1 NIGHT OF AGONY 

Life is full of surprise and mystery. Nothing goes according to our plan. Have you ever seen a person having a perfectly planned life?? Well, I don't know about others but if I make a plan, it is never fulfilled something always goes wrong.

Alice - "I had never believed in ghosts nor believed that they are capable of harming others. I always thought they are just the gossip and folk talk made by people to scare children."

Alice Grace was a model student in school and a good representative for her sisters. She was an honor student who loves science and always wanted to explore the more and more regarding the field. She was a straightforward student who always had one opinion that everything that happens is related to science. She respects and loves her family member and follows their decision except she did not believe in the existence of gods and ghosts. Well, her parents did not force her to change her belief but they still suggest taking God's name in case of emergency and sometimes remembering them.

Alice was now 18 years old and was enrolled in the university. She was enrolled in the faculty of science. She made new friends and enjoyed her new life. She was planning to complete her studies and join the institution and find more miracles of science. She herself wanted to research more and want the world to know more about the discoveries made by science. She was living with her family but she wanted to be an independent person. She left her family home and stayed in the girl's dormitory. She was sharing the dorm with other 5 girls from different communities. Arati was from India, Sarah was from England, Xiao and Xia was twin from China, and Esabell was from America. They were from different people from a variety of cultures but one thing was common they were friendly and it did not take a long time for Alice to adapt to the girls. Even though Alice was a nerd and only focus on her book the other did not mind it.

Arati was friendly and love to talk a lot. She was a very devotee of her gods. Sarah was not a lot talkative but she loves fashion and had a good sense of fashion. Even though Xiao and Xia were twins but it was easy to differentiate between them. Xiao was elder and shy in nature whereas Xia was naughty and loved to play pranks on her sister and loved painting. Esabell was a tough girl. She had a hot temper. Still, they all become friends with each other in no time. They were doing various courses in university. Alice was always busy with her project and was not much involved with other girls. They used to be busy every day with their own work but at weekend they used to hang out going shopping, pub or to the beach. At night they used to talk a lot about their tradition and culture and their belief. Alice was not interested in them so she used to ignore them. It's not like she was not interested, she was eager to talk about the discoveries but other were not interested so she gave up the idea. She used to listen to the talk of girls sometime. Arati used to read her Hanuman Chalisa at night before going to bed and Sarah used to read her bible to avert the negative energy. Alice was curious at first why do they always pray before going to bed. Maybe it was just her thinking since she did not believe in the existence of that thing.

It was the month of exams. Everyone was full of stress about their exam. The girls were busy with their studies and everyone was determined to pass the subject. They had an exam tomorrow and Arati was on her period. Sarah was busy with her project so she was not back to her dorm. Suddenly, Arati started to talk about spirits and ghosts. The three girls abandon their book and started to show interest in the talk of Arati. Well, Alice was not interested. Arati started to tell a story of a woman in a white dress.

Arati "Once upon a time there was a small valley with few people. There was only one well in that valley and every people used to go to the well to fetch water and take shower. The well was the source of water. The girls on their period were forbidden to take showers during the day time and they should always take showers in the morning or after the sun is down. The well was like 20 minutes far from the valley. It was the time of winter and there was one small girl Ritu who got her first period at the age of 13. She was a lazy girl and did not want to go to well to take shower. She was scolded by her mother so she told her mom that she would go tomorrow. In the morning she woke up from her sleep. She looks outside, it was a full moon night and she was angry with her mother that she had to go to well to take shower but what could she do? She was surprised that, her mother was not awoken to scold her. She grabbed her cloth and went to take bath. She was yawning and walking. She reaches the well and took off her cloth in the cold winter. **splash** Rita started to put water on her body. She was severing in cold water and wanted to shower fast. Suddenly a woman in a white dress approaches the well and starts to take out the water and put it in her long hair. Her hair was so long and it was covering her face. Ritu was surprised because she was washing her hair without taking off her cloth. Ritu started to hold a conversation with her but the girl was quiet and not saying a single word. So, Ritu also ignored her. After finishing her shower, she started to walk toward her home.

