Wycombe Abbey School for Young Ladies aged 11-18 sat on the edge of a jagged, exposed cliff-face, worn by years of high wind and higher waves. The school rested, monster like, high above the shore. Nothing about the architecture screamed 'school'; Towers rose high up above the main rectangular building. Essentially it was an old 18th century castle that had managed to withstand the harsh environment in its surrounds, and had since been converted into a boarding school. By day it looked like any fairytale castle, by night it was a nightmare.
Locals referred to it by many names, some more crude than others, but all the townies from neighbouring Dursley stayed well away. For many, it was the haunted castle from all their childhood nightmares. For others, it was home. For some part of the year at least. Even worse from the sinister looks at night, were those of the students that occupied it. Full of slick, upper societal brats. This was the school of all schools in the region. Nearly all the young girls here had wealthy parents, and if they weren't just wealthy, they were famous some way or another. Well, this was Hazel Tracy's opinion anyway. Her reasonings why anyone with a common sense would avoid her school.
The cold sawed through Hazel's bones, the pathetic excuse for a rubbish built fire doing nothing to keep her or her 'friends' warm. They were congregated in the poorly built PE shed at the outer limits of the basketball courts. It was storming outside, and the gusts of wind causing the walls to creek and shudder. The rain pounded hard against the tin roof, making it hard to hear what almost anybody was saying. The only thing she could really hear was her teeth chattering. She could give a woodpecker a run for its money.
The whole idea was lame. So lame that she could almost cry. Hazel didn't even like most of these people, she just put up with them. With the exception of Tanusha 'Kayo' Kyrano. Their father's were friends, and eventually Kayo moved in when they were 10, when her father died. Now both 16, Jeff Tracy had sent them to school here in England when they were 12, they were one of the few senior girls to actually board. Many had chosen to move into share houses in the town, and only attend Wycombe during the day.
Hazel wasn't even bothered about Halloween. That was the whole reason why they were even in the shed. Halloween was today.
"And the noise grew louder… drip, drip, drip…" The fun size bonfire casting a demonic red glow across Jasmine Peck's face. "The babysitter oh-so-slowly reached for the shower curtain, and with a deep breathe, she flung it open!"
"Oh my God! What did she see?" Squeaked Serena Masters, frantically chewing on a piece of hair.
Jasmine narrowed her eyes in mirth, building up the anticipation until her audience was frothing at the mouth for the grand reveal. "The poodle was hanging from the shower rail, it's throat cut, and blood drip, drip, dripping into the tub!"
The two guys on the opposite bench, who had no business being at an all girls school, at any time, let alone in the middle of the night, chuckled to one another.
"And on the mirror," Jasmine continued, a twisted, manic look in her eye, "written in blood were the words 'Humans can lick hands too!'"
Serena and Molly managed a fake scream for the benefit of the smuggled-in boys. Hazel did not scream, she merely shuffled slightly to jump-start life into her wooden bench numb butt. While boarding turned some girls into ticking hormone bombs, it had only succeeded in making her extremely shy around boys. With the exception of her older brothers, of course.
"Whatever Jasmine." Sitting next to her, Kayo spoke out. "I've heard that story told a million times before and for your information its an old lady and her dog, not a babysitter."
Hazel giggled and tied her long caramel blonde locks up into a high ponytail. Thank God for Kayo, she made Wycombe just about tolerable. She caught sight of the local boys in the corner of her eye. She noted that the cutest one was grinning also, but Jasmine did not look elated at the negative remark.
"Oh Kayo, I didn't realise that you were such an expert on Halloween. My mistake."
Kayo puckered her lips. "I'm not saying I am, but you promised a true ghost story." Once more Hazel laughed. Jasmine was so full of shit anyway at the best of times.
"Fine. You want a true story? Don't say i didn't warn you…"
"Oh for Gods sake Jasmine would you please just get on with the damn story? I don't want to be out here in this weather all night!" Molly Wallace, the final comrade of their illegal group and reigning queen finally spoke. The Head girl spoke the last two words in explicit seduction mode as she snuggled up to the boy she was next to. The cutest, who could pass as a Hollister model.
Jasmine let out a dignified 'humph' and continued on. "This one really happened. Right here at Wycombe." Cries of disbelief from Molly and Kayo followed. 'It's true! It all happened when my eldest sister was here! I'll ring her right now if you don't believe me."
Hazel smacked her head against Kayo's shoulder and rolled it around until she was facing up at her. "Can we go?" She whispered. "I want to finish my book. I was getting the best part when you dragged me out here."
"Seriously? We're getting to the good stuff!" Kayo's Malay accent, somewhat diminished into British, always managed to re-appear when she was excited.
"Who's heard of the legend of Bloody Mary?" Jasmine leaned into the fire, a menacing look on her face. "You may think you know the story, but I bet you it's been manipulated. Twisted to fit into someone's life. Not the original. The true story started right here at Wycombe Abbey…"
"As if!" Chortled the second boy, recalling the cute boy call Josh. He too was a Dursley townie, muscular, and wore a gold stud in his left earlobe. Hazel like to imagine he lived on a farm, but knew he was more Dursley snobbery than any truth. "I've heard that story loads of times! They made a film about it."
