Chapter 1

I joined my college 7 years back in 2017.

The dorm that my classmates and I were staying in was newly built and had been opened just 2 months before.

3 students were to stay in one room and when you enter the room, the toilet is to the right or left side depending on the room. Further inside the beds were placed. They were not bunk beds but normal ones. We had enough space to put the tables and chairs for three room mates and had a wooden cabinet opposite of bed. Opposite the room entrance is a big window with sliding door. It's a very big one, that almost the big room's one side of the wall is window. We don't usually open it unless necessary. It did have iron railings. If we open it, all we could see is barren land with nothing but a few trees. They were left to built new dorm buildings. They only started to build new building in my final year, so it was empty and barren till then.

We were 10 girls, but one girl was a day scholar ans she goes back home everyday. So we nine of us were staying jn 3 rooms on the ground floor near the entrace od the dorm. Our room number are 001, 002 and 003. Outside the corridor we had a water dispenser and we walk further, there is the dining hall.

In front of our dorm was the boy's dorm building. We can't really see their rooms, but if we stood on the roof top we could see the guys standing on the roof top of their dorm. We were not restricted from going to the roof top, so it was considered a hangout spot for students in the dorm in the evenings. Looking at the sunset and chatting gave a special meaning to dorm life.

I studied a course were industrial visits are very much necessary. So from the first year onwards, we had to get ready to go out of the city to village areas were these industries are located like once are twice a month. Industries are food processing centres. That's what I studied. Some times we even have to go to farms to look at the raw material production. When going to farms, we had to walk along the other areas where vehicles are not allowed.

So, in my 3rd year we got up early in the morning even before sun rise and boarded the college bus. There were 25 students in the bus including 10 girls and 15 boys. Usually when we are in bus, we play games together. Girls in a team and boy in a team. We were happily playing games and in around 4 hours we reached the place. It is said that vehicle could not go any further and we got down to walk to a fish farm. Slowly walking, the area was very rural. There were no houses and except for a few cultivated land, most of it was barren. Even a few tress in there looked very much shorter. Well, it could be they are young tress. Buy we did not see even a single big tree.

Ofcourse, we didn't think it was big deal. But that still felt creepy.

Although it was a summer morning, the place was not bright. It was dull and we felt a chill. After walking thorugh it we reached the farm. The farm was nice. We looked around, took notes, did some water sample tests and took refuge under a big tree. The owner of the farm treated us to lunch. But again coming back through the same place was definitely creepy. But as young as we are, we took some photos with short trees standing near it and holding it. Well, some really useless things. Though, we enjoyed. After boarding the bus, unlike the morning, we felt really tired. Some was looking the outside scenery, some were on their phones, some were talking to their lovers in the phones and some were fast asleep. Even our staff incharge was surprised.

He asked us "Where did the energy from the morning go?".

We just laughed it off.

After getting down from the bus in college, we slowly walked to our dorms, talking and laughing about everything that happened in the bus in the morning and about the tasty food we had at the farm. Just thinking about eating the hostel food made us sad. It was summer and the sun was still up even though it's around 7.

We went to our rooms, took a bath and came to room 001 to chitchat. Just girl things.I was already dark. We were talking about some thing and suddenly the lights in the room went out. That's not really a usual thing. So we got out of the room and looked around. All the other rooms light was still brightly lit. So, we thought the lights were loose. We put the chairs together and tried to tighten it. But, one thing we forgot was, there were two light in the room and both went out. Is it possible for both light get loose at the same time.

But, yes!!! When we tightened it, both lighted up.

Like dumb kids, we felt nothing was out of place. After having our dinner, we went to our respective rooms to sleep. Sleep doesn't mean we sleep soon. We just want to lie down and look at the phone.

I was in the room 003. It was around 11'O clock and my bed was between other two beds. Two fans on the top was on full speed and I was looking at my phone, resting my head on the pillow. The lights were already off. Both my room mates were talking to their boyfriends on the phone.

I sighed thinking about my single life. I was scrolling through the tiktok and I didn't notice the time running. After some time, when I looked at the time at the top of my phone, it was already half past 12.

"I should sleep. I have a class tomorrow"

It was very dark, I could not even see my own hands. I switched on the flashlight in my phone and slowly walked to the washroom crossing my friends bed. They both were already fast asleep. I didn't even notice them sleeping.

I didn't want to take my phone to the toilet, so I kept it on the table near the wall of the washroom upside down so the flash light can light up the room a little bit.

I was inside the toilet and the light went out. My heart stopped. But I just thought my friends were playing with me. I called their names.

"Jane"

"Daisy"

No reply.

"Jane" I called again and nobody answered. I thought, she really wanted me to be frightened.

So I did my deeds in the dark and walked out. The light switch to washroom was off but nobody was there. I called her name again.

"Jane" "Daisy"

No answer. But I heard someone murmuring. I walked to the table where I kept my phone. The flash light was still on but, under the table where I kept my phone was dark. I heard the murmur from under there.

I slowly shined my flashlight under the table. There was nothing. I sighed a relief and walked towards the bed. Jane and my other friend daisy was still asleep. I was confused.

I called the names again. They did not answer.

I lay down on my bed. I couldn't sleep. I can still hear the murmurs.

"Zrrrrr zrr zrr zrr"

My gaze moved towards the table where I kept my phone before. It had been some time, since I put my phone down, so my eye already adjusted to the dark. The moonlight coming from the semi transparent window doors was enough to see the objects in the room.

My gaze slowly looked under the table, even though my brain was strongly rejecting the idea.

I saw it. A black shadow crouching down under the table. Even though it's dark, I could still see the features. It kept one of it's hand in the floor and the other hand was in it's mouth like it was trying to eat something. It slowly raised it's head and looked at me. I can't see it's eyes because they were balck too, but I could still understand that I locked eyes with that thing.

My whole body froze. I couldn't even move. When it saw me, it slowly crawled out of the table.

I snapped out of it and searched for my phone near my pillow. Because I was in a hurry, my pushed down my phone to the floor and it made a "bang" noise. I raised my hand searching for the light switches that were right on the side of my bed.

Every room had two switch boards. One on the entrance near the washroom and the other one near our bed. So we can enter room by switching on the lights and go out by switching them off. The other one is near the beds, so that we can switch it off when falling asleep.

There were four switches. Two switches for the two fans and the other two for the lights. I switched everything on that the two fans stopped. The both the lights were lit. I looked near the table. There was nothing.

My friend Daisy slowly got up because of the lights.

"What is it? Why did switch on the lights?" She asked.

I said nothing. I just kept looking at the table.

She was confused looking at my bewildered face.

"What? Did you see a ghost?"

Yes, I think I did. But I didn't say a thing.

"No my phone felldown. I wanted to take it" I said.

"Oh! Then switch of the lightas and sleep" She closed ger eyes after that. I took my phone,switched on the flashlight and then switched off the lights. Then I got into my bed sheets, fully covering myself and the switched of the flas light. Closed my eyes shut slowly drifted into sleep.

To tell the story in more engaging way, I should tell the way the dorm is built. That is why it's a big intro.. don't forget to give it a like.

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