Chapter 3:
Unexpected visitor
Miley and Lilly burst out into the hallway. The hall ran for about 100 meters to the right, towards the office and the main entrance, and about 20 meters to the left, where the hall took a right turn.
Without even bothering to glance whether or not Quincy was looking (What difference would it make, either way we're sticking to the plan), Miley ran down the left side of the hall and turned the corner. Lilly and Oliver did likewise.
Miley released her pent up breath, then looked over the curb. To her relief, Quincy wasn't chasing them. In fact, he was nowhere to be seen.
Miley turned back to her friends and motioned for them to follow. This hall ran down another 30 or so meters, before there was an exit leading outside. Near the exit, the hall took another right, leading to the science hallway.
Miley set out at a trot down the hall. She passed an empty gymnasium and a lustrous drinking fountain before she turned right at the end of the hall. Miley glanced at the door at the end of the hall, and remembered that all doors leading outside were locked during a lockdown.
Miley was unnerved at the eerie silence pervading the halls. Usually filled with loud boisterous students, the dark halls were empty and foreboding. Miley approached the door to the boy's room, looked around, and cracked it open slightly.
"Jackson? You there?" Miley whispered. A few seconds later, she heard a reply.
"Yeah, come in here!" a voice replied.
Miley, Lilly, and Oliver slipped into the washroom. It was pitch black inside. It smells far worse then the girl's washroom, Miley thought. The smell of dried urine and unflushed waste. Yuk. Holding Lilly's hand, Miley called out.
"Jackson, where are you? I can't see a thing."
A bright light shone from the end of the bathroom. Miley saw Jackson standing with his cell phone pointing towards his face. With the white light shining under him, he looked like he was about to tell them a scary story. The funny thing is, Miley thought, we're already in one.
Jackson had dirty blond hair reaching almost to his shoulders, blue eyes, and although he was two years her elder, Miley was the same height.
"My cell phone's about to die," Jackson whispered.
Outside, the speakers crackled into life. Miley recognized the thick voice of their principle Doctor Holstein: Attention students and faculty. There remains no power or internet connectivity in the building. However, I have been informed that ten minutes ago, the city of Los Angeles declared a State of Emergency. I would like to remind everyone that the building is completely safe, so nobody needs to panic. I reiterate, for safety reasons, nobody is to leave the building. Do not open windows or blinds, and do not leave your classrooms. Thank you for your cooperation in this difficult time.
Miley trembled with fear. "What could possibly be going on?" Miley asked.
Nobody answered. Miley then filled Jackson in on how they couldn't contact their father, and how they barely managed to sneak out of the classroom and avoid detection from Quincy.
"Alright, listen, we're getting out of here," Jackson said. Oliver tapped Jackson.
"Wait, why weren't you in bio?" Oliver asked. Jackson laughed.
"I had a test. Duh!" Oliver frowned, then shrugged.
"Listen guys, we just need to find an empty classroom, open a window from inside, and then crawl out." Miley said.
At that moment, Jackson's phone died, leaving them in complete darkness. Miley instinctively grabbed for Lilly's hand. "Ok, let's go" Miley said.
They stepped out of the bathroom into the hallway. All of the classrooms were dark, so Miley had no idea which ones were empty, and which concealed a host of students. Miley looked quizzically at Jackson.
"Room 157 at the end of the hall hasn't been used in years," Jackson said. "Ever since I blew up that stink bomb, man!" Jackson waved his hand comically in front of his nose, then reached out for a high five from Oliver.
"This is no time for games Jackson" Lilly said and led them to the end of the hallway. Miley peered into the small window at the top of the door. Darkness. No movement. Miley quietly twisted the doorknob.
She breathed a sigh of relief as the door slid open. A stench of rotten eggs assailed her nostrils. Miley pushed her shirt up to her nose and looked back. "Jackson, what in the-" Miley froze as she saw Lilly's mouth open in horror, ready to scream. Miley quickly wrapped her arm around Lilly's mouth to block any sound. Lilly uttered a muffled yell, then quieted down. With her hand still on Lilly's mouth, Miley leaned over Lilly's shoulder to see what Lilly was screaming at.
The windows at the end of the room were smeared with blood. Dark red stains were splattered across almost half the length of the classroom's windows. Light shone though the blob of blood, leaving red shadows on the ground.
"That must be from the thing that was thumping against the school," Miley whimpered. She stood trembling, clutching Lilly.
"So, um, ya still wanna go?" Oliver asked.
"We have to," Jackson replied as he walked up to the windows. Miley looked into Lilly's horror struck eyes, then let go and went to Jackson. Just as Jackson put his hand on the window, a voice rang from the open class door.
"Hold it right there."
To be continued…
Author's note: Hello readers! Thank you so much for taking your time to read my story. Please comment on any suggestions, criticisms, or opinions. I will personally read every single comment.
I don't know if I should continue this story-that is, if enough people comment or like, then I'll definitely instill a second chapter, and probably more. The future is in your hands!
No copyright infringement intended. I do not own any characters above mentioned.
