Those Who See the Comments Vanish

The door was sealed again, trapping Tiffany and me in the room.

I texted everyone that I could, begging them for help. I sent distress messages on WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Twitter. I even posted a cry for help on Facebook.

However, no one responded even after an hour had passed.

Tiffany also pulled out her phone and tried to call for help, but the results were the same.

We exchanged glances but didn't say a word. Instead, we just quietly sat on the couch.

Truth be told, the situation that we were stuck in was a little ridiculous. There were four of us in our dorm, but we had been stuck in a cold war for the past year because of Seth.

All four of us liked him. We even fought over him in the past, but he kept us at arm's length. He replied to all our messages but rejected all our attempts to ask him on a date. He accepted all our gifts but refused to spare us even another glance.

I had only managed to get closer to him after I began seeing the comments three months ago, using the hints to my advantage.

It was also then that the atmosphere in the dorm became even more strained.

It was the first time in a long time that Tiffany and I were sitting opposite one another.

The ambient lights were dim, adding to the eerie air in the room.

To prevent the comments from leading us astray again, I stood up, wanting to turn on the lights. I had just taken a step forward when several comments appeared in my line of sight.

"Don't turn on the lights."

"The lights will explode if you turn them on."

I halted my footsteps, but I quickly realized that the comments were trying to trick me.

I took a deep breath and continued making my way toward the door.

However, as if to prove the commenters weren't lying, the overhead lights began swaying.

I didn't even lift my head. Pretending to be confused, I asked, "Where's the wind coming from?"

Comments floated by my vision again.

"Looks like she really can't see us. She definitely would have shrank back."

"I guess we can let her off the hook."

"Oh, that's right. I wonder if she knows that only the switch on the right is working. The others are all broken."

I silently breathed a sigh of relief.

Perhaps I could escape the commenters' challenge unscathed this time.

I lifted my hand. My fingers were seconds away from touching the switch when Tiffany's voice suddenly resounded from behind me.

"Wait."

I paused.

"Forget it. Don't turn on the lights," she said softly but clearly. "The darkness gives me a sense of security."

I didn't know why she had suddenly said those words, but when I snapped back to my senses and looked down at my hand, I finally understood what was going on.

My back became drenched with sweat. My finger was leaning to the right, just inches from touching the switch. I had nearly fallen for the commenter's trap.

It turned out that Tiffany could also see the comments!

My heart skipped a beat when the thought flashed through my mind.

However, I wasn't able to ponder over my realization before Tiffany made her way over to my side. She grabbed a stool that was tucked into a corner and raised it in the air.

"We can't just wait around like this. I'm going to break the door down."

The door swung open seconds before the stool smashed against it.

Seth was breathing heavily as he stood outside. He frowned deeply as he looked between Tiffany and me, asking, "Are you guys alright?"