Lighthouse Horror Podcast - I'm a Student at Brynhorn College. Our Emergency Alerts Have Strange Rules | Scary Stories

Episode Date: September 29, 2023

Don't break them.    Story from 18Planet Make sure to check out more of their work at u/18Planet  Original Post: My college has frequent lockdowns. This time they're not letting us out. : r/nosleep                                     Original YouTube link: I'm a Student at Brynhorn College. Our Emergency Alerts Have Strange Rules              For more stories like this one, check out my YouTube channel: Lighthouse Horror | YouTube  Patreon: Lighthouse Horror | Patreon Merch: lighthousehorror.com  Music: Lucas King - YouTube Myuu - YouTube  Incompetech Darren Curtis Music - YouTube  Thank you for listening to this scary story! If you enjoyed this new creepypasta story, please check out some of my other horror stories. We'll be uploading new episodes every day, featuring ghost stories, haunted encounters, mysteries, true stories, creepypasta, and anything supernatural and paranormal. Don't miss out on the thrill and suspense that await you in each episode!

Brianhorn College is a very small county college plop down quite literally in the middle of nowhere with a student body that barely exceeds 500. It's basically a speck of dust among the miles of forest surrounding it. Many of my high school friends would have balked at the notion of attending a college that's five miles away from the closest town. But for my quiet, country-loving demeanor, it's perfect. So when I got my acceptance letter to Brinehorn College in April, I was ecstatic. The rush of packing, core selection, finding a roommate, and obtaining financial freedom was

stressful as one would expect. But as soon as I set foot on campus, all of my stress just melted away. I don't know what it is about this place, but everything just seems happier here. The way people talk, the little skip in everyone's step as they walk. The professors are all passionate. Even the food here tastes happier. Unless you come to Brian Horn College, it's hard to explain. But one thing's for certain, I'd found my perfect match.

As with all small colleges, however, Brianhorn College has little corks that are also hard to explain. The main one is what we call periodic lockdown. Periodic lockdown is the kind of thing that seems ridiculous when you're not. really think of it, but everyone's almost too afraid to joke about it because of how serious it's treated. I'd first heard about it during orientation. Until then, our orientation leaders had been all sunshine and rainbows, but a dark cloud came from over their faces when periodic lockdown came up. If you can only remember one thing from orientation, remember this. Whenever a

periodic lockdown occurs, it must be taken, seriously and must be adhered to," said Sam, one of my orientation leaders. Her liveliness that had been there mere seconds ago was gone. What's periodic lockdown? One of my orientation groupmates asked. It's a period of time, usually around an hour or two, when everyone must stay inside their dorm rooms with the doors locked and lights turned off. Any violation of this rule will be met with instant expulsion," she'd said.

Myself and the other members of my group were taken aback. Part of me wondered if it was an elaborate prank to scare the freshmen. We moved on quickly, though, from the topic, and it wasn't brought up again. But on the first of October, a few weeks after school started, my phone buzzed during chemistry. Reinhorn Emergency Notifications. A periodic lockdown is scheduled on October 2nd, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. You must be in your rooms at least 30 minutes before the lockdown begins. For additional preparations, please visit the school website.

Other students, and even the professor, check their phones upon receiving the notification. First one of the school year, the professor said, before carrying on with the lecture. The freshman dorm was a buzz with nervousness, excitement, and fear about the lockdown. RRA assured everyone of the lockdown's normalcy, but that didn't stop the rumors and theories from making their way into every conversation. You know, I bet it's a gas leak, my roommate Theo suggested. They've been doing construction by the energy services building for the past couple weeks.

Uh, they must have a lot of gas tanks then, if it's as normal as the upper classmen say it is. I replied. The next day I rolled around. I just stayed in my room the entire morning since my only class had been canceled in anticipation of the periodic lockdown. Following the school website, Theo and I did all the necessary procedures. We took out the trash, closed the blinds, locked the front door, filled our room sink with water,

as an emergency water supply and turned off all non-essential electric appliances. As it got closer and closer to two, the hall grew quieter as people ended their conversations and doors slam shot. As ridiculous as the whole endeavor was, no one wanted to risk being the one caught outside. Right as the clock struck two, there was a faint, almost hollow sounding, whoosh sound that reverberated through the hall, like a spaceship powering down. It was completely dark. I checked my phone and noticed that I had neither Wi-Fi nor cellular data anymore.

