I attended a college orientation in an ancient dormitory. As we were exploring the building, we got lost in a long corridor. The walls were covered in peeling wallpaper. We heard a low humming sound that grew louder. Then, a door at the end of the corridor creaked open on its own. Inside, there was a cold, damp smell and an old rocking chair that started to rock slowly all by itself. It was the most horrifying orientation experience ever.
Once upon a time, during an office orientation, a new employee named Lisa noticed a strange shadow in the corner of the conference room. It seemed to move on its own. As the orientation continued, she heard faint whispers that no one else seemed to notice. Later, when she was left alone to explore the office, she opened a closet and a cold hand grabbed her arm. It was a ghost of a former employee who had died in a tragic accident at work.
My office orientation horror story was when they paired me with a really mean mentor. He kept criticizing everything I did. When I introduced myself to the team, he made snide remarks about my accent. He also gave me wrong information about the office layout on purpose, which made me look like a fool when I got lost. It was so awful that I almost quit on my first day.
One common element is a strange or spooky location. Like an old, abandoned building or a place with a dark history. Another is unexplained noises, such as creaking, wailing or humming. And often there are strange apparitions or figures that seem to appear out of nowhere during the orientation.
A new hire, Tom, was at his office orientation. In the break room, he found an old VHS tape labeled 'Office Secrets'. Curious, he played it. The video showed a dark figure walking through the halls at night. Then, the figure turned and stared right into the camera. Tom's face was now on the screen in the video. He quickly ejected the tape, but when he looked up, the figure was standing in the doorway of the break room.
The worst part could be feeling completely alone and lost. Like when you're new and no one seems to care or help you. It's a horrible feeling in a strange new environment.
Well, at my college orientation, we had a team - building activity near a lake. I'm not a very outdoorsy person and was scared of water. They made us do a raft - building challenge that involved getting into the water. I was so nervous the whole time, fearing I'd fall in. And to make it worse, my team members were a bit pushy about it. They thought I was being a spoilsport but I was really just terrified.
One common element is getting lost. New campuses can be like mazes, and it's easy to end up in the wrong place. Another is social awkwardness. Meeting so many new people can be overwhelming, and there might be embarrassing moments like forgetting someone's name right after being introduced.
There's not enough information provided to determine who wrote 'the orientation short story'. It could be an unknown author, or it could be a story written by a student for a class assignment. It might also be a piece from a local writing group that hasn't gained wide recognition yet.
I'm not sure specifically as there could be many 'orientation short stories'. It might be about a character's orientation in a new place, like a new school or job, where they are finding their way, meeting new people and dealing with new situations.