Mrs. Baker raises a hand, silencing the room. "Please, remain calm. I assure you, this is a positive development. Our guest will arrive shortly, and I expect you all to be on your best behaviour."As the minutes tick by, the tension in the room becomes palpable.I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, my palms growing sweaty with anticipation. What could this mysterious visitor possibly want?Finally, the doors to the hall swing open, and a hush falls over the room.All eyes turn to the entrance as a tall, imposing figure strides in. "Good morning, everyone," he begins, his voice smooth and authoritative. "My name is Mr. Blackwood, and I will be serving as your new teacher, effective immediately."I can't help but notice the unsettling tone in his voice."As you may have realised, Mrs. Baker is no longer going to be in charge of you," he continues, gesturing to the silent woman beside him. "I am."He grins placidly at our weary expressions, revealing a row of pearly whites, "I'm sur
I knock firmly, and the door swings open to reveal Everett, a smug grin on her face. "Well, well, if it isn't our resident hero," she says, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Feeling any better, Ande?" I scowl at her, my anger bubbling to the surface. "Cut the crap, Everett. Everyone knows you're a spy, and the principal wants something from me. So, tell me, what is it they're after?" Everett laughs humorlessly as she steps aside, gesturing for me to enter. "Come on in, Ande. Let's talk." I hesitate momentarily, but my desire for answers overrides my caution. I push past her and step into the room, glaring at her. She shrugs and closes the door behind us, flopping onto her bed with an air of nonchalance that only serves to irritate me further "So, what is it?" I demand, my voice low and dangerous. "What is the principal after?" I pause, my eyes narrowing dangerously, "And lie to me, Everett and I promise I'll kill you first " Everett laughs, sitting up and fixing me with a ca
I lie awake that night, my mind racing with the weight of Everett's words. What could this "other side" she spoke of possibly entail?I don't want to entertain this cryptic Nonsense, unwilling to be drawn into another web of secrets and deception. With a sigh, I turn over, pulling the thin blanket tighter around me. All I can do is sleep.But even that isn't secured as a piercing alarm shatters the stillness of the night. I jolt upright, my heart pounding as Chris burst into the room, his face urgently etched."Ande, Get up! There's a blackout - we have to move, now!" he hisses, tossing me a flashlight. I blink rapidly, disoriented by the all-consuming darkness. "What's happening?" I ask, scrambling to my feet."I'll explain on the way," Chris says tersely, ushering me into the hall. "We need to stick together. This is no ordinary blackout."As we hurry through the pitch-black corridors, my mind races. A blackout? At this hour? Something isn't right here. I glance sideways at Ch
I don't need to be told twice. Adrenaline surging, I bolt through the darkness, weaving through the corridors; my heart was beating faster than a dog's; I could count the few seconds to the end of me. I had to stay alive even when I was out of breath and wanted to give up; I couldn't, I had to keep running. Despite my words of encouragement to myself I had to face my unfortunate reality, they were faster, their footsteps gaining on me. I can hear their jeers and taunts, spurred on by the thrill of a hunt, it's a matter of seconds before I meet my end. "Dammit!" I yelled as I picked up the pace. Suddenly, a figure looms out of the shadows, blocking my path. I skid to a halt, my breath catching in my throat. It's one of my classmates, a boy with green eyes and a shaped, twisted grin as he advances, a utensil knife glinting in his hand."End of the line, Ande," he sneers wickedly. "Time to die." This was it.I backpedal frantically, my heart pounding in my ears, as I scanned for an e
I observe the unfolding scene through the CCTV cameras, my eyes glinting with a sinister curiosity. The flickering images reveal a decrepit hallway, its blood-stained walls and dusty tiles bearing witness to years of neglect. On one of the screens, I see Ethan, a trembling figure standing outside a room. His haunted eyes dart around nervously as if searching for an escape from the feelings that consume him. "How pathetic," I chuckle. The events have taken a psychological toll on the boy. His cousin's demise must be weighing on him more than he thought. He jumps at even the slightest noises, constantly looking over his shoulder in fear. Ethan seems to shiver in the decrepit hallway, his hands clamping tightly over his ears as he mutters apologies under his breath. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen. Please, I didn't want to cause any trouble!" Ethan whispers, his voice trembling. His shoulders shake, a few tears escaping his shut eyes. The guilt in
Ande, leaning against the wall, doing his best to ignore Ethan's body lying on the floor, suddenly jerks upright.Pawing at his pockets, he frowns and pulls out the blue communicator he had found in that dead girl. He narrows his eyes at the device.Since that day, he's always carried it on his person no matter where he was going, and today wasn't any different.The device buzzes again, static crackling, and he pauses his brow furrowing. The blinking starts."I have a special message for you, Ande," a voice suddenly echoes through the hallway, and I can see the realisation dawn on his face."Principal," he breathes, his grip tightening on the device."Ah, Ande, my dear boy," I purr, my voice resonating through the speakers. "I must admit, I'm impressed. I didn't think you had it in you to survive this long. I must congratulate you on your remarkable display of resilience. Unfortunately, I underestimated your will to survive."Ande's jaw tightens, and he glares defiantly at the blin
I tighten my grip on my phone, gazing across the room at the influential individuals gathered there. They regard me with curiosity and concern, sensing the shift in my demeanour."What is it?" one asks, his brow furrowed.I let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose as I collected my thoughts. "We have a... complication," I say, measured and deliberate. "It seems our plans have been compromised. We'll need to accelerate the timeline and initiate Operation Sting."The room erupts into a flurry of activity, the others exchanging worried glances and muttering to one another in hushed tones. I raise a hand, silencing them with a pointed look."There's no need for alarm," I say, my lips curving into a humourless smile. "We've been anticipating this eventuality. We'll need to move a bit more quickly than anticipated."The others nod, their expressions grim but resolute. They know the stakes as well as I do. Failure is not an option.I return to the CCTV feed, gaze locked on And
Just then, I hear the sound of clapping.Whipping my head back, I glare at the rapidly approaching figure of Mr. Blackwood. The new teacher strolls up to me, clapping enthusiastically, a manic glint in his eyes, "Bravo, Ande!" He smiles in an exaggerated display of approval."You've done so well to survive!" he exclaims. "So, what will you do now?"Without hesitation, I grab Everett by the arm and wrench it, dislocating it with a sickening crack. She howls in pain, her minions recoiling in terror. "Now, we're even," I say, glaring at the man. "You've wasted enough of my time."The man's eyes widen in surprise, but he quickly regains his composure. "Impressive, Ande. I can see why the principal has taken such an interest in you."I scoff, crossing my arms over my chest. "I'm not interested in your games or the principal's 'rewards.' Just my freedom."Levering him with a sneer, I place my hand against my pocket, where my knife sits in my pants, "Now," I drawl, "if you'll excuse us?"