What the hell? They must have shut down everything, Theo complained. The show he'd been watching on Netflix was now stuck loading. Yeah, even the cell towers aren't working, I said. Must be a regional blockout or something. I turned on my phone's flashlight and carried on with my assignment I'd been chipping away at. But that was the only weird thing that happened during the hour. As soon as it hit three, everything turned back on and school resumed as though nothing had happened.

Periodic lockdowns are always a bit unsettling when they happen. But I've come to accept them as just one of those weird things that colleges sometimes do. They aren't often, maybe once or twice a month at most, and never longer than a couple hours. Occasionally, a class or test is missed as a result of a lockdown, but professors were always prepared with online lecture videos and make-up testing dates. My first year of college passed by rather uneventfully, and it seemed as though the second year would be the same. Yesterday, I was eating lunch with my friends when all of our phones buzzed at the time.

At the same time, I reached into my pocket to check the notification. Brian Horn emergency notifications. A periodic lockdown is scheduled on November 15th, starting at 1 p.m. You must be in your rooms at least 30 minutes before the lockdown begins. For additional preparations, please visit the school website. What the hell? That's like 40 minutes from now, my friend Natalie said, looking at it. her phone.

Yeah, there isn't an end time either, I replied. Did they make a mistake with a notification system? Okay, screw this, I'm not taking any risks. Another friend Evelyn said, putting on her backpack and picking up her tray table. I walked here in my dorm as far as shit, so I'm just going to leave. I'll see you all later. The dining hall around us gradually evolved into a cacophony of people gathering there belonging their belongings and putting away their food, most of which was half eaten. I reluctantly

followed suit, still processing how weird this whole situation was. Getting back to the dorms before the 30-minute mark was out of the question by this point. So why weren't we warned sooner? I was back at the dorms with 25 minutes to spare. The halls were shuddering with the sounds of doors slamming shot, people yelling, and locks clicking into place. I entered my room and began to go through the motions that had been ingrained in my head by that point. Close the blinds, unplug my computer, the fridge, lock the door. Just then my phone buzzed again.

I checked it and saw a message from my roommate Theo. Hey, Brian, I got in a bike crash on my way back and a chain broke, so I might be a few minutes late. Could you leave the door unlocked so I can get in easily? Thanks. A small pit of dread grew in my stomach. What if he doesn't make it back in time? Could he be expelled? Okay, I replied. But please hurry up if you can. There's like 15 minutes until the lockdown begins. I texted back. A minute later, Theo texted me again. It's all good, man. There's no way they'd punish someone after springing it up on us like that.

I tried to distract myself from the gnawing pit in my stomach by studying for my chemistry quiz, which I didn't even know what happened or not. The whole way gradually got quieter, and I began to convince myself that everything would be okay. My phone buzzed again. Hey, my card isn't working for some reason. Could you come open the front door for me? He asked.

The next thing I knew, it was pitch black, and a hollow whoosh echoed throughout the dorm. Periodic lockdown had begun, and my roommate was still outside. Shit, I muttered. They must have turned off the front door's card reader as part of the lockdown. What happens to feel now? Does he just have to wait outside until the lockdown ends? I thought about leaving my room to go open the door for him. Maybe nobody will notice if he just gets back inside fast enough, I thought.

But what if we're both caught? Why risk getting myself into trouble when I'm safe right now? Not to mention. Who knows what the periodic lockdown is even for? Maybe there's some kind of animal outside that could be dangerous. But then isn't Theo in danger? What if whatever's out there gets him? My head swam.

I turned my phone back on and tapped my browser app, which was thankfully already open to the periodic lockdown information website. I scrolled through the frequently asked question section, and I found what I was looking for. Question, what should I do if someone else is out of their room during periodic lockdown? Answer, remain in your room no matter what, and keep the door locked. If someone knocks, don't answer the door, and don't let them in. My eyes fixated on the last words, don't let them in. That's when the feeling in my stomach went from gnawing to nauseating. My roommate didn't make it back in time.

And now I'm supposed to make sure that he doesn't make it back at all. I don't even know when this will all be over. I played some games on my computer, occasionally checking the door. One hour passed, then two. A small part of me hoped the lockdown would end by the usual time, but I should have known by now that this was an unusual lockdown. With a remaining time uncertain, I turned off my computer to save battery and sat in the darkness, thoughts consuming my brain.

Even the faint slivers of light that crept from the blinds were waning. I didn't dare open them. I checked my phone. 5.16. The previous longest lockdown was less than half this time. I drank the rest of my water and went to refill it at the sink, feeling my way through the pitch black room. Then ice shot down my veins, as I remembered the last step of lockdown preparation. something I'd forgotten about in my hurry.

