Scary stories and facts

4 AM

My cousin recently moved here from India. On a recent road trip touring America, we were shooting stuff, exchanging ghost stories etc. we were laughing about the differences and similarities between American ghost stories and Indian ghost stories when I asked her if she had seen anything. "Yes. A few. One is troubling."

When it was my second year in college. I stayed at an all-girls hostel and made many friends. We were all very happy in school away from our conservative parents. The hostel was SO much fun but it was a very old building. Electricity was out in the rooms. Sometimes candles were placed along the windows if a watchman was available, but normally when you left one of the rooms, you were faced by complete darkness. It's common to wake someone up to walk you to the bathroom through the dark hallway in the middle of the night. We all had a childish fear of the dark.

One night I had to use the restroom.

It was about 4 AM.

I went to my friends bed and tapped her on the arm. She opened her eyes as soon as I touched her. I apologized for bothering her and told her I needed to pee. She smiled and hopped out of bed. All the way down the hallway she laughed and danced. I couldn't see her at all the the bangles on her belt banged together loudly and the bells on her ankles jingled softly. It was very calming and soothing. I laughed and sashayed my hips down the hallway with her.too tired to match elaborate arm movements. She said nothing to me. Except occasionally I would hear her hum one of our favorite Bollywood songs. The same thing happened on our return. I fell back asleep easily. I awoke fairly late the next morning to the sound of men in our room. They surrounded her bed and I bolted from mine ready to protect my friend. When I realized they were administrators of the collage I peered over closer. My friends lifeless eyes were fixated on my bed. The same smile on her face. Suicide.

Her time of death was 11:30 PM... Almost 5 hours before I woke her.