The night started innocently enough. Veronica, Reggie, and Betty had decided to invite their friends over for a casual horror movie night. It felt like the perfect way to lighten the mood after the unsettling discoveries of the past few days. The living room was dimly lit, illuminated mostly by the flickering light from the TV. Bags of popcorn, soda cans, and bowls of candy were scattered across the coffee table, creating a cozy but slightly chaotic scene.
Their friends—Archie, Jughead, Tabitha, Cheryl, Kevin, and Toni—had all arrived, settling into various spots on the couch and floor with blankets and pillows. The movie of the night was The Taking of Deborah Logan, a chilling found-footage horror film that had everyone on edge from the start.
"Why do we always pick these freaky movies?" Kevin muttered, clutching a pillow tightly. "I'm going to regret this later."
"Because they're fun," Veronica said with a smirk, sitting beside Reggie on the couch. "And besides, nothing's scarier than Riverdale on a bad day."
As the movie progressed, the tension in the room grew. Deborah Logan's eerie transformation and the unsettling atmosphere of the film had everyone glued to the screen. But about halfway through, an odd sound cut through the silence—a faint mumbling, like a woman's voice, coming from Veronica's office down the hall.
"What was that?" Cheryl asked, sitting up straight.
"Probably just the pipes," Reggie said quickly, trying to brush it off. But Veronica's expression tightened. Betty exchanged a worried glance with her.
The sound came again, a low, ominous murmuring that seemed to vibrate through the walls. Reggie sighed, setting down his drink. "Alright, I'll check it out."
Everyone watched as he made his way down the hall toward Veronica's office. The light from the living room faded as he disappeared into the darkness of the hallway. He opened the door to the office, flipping on the light.
The room was empty. Nothing seemed out of place—the desk was tidy, the bookshelves were untouched, and the Bluetooth speaker from a few nights ago sat silently on the shelf. Reggie frowned, scanning the room for anything unusual. But there was nothing.
He returned to the living room, shrugging. "It's fine. No one's in there."
"Then where's the sound coming from?" Betty asked, her voice shaky.
Before Reggie could answer, the sound came again—this time louder, more distinct. The voice was incomprehensible but unmistakably human, like someone mumbling in a low, angry tone. The sound grew in intensity, filling the apartment.
"Okay, that's not pipes," Jughead said, his face pale. "That's something else."
The group huddled together on the couch, eyes darting toward the hallway. Veronica grabbed Reggie's arm, her nails digging into his skin. "What the hell is happening?"
Archie stood, his jaw set. "I'm checking it out. Stay here."
He made his way to the office, his footsteps echoing in the tense silence. He opened the door slowly, peering inside. The light flickered slightly as he stepped in, his shadow stretching across the room. But just like before, the office was empty. Archie stepped back, shutting the door behind him as he returned to the group.
"No one's there," he said, his voice steady but laced with unease. "I don't know where that sound's coming from."
The room fell silent, the tension thick. Veronica turned off the movie, her hands shaking as she grabbed the remote. "I think we're done for tonight."
Their friends agreed, hastily gathering their things and leaving. Archie, Jughead, and Betty stayed behind for a few minutes to help clean up, but even they were eager to leave the unsettling atmosphere of the apartment.
Later that night, Veronica and Reggie prepared for bed, the earlier events still weighing heavily on their minds. Veronica brushed her hair in silence while Reggie changed into his pajamas, both of them avoiding the subject. But as they climbed into bed, the tension between them was palpable.
"Do you think this place is… haunted?" Veronica asked quietly, staring up at the ceiling.
"I don't know," Reggie admitted. "But something's not right."
They lay in silence for a while, the faint hum of the apartment settling the only sound. But just as they began to drift off, a sharp rapping sound echoed from their bedroom door. Three knocks, deliberate and loud.
Veronica bolted upright, her heart pounding. "Did you hear that?"
Reggie groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah. Probably just the wind."
"That didn't sound like wind," she said, already climbing out of bed. She grabbed her phone for light and approached the door cautiously. She opened it slowly, peering into the hallway. It was empty.
She stepped out, shining her phone's flashlight on the door surface to check for scratches or marks, but there was nothing. The door was smooth and unblemished. The hallway was silent.
Veronica stood there for a moment, her breath visible in the sudden chill of the air. She shook her head, trying to dismiss the creeping sense of dread, and returned to bed.
"What was it?" Reggie asked, his voice groggy.
"Nothing," she said, climbing under the covers. "There's nothing there."
But as she lay there, staring at the shadows on the ceiling, she couldn't shake the feeling that something—or someone—was watching them.