A night at the University by, Noor Ashiqin bt Jusoff Albar
Qurratu’aini bt Noorzam
Khoo Chui Choo
Effarizan Hassan

Prologue: The sudden sounds of breaking twigs on the ground made the three friends shiver in fear. It has never crossed their minds that they would end up getting stuck alone in their University at that time of hour. Ironically, they used to stay in the abandoned hostel not far away from where they are and be roaming the grounds as though they lived the land for generations long. “Of all days” Muffy puffed “your car just HAD to break down today.” The loudest of the group complained. The chatterbox felt a jolt to her heart when she saw a moving figure walking straight down their direction. A human like figure, darkened by the night, walked slowly and swayed step by step closer to them. “Muffy…,” Ezan trembled in the small voice, tugging Muffy’s shirt signalling her to be cautious. “Guys, maybe we should turn back,” Que said alarmingly at the sight of the silhouette. The three friends stopped in their steps, allowing the cold damp night air to sweep across their cheeks. Their hearts pounded like the stomping of horse hooves during a race. Their fingers cold as ice and faces white as sheet making neither of them bolder than the other. “ARE YOU ALSO LOST?!” Muffy exclaimed. Que and Ezan jumped at the sound of her shout. “Muffy! Are you insane?” Que said alarmed. “You can’t just say anything to it!” Ezan said terrified. “You will get us all in trouble!” “Now we are all condemned to stay here!” Ezan wailed. “Forever! And ever!” Muffy and Que turned to Ezan who was looking as though she was going to be cursed onto haunted lands. Ezan was holding tight to Muffy’s right sleeve trying to hide behind her. Que could do more than lower her gaze at Ezan. “Seriously,” Muffy said sarcastically “Don’t be dramatic.” She turned her attention to the figure which also stopped in its steps. The frequent turning to its one side made Muffy feel something familiar to it. “Hold on, somethings not right.” Que said as she took a step forward. “ALLY! IS THAT YOU?”

Chapter 1: Stuck in this together.

“Wow! It’s been a while since I walked to the bus-stop, and at night!” Ezan said to her three close friends, Muffy, Alice and Que. She forced her cute length legs to catch up with her friends making her scarf bouncing up and down at every quick step she takes. “Well then, you can thank your car back at the faculty parking for engine failure at this hour.” Alice said with a smirk on her face. The tall plump yet proportionate girl replied Ezan. Ezan caught up with Alice which she almost immediately clung on to slow Alice down. “Let it be. It’s a good thing for us to be spending girl time together. It’s been a while anyways…” Que said happily; the most happy-go-lucky of character out of the four of them. The average height girl skipped around the three of them before jumping on Muffy. “…Right, Muffy?” She gave the widest smile to her close friend for nearly 5 years. “Ahahaha…” Muffy opened her mouth widely and laughed sarcastically. “I know, I’m always busy busy busy. It’s not my fault I have my sayang here in Unisel with me.” Giving a satisfactory glance to Que; who changed her expression from a smile to annoyance. ‘Who wouldn’t want their lovers to be close’ Que thought for a moment before shaking the reminder that her lover was busy at the airport, taking local flights but always busy, almost too busy that her friends would catch her checking her phone every other time, whether her lover has sent a text. “What-EVER! But you’re stuck here with us and your ‘sayang’ isn’t around to come and save you today. HA-HA-HA!” Que commented feeling pleased with her reply she went over to Alice. “Look at Alice, single mingle and happy, right?” “Woi! Why me?” Alice’s button eyes widened feeling surprised that the focus of the conversation suddenly turned to her direction. The bright light from the streetlamps shined onto each of their faces as they walked down the path to the front of the student center. “Haaa! Because, you are always single…” Ezan quickly remarked before running all the way to the front. The darkened university echoed with the sound of their loud laughter, with only the sleepy streetlights to accompany them down the pathway. It was their usual routine to choose a topic of discussion usually started by anyone, it will then be supported by the other before it turns into a joke aiming innocently at either one of the girls in the small group. Being as close as they are, it rarely comes to a situation where they get too angry or sulk for too long among each other. Their knot tight relationship was