It was about dusk, on a hazy Friday evening within the premises of AdZU’s beloved Canisius building. The blinds were finally down, the cold breeze from the air conditioning unit was slowly dissipating, moistening all that there was. The ticking of the clock is deafening, dancing along with the slow winds making a peaceful yet eerie sound in the air. The sound of the students and faculty laughing echoes through the hallways, bidding each other goodbye, until it was again, silent like a passing train – blaring upon its arrival and fading as it goes. Ms. Ophelia, the assigned staff of the Computer Laboratory for that day, tucked in the last monobloc under the table and began making her way towards the small office located at the center of the comlab as her shoes rambled throughout the empty room. It was a girls’ night out but she had to stay until 6 o’clock in the evening to ensure that everything was intact and complete. Whilst preparing to leave, she noticed a small dark figure by the shallow corner of the room.
Shortly after, her phone rang as “Dusk in the Wind” by Kansas blasted through the speakers of her phone. Startled, Ms.Ophelia immediately answered the call.
“Hello? Where are you? We’re already waiting for you,” the caller said
“Para alyi ya. I’m checking the comlab before leaving,” she replied.
“Okay. But it’s 6 already. Solo lang tu?,” the caller asked.
“Uhm, si. I’m going out na,” Ms. Ophelia replied while reaching for her wallet but it fell from the table. She was baffled with how that wallet hit the surface of the floor, and right there she knew something was off.
Was it the remains of cold air coming out from the air conditioning unit or was it the sudden rush of fear surging through her body which made the surroundings run cold? She had absolutely no idea.
“Uy, you should be careful. 6 na baya. Sabe ya man tu about the stories na school, right?”, the caller reminded her, yet Ms. Ophelia was more focused on reaching for her wallet which fell to the narrow side of the table.
“Phel? Are you there pa?,” the caller contacted her once again.
“Yes, sis. I’m reaching for my wallet lang. Wait lang!” she replied.
“Basta ha, I told you already. Be careful because there were rumors and stories that there’s a ghost of a kid daw roaming around the campus. Iyo pa contigo, bolbe ya tu. Vene ya aqui!”
“Right, I’ll be there na. Bye!” The call ended.
She finally picked up her wallet and put it inside her bag. Before leaving, Ms. Ophelia made sure that everything was in place – from the plugs, to the computers, and chairs. Satisfied, she stepped out of the room slowly. However, it felt like the wind was even colder upon stepping outside the comlab. She started hearing whispers. With every step she took, these creepy whispers started to gradually increase with noise. It felt as if Ms. Ophelia was being watched, however she was unsure what or who it could be. All she wanted to do at that point was to get out of the building as soon as possible. She figured it was all in her head – or it could be what she chooses to believe instead.
Ms. Ophelia hugged her bag closer to her chest, using it as if it could ease the fear and coldness she was experiencing at that moment. The fear she ignored while she was reaching for her wallet resurfaced and intensified. Ms. Ophelia tried her best to suppress the fear and continued on walking until she noticed small, wet footsteps in front of her path. She was certain that it was not hers so she wondered if there was a student who made a mess in the nearby comfort room. The dark figure she saw back in the computer lab came back, however this time, it was actually approaching her as she passed by the comfort room. Distraught and panicking, she decided to run fast towards the hallway. Trying her best to be composed, Ms. Ophelia studied her surroundings carefully to see if the nearby offices were still open. Unfortunately, as if she was fated to be the target of jumpscares, she found all offices already closed and quiet.
Finally remembering what her friend had just mentioned in the call, it dawned to her that it was not a living child’s footsteps. Truly an experience she hopes that would never occur again.