**pit-a-pat** Ritu was hearing a footstep behind her. It was as if someone was following her. She started to walk faster but the more she walks fast the noise become closer. She was scared by the strange person following her. **cling, cling** she could hear the sound of bangles. She was so afraid that she ran as fast as she could toward her home. She opened the door and close it. **sigh** She took a long breath. "What are you doing here at night?" Her mother asked. Ritu was surprised to hear her mother's voice. "Night. Isn't it morning already?" She asked. "No, it's still night" her mother replied. Ritu looked at her watch and the time was 3:30 am of night."

The girls who were listening to Arati were surprised and asked, "So, Ritu was talking to a ghost and the ghost followed her." Arati replied, "Well apparently the lady in a white dress was not a ghost but a spirit and it was believed that if a spirit talks back to you then you may lose your soul and die. It was Rita's luck that the spirit did not talk back." There was silence in the room and Alice who thought it was just a babble said, "It's just nonsense, who would believe in the story of ghosts and spirits in modern days? We have an exam tomorrow and we need to focus on studies rather than the phantom." Everyone agreed and went to hold a book. Arati on another hand looks at Alice in a teasing manner, "Alice you don't believe in ghosts but trust me they may be near you, and listening to us now today is full moon night so, be careful you may get hunted." Alice was irritated by her words but ignored them because she believes there was nothing that cannot be proven by science.

It was a peaceful night the girls went to bed at 12 am the midnight. Alice was so happy since she would complete her exam and go home to meet her family. She closes her eye and saw a dream. **Plip, drop** Alice was awake by the sound of water dropping. She slowly tries to open her eyes but it was so heavy and was unable to open them. She felt her eyes were stuck by glue and she again felt so sleepy as if she had never slept before. She closed her eye again and fell asleep.

**Huff, huff** Alice was running through the wood and the place was so unfamiliar. She was running from someone but she doesn't know why she was running away. She reaches an old cottage in the middle of the forest. **Crick** she opens the door and enters the cottage and **Bang** she hurriedly closed the door. She was in an unfamiliar house. The house was not that beautiful but it was decorated with a lot of pictures and paintings. The floor was also filled with paint boxes and brushes. Alice stumbled on one of the brushes and fell down. She slowly rubs her legs and saw a small red box on the ground so, she slowly raises her hand to touch the box. **pit-a-pat** she heard the sound of someone walking. Alice slowly raises her eye to look at the woman who was slowly approaching her. Alice was shocked more than surprised. The woman who was in front of her was identical to her. She was so similar to her from top to bottom except for her leg. The woman who was approaching Alice was limping. Alice felt familiar yet dangerous emitting from the women so, she hurriedly stands up and tried to run. She run as fast as she could but her legs were stuck in one place as if the gravity of the whole world was now pulling her leg and not wanting to let go of her. Alice was so frightened and she tried to pull her leg and run as fast as she could but failed. She was sweating and she looked behind her, the woman who was approaching her was now coming closer and closer, closer and close. Alice was still stuck and she tries to run away but fail. The woman was now so close to her that she tried to touch Alice. Alice tries and tries she shakes her head sweating and finally she moved her right leg, it was when Alice suddenly opened her eye from the dream.

**Huff, huff** Alice was having shortness of breath. She gasps and gasps a lot of times. She finally calms down. Her body was full of sweat just like in a dream. She slowly looks out the window. It was a full moon night and the moon was reflecting a bright light. Alice did not want to go to bed again after the dream. She looks at her friends, they were all asleep and had no sign of waking up. Alice wants to wake up and study again but before she could even get out of bed her eyes started to feel heavy again. She starts to have difficulty opening it again. She got in bed again.

