Horror at The Campus

Runa often hears scary stories in the Sunbrillo complex.

Starting from the female ghost who cries in the elementary school toilet every one o'clock in the afternoon.

A headless ghost in a black robe walking around the high school lab in the middle of the night. Some students even claimed to have seen the ghost passing by in the morning, when the school was still quiet.

And the latest story she heard in her sophomore year was about the ghost of an old man who walked bent over using a cane. The students, who often come home late and who live in the dormitory, admitted they saw the figure staring out the window from one of the classrooms several times.

But Runa had never heard the story about the ghost she had just seen.

"Runa, come on." Mandy patted Runa's arm, and she gasped. She looked away from the end of the hall and turned to Mandy.

"What's wrong?" asked her friend. She glanced down the hall, then at the elevator. "Y-you, did you see anything?" Mandy whispered as her lips trembled.

Runa knew Mandy was a scaredy-cat when it comes to ghosts and stuff. If she told her what she saw, Mandy might cry or faint. Runa shook her head and cocked her chin at the elevator, where Morrison was waiting.

"Let's go," she said.

Mandy seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding and leading Runa to the elevator.

The low hum of the elevator accompanied their quick journey up to the third floor. When the lift opened, the elevator light was the only light in the corridor. The golden patch of light disappeared right away as the elevator doors closed.

Silence greeted them, just like on the ground floor. It's just that the atmosphere now feels eerier. Maybe because Runa just saw something awful. She tries to focus on the presence of the people around her and get rid of bad thoughts.

After all, her father always emphasized that ghosts, demons, and the like never existed. All Runa needs to believe is the existence of God, and because God exists, she must become a good kid.

Even though her father couldn't be a good father.

"Turn on the light," Runa ordered Morrison. She used the same calm tone, which didn't sound too demanding, but had a firm feel.

Morrison headed into a small room near the elevator. After a while, he came out of the room.

"Looks like the lights went out, Miss."

Runa narrowed her eyes. "Does the building maintenance department not carry out regular checks?"

"Th—they did!" Morrison sounded panicked. "I'll report it as soon as we get out of here, Miss! And I'll make sure tomorrow morning the new lights are on! Please, don't say anything to Mr. Crown!"

"You know, Mr. Crown wouldn't be happy to hear his daughter walking around in the dark in the classroom because the lights were out!" this time it was Mandy who spoke. She took advantage of the situation and the fact that Runa's father was one of Sunbrillo's most influential donors.

From the way Mandy spoke, it seemed like she was happy that she could lash into Morrison.

Morrison nodded, and although Runa couldn't see it clearly, the man's forehead was now covered in sweat.

Mandy turned on the flashlight she was carrying and Morrison did the same.

"In which classroom, Miss?"

Mandy pointed her flashlight down the hall, to a classroom door. "There."

Morrison walked first, followed by Runa and Mandy.

Halfway down the corridor, there was the sound of chairs shifting.

The three of them stopped walking. Mandy's hand that was wrapped around Runa's arm was wrapped tighter and tighter like a python's coils.

"What's that?" Mandy asked. Her voice was floating and filled with fear.

"I—I don't know, Miss."

"Is anyone here?" This time it was Runa who asked.

There's no such thing as ghosts. No ghosts. Runa repeated in her heart.

"No, Miss. We do not carry student activities in the classroom until late at night."

Yes, Runa knows that too. What did she expect by asking a question that has an obvious answer? That the fear that now gripped her was just an illusion, and that she needed a statement to dispel that?

This time, there was the sound of tables falling and chairs hitting the wall.

Then, before Runa could say anything or react, one of the window panes in the far end class, which they had been aiming for, exploded and threw glass shards into the hallway.

Everything happened so fast.

Mandy faints, Morrison screams, and Runa can't do anything because of her condition.

Morrison turned and was about to run away, but Runa grabbed him.

"Take Mandy with you!" she shouted. Maybe it wasn't the right decision, entrusting the unconscious Mandy to Morrison's hands, but Runa had no other choice.

Who would have thought that Morrison shook his head and jerked Runa's hand away? The noises were heard again and this time more glass shattered.

Morrison glared back at Runa in horror, and he ran away, leaving Runa and Mandy alone. Instead of using the elevator, Morrison ran down the stairs. His hurried footsteps faded away, and the third floor was silent again.

For a long time, Runa heard nothing. She bent down and looked worriedly at her best friend. She had to get out of here, but what about Mandy? She couldn't just leave her here.

Runa thought for a moment, before dropping her crutch and crouching down, then positioning herself behind Mandy. With the throbbing pain in her ankle, she sat up and tucked each hand under Mandy's arm.

Using one of her healthy legs as propulsion, Runa dragged Mandy with her towards the elevator behind them.

"I'm sorry," whispered Runa while putting on a wry face. "I'll treat you tomorrow."

