The Fourth Floor

17th November 2018

Vijay's POV (Point of View)

I was there before time, looked across and then I saw a bench which was a few steps away from me, I sat on it and checked my clock, the time was 10:20 pm. "They are late," I said to myself.

Nearly after 40 minutes, exactly at 11 pm, I heard a sound of motorcycle coming near to me, "Atlast, they are here," I said to myself, looking at that motorcycle, whose front light was making me blind, that motorcycle stopped near me, and two known faces stepped out of it.

Getting up from the bench and taking continuous steps towards them, I said, "I thought that you'll get here by tomorrow, you made it fast."

"Don't blame me, Ravi got his car's tyre punctured, and I bought him here, so you both can thank me because I made this reunion successful." said Nikhil before I could say something.

Ravi said, "Let it be Vijay, we are meeting after five years, let's not make it a spoiled moment."

I agreed from this statement because it's been five years, and we are meeting here, I never thought that I we'll come to this college again but, as it is said, the cycle of life, "You will end your journey from where you started it." And this place has both old memories and old scars hidden in it.

I was in this deep thought when suddenly Nikhil said, "So Vijay, you called us here, now tell me, what's the plan?"

Hearing that I said,"Simple, we are going to explore this place, it's been five years, I am sure this place is changed a little bit, I'll be going to the third floor, there's library where I proposed Rashmi on her birthday, also do you all remember that day when we all ran inside the library seeing Principal Khan coming to class?"

"Who can forget that day, I still remember, Aarti slowly said that he's coming, and we all just ran away as it was a race going on," said Nikhil with a smile on his face and that old memory glittering in his eyes.

"So where are you going to go?," I asked Nikhil, and with a strange excitement he said, "On the canteen, I still miss the coffee they make, also this was the place where I spend most of my time in gaming and completing notes."

"Sounds fair, so now Ravi, tell us where are you going to go?," I asked Ravi, after I heard Nikhil's words.

"On the fifth floor," said Ravi. "Well what's special about that place?," asked Nikhil. "Well, in that was the place where I saw Sophie for the first time," said Ravi.

"Again that Love and Drama...." said Nikhil.

I was about to say something, but Ravi stopped me, and without saying anything and wasting anytime, we all went inside college.

Nikhil's POV(Point of View)

17th November 2018

Finally, I am in here. This place and college holds a special place in my heart, specially the canteen, this was the place where I met all my best friends, not only of college, but also of life. One week ago when Vijay called me and planned of a reunion, I was happy, and finally we are here. My legs are shaking and my eyes are filled with tears of both happiness and sorrow, I just can't explain this feeling but it feels good to be back.

11:05 pm

I was in the canteen, there was too dark and that's why I turned on my mobile's flashlight, this whole place is just unchanged, it is same as it was 5 years ago, same old chairs and tables, but there's just a new coffee machine. I directly went to table number 5, and when I touched on that table, I could still feel names scribbled on that table, but my fingers and mind paused for a while when I felt John's name in that table.

John, I still remember that guy, he was the reason that we all became friends, Old flashbacks were in my mind when suddenly I felt a strange feeling, it was Madan, the canteen manager behind me, before I could realize anything, he said, "Get aside, can't you see me coming." I started staring at him with shock, and as I got aside I realized that the whole canteen is changed, it's day time, my watch is showing time as 10 am, what the hell is going on, did I just time travelled or it's a dream, I was confused, suddenly that place changed and it went dark, I was shocked, and then sound of footsteps started scaring me, it was coming from the corridor, and then I saw him, it was John, his head was bleeding, his body was looking rotten, I was scared, "John, you are alive! This can't be true, you died five years ago, in front all of us, this just can't be true!," I shouted, when I saw John coming towards me.

It was John for sure, and I just can't believe that. As he was coming closer, my heartbeat was increasing, this was my first encounter with a ghost, spirit or whatever it is. It felt as if death was coming one step close to me every second. As John's ghost came near me, I was about to scream abs and run, but then suddenly he came near me and with a small whisper in my ear, he said, "Fourth Floor...," and he disappeared.

Vijay's POV (Point of View)

11:10 pm

I was finally on the third floor, few steps away from the library, my heart went racing as I was getting closer, and finally I went inside. It was too much dark there, the library was just as it was earlier, this place actually didn't change. I was about to go further but suddenly my phone's flashlight went off, on checking I realized that my phone's battery is dead, before I could say anything, I heard a strange sound, as something fell down.

At first, I thought it was Nikhil, but when I saw closely, I realized it was a book, a diary like something, when I looked at front, it was written, "John's Story."

I was scared, this book has John's name written on it, I sat on a chair and switched on the table lamp, and under that dim light of the study lamp, I started reading that book.

John's Story

17th November 2015, four friends Ravi, Vijay, Nikhil and John came to their college at 11:30 pm, reason for their presence was the last day of college, they all decided that they'll explore the haunted fourth floor, it was said that five years ago, on the same day, a student whose name was Satish, committed suicide by jumping off from the fourth floor, some people say that he died because of study pressure, some say he died because a girl rejected his proposal, no one knows why he committed suicide.

Four of them were scared, but then John decided that he'll go to the fourth floor, after sometime, when John didn't show up, one of them decided that he'll search him, but that guy also didn't show up, so other two friends, decided to go there, but after they reached the third floor, they heard a strange noise, as something or someone fell down, the noise was loud, and when they looked down, they saw John, who was on the ground, struggling in pain, and before they could get there, John was dead.

I was shocked when I read that, I was taking heavy breaths. I realized that someone is sitting on another side, I took the table lamp and turned it to another side, and I started trembling in fear, it was John, very much alive, with fear I fell down. John came near me and said, "Fourth Floor.....,"

I was totally confused, I decided to run out, and I reached at the corridor, but when I started running, something just tackled me and I fell down, after sometime I realized it was Nikhil, before I could say anything to him, he said, "Vijay....., I saw him, I swear I saw him." I tried to calm him down, and asked, "Calm down Nikhil, and say whom did you saw?"

"JOHN!," he shouted, and then a dead silence spread all over the corridor.

Looking at my expressions, Nikhil understood that I've also encountered John's spirit. My phone was dead, and Nikhil's phone was showing no signal. We were on the third floor, and we had a decision to make, either run down to save our lives, or either walk up to save Ravi's life, and without saying anything we both headed up to the fourth floor.

As we reached on the fourth floor, we saw Ravi, standing on the edge of the floor, near the corridor, it was looking as he was about to jump, before we could stop him, a vision just came in front our eyes, it was of same night when John died.

John was standing on the edge and Ravi came there with silent steps, and before John could turn around, Ravi pushed him. John then fell down and died. Suddenly, that vision just disappeared from our eyes, Ravi was still on the edge, and was about to jump.

Before he could jump, I asked him, "Why Ravi? Tell us the reason."

With a sad tone Ravi said, "From childhood till college, I was compared with him, as if my existence doesn't matter to anyone. In college also when Sophie came in my life, he took her away from me, so I decided to kill him."

"You never understood John, he wasn't too perfect Ravi, you were too stupid every time," said Nikhil. "You're right," said Ravi, and he jumped.......

That day we saw John's spirit for the first and the last time, but two things were clear after that incident, first John got justice, and second, the fourth floor is normal now.