almost unbreakable after going through many obstacles. “Finally! Now the princess needs to rest, thank you.” Alice gracefully danced her way to the bus stop that was now right in front of them. “Oh! Dearest princess!” Que called out, before pushing her aside “Move over! Your highness needs the rest better!” and placed her backpack to her side followed by Muffy as well as Ezan. An eerie feeling came over the four of the as they stared directly to the student centre that was basically the heart of the university. The only spot that, if to compare with the lake, the library or the faculties, is most popular among the undergraduates. After the hostel shut down due to political issues, the café right opposite the hostel died with it too. So, when a source of food, shelter and especially a spot to mingle shuts down, humans adapt and the student centre automatically became the centre of attention. Tonight, though, it looked even dead than the hostel ever looked like. The four girls glanced at each other, almost like reading their minds they immediately started chatting up a storm just to distract themselves. Muffy being the random one, she got up on her feet and took a step forward. In a second she was literally staring at the students centre as though she was trying to communicate with it. “Hey, guys. Want to check PP out?” turning to her friends, Muffy asked. “What?” Alice exclaimed, leaving Ezan and Que in awe at Muffy’s suggestion. Muffy has always had that kind of suggestions, the kind of suggestions that people would normally avoid asking or not think about in the first place. The kacukan mixed girl always find it fascinating to be exploring and doing things most people won’t. While others would stick to the rules, she would bend it and make fun of it. Funny enough, she always finds a way to slither her way out of any kind of problems. “Come on! It would be fun! Besides, the bus isn’t here yet and I’m sure we would be able to hear the noise of the bus coming closer.” Muffy explained, trying to convince her dainty friend to come with her. “What are you trying to look for, huh?” Que questioned, trying to rationalize Muffy’s decision. Even when Que was always happy-go-lucky, when it comes to matters that makes her think twice, she turns to the most reasonable person you could reason with. She would turn into a kak long. “It’s not like there’s anything else there, apart from the usual grills of closed shops” “I want to take a selfie of me lying down at the end of the walkway. The streetlight would be the perfect lighting to bring out my silhouette. I’m sure no one has done that before!” Muffy explained further. “You better don’t Muffy. It’s the night and it’s not our place to be jumping and playing around during this watching hour. I won’t be responsible if anything happens to you!” Ezan warned her sternly. No one knows about warnings better than Ezan. Being the traveller she is; she constantly has stories to relate to situations like this. She has always had an interest in stories that had scary elements in them. “Yea Muffy! A monster will come and gobble you down! Om-nom-nom-nom!” Que added as she imitated a monster eating viciously as she jumped next to Muffy, who was already having second thoughts. “Que!” Muffy exclaimed in displeasure. “I’ll call Yusuf to come and scold you, you wait!” She swiftly sat down and took out her phone, only to realize that her battery was down. “Hey, Alice, can I borrow your phone?” Muffy asked. “Why use my phone?” Alice questioned playfully, even when she would eventually gladly let her friend use. Alice was quite the generous person; she never complained when anyone needed her help and when she needs something back, she would always have the little guilt in her eye. It has always been Alice’s charm when it comes to this kind of character. She WAS princess delicate and generous, but since she was so, she was constantly being treated harshly by her ex lovers. Even though she can get quite stern, her fragile heart has been constantly tattered and thorn to pieces by wretched men that mistreat her. She has never shown the pain of being mistreated. The one thing that she likes about being around these 3 friends are, they all have their own lovers but they don’t ever make her feel left out. As a matter of fact, they regard her as their ‘mother’. “Alaaaaa Alice! Pleaseeee! ” Muffy pleaded teasingly. “My battery is down. I want to call Yusuf” she pouted her lips in hopes that Alice would fall for her attempt of being cute. Rolling her eyes, Alice took out her phone “Ooops! Sorry! My battery is dead too, now you can cry out loud and hope Yusuf can fly here