Ghost Stories

"Oh god. I got the worst grades this semester." Lena flipped her French fries to emphasize the word "worst," splattering Josh's ratty band shirt with ketchup.

"Hey!" he barked, diving for the napkins. "This is my favorite MCR shirt. Besides...I'm sure I got worse grades than you. That bastard Dr. Lanford hates me."

"Look!" Sarah was discreetly pointing over their shoulders. "It's Allyson."

Everyone turned with dark glares to see the shy girl everyone hated shuffle into the cafeteria. She kept to herself, but everyone knew she was a teacher's pet, and that her grades were perfect.

"Let's prank her," Josh said suddenly.

Sarah's eyes lit up. "Yeah! We'll scare the shit out of her. Got any ideas?"

They put their heads together for the next ten minutes, then surreptitiously went their separate ways. They met back at dinner, each giddy with their knowledge or props.

"Okay, her room's in Daniel Hall, room 204," Sarah said, folding her arms proudly. "Got that off some kid who stalks her, apparently."

Josh pulled a face. "Gross. Why would anyone want to stalk her?"

Lena hit him with the back of her hand. "Did you get it?"

"Of course I did. Don't doubt the master," Josh said, grinning as he pulled a glass container containing a human hand.

The girls stifled their groans of disgust, and Lena turned to retrieve something from her backpack. "Cord to hang it from."

"Nose goes for who's touching it," Sara said, quickly touching her nose with a finger.

Josh was the last to catch on, so he was designated official hanger of the hand.

They left the cafeteria and headed toward Daniel Hall. Crouched in the bushes, they saw Allyson leave for her evening class, then followed a student coming back from class into the otherwise secure dorm. Sarah led them to the right door, and Josh fumbled with a makeshift lock pick until they were all inside, giggling over their ingenuity.

"Alright. Where to hang it?" Josh held the hand's container and the cord for them to see.

"The closet," the girls said in unison.

Josh nodded. "My thoughts exactly."

Some formaldehyde odors and disgusted grunts later, Josh wiped his hands off on his jeans and stepped back to admire his handiwork. "Now all we gotta do is hide somewhere and wait for her screams."

Sarah ducked under the bed, Lena under the desk, and Josh in the bathroom.

About an hour later, they heard the key rattle in the door and exchanged a glance. Josh flattened himself against the wall and held his breath.

Allyson was softly humming as she came into the room. The pranksters grinned to themselves as they heard her take off her jacket and slowly slide open the closet door.

Then, screams. A hundred of them in a row, too fast to tell apart. Clamping his hands over his ears, Josh stumbled out of the bathroom just as the closet door slammed closed.

Lena and Sarah crawled out from their hiding places to see him staring in bewilderment at the door.

"Did she just go in there?" he whispered.

They shrugged, confusion marring their features. Josh gulped and put his hand on the closet knob.

A cold wind passed through the room as they stared at the contents of the closet.

The hand was dangling over the lightbulb cord, the cord it was strung with tangled around Allyson's neck. Allyson hung motionless, her face blue, her eyes bulged, her mouth open in a now-silent scream.

Without a word, they ran.