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.

MORNING GOOSEBUMP

This story was narrated to me by Ces, a friend. She was a graduate of the university here in Iloilo City.

It was 7 o'clock in the morning when she and her friend Mariel arrived at the university. It was so early for their first class at 7:45 am, and so they decided to proceed in the library which was situated at the very back of the university.

There was no one in the library except of the female student reading magazine. She was oblivious of their presence that the she never bothered to look. Her back on them.

Ces and Mariel sat down two tables away from her. There was no librarian yet and so Ces just leave her library card in the counter and borrowed magazines from the rack.

Shortly they decided to leave. They were already in the basketball court when Ces realized that she forgot her library card. She went back alone because Mariel went to one of their classmates.

At the library, Ces asked the librarian, who had just arrived, about her card.

"So it's yours." said the librarian. "When did you left it?"

"Kagaina lang sang aga ma'am (just this morning ma'am)." Ces replied Ces.

The librarian looked at her in puzzle. "Are you making a fool out of me?"

"No ma'am. Upod ko pa gani classmate ko 'di kagina (I was with my classmate when I went her)."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes ma'am. Actually there was someone here who came first before we arrived."

"What?" The librarian stood up. "When did you went in?"

Ces told her that they came as early as seven. The librarian got out of the counter and pulled her out of the library. Though appalled, Ces followed the teacher.

Outside, the librarian told her something that made her chill. "Inday, what you just told me was impossible. I came late here because we have a meeting. The library was locked until 8 o'clock."

White Balls of Hell

Every year, on the month of May, the Sta. Teresita Parish Youth ministry holds a sportsfest to promote camaraderie and friendship to young people at its vicinity. Events were held every night at the backlot of the church after the last mass at 6pm.

It was summer supposedly, but one certain night, the weather seemed to spoil the party. A volleyball game was postponed due to the condition. The rain poured in rage, flooding the area.

Everyone gathered inside the church. Suddenly, it was a beehive of noise. Some got wet and some was worse. Fortunately, me and my cousin Ian has managed to dry ourselves.

It was dark inside so one bulb was turned on, giving us a pale shade of light, hiding a large area of the hall in darkness.

The rain has no intention to stop, I thought. It's getting strong every second. It was 8:46 pm and I was starving.

Helpless, I sat beside Ian who was with a group. They were telling stories. Well, what else could be fitting for such setting?

Guess what. Ghost stories at its best!

They were so damn into it as one of them narrated his own experience. Then someone bought the urge to magnify the atmosphere.

"Hoy! Alam niyo ba may multo dito sa simbahan (Hey! Did you know that there's a ghost here in the church)?" said Kim, the smart-ass ten-year old boy.

"Shut up!" I said. Jokingly cutting his throat. Then laughters broke the ice.

It was getting late when the rain has soften. But its mark had us cursing it. We were kept waiting for its full halt.

Feeling the boredom of their chat, I quitted in dismay.

As the hours passed, with the rain smothering my patience, I found myself sitting in the darkness. The altar behind me.

It was in my silence that something pierced me. As if someone was watching me. I took a quick turn at the altar, conciously ignoring the picture in my mind.

Nothing. So I shrugged it off.

I moved to where Ian was. And asked him for us to leave.

"Umuulan pa. Mamaya na. (It's still raining. Later.)"

I sat beside him, ignoring the conversations. I was feeling eerie by then, though I tried not to dwell into it. But the more I disregard, the more it creeps. Something's telling me to look back. And I did.

I gazed at the altar... To the pillar where a statue of St. Joseph stood. Then, behind it, in the darkness, something caught my eyes. I shivered chill down my spine. A block of air burdened my throat.

There it was, even an idiot could tell that it was a hair. And I don't have to study science just to know that a hair belong to someone!

Then, there were two white dots floating. Behind those dots, formed was a sillhouette of a face. Pale face. It was of a woman- looking straight at me!

It's been seven years, almost, since I had my last encounter with the unknown. But now, how hard I try, when it should have been ordinary to me, at that very moment, I felt like I was a chicken-shit. It scared the hell out of me!

My knees were shaking. My head was spinning and my heart was trembling-too much I could bear. With all that, I had managed to keep my mouth shutted. Pretending that everything's fine.

I stood up, pulled my cousin's arm and got out of the church without turning back.

Story 2. Alone With Her

I composed my self when I stepped into the building. I have twenty minutes left before my interview.

The building was very tall, standing proud along with others in the heart of Ortigas.

What happened to me in the MRT train was a total torture. It made me lost my focus. Still, I managed to pacify myself.

My interview was in the 8th floor. So I have to use the elevator. I took the lift along with two men. Both of them got out when we came to a stop in the 3rd floor- leaving me alone.

