Starting college is nerve-wracking for anyone. Classes, money, homesickness all of that is stressful enough. But for some, the real fear isn’t academics. It’s who they have to share a room with. Josh, a first-generation student at Bloomsburg University, carried that exact dread as he dragged his suitcase up the dorm stairs. He hesitated at the door, bracing himself for the stranger inside.
“Oh, hey! I’m your roommate Kole!” said a cheerful voice. A tall guy stood by the desk, grinning as he extended a hand. Josh shook it nervously, noting the firm grip. “I hope we get along,” Kole added while unpacking. Maybe this won’t be so bad, Josh thought.
Over the next week, they bonded through small talk questions about favorite movies, music, and food. One night, Josh asked, half-joking, “What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?” Kole didn’t hesitate long. “Vanilla. I’d die if I ate chocolate ice cream.” Josh laughed, but the certainty in Kole’s tone struck him as odd. Still, it was nice having someone around. His fears about roommates began to fade.
Until, the party. Bloomsburg thrived on nightlife, and Kole couldn’t wait to dive in. He begged Josh to join. “C’mon, man, you’ll love it!” Josh shook his head. “Not my thing. Seems like trouble.” Kole pouted, exaggerating his disappointment. “Whatever, party pooper. You’re no fun.” That night, Kole strutted out in a ridiculous outfit, tipping his hat dramatically. “Last chance,” he teased before disappearing into the hallway. Josh ignored him, shut the lights, and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, he awoke to see Kole sprawled on his bed, fully clothed. Josh shook his shoulder. “Get up man, we’ve got class.” Kole bolted upright with a snarl. “WHY DID YOU WAKE ME?” Josh froze, startled. “We… We have class at eight.” Kole’s face softened instantly, followed by a chuckle. “Oh yeah, right. Haha.” The moment unsettled Josh, but he brushed it off until later that day.
At lunch, Kole returned to the table carrying a bowl piled high with chocolate ice cream. Josh stared. “Wait, you said you’d rather die than eat chocolate.” Kole grinned, spoon halfway to his mouth. “Changed my mind. This stuff’s amazing.” Josh’s stomach tightened. He remembered clearly Kole had sworn he was deathly allergic. That’s not him, Josh realized.
Back in his dorm, he paced, replaying every detail. Kole was different. Something had changed after the party. Something had taken his place. There’s only one way to know. I have to see that frat house.
That evening, Josh made his way across campus to the rowdiest house on the block. The Greek letters loomed on the doorway as music thumped inside. A guy in a Hawaiian shirt and backwards hat opened the door. “What’s up, bro?” “Uh, I’m thinking of joining the frat. Mind if I look around?” Josh lied. The frat boy’s face lit up. “Yeah dude, come in!” Inside, the house reeked of beer and sweat. Empty cans littered the floor. Josh wandered, eyes scanning for anything that explained Kole’s change. Nothing but filth and noise.
Then he saw it. Beyond the back window stretched a wall of dark woods. At its edge, a narrow path disappeared into the trees. Something pulled him toward it. The woods were too quiet. Even the insects seemed to hold their breath. The path twisted until it opened into a clearing with a low, gaping cave. A stench oozed from its mouth, sharp and rotten. Josh hesitated. Then stepped inside.
The deeper he went, the stronger the smell grew. His phone flashlight flickered across damp stone until it caught on something pale at his feet. Josh’s blood turned cold. It was a body. Skinned, stripped bare, the face unmistakable. The real Kole. Josh staggered back, gagging. He forced himself to lift the phone again, snapping a trembling photo.
A sound froze him in place. Breathing. Heavy. Behind him. “You know,” a voice rasped, too close, “I really hate when people snoop through my stuff.” Crack. The world collapsed into blackness.
When the haze cleared, Josh’s body lay limp on the cave floor. Standing over him was Kole or the thing that wore his skin. Its face peeled away in strips, revealing a slim, white, eyeless creature. Its claws hooked into Josh’s flesh and tore, lifting away his skin like clothing. The creature stretched the new layer across its body, shivering as it adjusted into perfect imitation. Now there were two Josh’s.
Behind them, in the cave’s shadows, lay a mountain of discarded skins, faces and bodies of the unsuspecting. And outside, the university buzzed with life, unaware that creatures walked among them, pretending to belong.
