An old school building had a bathroom at the end of a long, dimly lit hallway. It was a place most students avoided, especially at night. But the bathroom had an eerie, unsettling aura even in broad daylight. The last stall, in particular, was shrouded in mystery and fear. The door was usually shut, and no one dared to open it, not after the story of Hanako started spreading through the school.
According to the legend, Hanako was once a student here, a quiet girl with a shy smile. One day, she had gone to the bathroom, choosing the last stall for privacy. But as she sat there, something terrible happened—her heart suddenly stopped. She tried to call for help, but her voice was weak. She managed to bang on the stall door, but no one heard her. By the time someone found her, it was too late. Hanako was gone, her life ending within the cramped, cold confines of that last bathroom stall.
Since then, people said her spirit remained trapped there, forever trying to escape. They claimed that if you ever heard faint murmurs from the last stall, saying things like, "I'm in pain," or "I can't get out," it was Hanako reliving her final moments. The story was enough to send chills down any student's spine. They believed that if you encountered her spirit, there were specific rules you had to follow to avoid becoming her next victim.
The rules were simple but terrifying:
Never look in the mirror while washing your hands; Hanako might appear behind you, her pale face twisted in agony.If you use the bathroom, never look up at the ceiling; people say Hanako sometimes hangs there, watching and waiting.If you hear someone calling your name from behind you, no matter what, never turn around.
Hanako would take you with her if you did, trapping you in that stall for eternity, just as she was trapped.
One rainy afternoon, a girl named Aki needed to use the bathroom in that old building. She had heard the stories, of course, but she brushed them off as superstitions. Her friends had dared her to go there alone, teasing her for being too scared. Not one to back down from a challenge, Aki put on a brave face and agreed, even though her heart pounded as she walked down the dark hallway toward the infamous bathroom.
She pushed open the door, and a chill ran through her as she stepped inside. The bathroom was dim, the only light flickering weakly from an old bulb above the sink. Shadows danced along the cracked tiles, and the silence was oppressive, broken only by the soft drip of a leaking faucet. Aki took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. It's just a bathroom, she told herself—nothing to be afraid of.
But as she walked toward the stalls, her gaze inevitably fell on the last one. The door was closed, just as she had heard it always was. She thought she heard something for a moment—a faint, almost inaudible whisper. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly turned her attention away, convincing herself it was just her imagination.
She stepped into one of the stalls and shut the door behind her. Sitting there, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching her, something cold and unseen. Her hands trembled slightly, and she tried to push the stories of Hanako out of her mind. But then, just as she was about to stand up, she heard a soft, desperate voice coming from the last stall.
"I can't get out… I'm in so much pain…"
Aki froze, her blood turning to ice. The voice was weak, barely a whisper, but it sounded so natural, so close. She wanted to scream, to run, but her legs wouldn't move. The voice came again, louder this time, pleading, "Please, help me… let me out…"
She remembered the rules her friends had told her:
Don't look in the mirror.Don't look at the ceiling.Whatever you do, don't respond.
Heart pounding, Aki finished quickly and opened the stall door; her eyes fixed firmly on the ground. She avoided the mirror, refusing to look up as she walked to the sink, her hands shaking as she turned on the water.
But just as she was about to leave, she heard her soft and clear name whispered behind her.
"Aki…"
Every instinct screamed at her to turn around, to see who had spoken her name. Her mind raced, wondering if one of her friends had followed her, playing a cruel prank. But deep down, she knew it wasn't a friend. She could feel the cold breath on the back of her neck, the chill that came from something not of this world.
She squeezed her eyes shut, ignoring the urge to turn around, and ran out of the bathroom, her footsteps echoing down the empty hallway. As she fled, she heard the bathroom door slam shut behind her, as if something had tried to follow her but couldn't leave the confines of that cursed stall.
When she finally reached her friends, they noticed her pale face and trembling hands. "What happened?" one of them asked, concerned.
Aki shook her head, unable to put her experience into words. "Just… don't go there alone," she whispered. Her friends laughed, thinking she was trying to scare them, but Aki knew better. She had felt Hanako's presence, heard her voice, and would never forget the chilling words that followed her as she ran: "I'm still here… waiting…"
From that day on, Aki avoided the old building, never again daring to step foot in that bathroom. And every time she passed, she could almost hear the faint, ghostly whispers echoing from the last stall.