The sink. Praying for a miracle. I turned on the faucet. Nothing came out. Panic started to fill me. Shit. This must have been why they had us fill the sink. All right.

No water. Shit. I mean, how long can a human survive without water again? Is there any water left in the pipes? I tried to get the water running multiple times. times to no avail. There's no way they'd keep us in lockdown long enough for us to die from thirst, right? Time marched on. Soon it was late afternoon, then evening, then night. Not that I could tell from the window anyway. It had gotten completely dark before five. Whatever was happening

defied the normal day-night cycle. At around seven, I ate one of my frozen meals from the fridge for dinner. In the absence of a working microwave, I had to leave it out on my desk for a while of a fall. Nothing like slightly below-room temperature Thai noodle soup to hit the spot. I went to bed a few hours later, figuring I might as well try to skip as much time as I could, hoping I'd be woken by the lights coming back on. Instead, I woke up to knocking on the door.

Hey, Brian, can you let me in? My blood froze. It was still completely dark, but something felt off, like the air was a bit stuffier than normal. That was Theo's voice, I thought. There were more knocks. Hey, hey, Brian, my card isn't working. Can you please let me in? Adrenaline shot through me, removing any lingering fatigue.

I tapped my phone screen. 306. Shit. I've been in lockdown for over 14 hours. I was jolted back by more pounding. Brian, can you let me in? Mind racing. I turned on my phone flashlight and scanned the room to see if anything was different.

The light, while initially blinding, was a welcome reprieve from the previous 12 hours of darkness. There wasn't anything unusual in the room, but that didn't shake the feeling that something had changed. I slid off my bed and began making my way to the door. I didn't have a plan for what to do. I only knew that I was terrified. The voice came again, louder now that I was closer. Brian, my card isn't working. Can you please let me in?

I pressed an eye against the people. It was too dark to see anything, but for some reason I got the feeling that something was staring directly back at me. My hand wandered to the doorknob before I remembered the website. Don't let them in. I stood there for a moment, my mind racing.

Is it really Theo that's standing outside? Or something pretending to be him? What happened to your bike yesterday? I asked. My voice harsh with neglect and dehydration. Silence. Part of me wondered if Theo or whoever was at the door had left. Brian, can you let me in?

More pounding. The door seemed to shake more than. than before, the doorknob vibrating ominously in my hand. What happened to your bike yesterday, Theo? I asked again louder. Can you hear me? More silence. Clearly whoever was on the other end couldn't hear me for some reason, or just wasn't

responding. Shook by the whole situation. I felt my way back to the bed and I tried to rest. Getting more sleep was hopeless by that point. Theo was relentless, knocking at the door every couple minutes or so. Sometimes I'd get a ten-minute break. Other times there would be non-stop pounding for a minute straight or longer. But every single time, the thing switched between the same two sentences,

with the exact same intonation and inflection, almost like a recording played on loop. Hey, Brian, can you let me in? And, Brian, my card isn't working. Can you please let me in? For all I knew, the school was stuck in hell, I thought, and I was being tormented by a demon who thought it'd be funny to imitate my less fortunate roommate. Less than 24 hours ago,

I was a normal college student, stressed out by normal college things like friendship, drama, and chemistry test. Now, I was stuck in the dark with no water, no roommate, and no hope of escaping anytime soon. I began to think of my family, wondering if they knew what was happening. Maybe the FBI will start investigating and rescue us all. Brian, I've been stuck outside all night, please open the door. I froze again. The looping of the other sentences had blended into the background, such that this new

one stuck out. What does that mean? I wondered. I'm starving and thirsty, and I'm all alone out here, Brian. Please just let me in. The desperation in the voice put me on edge more than anything that had come before. I checked my phone again. 7.15 a.m. The room suddenly exploded with a flurry of knocks so much that I could hear the

door groaning from stress. Brian, please, please, they're going to get me if you don't open the door right now. Theo, what the hell's happening? I said. Silence again. My ears stringed to listen. Then came Theo's voice again. Quieter now, but still clear. Dude, I wish I knew. I got stuck outside. Then I somehow got in, but none of the doors are working anymore. Brian, I was literally in the hallway all night, man.

