Haunted Algonquin – An Urban Legend
Did you know that Algonquin College in Ottawa Ontario is haunted? Well, according to urban legend, Algonquin’s residence building has its very own ghost. Her name is Brooklyn Marshall, and it all began when she was brutally murdered in her own dorm room.
The tragedy struck in February 2002. It was Brooklyn Marshall’s second year studying at Algonquin College, her second year staying on residence. She was only a few months away from graduating, from earning her paramedic diploma. Ever since, she has been haunting the residence in search of closure, in search of revenge.
The Legend
The following story is based off an urban legend I was told while staying in the residence at Algonquin College.
It was a Friday night. Instead of going out with peers, Brooklyn Marshall stayed. Instead of doing homework like she planned, she ended up falling asleep early. Besides, she could do it tomorrow, right?
The rain slammed against the window, making loud thudding sounds. Thunder roared outside, scaring Brooklyn awake. She sat straight up, breathing frantically. Normally storms didn’t bother her, but something was different about this one. It was louder, more violent than usual. It felt as though it was threatening her.
Her bedroom door swung open. Brooklyn screamed as if she was getting murdered. The darkness of the kitchen stared back at her. Jenna opened her bedroom door and stood in Brooklyn’s doorway. “What the hell? You look like you just saw a ghost,”
“Yeah, well-” she said, trying to think clearly. Brooklyn took a deep breath and explained how the door had opened on its own.
“Whatever, just don’t scream so loud next time.” Jenna rolled her eyes and walked back to her room, slamming both bedroom doors behind her.
Brooklyn’s mind was racing. Something wasn’t right. She turned on her light, and sluggishly made her way towards the window. There was someone outside standing still on the sidewalk staring up at her. Brooklyn’s eyes widened. Her heart began pounding as if it were about to jump out of her chest. She didn’t know what to do. She was breathing so heavily; it felt like her lungs weren’t working. The person outside was still staring at her, not making a move. For once, she felt lucky that she was on the third floor, because no one could get her from up there.
She closed the blinds and sat down on her bed. She tried to remember the breathing techniques to calm herself down, but they were no use. No matter how many times she held her breath and counted to four, her heart still wanted to hop out of her chest. There were scuffling sounds coming from the kitchen, like someone was picking a lock. “Its just Jenna, you’re fine” she told herself.
Once again, her bedroom door swung open. This time, there was someone there. It was the person from the sidewalk. She screamed bloody murder, for real this time. Jenna groaned in annoyance and rolled over in her bed. They had a knife, and they weren’t wasting any time. “No, no, no, stop, please!”
The next morning, Jenna found Brooklyn dead on the floor. Jenna called 911, but it was far too late for Brooklyn. Reports say that she had been stabbed over 20 times. Unfortunately, no evidence was left behind and the killer was never caught. They could very well be plotting their next attack, searching for their next victim. Hopefully you’re not the next victim…
The Aftermath
After the murder, Algonquin College allegedly fought hard to bury the story. They went so far as removing room 2203, and replaced it with a custodian closet. There has been no official reporting on the brutal murder, and no one has been able to find out if Brooklyn Marshall ever existed.
Today, you wont be able to find room 2203, but you can find Brooklyn roaming the halls late at night. Rumours say she lurks in the dark, plotting her revenge. Others claim she’s friendly and protects the students.
Isaiah Landry is a writer currently studying professional writing at Algonquin College. He likes writing, drawing, and playing the bass. Besides being creative, Isaiah likes to spend his time surrounded by friends, telling stories, and making people laugh.