The Corpsephobic Student's Night of Despair

The moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the once-quiet campus of St. Mary's College. The air was thick with the scent of autumn leaves, and the wind carried the distant echo of laughter from the frat house. But for Alex, a freshman with a peculiar phobia, the night was anything but cheerful.

Alex had always been a nervous soul, but his fear of death was something else entirely. Corpsephobic, as he liked to call it, the mere sight of a decomposing body could send him into a panic attack. It was a condition that had followed him since childhood, and it was only exacerbated by the campus's dark legend of the Corpsephobic Student's Night of Despair.

The legend spoke of a student who had vanished under mysterious circumstances on a night like this, the night of the full moon. It was said that he had been seen wandering the campus, his eyes wide with terror, until he had finally stumbled upon the old, abandoned mortuary. There, he had encountered the spirit of a long-forgotten student, trapped in the afterlife due to a tragic mistake made by the mortuary staff. The Corpsephobic Student's Night of Despair was born, and every year, it was said that the spirit would return, seeking another victim.

Tonight was the night of the full moon, and Alex's fear was at its peak. He had spent the day hiding in his dorm room, but the night was drawing on, and he knew he couldn't hide forever. With a heavy heart, he decided to face his fear head-on, determined to uncover the truth behind the legend and put an end to the Corpsephobic Student's Night of Despair.

As he stepped out of his dorm room, the campus was shrouded in darkness. The only light came from the distant glow of the frat house and the flickering street lamps. Alex's footsteps echoed on the concrete path, and the sound of his own heartbeat seemed to grow louder with each step.

He made his way to the old mortuary, a building that had been abandoned for decades. The windows were broken, and the paint was peeling off the walls, revealing the original brickwork beneath. Alex's breaths came in short, shallow gasps as he pushed open the creaky door and stepped inside.

The air was thick with the smell of decay, and the sound of rustling papers filled the room. He moved cautiously, his flashlight cutting through the darkness. The walls were lined with rows of coffins, each one a reminder of the fragility of life. Alex's heart raced as he approached the last row, where the coffins were older and more decrepit.

Suddenly, he heard a whisper, so faint that he wasn't sure if he had imagined it. "Help me," it said, and Alex's heart dropped. He turned around, but there was no one there. He continued to the end of the row, where the coffins were stacked one on top of the other, forming a makeshift pyramid.

At the top of the pyramid, he saw a figure. It was a young man, his eyes wide with terror, his face contorted in pain. Alex's flashlight flickered as he approached, and he realized that the figure was a ghost—the Corpsephobic Student from the legend.

"Who are you?" Alex demanded, his voice trembling.

"I am the Corpsephobic Student," the ghost replied, his voice echoing through the room. "I was wrongfully buried here, and now I cannot rest until I find the one who can set me free."

Alex's mind raced. He knew that the legend spoke of a spirit seeking another victim, but he also knew that the Corpsephobic Student's Night of Despair had to end. He looked around the room, searching for any clue that might help him break the curse.

It was then that he noticed a small, ornate box on the floor. He picked it up and opened it, revealing a collection of old photographs and letters. One of the photographs showed a young woman, her eyes filled with sorrow. The letters spoke of a love story, one that had ended in tragedy.

Alex realized that the Corpsephobic Student had been in love with the young woman, and that their love had been forbidden. The spirit had been trapped in the mortuary because of a mistake made by the mortuary staff, who had mistakenly buried him instead of her.

With a newfound determination, Alex decided to set the Corpsephobic Student free. He found a way to break the seal on the coffin, and as he did, the spirit of the Corpsephobic Student emerged, his face no longer contorted in pain.

"Thank you," the spirit whispered, and with a final, grateful look at Alex, he vanished into the night.

Alex returned to his dorm room, his heart pounding with a mix of fear and relief. He knew that the Corpsephobic Student's Night of Despair was over, and that he had played a part in ending the legend.

As he lay in bed that night, the moon hanging low in the sky, Alex couldn't help but wonder if the Corpsephobic Student's spirit had truly been set free. But one thing was certain: the legend of the Corpsephobic Student's Night of Despair would never be forgotten, and the campus of St. Mary's College would always be haunted by the tale of the Corpsephobic Student who had faced his fear and set a spirit free.