immediately.” Alice said jokingly. “That’s funny, my phone is dead too.” Que interrupted. She sat down next to Muffy on the cold metal bench at the bus stop and wondered. She clearly recalled checking her battery just a while ago and it was half a bar. She was going to make it an excuse to call her lover to come all the way to save her, too bad her back-up plan has failed before it could even be used. “Ha-ha-ha, mine too! Dead as dead.” The three girls stretched their heads out to Ezan who said while waving her phone in the air. Alice then noticed someone walking towards them. “Guys-” “It’s almost 10 o’clock; let’s walk to the guard post. Not a single soul passed by us!” Muffy interrupted with a strong front. “What happened to that pick-up truck that would constantly make rounds after 9pm if cases like ours happen?” Muffy and her lengthy factual arguments that would constantly make the rest stop and stare in wonder. “You have a point there.” Ezan answered, still puzzled by the universities security system. She turned to glance at both Alice and Que who was, by that time, cracking their head to try and figure something out. “If that’s the case… Alice!” Que called “we go to the guard post, ok?” Alice glanced at all the three pair of eyes looking down on her, waiting for an answer. “Why is everyone looking at me.” Alice slightly reddened. “Well, you are our mak!” Ezan giggled. “Hey! I don’t have a daughter like you!” Alice flipped her hair and rolled her eyes the other way jokingly. “Alaa Alice! Don’t be that way!” Ezan lightly shook Alice’s arm like she could shake off Alice’s remarks and make her say she would like a daughter like Ezan. “It’s getting late, if we are going to be walking again, we better walk now” Que stopped the two from getting distracted. Ezan and Alice got up from the bench and walked alongside Muffy and Que. As the night became darker and darker the girls felt the wind teasing their cheeks at every few steps they took get colder and colder. The leaves on the trees started dancing at each graze of the cold nights wind. The sounds of whistles could be heard as the wind forced its way through the tight holes between leaves. It was as though the girls weren’t alone, they we’re accompanied by the night that was as alive as me or you. “Guys, there’s actually no one at the guard post.” Muffy pointed out to the empty guard house. The lights were on but no one could be seen. If the situation was opposite and the sun was out, the security would always be standing at the post, just waiting and waving at every undergraduate that drives by. Not once had the security missed a vehicle without checking its University sticker given out by the university itself. The security would stand tall in their dark blue uniform, always ready for anyone that would need help. Unfortunately, the girls couldn’t see them anywhere. “Hah! You got to be kidding me!” Ezan stopped in her steps with her mouth gapped open. She quickened her steps to catch up with Muffy who already doubled her steps to the post. She had to check if the security was slacking off or sleeping inside. She felt a sudden jolt of fear as she thought they are condemned to stay the night. “What can we do now? Should we walk out of the university? There’s people at kampong just nearby. We can ask them if we could borrow their phones.” Que suggested trying to brush out the stress that they are in. Considering the fact that they had an important presentation in the morning, she wanted to review what they were working on that lead them to this little adventure in the first place. She was looking forward to sleep in time to wake up fresh for the presentation tomorrow morning. It was their final presentation for the semester after all. “It could be because its study week, that’s why they assume there’s no one around at night.” She reasoned. “I don’t think so, what if someone breaks in and starts robbing this place?” Alice snapped back. “Who is going to be responsible for it?” “To steal what?” Ezan asked puzzled. The university already looks empty as it is, thinking that someone in the right mind would want to come and steal anything from the university. “They steal from us!” Ezan protested with a slight annoyance in her voice. Alice felt that Ezan misunderstood her assumption. “No lah. What I meant was like, if anything happens here, especially at night. Who are they going to blame or even ask if-” “I need to pee!” Muffy announced interrupting Alice and Ezans’ small debate. Alice technically being the biggest and Ezan being the smallest always had something to debate on leaving Que and Muffy to both audience their short play every