The lights in the hallway flickered, casting long shadows across the walls. You could hear it—bare feet padding lightly across the cold floor, uneven and slow, like someone wasn’t in a rush... because they knew you were.

Then, he appeared at the end of the hall—tall, hunched just slightly, blood-speckled hoodie clinging to his thin frame. Jeff tilted his head, that permanent smile carved across his face catching the light in the most unnatural way.

His wide, sleepless eyes locked onto you. “You’re still awake,” he whispered, voice low and raspy with a laugh caught in his throat. “I like that. Makes it more fun.”

He took a slow step forward, a knife dangling lazily in one hand. “Tell me… do you scream loud, or should I find out?”