The air carried the scent of wet earth that Sunday evening as we trailed the bushy path that led to the morgue she claimed was nestled somewhere in the vast school compound.
“I’m a medical student and I tell you there’s a morgue. Anatomy students go there for experiments. Just that it’s out of bounds for regulars and what we’ll be doing will be trespassing,” she grinned, pulling me forward after I had asked how sure she was that a morgue existed somewhere in the school yard.
“A little discovery wouldn’t hurt before graduation, I guess,” I murmured, letting her pull me forward.
Now surrounded by towering trees, there was no building in sight. We had gone a little far away from the hostel. Suddenly, she swiveled around smiling after she had made a shocking discovery. A ramshackle building; its roof sagging, nestled between the overgrown bushes.
“Tada!,” she exclaimed , covering her mouth immediately with her hands. Her eyes glowing with joy, she ushered me forward.
With a mix of excitement and trepidation, I approached the building. Its cracked walls were half swallowed by a tangle of ivy and creeping figs and rain still dripped from the glossy leaves. The air was cool and heavy and somewhere in the bushes, a frog croaked. My heart skipped beats but she? She had this huge smile on her face.
“You fear too much,” she said, pushing me forward. “I thought part of your so-called bucket list was to trespass on school property?,” her expression stern. “Did I mention I wanted it to look like a scene from a horror film?,” I eyed her.
“Well, too bad we’re here now. So, let’s look inside and head back before it’s too dark and our bodies will be the next ones for the anatomy students experiment,” she pushed the door and it creaked open. I could feel my heart leaving its cage begging for an escape but she stayed thrilled. At some point it became contagious and I smiled along and peeked in. She pushed me. Uncontrollably. I lost my gait and flew in. The place stank but we weren’t alone. There was a man dressed in worn out scrubs. He was working on a body. I almost puked. Then our eyes met. It wasn't the most beautiful of eyes. It blazed hot with anger. We had distracted him but he didn’t utter a word. I guess he was too stunned to speak. I could only see him clutch on to the scissors in his hands tightly.
“Jesus, run,” she called from behind and off we went. We raced past trees, she led at first because she was the one at the door while I faced the angry guy in scrubs but I outran her.
We let our shoes go as the wet leaves slapped against our skin. She’s plus sized and she was the first to shake her shoes off her feet. I could also see her boobs flying in the air as she ran. “These things will have them capture me,” she cried, trying to hold them together but she needed her hands free to run faster. Was the guy in scrubs chasing us? We had no idea nor did we wait to find out. We just kept going.
I remember a branch snagging at her long braids. It took us a fearful minute to get her free. I almost left her there because although she wanted to help me make my bucket list come true, going to the so-called morgue was entirely her idea. But I couldn’t leave her behind. She’s my best friend and I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if I left her and she got caught and expelled from school.
When we finally got back to the hostel, we hurried in, looking like people that had just escaped an electric shock. The hairs on our skins stood, the hairs on our heads looked disheveled, our feet muddy, clothes damp and skin scratched. We blended in with other students and hurried to her room. We got stares but we didn’t seem to care. Luckily, her loud roommates weren’t in. It took just one stare at each other and we bursted into uncontrollable laughter.
“Ms. Medical student, I didn’t know you could run that fast,” I mocked.
“I’m definitely getting boob reduction,” she said, ignoring my comment. I was on the floor, tears in my eyes, rolling and laughing. We laughed at our situation that day till our stomachs ached.
It was a terrifying experience but an unforgettable one which still brings a smile to both our faces whenever we recount the day.