkness.
Fatih touched the handle of the nearest unit door. Locked.
"I came up here when I first moved in," Keyla whispered. "Just to look around. But at night... it feels different."
The footsteps returned—this time from the end of the hallway.
Fatih moved forward instinctively, but Keyla grabbed his arm. "Wait."
From the shadows came a soft sobbing. A quiet cry. Then the sound of a door shutting by itself. Click.
Keyla gripped the flashlight tighter. "Do you believe in ghosts?"
"No," Fatih said. "But I believe memories can leave echoes behind."
Keyla turned to him. "You sound... certain."
Fatih didn't answer. He stared down the hallway, now silent once more. No shadows. No sound.
Only old walls and air that never truly rested.
---
That night, they returned to the seventh floor without saying a word.
But in each of their minds, questions grew like roots.
Something was up there.
Something unfinished.
And for the first time, Fatih felt… maybe he wasn't alone in his unease.