"Yeah, because Abbey ladies have gone out into the world and spread it."
"Whatever."
"The real story started two hundred years ago when an Abbey pupil locked herself in the bathroom and killed herself. Her name was Mary Bryant. It was a night just like this one… lightning lit the sky and thunder boomed!"
Right on cue, the run-down storage shed shook under a mighty clap of thunder. Despite herself, Hazel grasped Kayo's arm. Jasmine revelled in the chance drama.
"One halloween, she went to her lover, a village boy to ask him to elope. In those days it would of caused a huge scandal - having an affair out of wedlock. He refused, she begged, and he laughed in her face. She was so upset she ran back to the school in the pouring rain, found a length of rope, and hung herself. The last thing she saw was her own reflection in the mirror…"
"Heard it." Molly stated.
"Doesn't Bloody Mary refer to Queen Mary because she killed hundreds of protestants?" Hazel breathed in Kayo's ear, a dim recollection of a year six history lesson easing itself back into her mind.
Kayo grinned. "I don't think Jasmine got that memo!"
At the other side of the circle Molly stood, bringing her beautiful boy with her. "Zak and I are off. We have better things to be doing…" Ah, so his name is Zak. Hazel and Zak. Had a nice ring to it. Yeah, like that's going to happen. Pull your mind out of the gutter.
"Just wait!" Jasmine smiled, licking her lips. "That was only the beginning…"
"I wanna hear the end of the story." Zak slumped back down onto the bench, much to Molly's dismay. Zak mustn't receive the newsletter, no one defied Molly Wallace and lived to tell the tale.
"You know she can be summoned right?"
"Huh?"
"Yeah, you just have to go into a bathroom, stand in front of the mirror and say her name five times…"
"What happens after?" Zak asked, eyes wide.
"No one knows. No one has lived to tell the tale… they don't even find the bodies. They just vanish… so they say."
The shed fell silent. Kayo started a slow clap. Zak joined in.
"They couldn't find the bodies? Well isn't that convenient?" Kayo whooped. "And there was never a shred of evidence!"
Equally unimpressed, Molly scowled. "Well I'm happy that we stayed around and waited for that train wreck of an ending! When's the next film version coming out?"
Somehow, Hazel couldn't keep her mouth shut and the next sentence spoken had escape.
"You won't mind doing it then, will you?" That was the true crescendo of the tale, the other ending a false finish, drawing them to this inevitable conclusion. You could of heard a pin drop from the other side of the basketball courts.
Kayo spun to face Hazel. "What? Are you serious?" Serena watched the scene with bushbaby eyes.
"I'll do it!" Zak offered, rubbing his hands together.
"No! Don't!" Poor Serena was on the verge of an emotional collapse.
Jasmine jumped up, throwing down an invisible gauntlet. "Well if you don't think the story is true, you won't have a problem summoning her!"
"Go summon a clue!" Kayo snapped. Oh God. Hazel had seen this numerous times. Kayo Kyrano just didn't know when to back down. "Why don't you do it if you're so tough?"
"Sigh. Rewind - I already did."
"Then why aren't you dead?" Hazel finally found room to speak up, hopefully dousing Kayo's fire.
"I don't know! It didn't work. But Serena saw me do it, she can back me up."
Every head turned to face Serena, who was sitting in the corner of the shed looking quite uncomfortable. "It's true. I was there when she did it. Nothing happened."
"What a shocker." Kayo's lips curled into a smirk.
Serena was rilled up. "Fine! If you think it's not real why don't you go do it? Or are you scared?"
"Well I'm gonna do it!" Zak rolled up the sleeves of his hoodie and did a merry warm up jig, like a boxer psyching himself up for a bout.
"What?" Molly sprayed venom, flicking strands of brunette hair over her shoulder.
"I'm gonna do it!" he repeated. "It's Halloween. I ain't afraid of no ghost."
"I'll do it too." Kayo rose to her feet and approached Zak. "What is it they say? Everyone deserves one good scare on Halloween?"
"Get in!" Zak delivered a high-five to Kayo. This could not be happening. The night was turning into a repeat of the spring ball fiasco (Identical-dress-faux-pas flashback) and Hazel knew what was coming next. Kayo vs Molly.
"You must be kidding!" Molly's nostrils flared. "If you think you're creeping off into the night with my boyfriend then those last few brain cells have quite obviously lost the will to live!"
Zak's mate, Josh, sniggered and parroted the word 'boyfriend', and Zak didn't look too thrilled, but his lips curled into a smile. New dimple action.
"Oh come off it Molly. If you're so worried you can come with us and do it."
Hazel heaved herself off the bench and dragged her tired limbs towards Kayo. "Kay, let's just go to bed. It's late."
"Yeah Kayo, listen to Hazel."
Hazel opened her mouth, poised with a witty retort but Kayo leaped in first, wheels on fire. "Hey! I'll do what I want! Come on then Jasmine, which bathroom? Let's go. Bloody Mary on the rocks." Turning to Hazel, Kayo whispered in her ear, "Just one more day and we'll be back on the island, away from all these stuck up bit-"
"I can't wait. Can we just get this over and done with?"
"Serena! Lead the way!" And with that, they were off.