time. “Ha, go pee in the bushes.” Que said with a ‘thinking look’ still. She couldn’t get over the fact that she has her hands tied and they have only each other to rely on. She could never hide her emotions since they would always be showing right in her face and in her eyes. Even when she was happy, it was obvious. Her face would be glowing and her mouth would always have a smile curved on it. When she was sad, her face would look gloomy and it would take gravity to go the opposite way to make her smile. When she was stressed and tired, her whole face would looks as pale as the dead and her eyes would sag as well as her voice would crack, and when she is feeling tied up and scared, her eyes were alert and her fear was clearly showing in her face. “Don’t want!” Muffy squeezed her legs together. Though she knew she was being a pain for them, she always knew her ridiculousness would get her friends distracted and stop being scared. She needed her friends to be strong for she feared if all of them break down and give in to their fears, she might give in to hers too. “What are you- why are you dancing?” Alice asked Muffy as she turned and rested her hands on her waist, almost like a mother to a daughter. “I need to pee! Que said I should pee in the bushes, but I cant! What if something comes up and bites my ehem ehem” Muffy complained. “She is right Que. Ok, let’s do this, since there is no one at the gate here, how about we all go to the Mosque, it’s safer there and we can all rest if we don’t get help till the morning, what do you guys think? Que, Alice?” Ezan was looking certain with what she suggested since they already waited for quite a while there and no one was coming for them or even know they are in need of help. “Let’s go then” Que turned to the direction of the pathway again. She already has a bad feeling about the place and her friends are suggesting for her to leave the only entrance and exit of the place. Alice didn’t show much emotion since she was about tired of hanging around there anyways. It was just that she felt like she was missing something but couldn’t get around to it. “Yay! Clean toilet!” Muffy accidentally squealed out loud. Que, Alice and Ezan all shushed her at the same time. She cupped her mouth immediately and flashed her white teeth at them as a sign of guilt. She hurried up and followed the trail of friends again. The walk they took back felt like a lifetime, being that all of them were reluctant to go down the same path and are praying someone drives by and help them. The night didn’t make things any easier for any of them. The mist wrapped their legs as the time went by and the lake was as still as ice. The moon was full and round while the white clouds gathered around like patches in the starlit sky .The mirror like lake reflected this as it was so still even the tiniest speck’s ripple on the water could be seen with the naked eye. The girls could only take glances at each and every one of these elements around them, hoping that nothing out of the ordinary would happen before their eyes. The more steps they took, the closer they were to the Mosque and bit by bit, their fear began to disappear. Where else would be much safer than being in the house of God. They quickly went up to the closest entrance into the Mosque and took off their shoes. “Assalamualaikum.” Que greeted under her breath as she took cautious steps into the Mosque. Ezan followed close behind her giving her whisper greet. “ASSALAMUALAIKUM!” Muffy announced. “Do forgive my intrusion! We are in need of a place to rest… and use your toilet!” Muffy stopped her announcing and guiltily covered her mouth again. The three girls were glaring predator eyes at her, she could have sworn one of them sent her a telepathic message that they would kill her if she tried anything funny again. She giggled playfully then walked pass the three of them. They got into the main section of the mosque that was as empty as the university. A sudden snap was heard and the lights and fans of the Mosque came on. Being alert, they turned their heads toward the sound, only to find Que at the switch. “Now we have light and fans.” Que said happily skipping toward the three of their friends. They gathered their bags in the middle of the mosque where the light was brightest. The beautiful painting of the Arabic surah’s on the ceiling of the dome looked very calming as they lay on their backs to rest their weary legs from all the walking. They let their body let lose as their eyes dropped in fatigue. One by one they sighed in relief, if not saved at least they are safe where they are. “Muffy, you still want to pee?” Alice