Writing Prompt

Room 106, I think. I step in, immediately greeted with the acrid smell of Axe Body Spray. Oh no. I feel my heart drop. A guy? I simply kept walking, trying to justify how I felt about this stupid situation. Yet the more I walked into the room, the more my nose burned with the smell of testosterone and other cologne smelling scents. I just walked into my room, which I then procceeded to cover my mouth so a scream wouldnt leave my vocal cords. There was a damn cat in my bed, laying in it like it owned the place. It’s yellow eyes just sank into me, looking down at me like it was saying ‘ you should go. This guy’s crazy.’ I did like cats, just right now, I had shit to do. I simply picked up the cat, which, was very hard to put that cat back down. So cute.. I glanced into what seemed like my roomates room, and noticed the bathroom door closed. “ Must be showering,” I murmured. I began to unpack my belongings, making this room seem like my very own back at home. I did some digging on my laptop to find out who this dude was. James Legeor. Just some Highschool dirtbag that I dated for at least two months. This would either be so, so cringe worthy, or very interesting. I put my lap top away, and took a step back to admire my room. Yet I tell you, the moment I backed up, there was a dude behind me. And the worst part? When I turned to face him he had just gotten out of the shower.

And he wasnt wearing a towel.

Before I could think any further I could hear the dorm door slam open and heard a couple new voices say, “Yo Dude you actually got her can WE PLAY WITH HER!” The voices plead. “Sure Marcus sneers.

Marcus roughly pulls of my mask and I then saw about five boys. One of them were holding toothpaste which wasn’t a good sign, the other was holding a box of sharpies, the other was holding a makeup kit which was REALLY wierd,and the last one was holding a clear plastic box full of bowls of spaghetti,ice,slime,glue,feathers,beans, and a bunch of other stuff.

My stomach churned. The one one with toothpaste walked up to me and another boy walked up to me and litteraly presses my whole body down and holding my head in place.

The boy opened the toothpastes and put the bottle right above my face and started to squeeze…the slick texture of toothpaste was gross and two of the other boys poured slime on my head,put ice on my legs,poured spaghetti on my head.

The last boy started to pour beans,glue, and feathers on me. By that time I was a HOT mess.

Marcus was looking through MY suitcase and he was trying to rip my pants in half! “How’d you get out.” Marcus growls.

He stalks towards me and slammed me against the wall, he then pushed me on the ground and started to slam my head against the ground,again,again, and again.

Eventually blackness took over me.

————————— My eyes fluttered open and I saw Marcus leaning against the bed post smirking. I tried to move but I was handcuffed and chained to the ground.

Fury rised in my chest and I glared at Marcus. He just shrugged and said, “What? Just some precautions?” Like it was no big deal.

I tried to move again but Marcus tutted and 2agged his finger at me, “I wouldn’t try to move any more.”

I tried to move again just to aggravate him. Fury flashed on his eyes for a second before he smirked and pulled out a black head mask.

Thanks to my chains I was defenses as Marcus then put the mask on me. I couldn’t see as he strapped it to my head and out in a gag.

“I have to get out…..” I thought.

There was MARCUS! Out of ALL PEOPLE MARCUS. As Marcus turned around his grin kept getting bigger.

“Ahhhhh Freak it’s about time you join the party.” Marcus sneers pouncing on me and dragging me by the hair into the bathroom.

“You look a little cold lemme help you.” Marcus sneers as he pours boiling hot water into the TOILET!

Marcus then grabs my ear and shoved me in…..you know what. I felt Marcus leave me and heard the door click shut.

“Ewwwww is this a boomerang!” Marcus snickers from outside. That gave me new found strength to pull my head out of…the thing.

Since I had karate classes when I was five I easily kicked the door down. My eyes widened at what I saw….

ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER! Mwhahaha! Don’t worry I’ll post soon. -Sydney

My hands shook uncontrollably and my heart thundered in my chest as I stared at the building that would soon be my future college.

I gripped my luggage so hard that my knuckles were white. The bustling crowd of new first years like me and others that were returning for their next year.

But that’s when I noticed my high school bully..Marcus the guy who was always playing cruel jokes on me.

I quickly walked into the building and checked in. “Come on Fiona let’s go start a new chapter.” I thought as I click the botton on the elevator to floor 2.

Once I got out of the elevator I started to walk to room 191 (my dorm) one I got there a pressed my dorm card on the device on the door.