**Chill** Alice's body starts to feel so cold and she starts to shiver. She looked at the time it was only 3:25 am in the morning. It was the time of summer but she was feeling so cold like the wind blowing in winter. She grabbed her blanket and put it on her body. She was so sleepy again but she did not want to sleep she slowly wanted to get up to get her book but her body was frozen. She cannot move at all. She was stuck in bed. Whenever she wants to move, she feels so much pain. She cannot move her body at all. She felt like a 100 kilos of weight has fallen on her body. She can even feel so much sharp pain in the right part of the abdomen. The pain was like some sharp object was piercing through her. She was in so much pain that she opens her mouth to call her friend.

**AA.AA** Arati, Alice wanted to call her but Alice's voice did not come out at all. It was as if her mouth was also frozen along with her body. She cannot even move the tip of her finger. If she tries to move any part of her body then she could feel so much pain and it would come back to its original place. She was just stuck and frozen. She felt like her body and bed was like the north and south pole attract each other and were unable to separate. She tries and tries to move and call her friend, she was successful in calling her friend but in reality, it was just her belief. She only succeeds in calling them on her heart not outside. There was still a pin drop of silence in the room. Alice felt more and more pressure and she wanted to move her body. She was struggling so much trying to move when she suddenly saw something in front of her.

Alice was on the top of a bunk bed and there was a fan hook in front of her. She can easily spot it. There used to be a ceiling fan but it was taken out after installing the Air conditioner. Alice did not take any interest before but now she was seeing something stuck on the hook. She can easily see that a woman wearing a white cloth was hanging on the hook with the help of a long scarf. The woman had long hair covering her face and was in a sitting position and was hanging freely on the hook. The scarf was moving and so was the hanging woman. It seems as if the woman was enjoying the swing. Alice's body shivered more at seeing the woman.

**lob dud, lob dub** Alice's heart was racing so much. It was due to the strange hanging woman or due to fear of being unable to move or due to the long night that was not passing and 1 minute was like a whole day. Alice herself cannot figure out what was happening to her. She was so scared so she closed her eyes hurriedly but whenever she closes her eye, she can only see herself back in the cottage, being stuck and the woman who look like her following. She opened her eye again and in front of her was the hanging woman looking toward her. She can see that the woman was looking at her and smiling. She was slowly approaching her. Alice again close and saw the following woman. When she opens it, she can see the hanging woman coming toward her. She was stuck between dream and reality and her frozen body was not listening to her words. She remembers the story told by Arati and her warning. She was breathless. She thought she was dying from a heart attack and from the pain in the right part of her abdomen. Tears start to fall from her eyes. She did not want to die yet. She had a lot of dreams and a lot of things to do. It was when she suddenly remembers her mother's words, "Alice even though, you may not believe in ghosts or spirits but at least remember god when you are in trouble." Alice without a thought started to call and pray for God and started to chant the spell that Arati used to say. She was trying so hard to speak and chant the words but she can only **muff, muff**. She was suffering so much. She would rather die than be stuffed. Now she can feel someone pressing her neck and she cannot do anything. Her breath starts to stuck to her neck. She was gagging and she close her eye. Her vision was blurred and she thought it was her last breath.

**Click** someone turns on the light. Sarah was back from her group work. She was going to stay with her friend but she forgot to give the air pod back to Esabell. Someone pranked her and put an air pod of Esabell in her bag. Esabell was a hot-tempered person so she did not want to anger her.

At that time Alice suddenly awoke. She suddenly woke up and sat on the bed as if she had seen something un imaginary. Sarah was also surprised by Alice's sudden behavior. "What happened Alice?" she asked. Alice was in her thought. She was able to move her frozen body. Her whole body was soaked in sweat and her heart was still beating so fast. She looked at her hands and she moved her finger as much as she can. She turns her head and looks upside where the hook was present but there was nothing. No scarf, no woman, nothing. She was in her thought when she heard Sarah's voice. "Alice" Sarah called her.