asked as she forced herself up from the comfort of the carpet on the ground she was laying on. “Yeaaa! Ha-ha!” Muffy laughed silly. “Almost forgot about that.” She pushed herself to sit up. Just when she was about to feel the heaven of sleeping on such comfortable ground, she was reminded of the bladder. “I need to pee too, anyone else need to pee?” Alice asked. “Let’s stay in pairs if we are going to separate, we will use the toilet after this,” Que immediately suggested. Turning to Ezan for approval, she would not agree to be left alone anywhere in the university, especially at that time of night. “Hmm.. you guys go ahead, we will go later.” Ezan said supporting Que’s suggestion. A sigh of relief was heard from Que; adding to their survival rules. Alice dug through her bag for travel pack of tissue and hand sanitizer. Muffy got to her feet and just stretched watching Alice being very prepared for everything, which supports her role as their ‘mother’ even more. They took a last glance at Ezan and Que before assuring the two of their return. They took small steps toward the sliding transparent door, trying not to cause any nuisance. Then again, it was inevitable the fact that Muffy, being reckless and careless, slammed right in the middle of the sliding door before realizing that the door was closer than she though it would be. The whole place echoed at the sound of the collision, loud enough to wake almost anything. Alice could only hold back but failed horribly at not laughing at the ridiculousness of her friend. Muffy frantically rubbed her forehead which has started to pulse in pain. Alice helped her to slide open the sliding door to help Muffy who was already bruised at the impact of her carelessness. The happy feeling they had just minutes ago wiped off almost immediately when they came to the entrance of the open toilet. They couldn’t believe the darkness that was oozing out of the walls, creating a black hole. It made the toilets look almost like it was waiting for anything to step in before it could swallow its prey whole. The only thing that they could hear apart from the whistling from the tress, was drops of water, plop!... plop!...plop! The water dropped perfectly timed to three second intervals, coming out from one of the leaking taps. It echoed through the black hole as though it was tempting anyone to come on in. “You go in first.” Muffy said stiffly to Alice not moving her face from the pitch black entrance to the toilet. “Oh no! Please… You first!” If anyone in their right minds would want to pull a daredevil stunt, Alice is the last of the lot who would volunteer for it. She has fears in most things. She has difficulties to get herself to open the class door if she is late. She won’t knock a lecturer’s room first unless Ezan pulls out a white flag. She won’t say hello to any new boy and most of all she won’t volunteer for anything. She would rather stay back than risk anything. “Come on Alice! Be a man, do the right thing” Muffy mimicked the famous indian-canadian stand-up comedians’ voice. “I’m not a man, so you do it.” Alice felt a nudge between her legs “and hurry! I can’t hold it in any longer.” Her face scrounged up at the need to use the toilet. She gestured Muffy to go and quickly. Muffy could never argue when it comes to things like that, it’s like, she would be forcing a cat to bark, which is impossible. “Okay! Okay!” She took a deep breath, said her Bismillah and took one step at a time. She did need to pee so badly but at the same time the dark made her feel that the bush would be nice… and less scarier! Her heart raced like a drum roll, never ending, beat after beat. She felt trickles of sweat from the fear rolling down the temples of her face. Her breathing quickened as she took her first step into the toilet but stopped abruptly. “Alice!” She called out to her friend who was close behind her, taking cautious step with anticipation. “Let’s both go into the same stall, right? It’s ok with you, right?” Muffy asked hopefully. The fear was getting to her imagination and he didn’t want it to reach a point of where it would get to her imagination; she will end up peeing her pants! “Haa ok ok! Let’s just hurry right?” Alice gently pushed Muffy to keep moving forward. It was at that moment Muffy realised that there was something on the walls and touched it. