THE LOCKED DOOR

Lately, I have developed a keen interest regarding paranormal experiences. Since I have never experienced any encounters with the supernatural (I'm still not sure whether or not I should be grateful for this factor), I have had to rely on my boyfriend for the ghost stories I so long to hear.

I find it worth mentioning that my boyfriend is from India... as this is where the story I am about to tell takes place.

The tale unfolds itself on Utkal University campus, a post-graduate school located in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa. My boyfriend's brother had taken up residence in the Hostel used for students who wished to live on campus. During his stay, he came to know that there was one empty dorm within the Hostel, permanently locked up by the university. The history behind the locked room was well-known by many of the students on campus.

Many years back, a completely frustrated and over-worked student (is there any other kind?) had committed suicide and was found hanging from the ceiling fan, one of which was installed in virtually every dorm. The university chalked it up to the never-ending stress of university life and the individual's apparent inability to deal with the pressure.

However, in the years that followed, one by one, the students who were assigned to that room killed themselves, in the same, or similar, fashion. Recognizing the pattern that had formed, the university took it upon itself to lock the room up permanently, and as a further precaution, removed the ceiling fans from every other room in the Hostel.

Interestingly, my boyfriend's brother (we'll call him Ranjan) was unfortunate enough to be assigned the room directly beside the forbidden room. The months stretched on uneventful, but as the holidays approached, the campus began to clear off leaving a few lonesome residents alone in the Hostel.

It was during the quiet and lonely times that the noises coming from the locked room could be heard. Ranjan recalls noises of someone sweeping the floor, footsteps treading back and forth across the threshold, and other eerie noises; trademark of all hauntings.

Going to the washroom was a true thrill, and he packed his bags and changed rooms as soon as possible.

WHERE CHILDREN ONCE DWELT

Hungry for stories of the paranormal that had actually taken place within the city of Calgary (which is where I live), I started asking around. I targeted those of my friends who have resided here in Calgary since their youth, as I figured they'd have a better knowledge of the city's history.

Before much questioning had taken place, one of my friends (we'll call him "Jason") introduced me to an intriguing story about a burnt-out school located downtown. The school's tragic end was marked by a large fire and the death of 8 individuals... seven young students and a teacher. Devastated by the course of events, the father of a young girl who had perished in the fire purchased the land that the school was built on and proceeded to live there in a trailer, as if watching over the place of his daughter's death. The site has become well-known now, for it is said that the sounds and laughter of young children playing can be heard within the school yard late at night. The sad thing is that the site is frequently abused and vandalized. I have still yet to go there and experience this.

Submitted By: Jamie Dvorak, Alberta Canada

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