ROOM

It was late at night.

The streets were almost empty. Most of the houses were dark, and only a few streetlights were still on.

A man was sitting alone in his bedroom.

Some business files were lying on the table. His laptop was open in front of him.

He looked at his phone.

12:47 AM.

Suddenly—

TING.

A WhatsApp notification.

He picked up the phone.

There was a message from an unknown number.

It was a photo.

He opened it.

His eyes became still.

The photo showed his house.

From outside.

He looked at it for a few seconds.

Then he smiled.

"Someone is trying to scare me."

He put the phone back on the table.

Two seconds later—

TING.

Another message.

Another photo.

This time, it was a picture of his front door.

His smile disappeared.

He slowly stood up.

He walked toward the window and moved the curtain.

He looked outside.

Nothing.

The street was empty.

No person.

No car.

Nothing.

He looked back at his phone.

TING.

A third photo appeared.

It was a picture of his terrace.

But this time, there was also a message.

COME TO THE TERRACE.

He stared at the screen.

His hands became cold.

"How...?"

He couldn't finish the sentence.

He put the phone in his pocket.

For a few seconds, he stood there.

Then he walked toward the stairs.

He started going upstairs.

One step.

Then another.

The house was completely silent.

He held his phone tightly.

Finally, he reached the terrace.

He opened the door.

Darkness.

He looked around.

"Is anyone there?"

No answer.

He took one step forward.

Then—

CLICK.

The terrace lights suddenly went out.

Everything became completely dark.

He froze.

"Hello?"

His voice was shaking.

Nothing.

Then he heard something behind him.

A very soft sound.

Someone was there.

He slowly turned around.

Before he could see the person—

BLACK.

---

Years Ago...

A small house.

A woman was sitting in front of a sewing machine.

It was late at night, but she was still working.

Tr-r-r-r-r...

She looked tired.

But she continued sewing.

A small boy was sitting nearby with his school books.

"Mom..."

The woman stopped sewing.

"Yes?"

"When I grow up, I'm going to help animals."

She smiled.

"Really?"

"Yes."

The boy smiled.

"If I find injured animals, I'll take care of them."

A small parrot was sitting near him.

The boy looked at it.

"Even him."

His mother laughed softly.

"You already take care of him."

The boy smiled.

His world was small.

His mother.

His parrot.

And one big dream.

But there was another person living in that house.

Their uncle.

And he didn't want the mother and son to stay there anymore.

One night, the door opened loudly.

Their uncle walked inside.

He had been drinking.

The mother looked at him.

"You've been drinking again?"

He didn't answer.

His voice became louder.

The boy slowly moved behind a wall.

He was scared.

He watched everything from there.

The argument became worse.

Then suddenly—

A loud sound.

The boy closed his eyes.

When he opened them again...

His mother was on the floor.

The parrot's cage had fallen too.

The boy couldn't move.

He was too scared.

He stayed behind the wall.

After some time, his uncle left.

The house became silent.

The boy slowly walked toward his mother.

"Mom..."

No answer.

"Mom, please wake up."

Nothing.

He ran outside.

He tried to stop passing cars.

He asked people for help.

But nobody stopped.

He kept trying.

Finally, one car stopped.

The boy got inside.

They reached the hospital.

Doctors tried to help.

But after some time, a doctor came out.

"I'm sorry..."

The boy looked at him.

"We couldn't save her."

The boy said nothing.

He was holding the small parrot's cage.

That night, he lost his mother.

He lost his best friend.

And he lost the life he once knew.

---

Present Day

Darkness.

A small room.

A chair.

The same man was sitting on it.

His hands were tied.

Slowly, his eyes opened.

He looked around.

A man was standing in front of him.

He was setting up a camera.

"Who are you?"

No answer.

"Please... let me go."

The man stopped.

Then he looked at him.

"Shhh."

His voice was calm.

"Don't worry."

The victim looked terrified.

The man continued setting up the camera.

"I won't hurt you too much."

He turned the camera toward them.

Then he said,

"Let me introduce myself."

He paused.

"I don't have a name."

The victim looked at him.

"Please... I have a daughter."

The killer looked at him.

"Oh, yes."

"You have a daughter."

He paused.

"How old is she?"

"She's sixteen."

The killer nodded slowly.

"Sixteen..."

He looked at the camera.

"Interesting."

The victim started crying.

"Please. She's just a child. Please let me go."

The killer looked back at him.

Then he said quietly,

"Do you know how many chickens are killed for food every day?"

The victim didn't answer.

The killer continued.

"You call them useless."

"You call them animals."

"But they can feel pain too."

His voice became colder.

"People take advantage of animals because they cannot fight back."

The victim shook his head.

"I don't understand..."

The killer moved closer.

"Then let me tell you a story."

"A story about a mother..."

"And her son."

The victim stared at him.

"They had nowhere to live."

"They stayed with a relative."

"But that relative didn't want them there."

The killer's voice became slower.

"One night, he came home drunk."

"And he attacked the mother."

The victim was silent.

"The boy was hiding."

"He was too scared to do anything."

The killer looked down.

"And then..."

He stopped.

For a moment, the room was silent.

"The mother died."

"The boy lost his mother."

"And he also lost his little parrot."

The victim's face slowly changed.

Something about the story felt familiar.

The killer looked directly into his eyes.

"The boy couldn't save them."

He took a step closer.

"He could only watch."

The victim stared at him.

The killer whispered—

"That useless boy..."

He paused.

"...was me."

The victim's eyes widened.

Everything suddenly made sense.

Before he could say anything—

SIRENS.

The sound of police cars came from outside.

The victim looked toward the door.

Hope appeared in his eyes.

"Police..."

The killer slowly looked toward the window.

For the first time, he seemed worried.

Then he looked back at the victim.

The police were getting closer.

The victim smiled.

"I knew they would find me."

The killer said nothing.

He simply looked at the camera.

The red recording light was still blinking.

REC.

And then—

He smiled.

TO BE CONTINUED...

— END OF CHAPTER 1 —

Thank you for reading ROOM. 🖤

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What do you think is going to happen next?

Who is the man behind the mask?

Chapter 2 coming soon...