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have light!” Muffy cheered. She found the light switch by the wall of the toilet that lit up the black hole so bright, the lights shined like gold in a treasure box. The girls were once again unconfined by their fears. They felt so relieved they forgot their deal of taking a single stall and instead both took individual stalls. The release was unimaginable for the both of them, almost as though they released their unnecessary fears as well. “I’m done!” Muffy announced, forgetting that she was not to be a nuisance as long as she was in the presence of the mosque. “Muffy…” Alice spoke from inside one of the stalls. “You shouldn’t be too noisy, this is a mosque and it’s late at night.” Her advice was necessary since Muffy keeps forgetting the kind of situation they are in. “Alright, alright. Just hurry up so we can go!” Muffy quickly replied. She didn’t want to be listening to mak nagging her tonight. A sudden breeze blew really hard and Muffy’s scarf blew off her head. Alarmed, Muffy went to chase after her scarf all the way to the other end of the Mosque. She quickly took her scarf and wrapped it around her head, this time she tied it up like an old woman going to the market. She didn’t want to be spending the night chasing after her scarf after every strong wind that blows by. Alice stepped out of the stall to see Muffy in a funny looking fashion. “What happened to you this time?” Alice asked between giggles. “The wind blew my scarf off my head, so I had to tie it like this” Muffy complained with pouting lips. Alice simply shook her head and walked on. “Come on, let’s go back to the rest, I’m getting hungry.” Alice mentioned as they left the toilet and made way to the two smallest between the four of them. “Do you guys have any snacks?” Muffy asked as soon as she sat next to them. “Nope, sorry” Que said. “Nothing here, bummer” Ezan said. “Why? Are YOU hungry, Muffy?” “Not me, King Kong is hungry.” Alice smaked Muffy’s arm at her remark. Muffy fell to the ground and started laughing, in seconds the mosque was filled with laugher of all four of them. The feeling of company and comfort combined let the four of them to lay back in their circle of serenity. Just staring at the ceiling of the mosque, made them forget the scariness of the night and within minutes all of them fell dozed. “Muffy! Que! Wake up” Ezan desperately called out to her two friends who were fast asleep then sprung up at the sound of Ezan. “Alice is gone!”

Chapter 2: We can’t find her!

“Muffy! What do we do?” Ezan asked anxiously, changing glances between looking outside and looking at her friends. She feared if she stared out into the darkness too long, she might see things she didn’t want to. “Did she tell anyone where was she going?” Muffy glanced between Que and Ezan with a firm look. She didn’t want any of this to happen to any of them, at least not while she was around. She was already being engulfed with guilt at the fact that she fell asleep and didn’t feel a single thing while she was out. Alice was sleeping right between her and Ezan, it was almost impossible she didn’t feel any kind of movement being that, at that moment, it was only the four of them. The two friends shook their heads in dismay. Neither of them felt anything themselves. It was almost like Alice disappeared into the darkness. “We should go back to the bus stop” Que proposed. She felt, if there was anywhere that Alice would have gone to, it would be the bus-stop since that was the place they last went and that was their best shot for anyone even seeing them. “No! We should just stay here, since this is where she left us, don’t you think she would want to come back and take her bag?” Ezan pointed to Alice’s grey backpack lying in the pile with the rest of our bagpacks. The most logical thing to do is to wait, and Ezan was more than up for that idea. Now that her friend disappeared right under her nose, she couldn’t risk losing anyone else if they decide to change locations. “No! We can’t stay here! I’m sure she is at the bus-stop!” “Stay here! It’s safer for us and for Alice to find us when she comes back!” “Which is from the bus-stop, and I’m sure, if we go now, we can find her!” “Which she knows if there is no bus and we aren’t there, she would come back to the last seen location, which is here!” Que and Ezan started to argue their points to make a decision, but neither of them denying the fact of the idea. There was a possibility in the three of them that Alice might have went back to the bus-stop and there was a possibility she went somewhere else and would come back to the mosque where they were. “Let’s go to the faculty.” Muffy interrupted the argument. It made both Que and Ezan stuck to say anything. “I think we should try the faculty.” Muffy rephrased her sentence. She knew it was quite out of the question but she felt like they needed to get out of this place to at least