Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary!

Chapter 547: The strangeness of Point Z [6]

Drrr! Drrr—!

The phone continued to squeal, the piercing ring ricocheting off the narrow hallway walls and spilling down the staircase below. It filled every corner of the house, growing louder with each passing second as Joanna continued to stare in the room where Ariel had just entered.

Joanna’s mind spiraled with all sorts of thoughts, her heart drumming loudly within her chest as a knot formed in the pits of her stomach.

But she was also quick to react.

Instead of retreating, Joanna forced herself forward.

She broke into a run down the corridor, the ringing still shrieking from inside the room.

Reaching the door Ariel had entered, she grabbed the handle and shoved it hard, slamming it shut with a violent bang, as if cutting off the sound by force alone.

BANG!

Joanna hurriedly pressed her back against the door; her breathing came fast and uneven, chest rising sharply as she tried to steady herself.

The ringtone still echoed from inside the room, but now it was muffled, dulled by the wood between them.

And eventually, it stopped.

"..."

Silence.

Everything turned silent as Joanna kept her back pressed against the door.

But soon, the silence was shattered.

"Joanna."

Ariel’s voice echoed from behind the door.

"Why did you close the door? What’s going on?"

The voice sounded just like hers.

"Open the door."

To Tok—

A gentle knock echoed beside Joanna, and her throat tightened as she swallowed. A bead of sweat slid down the side of her face, tracing a cold line along her jaw before falling to the floor.

To Tok—!

"Joanna? Are you there? Is everything alright?"

Ariel’s voice echoed once more, gentler than before. However, it was such gentleness that made Joanna’s skin crawl as she kept her mouth shut.

She pressed her back harder against the door, refusing to answer, refusing to acknowledge the voice.

"Joanna? Joanna? Are you there...?"

The more the voice sounded, the tenser Joanna’s body became.

’That’s no Ariel. It can’t be Ariel. She... would never speak to me like that. This is definitely a trap. But just what is behind this room? Why is it trying so hard to lead me here? What exactly is its goal?’

Joanna steadied her breathing, drawing in a slow breath before letting it out carefully. Her eyes moved across the corridor, scanning the shadows and the narrow stretch of floor caught in her light.

The darkness felt heavier now.

A faint creak came from the floor on the other side of the door. The wood shifted under the weight of a certain presence.

Closing her eyes, Joanna once again tried to communicate with Ariel.

’Ariel. Ariel. Can you hear me?’

’.....’

Silence was all Joanna was met with. Pressing her lips together, Joanna was just about to try again when a voice whispered into her head.

’Yes, I can hear you. Open the door.’

".....!"

Joanna’s body froze. Yet again... Ariel’s voice echoed inside her mind. It was this very same trick that made her think that the Ariel she had seen moments prior was the real one. Or maybe that really was Ariel? Otherwise, how could the anomaly communicate with her?

Joanna bit her lower lip.

’What if... W-what if the one standing behind me is really Ariel? What if I made a mistake and trapped her inside with the anomaly? Or maybe it was a trick to separate us?’

Joanna’s breath paused, her eyes flicking along the corridor, scanning every corner as a heavy weight settled in her chest, pressing inward until even the faintest sensation felt amplified.

The hum of the torch, the soft scrape of her own boots, the creak of the wood beneath her, the distant drip of water above her all rose sharply in her ears.

The shadows creeping along the walls in the torchlight seemed to twist and stretch as her expression tightened.

"Open the door."

Ariel’s voice echoed once more, startling Joanna.

But this time, the voice was less gentle. It was noticeably colder.

Joanna opened her mouth, but suddenly, with a sudden crack, the window at the end of the corridor flew open, slamming hard against the wall.

CLANK—!

The sharp sound split the silence. A rush of cold air spilled inside, sweeping down the narrow hall and brushing against her face and hands. The torchlight wavered as the breeze pushed past her, Joanna’s mind jolting.

’The window...!’

For a brief, reckless moment, she felt the urge to move, to sprint toward the open window and haul herself through it without looking back.

’No, it might be a trap... this could be the anomaly’s goal!’

Her teeth clenched, and she remained where she was, pressing her back against the door.

The cold wind continued to sweep into the room, curling around her legs and tugging at her clothes. The silence stretched thin, pressing in from all sides. Joanna could hear nothing but the frantic rhythm of her own heartbeat, pounding harder and louder in her ears, as if it were trying to drown out the quiet.

That sound was all she heard, filling her mind completely, until—

In a demonic tone, the voice screamed.

"OPEN THE DOOR."

BANG!

A violent crash slammed against the door behind her. The impact thundered through the wood and into her spine, jolting her thoughts into sharp clarity.

Joanna planted her feet harder against the floor, the soles scraping for traction as she threw her full weight backward. Her shoulders and back pressed tight against the door, muscles straining as she forced it shut with everything she had.

BANG! BANG!

The frame rattled under the repeated blows, but she held her ground, jaw set, refusing to give even an inch.

Then, with one final blow that shook the hinges, everything stopped.

BANG—!

The force against the door vanished as abruptly as it had begun. The violent struggle on the other side dissolved into nothing. Joanna stayed braced in place, hardly daring to breathe, as the silence rushed back in.

Only the soft creaking of the wooden floor carried through the silence as the presence behind the door slowly retreated. Each strained groan echoed faintly, signaling its gradual movement away from her.

’Is it leaving? But why is it leaving? Or is it trying to gather momentum to smash the door? What is it trying to do?!’

Joanna’s mind filled with all sorts of thoughts; the silence feeling so loud in her mind.

’What should I do? What should—’

Drr! Drrrr!

The shrill sound of her ringtone cut sharply through the silence, echoing off the walls and shattering the fragile silence. Joanna’s breath hitched in her throat as she slowly lowered her gaze to her phone, swallowing quietly.

Then—

Click!

She switched off her phone.

The noise died there.

But only temporarily, as not long after, another chime rang.

Drr! Drrrr—!

This time, the noise came from downstairs, dulled by distance and walls, yet still sharp enough to slice through her thoughts. The sound was more muffled than before, but still felt so loud in her ears.

Joanna’s stomach tightened as realization crept in.

The landline.

’What is it trying to do this time? No, I can’t continue like this. I need to take the initiative. At this rate, I’ll just be playing along with its games.’

Biting her lips, Joanna’s expression changed.

She turned slowly to face the door, her hand hovering near the handle as hesitation rooted her in place for a brief moment.

Her nerves churned violently, but her thoughts began to sharpen. If she opened the door and waited for the anomaly to go out while jumping from above, would that be enough? No, maybe... She drew in a slow breath, steadying herself as she began to piece together a plan, considering how she might catch the anomaly off guard instead of waiting to be cornered again.

But just as she was about to move...

"Wait."

A cold hand pressed against hers, freezing her in place.