Conciously, I checked the room. As if anticipating another manifestations. It seemed normal. Then, the elevator took another halt in the 4th floor. A woman, dressed in an office attire, walked in. She was in her 30's.

I smiled at her as soon as we met eyes. I was abled to take a look outside the floor before the door closes. The floor was very quiet. There were no movements.

Having a beautiful woman all by myself in a small stead gave me a taste of revelry. Well, just that, nothing more. And I evenhad the guts to wish that the elevator would take forever to hit the 8th floor. I love the view.

Then, suddenly, I realized that the lift was taking longer than it should be. Dumbed, I snatched a glimpse of the buttons. I jolted on my feet when I saw that we weren't moving at all. I was sure that the elevator is going up.

Alarmed, I wanted to inform the woman that something was wrong. If we don't do anything, we could be in trouble. I turned to her. But it shocked me to see her leaning against the parapet- lifeless! Her head was gorged with blood drenching all over her dress.

I wanted to run but there no escape! I forced myself at the corner as if there was protection there.

The last thing I remembered before darkness enveloped my world was- her hands moved as if trying to reach the doors.

I woke up and found myself alone inside the lift. Then the elevator stopped at the 8th floor. I felt very dizzy. My head ached. When the door opened up, at least ten people greeted me in awe.

As if some of them knew what happened to me. They help me out but I declined.

I heard one say, "Malamang nakasabay niya si Mylene (Maybe Mylene has ride with him)."

Whoever that Mylene was, I don't want to know. And whatever her story, I took no concern about it. All I ever wanted was to get myself out of the place.

I never had that interview. And the job of course. My chance has slipped away.

Going home, I lied in my bed thinking about the encounters. The past resetted and it gave me an unpleasant feeling. A chill that I know would stay long if not forever. Maybe for the rest of my life.

It was a one hell of a day.

Story 1. A Ride To Forget

I rode the train. Like everyday, getting a good seat is a hard task to deal with. But I got one nonetheless.

As soon as I have sitted, I scanned my organizer to recollect my mind of the possible questions that the interviewer would probably throw at me. And memorize the answers that I had written the other night. So I would not blow my chances.

During my pondering, I noticed a young lady who was standing at the other side of the train, staring blankly right in my direction. Or so what it seemed to me.

I ignored her.

But the man I am, who could not let a beautiful face just slips away, turned to look at her again. There, the truth hurts. She wasn't really looking at me. The man, in his 20's, beside me was her apple of the eye. I got a little pissed off. Fate hates me, I guessed. But still I gazed at her for a moment, forgetting my questions. It was then that she took a stare to me, smiled at me and back to man again.

I told the man about her obvious fascination. The man obliged. Then he gave me an irritated expression.

"Putcha pare, wala ka bang magawa? (Damn you man, is there nothing you can do?)"

I was apalled.

"Kung gusto mo sa'yo na. Patulan mo! (If you want she's yours. Dig her!)" he continued.

I took another glance at the lady and saw an old woman, in her 50's, sitting just beside her. I thought what he saw was the old one and not the pretty gal. For such, I talked to him again.

"Pare, hindi 'yan ang tinutukoy ko. Yung nakatayo sa tabi ng matanda. Yung maganda. Yung pink ang suot. Yung may nunal sa lower lip. (Man, that's not what i'm talking about. The one who's standing beside that old woman. The pretty one. The one in a pink shirt. The girl with a mole on the lower lip.)" I told him.

What perplexed me was his reaction. The annoyance was gone. What's left was a total disturb.

"Is she wearing a necklace? Yung may heart? (The one with a heart?)" he asked.
I know he was confirming something.


I said yes.

He looked towards the girl's direction. I watched them exchanged smiles. He was a little bitter.

I was silent in bizarre.

The train stopped at the Ayala station. The man stood up wiping his eyes. It puzzled me. What the heck was he's crying for? Then I saw him waved at the girl. He got out. The lady followed him. The next thing that made me shivered was, instead of trailing the door she passed through the passengers and through the wall of the train.

I felt my hair at my nape stood up. Goosebumps burned my skin.

She was a ghost!

I followed her with my eyes. Standing outside, as the door was closing and the train began to move, she uttered a thank you smiling at me.

Whatever the man has got to do with her was still a mystery to me. But what I realized was, i'd just aided a lost soul finds her way home.

When I reached my destination, I hurriedly got out. I never wanted to stay a little longer in that train. Sure I was, that ride was the very first thing I must forget.

2 Encounters

These stories happened a year ago. It was October- monday. The MRT station was busy as usual. People come and go with faces no one could absorb- as if another hell was burning in their solitary lives.

I had an interview that day.

I got up early and made myself up. Ready and so eager to have that interview. I was positive that I would nail the job.

The building which I would have my interview is situated in the heart of Ortigas.

Then, my encounters begun.