Mary couldn’t sleep. After an hour of twisting about in the sheets in an attempt to get comfortable, she gave up and decided to go and look for a book. A little escapism seemed like just the thing to settle her busy mind.

She lit the candle on the bedside table and reached for her dressing gown. Frowning, she looked at the nearby chair where she had left it, but it wasn’t there. Instead, it was hanging on a hook by the door. She shrugged, thinking she must have been mistaken and wrapped herself in its warmth before stepping into the long, cold hallway.

She had taken just a few steps toward the library when someone coughed directly behind her. She gasped and whirled around only to find the corridor empty and dark. The quietness of the hall seemed to press in on her until the only sound she could hear was her own racing heartbeat.

She looked at her room, deciding whether to simply cuddle up with her insomnia, safe under the covers or continue her trek to the library. Swallowing her fear, she continued on.