Whispers in the dark

Liya barely slept that night.

She had spent the rest of the night curled under her blanket, clutching her phone like a lifeline. Every creak of the bed frame or distant footstep in the hallway jolted her wide awake. Her body was exhausted, but her mind wouldn't stop replaying the shadow she had seen, tall, still, watching, and that whispered voice that had called her name.

When morning finally arrived, she felt like she hadn't slept at all.

Maya and Sana were already moving around the room when Liya forced herself out of bed. Her body felt sluggish, her head heavy.

"You look terrible," Sana commented, pulling her hair into a messy bun. "Rough night?"

Liya forced a weak smile. "Yeah… didn't sleep much."

"Same," Maya muttered quietly from her desk.

Liya glanced at her. Maya's face was unusually pale, her movements slow and distracted. She kept twisting her pen between her fingers, her gaze distant.

"You okay?" Liya asked.

Maya flinched slightly, as if she hadn't realized anyone was watching her. "Yeah," she said quickly. "Just tired."

Liya's eyes narrowed. Maya wasn't just tired, she looked worn down. Her eyes had that same uneasy look that Liya had seen in the mirror this morning.

But before Liya could ask more, Sana clapped her hands together. "Come on, let's go," she said cheerfully. "I'm starving, and if we're late for breakfast again, the only thing left will be soggy toast."

Maya grabbed her bag without a word.

Liya lingered behind, staring at her roommates. Something was wrong, with all of them.

---

The day crawled by.

Liya struggled to focus in class, her thoughts drifting back to her dorm room. Each time she closed her eyes, she saw that shadow again, or worse, heard that whispered voice.

"Liya…"

She shivered, hugging her arms tightly.

Even in broad daylight, the uneasiness clung to her like a second skin. In crowded hallways, she felt like someone was walking too close behind her. In

Liya struggled through her classes, her thoughts stuck on what had happened the night before. Even in the crowded cafeteria at lunch, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her.

By the time they returned to their dorm that evening, she knew she couldn't keep it to herself anymore.

As soon as Maya shut the door behind them, Liya spoke.

"I need to tell you guys something."

Her voice came out more urgent than she intended.

Maya turned, her face still pale. Sana paused mid-motion, halfway through tossing her bag onto the bed.

"What is it?" Maya asked, her voice soft but concerned.

Liya swallowed hard. "Last night... something weird happened."

Sana sighed dramatically. "Don't tell me you saw a ghost."

"I'm serious." Liya's voice wavered. "I was awake, scrolling on my phone, and I heard... someone call my name."

Maya's face stiffened.

Sana scoffed. "Probably one of the girls from next door."

"It wasn't," Liya shot back. "It was inside our room. It was right next to me."

That silenced Sana for a moment.

"I thought I was imagining it," Liya continued, "but then... the wardrobe door... it just..." Her fingers twitched as she remembered the sound. "It slammed shut. Like.... really hard."

Maya's eyes widened.

Sana, however, snorted. "Okay, so your window was open or something. The wind.... "

"It wasn't the wind," Liya interrupted firmly. "I checked. The window was closed." She swallowed. "And... I saw something."

Maya's grip on her pen tightened. "What did you see?"

"A shadow," Liya whispered. "Behind the wardrobe door. It was... tall. Just standing there."

Maya's face drained of color.

"Oh, come on!" Sana groaned. "You were half-asleep and spooked yourself. That's all."

"I wasn't sleeping!" Liya's voice rose. "I was wide awake."

"And maybe you were just tired," Sana argued. "When you're exhausted, your mind plays tricks."

"It wasn't a trick!" Liya snapped.

Maya, who had been silent so far, suddenly spoke. "I believe her."

Both Liya and Sana turned.

"You do?" Liya asked, relief and dread curling in her chest.

Maya nodded slowly. "Because... something happened to me too."

Sana groaned again. "Seriously? Not you too."

"I'm serious," Maya said, her voice trembling. "I didn't want to say anything because I thought I was just... imagining things. But... that night before, I had a nightmare." She paused, swallowing hard. "Only... it didn't feel like a nightmare. It felt real."

"What happened?" Liya asked.

Maya's fingers twisted together tightly. "I... I woke up in the middle of the night. Or... I thought I woke up. I couldn't move—I felt like something was pressing down on me."

Liya's breath hitched.

"I couldn't see anything," Maya continued. "But I... I heard whispers. Really faint, like someone was standing right by my ear. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but I know it wasn't a dream. It felt... real." Her voice faltered. "And when I finally managed to move... I felt like something was still in the room with me."

Silence filled the room, thick and cold.

"Okay," Sana finally said, rolling her eyes. "Now you're both just feeding off each other's fear."

"It's not fear!" Maya snapped, her voice unusually sharp. "I know what I heard."

"Right," Sana said flatly. "And I suppose the ghost's gonna come after me next?" She let out a dry laugh. "Look, you guys are just stressed, okay? Maybe you're reading too much into things."

"You'll believe it when it happens to you," Liya muttered.

"Yeah, sure," Sana said with a chuckle. "Let me know when the ghost starts giving you life advice too."

"Don't joke about this," Maya warned.

"Relax," Sana said lightly. "I'll prove there's nothing to worry about." She walked over to the wardrobe and yanked the door open.

"See?" Sana said, gesturing inside. "No ghost. Just clothes."

Liya felt her chest tighten as she stared at the empty space.

"It's not about what's there right now," she said quietly. "It's about what's been happening in this room."

Sana rolled her eyes again, but this time, her smile faltered.

That night, no one talked much.

But Liya noticed something.

Maya kept glancing at the wardrobe.

And even though Sana had laughed it off...

She never turned her back on it.