It was three in the afternoon and I was alone in the school. My mum was running late to pick me up and all the children had already gone home. The last student who had been waiting with me had left too, and now I was completely alone.

All the teaching and non-teaching staff had gone, except for a guard on the ground floor and a maid cleaning upstairs. I sat in the library, trying to focus on my assignments, but the whispering pages and creaking chairs made it tough. I was already tired, and the eerie, sad atmosphere made me even more uneasy. I wanted mum to come so that I could go home and rest.

After a while, I heard a faint tapping in the quiet library. I thought it was a knock on the door. I ignored it at first, but when it came again, I felt like I had to check who it was.

I slowly stepped out into the corridor. It was silent, with only the sound of birds far away and the soft movement of air, while the shadows of the trees made odd shapes on the floor. Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat when I saw a figure — someone quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor! It wasn’t the maid, nor the guard, it was someone in a long, hooded gown.

I tried to move, but my legs felt rooted to the spot. Frozen with fear, I somehow managed to take a step forward and went towards the place where I had seen the figure, but no one was there. Scared, I looked around. From the railing of the corridor, I looked down and spotted the hooded figure again on the ground floor. I ran down the stairs, but when I reached the ground floor, I found only the guard, startled by my sudden approach.

The usually busy, bustling school was so quiet that it felt unfamiliar, almost like a haunted house. Feeling uneasy, I headed to the bathroom, but one of the doors was locked, seemingly from the inside. For a moment, I was convinced someone else was in the building. I washed my face to calm myself, but as I reached for a tissue, I sensed someone behind me. A cold shiver ran down my spine and, without turning, I screamed.

Just then, the maid entered the washroom and asked if I was okay. I couldn’t answer. She then told me to go out, saying my mum had arrived. I saw mum in the corridor, looking apologetic. I rushed to her and hugged her. Then I returned to the library to pick up my bag and headed home without much discussion.

I convince myself that it had just been my imagination. I was tired and sleepy, and the school building was completely silent with almost no one around, which had created strange illusions in my mind. I am still confused about it and don’t think I will ever forget those most terrifying minutes of my life.

Thankfully, after that day, my mum was never late, so I never had to wait there alone.

Published in Dawn, Young World, May 30th, 2026