Rumbling

As a community assistant at my college (CA for short), I live on the first floor of my dorm (or "residence hall" as the higher-ups like to call it). I had somewhat the lowest rank in my job; above me were the Resident Assistants (RAs) and Residence Hall Directors (RHDs). As a first-floorer, I am always bound to hear occasional rumbling on the floors above me. Sometimes it is soft, quiet and tolerable, coming from average students and close friends of mine. Other times, it is obnoxious pounding from the rowdy rascals of athletes who always acted like their status could get them out of any trouble. It sucks at those times, but it is what it is. Besides, we often have routine floor meetings that keep everyone in check. Sadly, the rules do not exactly apply to everyone, or every... thing. 
It all started on the first full week of December this year (3-9), the week before finals. In addition to the usual lectures and assignments, each class had little mini-parties to celebrate the end of the semester, as well as the holiday season. The professors would serve treats such as Christmas cookies and munchkins from Dunkin', and beverages like milk, hot coco, and non-alcoholic eggnog for those under 21. If we had time, we would even watched some classic holiday flicks, ranging from the heartwarming vibes from Richard Attenborough in Miracle on 34th Street (the 1994 version) to the silly antics of Tim Allen in The Santa Clause. After finishing my classes, meeting with my advisors, and spending some quality time with friends, especially at dinner in the dining hall, I would retire to my room and try to get as much studying done as possible before drifting off to sleep. In the midst of all this, I also had some rather peculiar (but still interesting) experiences in my room, relating to the rumbling I would hear from above. I therefore decided to log my experiences in the following journal entries. 
Sunday, December 3
1:00 PM - "Dear diary..." Just kidding, I'm not that kind of writer. Anyways, this is just my journal where I keep track of anything I feel is important. I want to make sure I leave my mark for history to remember forever, yadda yadda yadda epic stuff lol. 
Monday, December 4
5:30 PM - I just got back from dinner. I'm finishing up my final paper for my musical theater class. 
6:00 PM - I finished my paper with no interruptions. I've also finished all of my other final assignments, though I'm just gonna double check them a few times this week, since they're not due until the very last day(s) of exams. Right now though, I'm just gonna try and relax with some YouTube. My favorite creators are still at it after all these years, and I'm proud of them for it. 
6:15 PM - Heard some rumbling from upstairs. Nothing serious, just mild footsteps that resonated from one side of the ceiling to the other. I'm pretty sure it's my closest friend, who lives in the room directly above mine. 
6:30 PM - A little more rumbling; some voices accompany it this time, but still nothing out of the ordinary. 
6:45 to 7:00 PM - Gradual aggression; I got a few knocks on my door that turned out to be knock-knock-ditches. I fucking hate those. I think some players of the baseball and basketball team also started to pump up some jams. The beat is faint, but it's not a problem...yet. 
7:00 to 7:30 PM - Okay, it got pretty damn loud. I spent the first 15 minutes of this time frame trying to block it out, and the other 15 going up the stairs, finding the room where the music was coming from, and bickering with the party's organizer to keep it the hell down. 
9:00 PM - They kept their word, and it's nice and quiet now. I'm gonna head to bed now. 
Tuesday, December 5
7:00 AM - My first class starts in an hour and a half. There's no rumbling right now, although that's to be expected at this hour of the morning. I will check back when I finish my class. 
10:30 AM - While I was gone, a couple of my items in my room were ever so slightly out of place. Either room inspections were done early... or there was rumbling that made the things move. I don't know, but maybe I don't need or want to. 
12:30 PM - Really good lunch today; crispy chicken sandwich with lettuce and cheese, a side of fries, and a salad. I chatted with friends too, and it helped me take my mind off the stress of everything. It was great. 
2:00 PM - I was about to leave for my last class of the day, when I heard...(hmph)...some rumbling. It was almost like the party night, but this time, there was no music or tedious voices. It seemed like consecutive footsteps that occurred in an oddly specific pattern. Maybe someone's moving themselves, or something, in or out? I have no idea, and I can't help but feel suspicious about it. 
Wednesday, December 6
8:30 AM - Even though I didn't have any classes today, other than a choir rehearsal that counted as an extra credit course, I instinctively packed and almost got ready for one of my early classes before realizing what day it was. I wonder if it has anything to do with my experience from yesterday afternoon. Maybe, just maybe. 
2:30 PM - After a couple hours of mostly silence occasionally interrupted by small rumbles, I was informed by my RHD that one of the students from a floor above me had not returned from a class since lunch time. He told me to keep a lookout in case I saw them. This is getting really weird now. The noises, the absence of a student or two, the instinct I had to do something that wasn't required of me for the time - it all feels too connected to be a coincidence. 
6:00 PM - When I came back from the dining hall, the student still hadn't come back. Missing persons posters are already being distributed. I fear that they won't be coming back. I've seen news stories of these things before, and I think I have an idea of how they end. It's crazy that my dorm hall hasn't issued a curfew for this. 
