Why Are You Still Here?

By: A.R. Demor

Graphics by: Cassius Klai C. Francisco

I was, frankly, having a terrible day.

I pulled an all-nighter to finish an assignment, fell asleep around 4 in the morning, and ended up missing my third class while I caught up on some sleep in the library. Now it's the end of the day, and it's raining. I just so happen to be one of the unlucky few who did not have an umbrella with me. It's all coming up sunshine and butterflies for me today.

All my friends had early days, so they left around the afternoon, while I'm stuck waiting for the rain to stop at 7 pm. I could have booked a grab, but my allowance is stretched thin this week.

So, in bored student fashion, I decided to go for a walk around the school. See buildings I haven't seen, enter rooms I haven't been in, and hopefully kill some time.

It was a clear shot of everything. Some classroom stuff unrelated to my program that I found interesting, a few of the school cats lounging around, and even some students and staff staying late. Relatively normal stuff to see, though it really was just an attempt to ignore the fact that I still had a few more assignments hanging over my head, it doesn't mean I couldn't have some fun, right?

At least, that's what I thought I could have…until I saw Her.

It was up the third floor, a lit-up hallway. I looked both ways and saw nothing. Just like the other floors, I decided to walk down the longer side and look into the rooms. I was halfway down the hall when the door at the very end squeaked open. I thought it was just a professor leaving late, but instead, a cat came out.

A cute ginger cat strutted towards me, rubbing against my leg with a meow. I bent down to pet it. Then I realized I hadn't heard the door close or why it had opened in the first place, when only a cat had exited.

I looked up, thinking the door was just stuck, but instead, I saw a woman standing in the middle of the doorway. I could barely make out that she was pale; her long black hair covered most of her face, but her arms were deathly white.

She was perfectly still; I doubt she even breathed. She just stared straight at the opposite wall.

The cat I was petting meowed, unbothered by the scene; it simply rubbed against my hand, looking for affection.

I felt the hairs on my neck stand up, my breath slowing as I gripped my shoulder strap. I couldn't keep my eyes off her as I slowly got up and backed away, but she noticed me.

Her head slowly turned towards me, the silence eerie with the lashing rain thrashing against the windows by the staircase.

Then, I blinked, and she was gone.

My breath stopped as my heart pounded in fear, and the cat at my feet began to meow louder at me. Looking up but…past me.

The air turned cold, the thunder rang out, startling me as I hugged myself.

I heard a breath behind me, and I turned as fast as I could.

Nothing.

Then, from behind me, fingertips grazed my neck.

"Why are you still here?"