look for an alternative. “Why would we go to the faculty?” Que asked crossing her arms. She was indeed tired and annoyed at the kind of suggestion Muffy was making and in such a desperate situation. “I think we should go to the faculty, I think there is a security guard there.” Muffy explained. “If they are not at their post, im sure they are rounding the building, and by going to the faculty there is a fat chance we would be able to hear someone, rather than hide away here.” Deep down inside, Muffy just blabbered anything that came through her mind just so they can get out of the mosque. Then again, Muffy does have a charm of convincing people to listen to her or at least try to. “Well..” Que started and thought deep. “Okay, let’s go to the faculty.” And turned her scared eyes to Ezan who wasn’t sure of what to decide, but since she felt a sense of logic in Muffy’s words she agreed. Ezan on the other hand was more confused than an ant crossing the road. She hadn’t a choice since her friends are both going to the same location, it would be safe for her to go along with her. “Okay fine!” Ezan said in discontent. “But we come back here afterwards ok!” She pointed her finger to the both of her friends as to make them promise they would. The two friends nodded. “We’ll stop by the bus-stop as well, just to be sure, ok?” Que then pointed her finger and gave a warning eye squint to Ezan and Muffy, who agreed. The quickly gathered their stuff and made their way out of the mosque. The cold air greeted them as it rested on their faces the moment they stepped out and hurried down the path to the faculty. The darkened faculty wasn’t as far as the security post to the mosque. It, in fact, required them to take the road to the left once they exit the mosque and cross the road and the Biotech faculty would be right in front of their faces. Within minutes the girls were already across the road and making their way to the faculty which was lit up with dim emergency lights. The gloomy building wasn’t as familiar as it felt it was, when they left it a mere 3 hours ago. Glancing at her trusty glow in the dark watch, Ezan kept track of the time, though it was quite irrelevant since they aren’t actually in a rush to go anywhere. She really hoped that someone would be worried about her and come to the university to look for her, but she knew the reality to hope for that was slim to none. They reached the faculty and made their way through the rabbit warren building. They began to try to look for something, basically anything that they can use to get someone to save them. “Hey! I see a light up there! Look!” Muffy said alarmingly. The two other girls quickened their steps to Muffy and looked up toward what Muffy was pointing at, and made all three of them smile. It was a lecturers’ room light that was on and they felt a spark of hope in them. They signalled each other to go towards the closest stairs straight to the room and clumsily went up the stairs, literally running and panting their way up the stairs, with a thought in mind, if it was any refuge, this would be it. “Are we ready?” Muffy asked as she positioned her sweaty hands from the short adrenalin rush up the stairs right at the door handle. Que and Ezan were just as excited as Muffy was. They needed out and they needed it now. The anxiousness was building so bad in the two girls that they subconsciously rushed forward pushing Muffy into opening the door and all three of them fell right in. “Guys!” Muffy bellowed, hurt from kissing the floor. “Get up.” Muffy pulled her friends to their feet. “Sorry, Muffy. It wasn’t intentional!” Que said while rubbing her elbow that broke her fall right onto her friend. “That really hurt though-wait.” Ezan stopped in the sentence. It was then that they realized that the room was dark and not lit. She turned around and saw the light at the opposite side of the room, at the other side of the balcony, on instead. “We got the wrong room!” “Really? But-” Muffy was about to clarify her actions. She couldn’t be mistaken. She was more than certain. She was confident. “Look Muffy, enough mistakes for the night, lets jut get this over and done with, ok?” Que said to stop Muffy from saying anything else. She marched her way around the balcony and stopped in front of the room. She lifted her eyebrows to signal her friends to come over. Muffy and Ezan brushed the stubborn dust off themselves and made their way behind Que. This time Que was the one that had the handle and the other two were waiting behind her. They followed her closely. Que took a deep breath and opened the door slowly; every dainty step she took into the