In my 1st year of college, I shared a room with a girl named Anamika. She rehearsed Carnatic music, but her mainstream was Indian classical. We had a confined room on the 8th floor in the hostel. Because it was so small, her song practice and vocal training would usually keep me awake. A few months passed by and due to my lack of sleep, I convinced her to move the practices to the music studio that was situated 6 blocks from our building. Even though she was annoyed, she eventually agreed to it.

Around 9 one evening, Anamika informed me that she would be rehearsing for an upcoming music festival in the college and wouldn’t be coming back until midnight. Great, I thought, that means I don’t have to open the door for her today. I gave her the room’s spare key and told her to unlock it when she returns. She said good night and left with a fake smile on her face. I was left alone with my coffee, books, and music. It was almost drizzling outside because the monsoon season of torrential rain was just about to begin.

I made some hot corn soup, guzzled it down, and immediately began to prepare for bed. As it was a hectic day, I decided to take a quick warm shower. By the time I got out of the bath, my eyelids were heavy with sleepiness. I pulled on my nightgown, climbed into the top section of our double-decker bed, and dozed off immediately.

As time passed, I could vaguely hear the thundering sound, and the lightning flashed across the room, which was completely dark and bleak. Even with my eyes shut, I could still sense the entire scenario going on. The rain poured on, thrusting the windows that thumped against it. Suddenly, a loud creak echoed in the room. I woke up, terrified by the dreadful uproar that alarmed my whole body. I checked my phone, and it was precisely midnight. Everything was noiseless at the moment. I rolled back and closed my eyes again to slumber.

A while later, I heard someone opening the door. It should be Anamika as only she has the keys. I saw a faint silhouette of hers standing in front of me. Checking to see if I’m already asleep, perhaps, I thought. She dossed down on the bed below me, which was strange, as she was adamant about brushing her teeth and washing up before sleep. Didn’t want to think much as I needed to get up early tomorrow for the class. There was a complete, eerie silence in the room. I couldn’t even hear her moving or breathing.

I started to drift off slowly and was at the edge of deep sleep when I was startled by another creaking noise. The pitch-black atmosphere was impenetrable, and I sat rooted to the spot, trying to stretch my eyes as wide as possible, but I could barely make out a feeble outline. Instantly, there struck another lightning, illuminating the room out of its darkness for a second. That’s when I saw the same umbrageous figure standing very close to my bed. My body trembled. With my shivering hands, I tried finding my phone below the pillow. I turned on the flashlight immediately to see what Anamika was pulling off, but she just disappeared. The smell of an inhuman presence was making me petrified.  

In a bit, I became aware of someone sitting at the corner of my bed. Anxiously, I moved my flashlight beside me to see the distorted face of Anamika. Her eyes were bloodshot red, devoid of emotion. The cadaverous appearance was sending chills down my spine. She gave a wrathful smile looking at me. Before I could understand my horrendous fear, she slithered over to me. I dropped my phone abruptly and screamed at the top of my lungs.

Just then the door’s lock clicked open and Anamika entered humming a musical tone. She switched on the light to see me sitting on my bed, frozen and paralyzed.

“What’s wrong Diya?”

I looked down at her in panic. A cold breeze brushed over my body, shaking my soul, and gradually taking away my sanity.