Not normally easily frightened, Beck instantly clenched her teeth to keep from yelping in surprise.  Once the surprise cleared she had another one.  Registering the way the man in the hallway looked, she was extremely tempted to slam her door shut, bolt it and remain in her room until the twelveth of never.  Unfortunately, her pride wouldn't allow her to react to the man who looked like a psychotic surgeon from the Twilight Zone.<br/><br/><i>Curiosity killed the cat, doofus.</i>her inner critic stated as Beck slowly, silently, took a step outside of her room.  The rhythmic thumping took on a new sound and seemed to be coming from within her; until she realized it was her own heart escalating just a bit.  She drew in a deep breath to calm herself and exhaled as she watched the cartoon surgeon with socks -<i>!?!</i>- on his arms slowly inch across the hall.<br/><br/>She wasn't moving any closer just yet, and she wasn't going to let her door close just yet either.<i>Then what are you doing in the hall?</i>She ignored the cynical inner monologue, watching the progress of her hall companion.  Even as he was joined by someone who looked ready for an early-morning workout, she remained by her door.  It wasn't her way to over-react.  Much.