The door clicked open and I walked inside to find my worst nightmare…

When I found out I’d be sharing a dorm room with Alex, I was thrilled. Alex and I had hit it off pretty quickly during our first year at college. We met in an intro to psychology class and bonded over our shared love of 90s rock music and late-night coffee runs. So when we realized we’d both signed up for the same dorm the following year, it seemed like fate.

Moving in with Alex felt like the start of a great year. We already had a rhythm together—studying, hanging out, grabbing dinner. There was a comfort in knowing that we liked a lot of the same things and could easily spend hours talking about everything from music to philosophy.

Living with Alex was, for the most part, easy. We had similar routines, and we respected each other’s space. We’d stay up late watching movies or listening to albums from start to finish, discussing the lyrics like they were poetry. I liked that we didn’t have to try hard around each other. Everything felt natural.

But as the weeks turned into months, I started to notice little things that began to wear on me. For one, Alex was incredibly laid-back—too laid-back, at times. While I appreciated the chill vibe most of the time, it became frustrating when it came to keeping the room tidy. I’m not a neat freak by any means, but Alex had a tendency to let things pile up. Dirty dishes would linger for days, and laundry would overflow from the hamper onto the floor. I’d find myself picking up after Alex more often than I wanted to, feeling a bit like a parent rather than a roommate.

Another thing was Alex’s habit of bringing people over without much warning. I liked that Alex was social and that we had a steady stream of friends coming by, but sometimes I just wanted to have a quiet evening to myself. There were nights when I’d be in the middle of an assignment or just winding down, and suddenly the room would be filled with people. Alex would always give me a sheepish grin, saying, “I hope you don’t mind,” and I’d smile back, even though, deep down, I kind of did.

And then there was the noise. Alex had a habit of playing music or videos without headphones, often late into the night. I knew Alex didn’t mean to be inconsiderate; they just got lost in their own world and forgot that someone else was sharing the space. I’d lie in bed, trying to fall asleep while a podcast played at full volume or a playlist blared through the speakers. I didn’t want to be the nagging roommate, so I usually just put in earplugs and let it slide.

But the thing that bothered me the most was how easy it was for Alex to brush off responsibilities. We both had agreed to split chores and take turns doing things like taking out the trash or cleaning the bathroom. Yet, more often than not, I’d end up doing these things myself because Alex had “forgotten” or was too busy hanging out with friends. It wasn’t a huge deal, but it started to feel like I was the only one putting in the effort to keep our space livable.

Despite these annoyances, I couldn’t bring myself to really get mad at Alex. I genuinely liked them—they were funny, kind, and we had a good time together. I knew they weren’t being intentionally difficult. But as the semester wore on, I realized that liking someone as a friend didn’t always translate to being perfectly compatible as roommates.

Eventually, I decided to talk to Alex about how I was feeling. One evening, after another impromptu gathering in our room, I asked if we could chat. I was nervous, not wanting to create any tension between us. But Alex was understanding, nodding as I explained my concerns. They apologized, admitting they hadn’t realized how much their habits were affecting me.

After that conversation, things improved. Alex made an effort to be more mindful about noise and cleanliness, and I tried to be more flexible about the social stuff. We didn’t become the perfect roommates, but we found a balance that worked for both of us.

Looking back, living with Alex was a lesson in compromise and communication. I still liked them a lot—more, even, after we learned to navigate living together. It wasn’t always easy, but we came out

In college, I shared a room with Jordan, someone I had admired from afar during our first year. Jordan was the kind of person who seemed to have everything together—charming, always surrounded by friends, and effortlessly excelling in classes. When I found out we’d be roommates sophomore year, I was excited. I thought that living with Jordan would be the perfect setup: we’d become close friends, and maybe some of that charisma would rub off on me.

However, it didn't take long for the cracks in that admiration to show. The first issue was Jordan's complete disregard for personal space. Our room was small, but Jordan’s presence made it feel even smaller. Clothes were strewn everywhere, and somehow, my side of the room was constantly encroached upon by their stuff. My desk became a dumping ground for their textbooks and half-finished projects. It was as if the concept of personal boundaries didn’t exist for Jordan, which drove me crazy.

Then there was Jordan's social life. Initially, I thought it would be fun to be in the orbit of someone so popular. But Jordan’s friends were in and out of our room at all hours of the day and night. There was never a moment of peace. I’d try to study, but there’d be laughter, loud conversations, and music blasting from Jordan's side of the room. I often found myself escaping to the library just to get some quiet.