Thursday, December 7
2:30 PM - I've had just about enough, so I did what I should have done from the start. I went upstairs, wearing my uniform, holding the office key, which gave me access to all the dorm rooms. I made it to the room that was right above me. I knocked three times before keying in, as per the protocol. I was ready to confront whoever, or whatever, was making the disruptive rumbling, only to find nobody there. I repeated this for the next top floors, and I got the same result: no one was in the rooms. What I did see in each room, however, were pairs of shoes placed upright right in the middle of the room. It felt very ominous, as if the wearers of the shoes had vanished into thin air, and the footwear was left exactly where it was while the people were still standing. Freaked out, I headed back to my room and lied down on my bed to calm myself. 
5:00 PM - I didn't feel like going to the dining hall for dinner tonight, so I ordered takeout with some friends. It felt safer. 
8:00 PM - The rumbling began again. It wasn't super loud, but it still bothered me for several hours. I'm having trouble drifting off to sleep, but I have faith that I'll make it to tomorrow for my last official classes. I... have to. 
"Friday, December 8'
10:00 AM - First class done. I'm fine. 
12:30 PM - Second class done. I feel relaxed after it, having gotten to watch cartoons as a celebration for the end of classes. 
5:00 PM - Last class done, and having dinner now. Everything actually seems okay... for now. 
7:00 PM - I got all my studying done just in time, because the rumbling has started again. It's louder this time, and so unbearable. I try everything, from wearing my strongest headphones to screaming into my pillow, but nothing blocks out the noise, except for going outside of my room and away from that part of the ceiling. I can stay in the lobby for a good couple hours or so, but due to the curfew, I have to be back in my room between 9 and 10. I dread the moment I have to step back in, so I'm savoring whatever peace I can get in these next few hours before I subject my ears to the sounds of obscurity. 
Saturday, December 9 
1:00 PM - I lost so much fucking sleep last night that I just woke up now. I didn't even get my damn breakfast. I've had enough. I was gonna put an end to this rumbling once and for all. 
3:00 PM - I've spent the last two hours checking all the rooms of my dorm, and on every floor too. None of the occupants know much of anything, but some share my pain, which I am grateful for. I'm now on the last door: the top floor room directly above mine. I knock three times. 
One: No reply. 
Two: A small sound that I can't tell what is, and a bit of rumbling. 
Three: Rumbling intensifies, and I hear coarse breathing. 
Now, I'm keying in. 
I open the door and look down at first to see if there is anything on the floor. There is nothing on the floor but dust. It is silent. I tilt my head slightly upwards, but keep looking down. As I continue to lift my head, I begin to dread what I may or may not see. At last, I fully look up... and I see it. 
There, at other end of the room, is a tall, dark figure. It almost looks human, but I cannot tell if it is a man, or a woman, or maybe both. Either way, every part of this thing is pitch-black... except for the face, which appears to change expressions every few seconds; for one moment, it's giving a creepy, pedo-like smile, the next, a teeth-grinding scowl. Fuck, I was so confident until this very moment. I was sure that this would either be the act of a young kid who didn't know any better, or a derelict athlete that wanted to make a scene. But no, this is what has been making the noise this whole time; whatever abomination this is, it does not look friendly. 
It stood still, as did I, and we looked at each other for a few minutes, though it felt like years. Then, it showed a third expression of sadness and wimpy-like, and proceeded to step toward me, reaching its hand out. I was taking no chances, and I ran out of the room, locking it behind me, and running back down the stairs. I was so frightened that I didn't see the banana peel that made me slip and fall down... all... four... flights. 
How I survived that trial, I will never know. The doctors said it was nothing short of a miracle. The police told me that, while the administration is monitoring a student who allegedly planted the banana peel, they have also apprehended an alumnus of the college in his late 20s, who had a history of conduct issues during his time as a student, as a potential suspect in the case of missing residents. I'm going to try and rest now, whether or not this nightmare is over. 
Sunday to Monday, December 24 to 25, to now, December 29
Another Christmas had come and gone. I spent time with my closest family members and old friends, and I got many great gifts, such as a new video game, a VR headset, and even a new bike. I've thought very little about everything that happened all those weeks ago. I had done very well on my finals, whereas I only got one B and the rest As, which I don't find too surprising given my slightly-above-average GPA. 
That having been said, I can sometimes hear the rumbling very faintly in my sleep during some nights. I'll often have brief visions of the creature, with each of its facial expressions that continue to baffle me more and more as time goes on. All I can do is bide my time this vacation, and pray that it will all end completely, and that this will all just be nothing but a forgotten memory. 
Alas, now, at 10 PM, just as I try to go to sleep... 
...I begin to hear the rumbling again.
Category:Monsters
Category:Diary/Journal