"Yes," Alice replied. She touches her mouth and was so happy that she was able to talk again. She looked at Sarah in relief and happiness. Sarah was so surprised. She had never seen Alice a book nerd to look at her this way. She went close to Alice. Alice was on her blanket in that degree of heat. "Alice is everything, ok?" Sarah asked. Alice was now fully awake and looking at Sarah she cannot help but cry. She got out of bed and held Sarah and "thank... you...thank you so much for coming". Alice said and started to cry. Her cry was very loud and everyone woke up. Esabell looks at the time. It was only 3:30 am of night and Alice was crying.

Esabell- "Alice it's only 3:30 am in the night and you are crying. What happen?" **sob, sob**Alice was sobbing. Sarah was patting Alice on her back. Xiao- "Stop Esabell. Alice is struggling and you cannot be rude to her." She said and came close to Alice to calm her down. After calming herself Alice told them what happened to her and the strange dream and the strange woman hanging on the ceiling. Everyone was listening to her explanation and was in disbelief.

Arati- "Alice, I think you unconsciously believe in the story I told you about Rita. So, whatever you saw is nothing more than a dream so, don't worry. You are safe here. Sometimes our mind unconsciously believes the fact, which is merely a lie. So, whatever happens, is nothing more than your brain playing tricks."

Everyone agrees with the Arati statement. Alice also did not want to believe those things but the thing she face was so vivid that it was like reality. Everyone was concerned for Alice so that night they move the bunk beds and attached together and slept together. Alice was still afraid so they did not turn off the light.

Next day everyone took the exam and Alice was the one to go home early. She went home and she told everything to her mother. She was scared to go back to the dorm. She was sick due to stress and fear. Later she had an appointment with the doctor when he reveals that she was only facing sleep paralysis due to exam stress. Still, Alice did not want to go back.

It was later in the new semester she came back with her mother to bring back her thing. She bid farewell to everyone. She was ready to leave when they meet the old warden of the dorm. She said she wanted to speak with Alice alone. They both went to the warden's room and the warden said, "Well Alice I am here to tell you something regarding the room you were staying in. Actually, a few years before the room used to be occupied by some females but one day due to disruption one of them committed suicide and since then people began to be scared of that room. They said that the room was hunted and can see a girl talking to them. The rumor started to get bigger so, we had no option except to call father and priest to chase away the spirit and everything was normal. Until you arrive. I am sorry but for the reputation of the dorm can you not reveal the secret."

After hearing the warden's words Alice got a hard blow. It was so hard for her to forget the night but now she was reminded that the room was hunted. She started to feel shivering on her body, in her trembling voice she asked "was that girl limping and love painting." The warden in surprise asked, "how do you know?" Alice was so scared again and she ran away from the room. She was outside the building and was just going to enter the car when her friends arrived.

Arati- "Hey, Alice you forget your box." Arati handed over the red box to Alice. Alice in a trembling voice replied, "It's not my box." Others were surprised and Sarah said, "It was on your bed so we believed it was yours." Alice was denying the box but the box was so familiar. She held the box and slowly open it. There was a painting brush on the box. Alice said, "It's not my box, it must be Xia's box and brush." "Xia, who Xia," All four said together. Alice was so shocked by their question. Alice said, "Guys it's not funny, ok. I am already scared and don't scare me. This must be Xia box. She is your twin sister Xiao and she loves to draw don't lie to me."

Xiao- "Alice I am the only child of the family and I always thought you were talking to yourself and I don't know who Xia is. I sometimes wanted to ask who Xia was but you ignored us so we just assume you loved to talk yourself"

Alice was so scared hearing Xiao's voice. **bang** she fell hard on the ground and she was feeling pain in the right part of her abdomen. She takes off the shirt and there was a small scar on her skin like being price by a sharp but blunt object like a brush. Alice's face was pale and white in horror. She remembered the time when Xia introduced herself. She only used to talk with her and believed that ghosts do not exist. Whenever Arati and Sarah used to read at night she used to go outside for a walk. Alice never thought, that her behavior was strange. Alice's vision slowly blurred and she fell down. She slowly looked toward the window where she saw Xia in a white dress and long hair looking at Alice and she slowly smile at Alice.

*The end*