Whispers in the Halls: The Haunting of the HR's Gothic Interview

The dim light flickered as the door to the interview room creaked open. Emily, the nervous candidate, stepped inside, her heart pounding against her ribs. The HR manager, a stern-faced woman named Mrs. Thorne, sat behind the desk, her eyes cold and unyielding. The room was suffused with an eerie silence, broken only by the distant hum of the city.

"Please take a seat," Mrs. Thorne's voice was monotone, devoid of warmth.

Emily sat down, her gaze flitting around the room. The walls were adorned with heavy drapery that seemed to move on their own, casting shadows that danced in the flickering light. A large, ornate mirror stood on the far wall, its surface reflecting a distorted version of the room.

"Are you ready to begin?" Mrs. Thorne's voice cut through the tension.

Emily nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, ma'am."

The interview progressed, but Emily found herself increasingly distracted. She noticed a faint, almost imperceptible sound, like the whisper of leaves in the wind, coming from the corner of the room. She tried to ignore it, but it grew louder, more insistent.

"Please focus, Miss...," Mrs. Thorne began, but her words were cut off by a sudden, chilling silence.

Emily's eyes widened as she turned to the source of the whisper. The drapery had stopped moving, and the shadowy figure of a woman stood in the corner, her face obscured by the heavy fabric. The woman's eyes met Emily's, and for a moment, they seemed to lock in a silent conversation.

"Who are you?" Emily's voice trembled with fear.

The woman did not respond, but her eyes seemed to carry a message. Emily felt a strange compulsion to get up and approach her. She stood, her legs unsteady, and began to move toward the woman.

Mrs. Thorne's voice echoed from behind her, "Miss... are you alright?"

But Emily was no longer listening. She reached the woman, and the drapery fell away, revealing a face that was not human. It was the face of a specter, its eyes hollow and its mouth twisted in a eternal scream.

The room seemed to spin, and Emily found herself falling to the ground. The specter was now standing over her, its presence overwhelming. She felt a chill run down her spine, and the whispering voice filled her ears.

"Leave," the voice said, its tone urgent.

Emily tried to scream, but no sound would come out. She felt the specter's hand on her shoulder, and with a sudden jolt, she was pulled through the mirror.

The room dissolved around her, replaced by a cold, dark void. She was surrounded by shadows, and the whispering voice was now a cacophony of voices, each one calling her name.

"Emily... Emily... Emily..."

She tried to run, but her legs were like lead. The voices grew louder, more insistent. She could feel the specter's hand on her again, pulling her further into the void.

Then, everything stopped. The voices faded, and the void gave way to a familiar sight—the interview room. Mrs. Thorne stood over her, her face pale and shocked.

"Miss... you're alright," Mrs. Thorne's voice was a whisper.

Emily sat up, her heart racing. She looked around the room, but the specter was gone. The whispering voice was silent.

"Are you sure?" Emily's voice was a mere whisper herself.

Mrs. Thorne nodded, her eyes still filled with shock. "Yes, I'm sure. But you need to leave now. There's something... wrong here."

Emily nodded, and with a final glance at the now-empty corner of the room, she got up and left. She never returned to the interview room, and Mrs. Thorne never spoke of it again.

The whispering voice, however, continued to haunt her dreams, calling her name in the dead of night. And every time she heard it, she knew that the HR's Gothic Interview was just the beginning of her nightmare.