Runa dragged herself and Mandy with all her might. Time and again she almost fell backwards, and with the weight and pain she now carried, Runa's speed was no greater than a sloth. When she finally arrived at the elevator doors, Runa's nostrils and lungs burned from exhaustion. She carefully let go of Mandy, then spun around on her knees, then crept her hands up the wall to press the elevator button… but nothing happened.

What the hell-?

Runa tried to press it again, waited a while, then pressed it again. The elevator doors remained tightly closed.

Did Morrison turn off the elevator? But for what?

Come to think of it, there was no way the man who ran for his life like that would even have thought of turning off the elevator before leaving the building.

Runa slumped back, leaning her back against the cold wall. Then, out of the corner of her eyes, she looked at the stairs near to the elevator. She just had to cross the corridor and—

Runa gasped and her heart jolted in a painful way as the window glass in a nearby classroom shattered.

She desperately tried to stay calm, but her body betrayed her. Her hands and feet were shaking. Runa dragged Mandy, and brought her closer to herself, trying to protect her best friend as best she could.

"Mandy!" shouted Runa in a whisper. "Wake up!"

Runa shook Mandy's shoulder, but the girl didn't react.

And then… the figure reappeared. A black shadow with branches around it.

Runa didn't know what to do now. This was a situation she had never been in before.

Should she fight? Or just sit and wait, hoping someone will come to save them?

No, said Runa.

She never relied on anyone to solve her problems.

Even though she didn't know what creature was now in front of her, which was hovering closer and closer towards her, Runa was sure she would be able to deal with it.

Runa took off one sandal and pointed it at the dark creature.

"Go away!" she screamed.

Instead of moving away or stopping, the creature drew closer. Runa threw her sandal, and it hit the creature's body, before being swallowed up in the darkness.

Runa gaped. What happened? Did the creature eat her sandal? It was like sinking in a black puddle that was floating in the air. Like entering a thick portal that leads to hell.

Then… the creature descended. It is no longer floating. The fog, smoke, shadow, or whatever that gives a black veil around it, slowly fading, showing a figure that Runa will never forget for the rest of her life.

It was like a human, with two legs and two arms, a complete body, neck, and head. It's just that no human being is like that. Its body was naked, its skin like wickerwork of black and brown tendrils, and slimy, which churned like the elongated vines in a sped-up video of plant growth.

From its fingertips dripped a dark, pitch-black liquid. And as the drops hit the floor, the viscous liquid changed, moved, and lengthened, like an extension of an arm.

Runa couldn't run anywhere. She was cornered with the unconscious Mandy. Her voice was hoarse, and her throat was burning with fear and despair.

For the sake of all the books she has ever read, Runa has never found a fairy tale, explanation, or piece of a verse in the Bible that mentions this creature.

As if all the horrors it was displaying weren't enough, the creature opened its eyes and mouth.

Damn. Runa thought that the creature's face was just a plain surface, like a wall that was painted black.

Turns out she was wrong.

Its eyes were enormous, almost filling half of its face. The bottom of its round eyes met the smirk that now grew on its lips, revealing a row of teeth as sharp as a shark's.

Demon.

That's all that is on Runa's mind right now.

The creature before her was a demon.

The demon lifted one leg and stepped it forward, and the black liquid dripping that became an extension of its arm now moved swiftly like a whip and wrapped around Mandy's and Runa's ankles.

Without a word, their bodies both bounced and hung upside down.

Mandy still fainted, while Runa couldn't help but scream.

She never screamed before, because that would only show weakness.

When her scream died down, Runa dared to look at the demon, which looked back at her with a pair of white, enormous eyes, with a bottomless black core.

With its tentacles, it brought Runa closer. The grins were still there when their faces met.

'What a pure soul…,' the demon hissed. Its voice seemed to be divided into three tones: shrill, low, and flat. Everything sounded raucous and shuffling, like the creaking of nails being scratched against a brick wall. 'There's nothing more pleasant than a pure soul….'

After saying that, it opened its mouth.

The mouth was so wide that when the demon opened it, the top of its head jerked back, forming a ninety-degree angle.

Oh my God. Tonight she will die from being eaten by a demon, Runa thought.

When the demon raised the tentacle that wrapped around Runa's legs high, her body swayed and the cross necklace she was wearing hung from her face.

With a blank thought and an action that Runa didn't understand why, she pulled the necklace off her neck, then threw it. She knew nothing would happen. The necklace would suffer the same fate as her sandal, but this was the last thing she could think of to protect herself.

Maybe an angel will come from heaven, or Jesus will come down from his throne and save her.

And just as Runa threw her cross necklace at the creature, something appeared out of nowhere. Runa only saw a flash of light like moonlight, which blinded her eyes for a while, before finally the light stopped and became another figure that couldn't be called a human.

There he is. The angel of death.