room was followed closely by her two friends. “No way!” Ezan said in disbelief. “You have got to be kidding me.” Que said in awe. “This is a bunch of platypus poop.” Muffy said enraged. They got the wrong room, again. This time it was the room next to the one they were in. The girls exchanged glances and quickly shook off any kind of funny thoughts. “Ok, let me try this time.” Ezan said casually. She was certain she saw with her own eyes that it was the room that had the light on and she was about to open it. “I’ll just open this room and-” complete darkness. Ezans face turned pale white, this can’t be, she thought. “Um.. guys,” Muffy called to them. Que and Ezan turned to Muffy. She pointed to the same room across the balcony, again. Hearts started racing and fingers went cold. Neither of them could control their fear any longer. This time they started breathing hard and slight shivers came from all of them. Muffy turned to Que and Ezan whom she was certain would either pass-out or start to cry and all she wanted was for them to keep moving. “Ok, let’s do this.” Muffy said taking a step closer to her friends and pulling their arms as she made her way calmly down the stairs. “We’ll go back to the security post, how’s about that? And then if there is no one still, we will walk to kampong, where there are people, no matter how late, ok?” Muffy kept holding on to the two girls hands making sure that none of them let go nor start to do something out of the ordinary. “Promise?” Que asked, forcing a convincing smile and tried to push away any bad feeling inside her. It was close to impossible. “Yea! Why not! Are you in, Ezan?” They turned their eyes to Ezan who was already in a daze. Que exchanged glances with Muffy that they had to do something about Ezan before they lose her. “Ezan,” Que started “For our assignment that we will be presenting in another 8 hours, do you remember your part?” She started a random conversation in order to distract Ezan from the things that are going through her mind. Que knew she herself wasn’t strong enough, and just like Muffy they needed each other to get through the experience. “I remember, I have to do pre-stage, don’t I?” Ezan spoke weakly. She was close to giving up on going anywhere. After that surreal experience, she knew she wasn’t ready both mentally and emotionally to be dealing with anything else apart from going home. “That’s right, you have to do pre-stage, please remember to smile always. Don’t over smile like Que, okay!” Muffy remarked. Giving a joking glance at Que who responded as Muffy hoped. She smiled. “Don’t talk too much like Muffy! Then get stuck during presentation!” This time it caught Ezans attention. Within minutes of keeping the conversation going, the three girls forgot about the scary experience already they even laughed out loud at the fact that the place echoes. “Guys? Why did they leave me!” Alice cried out in surprise. She just came out of the toilet after taking the big one out and came back to no one in the mosque. She was quite certain she left them for just a little while; she didn’t know they would have gotten up so quick. Had she known that was the case she would have told them beforehand to stay there and don’t go anywhere. This must be Muffy’s idea! A thought crossed her mind. The only person random enough and is capable of convincing even the most stubborn Ezan would be Muffy. Surprisingly, she was right. The night was getting darker and she was about tired of even going anywhere. The eerie night made her stop in her steps of even going outside and trying to find her friends. Another hard blow of the wind and it almost blew away her matric card that was dangling on her neck. The direction of the wind made Alice turn to that direction to find a silhouette from outside the door. A jolt of fear came over her, what if it was something weird? What if something was trying to get me? These questions started to pop in her head. She squinted her big eyes to focus on the silhouette. It wasn’t eerie looking; it wasn’t out of the ordinary. She could even see a bag pack and in that instant she realized that there was another students in the premises just as lost as they were and she was about to find out who the person was. Step by step she made her way to the transparent sliding door and pressed her face closer. A Barbie smile carved across her lips. It was a student and one that was pleasing to Alice enough for her to quickly open the door, without hesitation, and greeted the boy. “Hi!” Alice called out with her cheery voice. The boy turned to her expressionless. “Hi, are you lost too?” The boy asked in a husky low voice.