What really grated on me, though, was Jordan's complete lack of consideration. Despite the constant noise and mess, Jordan never seemed to think it was a problem. When I finally mustered up the courage to say something, Jordan brushed it off with a laugh and a half-hearted promise to be more mindful. Nothing changed. It was like talking to a brick wall.

Jordan also had a habit of borrowing my things without asking. At first, it was just small stuff—pens, notebooks, a charger. But soon, my clothes, my headphones, even my bike were fair game. I’d find my favorite sweater balled up in a corner of the room, or my bike parked at a different rack across campus. When I confronted Jordan about it, the response was always the same: “Oh, I didn’t think you’d mind.” But I did mind. A lot.

The final straw came during finals week. I was stressed out, trying to cram for a particularly difficult exam, and just needed some peace and quiet. Jordan, on the other hand, was in full party mode, celebrating the end of the semester a little too early. I asked, begged, for some quiet time, but Jordan just smirked and said, “Relax, you’re going to do fine.”

At that moment, I realized that the person I had admired from afar wasn’t someone I actually liked, much less someone I wanted to live with. Jordan was self-absorbed, inconsiderate, and completely oblivious to how their actions affected others. What I once saw as confidence now seemed more like arrogance. I couldn't wait for the semester to end and to move out.

In the end, living with Jordan taught me a lot—not just about them, but about myself. I learned the importance of setting boundaries, of speaking up for my own needs, and of recognizing that someone who seems perfect from a distance might not be so great up close.

The first thing I sense when I open the door to my new home for the next few years was the smell. It was the smell of someone who went on the longest run known to man kind, for fun and then proceeded to do one hundred pushups with the windows closed so the stink can be sucked up from the walls. Then do it all over again.

I plug my nose and kick the door open. Inside its a whole mess. Beside the two beds, two desks, two closets that are on opposite sides of the room so you can have your own space, there is clothes littered on every part of the floor. Just looking at it makes me dizzy, as if it will suck me in at any time. 

I keep my feet planted at the entrence and let my eyes wander to the walls, there were posters up. I don’t really know much about sports but I definitely know that those are soccer, football and basketball posters above my roommates bed. Moving unto my side of the room my bed is left untouched. 

Thank God.

I take a daring step forward, locking the door behind me. Staying clear of the clothes I don’t even dream of touching without a whole tank of disinfectant I move through the mounds of stink. I clumslying make it to my bed and collapse on it. I take a deep breath to let my mind settle. 

Bad idea. I cough loudly, trying not to die from the bed smell. Opening the window is my next task. I do it swiftly since my life now depends on that. Talking a breath on the clean air was all I needed. I turn around, ready to clean all the shit up so I can live confotably. 

I start with the clothes on the ground, thankfully I have gloves from the trash pick up from last week. I find a laundry basket that must be his since I haven’t put mine out yet. I stuff all his clothes in it while also taking a good look of the bathroom. It’s better then the actual room but still way to gross for my liking. I’ll have to wipe down all the counters.  

I get back to work, cleaning up and unpacking my things. And during all that I debat to pull out my tape to put a line in between our things. But then the angel side of me convinces me to me him first instead of assuming by how he treats his room. 

By the sky from outside it tells me that I have spent way to much time organizing my stuff and putting it in nicely, but I can’t help it. I look up to the clock I hung up and read out 6:35. When the fuck is this roommate going to show up? 

I finish when I feel satisfied with how everything looks and by how the room smells. I jump into bed with my phone, I don’t even noticed how much time goes by when I feel my stomach grumble. 

I should really get some dinner. 

Getting up I head towards the bathroom. I check my reflection so to make sure I look somewhat presentable, I fix my hair a bit anfd throw my shoes on. I get my keys, phone, wallet and headphones. I unlock the door thinking not much of it but I really should have asked who my roommate is. 

“Cayden?” I look up. Fuck, its Onyx. The only guy I couldn’t stand all through out high school. “The fuck are you doing here?” He asks as if it’s not the most obvious reason. 

“I’m your roommate dumbass” 

“I’m getting a new roommate” 

“Not unless I get one first”

College.

The sound of freedom. I finally get to leave the house, finally get to get away from the girl who has been insistent on sticking to me since the third grade. And she didn’t stick to me in the way glue does, but tape. Duct tape. The type that won’t let go and is isistent on making life painful, and leaving a mark.

I get to leave. I’m getting thrown into the deepest part of the pool, the only question remaining, can I swim? Well I guess we are going to find out.