It's so dark out here, and I think there's something out here with me. What's out there, Theo? I asked. You okay? I slid off my bed again to head to the door. I don't know, but I'm scared, Theo said. And then came muffled, almost inaudible, sobbing sounds. I'm just, I just want this to be over.

I just want to be. All right, all right, Theo, I'm coming, okay? I said. I'll open the door, Theo, I promise. You just need to answer one question, okay? Theo sniffled. Okay, what's the question? What happened to your bike yesterday?

Silence again. And more of it this time. I stood by the door, heart beating out of my chest, As the minutes tick by, five minutes, then ten. This is the longest it's been quiet so far, I thought. Why is Theo taking so long to respond? Then, just as I was about to retreat to bed, can you just please open the door, Brian? Answer the question, Theo, I said.

Please let me in. Theo said. I began to back away. You're not Theo. You can't remember what happened to him. There was pounding on the door. Please, Brian, please, I can't stay out here. I went back to my bed, and I stuck my head under the pillow, hoping to drown out the sounds.

There was more pounding. And even through the pillow, I could hear them muffled. Please, Brian, please, on repeat. That's not Theo, I thought. It can't be. He'd remember, right? But then my mind wandered back to the pain and desperation in his voice. It felt so real.

Clearly whatever was imitating him knew how to act. I must have fallen asleep eventually, because the next thing I knew, it was quite, quiet and half-past noon. Time clearly worked differently now, however, because my window was still completely dark. This was the first time that I truly began to fear for my life. Lockdown had been now going on for a full day, and there was no sign of it stopping anytime soon. I'll be dead in two days if I don't find something to drink, I thought. I tried to think of ideas. A slight headache starting to set in from me.

dehydration. I felt my way around the room, not daring to use my phone flashlight anymore. I reached under Theo's bed and felt something smooth and metallic. I nearly cried for joy when I realized what I'd found, a full soda can. I felt around and counted two, three, no four cans of Pepsi Mac soda. Thank God for Theo's sugar addiction, I said to myself. Soda might be enough to get me through an extra day or two. But beyond that, I know I'll have to think of something to get myself out of here. And so I'm doing the only thing I can think of. I'm turning to the internet.

Even though there's no Wi-Fi or cell service, I hope that somehow, some way, my story will get out there and I'll be rescued. And if you're hearing this, that means it did. But there's one more thing before I'm all caught up. While I was writing this story, Theo came back again. I was hunched on my desk, typing away. My computer brightness turned to a minimum to save energy. When there was a knock, Brian?

Came Theo's voice. I shut through my veins. I shouldn't say anything. He's going to try to manipulate me to open the door. I tried to focus on typing, but I found out. it hard to do so. More knocking. Brian, please.

Look, I know you're scared. I'm sorry if I scared you all right. I didn't move or speak. My vision blurred from adrenaline. Listen, Brian. I don't know what's happening. It's like my memory got wiped. Oh, oh, I don't know.

But I really don't want to stay out here, please. More silence. I typed a few more words, but found that I couldn't think of more. There's something out here. I don't know where it is right now, but I hear it going from room to room sometimes, knocking on the door. It pretends to be other people, like me. I've heard it talk in my voice. My ears perked.

Could that really be feel? Could he be different from what was at the door earlier? I found a pack of water bottles out here, thankfully. Should be enough for a few days. Please, Brian, I don't want to hide from that thing anymore. What happened to your bike yesterday? I asked again. Brian, I told you.

Something happened to my memory. It's like I can't remember anything. Anything specific from before the lockdown? Please, Brian, you just need to trust me. My heart was wrenched. Never had his voice sounded as human as it did now. What if it really was Theo out there? And I'd left him to fend for himself the past day and a half.

The rule of not opening my door dwelled on me, but what if I actually had the chance to protect Theo? I, I don't know. I said, listen, the thing's going to come back any moment now and I'm going to have to leave. Just, just please, I know it's scary, please. Tears began to pull up in my eyes. As much as I wanted to open the door, I had to maximize my chances. I'm sorry, Theo. I can't.

Silence again. I expected the Theo thing to start repeating its lines again, but there was nothing. And then finally, a faint, almost inaudible. All right. Ever since then, I haven't heard from Theo, but I know that he'll likely be back and try to get me to open the door again. If it actually was Theo outside, part of me doesn't want to know, because the pain of the guilt would be too much to bear. At the time this is being sent, it is currently November 16, 2022, 719. I will likely have three more days.

If you're hearing this before then, there may still be a chance. Please. Do what you can to. end the periodic lockdown at Brinehorn College.