Neima_11

Maplewood Hostel had always been a place of friendship, laughter, and late-night talks. For six best friends, it was their home away from home. But as the new school year begins, an unsettling feeling lingers in the air. Strange occurrences, forgotten whispers, and unanswered questions begin to surface. Some names are remembered, some are lost to time—but one name was never meant to be left behind.

A Name Left Behind

The corridor was buzzing with the energy of students returning from there home's. Some were catching up, others helping freshers navigate their new home. The air was filled with chatter, laughter, and the occasional crash of a suitcase toppling over.

Lemon leaned against a pillar, watching the chaos. "Same old, same old."

Scarlett smirked. "Back to surviving on bad food and worse rules."

''At least we have each other,"Hazel said, giving a small smile.

"Yeah," Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Atleast we have YOUU."

"You shut up," Evelyn said much louder than Hazel.

Their laughter stoped when a sharp thud echoed across the hall.

Ms. Patel, the warden, had slammed her clipboard onto a wooden desk.

Ms. Patel was a woman in her late fifties. She stood tall, her graying hair pulled into a bun so tight it looked painful. She was known for two things—her sharp tongue and her ability to sniff out trouble before it even began.

"Alright, listen up!" she barked. "I don't have all day, and I certainly don't have patience for nonsense."

A few freshers exchanged nervous glances.

"I see some familiar troublemakers," she continued, her sharp gaze sweeping over the six of us.

Scarlett muttered under her breath, "argh, this witch."

Ms. Patel's glare landed on her immediately. "Something's bothering you, Ms. Scarlett?"

Scarlett straightened up. "No, ma'am."

"Good," Ms. Patel said, her voice like ice. "Because I don't tolerate disobedience."

She walked slowly in front of them like a prison warden inspecting inmates.

"Let me remind you all—this is a hostel, not a playground. There will be no unnecessary wandering, no late-night chitchats, and certainly no sneaking around after hours."

Her eyes locked onto a group of freshers. "And you—don't think I don't know how new students act. I've seen hundreds like you. If any of you think you can break the rules, think again. Because I will catch you."

"Now, the rules," she continued. "Curfew is 9 PM sharp, lights out at 10:30 PM. If I find anyone outside their rooms after that…" She let the sentence hang, her silence more terrifying than words.

"Your phones will be broken if I catch you using them past bedtime. No outside food, no loud music, no guests without permission. If you break any of these rules, there will be severe punishment."

Lemon whispered, "She acts like we're in jail."

"Worse," Riley murmured. "At least in jail, they get decent meals."

Ms. Patel cleared her throat. "And one last thing—there will be a hostel orientation tomorrow at 5 PM for the freshers. Attendance is mandatory. Seniors may attend if they wish, though I doubt many of you will. You all seem to think you know everything."

She glanced at the students one last time. ''That's all. Get out of my sight now."

The second she left, the room burst into relieved whispers.

"God, she gets worse every year," Evelyn muttered.

"She literally looks at us like we're criminals," Hazel said.

"Her rules are ridiculous," Scarlett sighed.

"No food? No phones? No late-night talks? What's next, no breathing?" Lemon said.

"At least she's not patrolling our hallways like a guard dog," Autumn said.

Lemon's POV

I let out a breath, glancing around. The freshers still looked shaken, some whispering nervously to each other.

And then, for the second time that day, I noticed someone staring at me.

It was one of the freshers. A girl sitting alone near the corner.

I couldn't explain why, but something about her felt odd. Not in a bad way, just… different.

The girl quickly looked away, acting as if nothing happened.

I shook my head. I was just overthinking.

The Announcement