I stick the key into the door, the metal biting into my fingers as frost settles on the grass and windows. My roommate should have arrived two days ago, we already established who is staying where by a quick text exchange.

I open the door, immediately comforted by the calming heat coming from the heater like a thick heavy blanket made just for me.

I smile as I look at the small dorm, a kitchen with barely any space, and a living room with one two seat couches, and one single couch pressed up against it. There was a small hallway with a bathroom and two small rooms.

A tight fit, but one that would work perfectly with my basic needs and want for a homey area where I could relax after my classes.

And I was about to do just that, relax, when my roommate walked out of her room.

“Zara?” The word falls from my tounge before I can close my lips tightly to stop it.

“Of course. Of all the people here, I just so happen to get put with the To-Good-For-Anyone kind of girl.” Zara spits, poison dripping from every syllable, intending to cut deep.

“And I get stuck with the Insicure-Can’t-Go-A-Day-Without-Crying-For-Someone’s-Attention type of girl.” This was my first time biting back, and dispite the uncertainty I hid under layers of false confidence, there was a satisfying twist to it. And I hated it. I don’t want to be anything like her.

“That was probably the worst comeback I’ve ever heard in my life, but I’m proud of your for tryin’ hun.” She turns on her heel grabbing some food before sitting on our table. Sitting on it. Not at it, like a normal person, she plopped herself into the table. Where we _eat. _ __ __ “That’s disgusting” I say dryly, as I do most things.

“Oh I’m sorry hun, if this bothers you, feel free to get a new dorm. As much as you will be missed here, I’m sure I can manage if it’s what will make you more comfortable.” __ __ I don’t think I’ve ever hated someone more than I do right know. “No of course it doesn’t bother me! I have something’s I do too, that not many people can handle but I’m sure you will find them just charming.”

She narrowed her eyes at me, her fake eyelashes thick enough to cover the whole of her eye. “Like..?” She gestured for me to go on.

I smirk but keep it small, not wanting to show her how much I am enjoying this. “Oh well I can’t sleep if I can’t hear a a baby. You see I have a little sister at home and I can’t sleep unless I can hear her. Speaking of which, I’m going to go to sleep, looking at my eyelids for the next six hours is way more entertaining than looking at you.” I don’t have a sister. But if she wants to play this game, might as well give it a shot.

She flips me off but I couldn’t care less. I walk to my room and plop my bags down on the floor, a satisfying ache slowly being released from my shoulders. I set up my phone, and find a video of a little baby screaming right after birth. Why someone would post this, I don’t know, but I need it know so I’m glad they did. I turn the volume up to full. I twist the lock on the door and the lock clicks into place.

I slip on my headphones and play classic white noise to blur out the sound already starting to get on my nerves and smile when the headphones muffle out the most of it. It takes maybe two minutes before the pounding at my door starts, and takes me two minutes to jsut turn up the volume so I can’t hear that either.

