Lurking In The Dark

This story was related by Myra, a friend.

Myra was a student in one of the acclaimed Universities here in Iloilo City. Being a Dean's lister, she used to study hard- studying her lessons every night, sometimes until past midnight with seldom recess.

Came a time for the Final exams, Myra was so anxious that she studied double time just to gain momentum because her grade descended the last term. And so, she stayed awake until 2 in the morning studying for tomorrow's sake. She would have not stopped herself if necessity have been considerate. There was no bathroom inside her apartment so she have to go to the end of the hallway where one was settled.

She got up and walked towards the door. But she was halted when she heard footsteps passed by outside. She thought it was Yam, the girl who rents the room next to her room, coming from her night shift. They were never friends because she thought she wasn't that friendly. Aloof to be exact.

Myra waited until Yam was inside her room but a minute had passed still she haven't heard a door was opened nor closed. She couldn't hold her call anymore, so she decided to go out. She'd just ignore Yam if ever.

What perplexed her was the total darkness of the hallway. Lights supposed to be on, right? She have a little discomfort about darkness and so she got back in and got a flashlight. This would help, she thought.

She trailed the hallway, closing the door behind her. The comfort room of the dormitory was five doors away from her room. She began to sang an upbeat song just to calm herself because the dark was beginning to get in her nerves.

Myra have done her business with much effort. She trailed the darkness again, but faster as she could. However, she stopped before she reach the 3rd door from her own door.

She felt as if a bucket of cold water was poured at her. Her skin tightened and the hair at her nape stood. She began to feel like her head was so heavy. What she had seen was the shock of her life.

There, in front of Yam's door, a figure was standing. Or might have been half kneeling? She could not decipher. All she could figure out that it was a woman-- an old woman in a ragged clothes! Her hair was fluttering in the air. And Myra could not see her feet. The woman was gnawing the doorknob with a child-like laugh, lurking in the dark. Shuddering her senses.

The last thing that Myra remembered before everything around her turned black was that the woman turned to look at her- "it" has no eyes!

Myra woke up and found herself at her bed. Before she could wonder, Brit, the lady disc jockey from the 3rd door walked in.

"Hey, so you're awake." Brit said with a smile. "What happened to you last night? We found you unconcious in the hallway. You know, me and Jane my roommate."

Myra was too sick to reply.

"By the way," Brit continued. "bad times. Yam was found dead this morning. Nightmare they say. But I think she's high. What a pity."

What she heard was too much to bear. She fell unconcious again.