"Cora, please," I said, "there's just one question I have just one question I have to answer. Can't you stay up just one minute more?"

The only answer I got was a loud yawn from Cora, who quickly get her Blanket up to her ears and curled herself up, her hunched back facing. I guessed that was final. I looked around hoping to find some sleepyhead had not fallen asleep yet. But to my disappointment, the four rows of beds in the dormitory displayed nothing but white blankets with dark heads bent, the four rows of beds peeping out of them. The sight reminded me of the anatomy room in the Medicine Building, and those cadavers! If one of these girls would only wake up. I tried moving from one side of my bed to another, creating as many creaking noises as possible, but the only response was a loud snore from one of the girls. I tried turning the pages of my book noisily, coughing vigorously, dropping my pen, sneezing, and blowing my nose as forcefully as I could, but still not one of my companions stuck a head out of her blanket.

I finally decided to leave that one stupid question for tomorrow and get myself some sleep. I hurriedly dumped my books and papers on the table and was just about to creep into my blanket when I remembered that I had to turn off the light. Heavens! The switch was ten beds from mine. I got out of bed and walked straight toward the switch, avoiding the sight of those cadaverous figures on the beds.

I turned off the light and started walking back to my bed when, five beds from my own, I heard a low moan followed by an eerie creaking of a bed. That did it. I jumped into the nearest bed and tried pulling the blanket over me. But my dormitory mate was probably enjoying sweet dreams because all she did was give a romantic sigh and hug her pillow closer. Gathering all the courage I could get, I tiptoed back to my bed, pulled the blanket over my head, and tried with all my might to fall asleep.

But I could not sleep. No matter how hard I tried to think of other things, stories from Thriller, Horror Movies, and Gabi ng Lagim kept bothering me. These creepy thoughts became worse with the persistent dripping of water from the faucet, the regular tick-tock of. the clock, and the faraway sound of snores and breathing. Finding it hard to breathe, I stuck my head out of the blanket. That was when I opened my eyes and saw the luminous hands of my alarm clock pointing to twelve.

Twelve o'clock--the hour of ghosts and goblins. I could hear my heart beats faster and faster. I closed my eyes hard, clenched my fists, and held my breath.

Suddenly I heard the door slowly open and. close. Then the soft footfalls, the creaking of the wooden floor. I couldn't stand the suspense —I just had to look and see.

There, in the middle aisle, just five beds away, stood a strange figure. I could see nothing but her shadowy black figure-no face, no hands-and a luminous rosary on her breast. She was coming toward my bed, slowly, softly, mysteriously. When she was at the foot of my bed, she moved her arm, and I saw her extend a bony hand, as if to pull off my blanket. I screamed; I don't know for how long. When I came to my senses, all the lights were on and there were Sister Anne, Cora, and all the girls smiling. It was like waking from a bad dream.