Zina’s eyes widened at the large glass buildings which were glistening from the sun. “Am I- Am I really going to be living here?” Her mom, who was right beside her grabbed her hand. “Yes, and you are going to love it here.” “I’m nervous, I mean, am I really good enough to live in a place like this? Everyone who got in here are probably top students who have won millions of awards. I’ve barely won any.” Zina replied, anxiously backing away from the campus. This place was just so…glamorous. It looked like a place where many people left behind footprints or made permanent marks. That was something that Zina had never had the opportunity to do before, having lived in a one bedroom apartment halfway across the world half her life, with her two stubborn older brothers who never gave her any space. “Zina,” her mom bent down to her eye level “Listen, hon. You got in to this school for a reason. You didn’t get in a car crash or run out of gas on the way here. So you are meant to be here. They chose you because you are somebody. So no more of this ‘Ohhh I’m not good enough’ whiny business. Get your bags from the car, and let’s go.” Zina blinked. She knew her mom was a tough cookie, but this was college she was talking about. How could she just… stop being nervous?Her Mom usually got soft when Zina opened up to her about uneasy feelings. Not today though. She wondered if it was because her mom was trying to toughen up herself, in preparation to leave her eldest daughter here. Zina knew that it would be hard for her. “Zeeeeeeeeeena! Hurry!!! I wanna wide the ewevator!” Iya, Zina’s three year old sister whined, snapping Zina back to the moment. “All right.” Zina trudged towards the car, grabbed her heavy suitcase and dragged it along as her Mom chased a speedy Iya as she ran across the gleaming sidewalks. Everything was too bright. Zina’s head felt woozy. Something was really off about this place. There was a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach, the feeling she used to get when she would open her eyes to a morning sky on a huge exam day. Oh Iya. Zina studied her as she raced far ahead. She was only three. She was born when her mom got remarried a few years ago and Zina left her brothers to come stay with her mom and absent stepdad. Would Iya miss her? Would she forget about Zina? Iya was practically Zina’s only best friend at home. She could lift anyone’s mood by just tilting her head and smiling. She was that dilusional. Zina was already missing home, thinking about Iya’s smile. She missed her dark, cold, tiny room. And she hadn’t even seen her dorm yet. Once the three of them located Building A, Iya ran to the elevator and giggled as she jammed the button. “YAYY!” She cried when the doors slid open. No one, and I mean, no one, was as fascinated by elevators as Iya. “You know your roommate, right?” Her mom asked. “I know her, but I don’t know her name. She wanted to tell me in person. Kind of mysterious.” Zina replied, dragging her luggage through the elevator doors. Hee mom blinked in surprise “Oh, well alright. Does she know yours?” Zina shook her head. She had felt embarrassed sharing her name if the other girl wouldn’t. They had both agreed to meet in person and give introductions. Iya clapped her hands “There’s so many doors!” she squealed. Then she gave Zina a skeptical look “Don’t get lost ZeeZee! Don’t open the door for strangers!” She said, grinning. “Maybe you should stay here with me, to make sure I follow the rules.” Zina said truthfully. Iya’s voice got quiet. “Mommy says no.” Her eyes filled with tears. Zina panicked. Her heart dropped. She hated upsetting Iya. “Hey, it’s okay Iya! I’ll be back, I promise.” she forced cheerfully. Zina’s mom, who had been daydreaming, snapped back to life when she heard Iya cry. “What’s wrong?” “I’m going to miss Zina, she’s going to be alone.” “Oh Iya, it’s okay to feel sad, it’s hard to see Zina leave.” hee mom soothed. Zina’s heart felt wrenched. She had upset Iya. If only the three of them had never left their apartment. “Next time I see you, will you bring me art?” Zina asked, hoping to bring Iya’s smile back. Iya wiped her eyes “Yes.” “All right, come. Let’s see Zina’s room.” Her mom took Iya’s hand and guided her towards room A256. Zina blinked back tears. She hated this. All of it was too much. Leaving her brothers was sad, but leaving Iya brought a heartache that caused her to want everything to just stop. Zina took a deep breath as Iya eagerly jammed the key in Zina’s door, and twisted. The door creaked when it opened, and Zina saw shoes on the floor. _My roommate is here. _She thought. Here goes nothing…

“Hello?” Zina yelled into the room_._

“In here!” A voice responded. She heard shuffling, and then there she was_. _

She saw the freckles first. Then she saw the smoke drifting from her lips. Zina’s face blanched. No. It can’t be. It’s not her. “Wait… Zina?” Crud. Oh crud. No. No.

The dusty ground suddenly felt uneven as Iya slipped past all of them and ran towards the bedrooms. “Zina, why are you…?”

This was not good. Zina’s breath quickened. Zina’s mom spoke up in a shaking voice. Because, she knew this girl just as well as Zina did. “This is Zina’s room.” The girl took a deep breath “Oh, my god. No way. We’re roommates, Zina.” Zina dropped the box full of glasses and plates she had promised not to drop. Her mom flinched like a baby rabbit. __ How??? How did she even get into this place? __ __ A few minutes ago, everything sucked. Now, everything was was a never ending nightmare.__ __

So she ran. The wind slapped her face. She ran.

Because that girl. Zina loved her once. She was beautiful, like her name, Harlen. She was the kind of beautiful that when you see her, you instantly feel okay again. You feel… hopeful.

When her Dad returned after four years, beginning of their junior year, they had both been on their guard. Harlen, guarding her family. Zina, guarding her. They were pulling it off. Until Emma Kardasky accused Harlen of sexual harassment, and Harlen was dropped from the volleyball team. She _loved _volleyball. And apparently, she loved it more than herself. More than Zina. Because when her dad offered her heroin to help her deal, she said yes. She never looked back. Zina was left on the streets, screaming.

The end!

Sincerely, Caralia🫶🏼

This has been in my drafts for forever! Tell me what you guys think, I don’t write many stories so it’s probably not the best… hope you enjoyed though. I’m open to feedback!