Hey, ya'll! Okay, so this is almost done, which is a good thing since I start highschool very soon. Like next week soon. Yeah, I don't want to go back, but I don't really have a choice do I? I'm coming out with another story after this one and Shadows of the Future: A Few Simple Words are complete. There's a description of it in my profile, and I'm begging you to check it out and give me some ideas for the title because I can't think of one. And please read Shadows of the Future and Shadows of the Future: A Few Simple Words while you're at it. I'm desperate for people's opinions on them. Thankies!


A Haunting at Jump City High

by RupertLover09

Chapter Four

...neither prepared for the two blood curdling screams that reached their ears from the library on the second floor.

Kori and Richard broke apart and glanced up the stairwell. The darkness loomed down on them as Gar and Rachael kept screaming at the top of their lungs. Without a glance backwards, Kori and Richard dashed up the stairs and down several hallways to where their friends stood, shaking, in front of the doors of the library. Thunder was brought down on them again followed by maniacal laughter and a soft woosh of something passing by. As it passed, Rachael noticed it out of the corner of her eye and tugged timidly on Gar's sleeve.

"Something's in here with us, guys." she whispered, staring down the passage that the tiny figure had disappeared down. Kori looked over at her and rolled her eyes.

"Did you just realize that, Rae?" she said sardonically. She turned back to Richard who was examining the double doors that were jammed shut. He looked up at his friends and glanced around at them.

"Somebody gimme their credit card or something." he instructed. Gar reached into his back pocket and pulled out his credit card from his wallet and handed it to Richard. Richard took it and slid it between the doors, waiting for the click of the lock that would signal that the doors were open. A loud click cut through the silence, making everybody jump in surprise. The door swung open with a loud creak and the four remaining friends made their way in, Rachael fumbling for the light switch.

As the room was bathed in a soft golden light, the air immediately became colder and stale with the stench of death and decay. Kori coughed and pulled her t-shirt up over her nose to block the smell. "My God! What is that?" she demanded in a whisper. "It smells like somebody dug up a grave!"

"It's probably all these books." Gar replied. "Have you seen what people spill on them? The other day, Byrd the Nerd dumped his tomato soup on like fifteen of them and the library lady was soooo pissed! It was hilarious!"

"Byrd the Nerd? That really weird kid in Mr. Wilson's class?"

"Yeah. I've never seen the library lady so pissed."

"That's a really funny story, Garfield, but now is not the time for hilarity." Richard hissed sternly, taking Kori's free hand and leading her further into the library. A loud shriek sounded from the doorway, and Richard, Kori, and Gar turned around to see Rachael staring out at the hallway, fear apparent in her eyes.

"There's something moving out there." she said, turning to face them. "I only got a glimpse of it, but it looked like a little kid's toy doll wearing a black robe or something." Gar snorted.

"Are you trying to tell us that some little kid let loose one of their dolls and it's killing us all? Jeez, Rachael, I thought you were sane."

"I'm serious, Garfield Logan. Something's out there. The three of you go ahead and search here, but I'm going out there to find it." Rachael replied shortly, she turned on her heel and stormed from the library.

"Gar, go with her." Kori told him. "She shouldn't be out there alone." Gar nodded and hurried after Rachael, but before he could get too far, the lights cut out again and Rachael screamed.

"Rae." Gar murmured weakly, as a loud bang sounded, followed consecutively by dozens more. A loud screeching sound, like that of nails on a black board, reached their ears and cut through the stale air.


"I can't believe it." Kori whispered, as they approached Rachael's body which was lying face up in the middle of the floor. Her eyes were wide open and glassy and blood was pouring from her stomach, staining the floor crimson red and making her black shirt even blacker. Gar dropped to his knees and ran a hand through her short purple hair, tears dripping from his forest green eyes and hitting her pale forehead softly.

"Rae."

Kori and Richard stepped around Gar and Rachael, avoiding the elfin lake of blood and looked around for the source of the murderer. Locker doors were smashed in and hanging off their hinges, tile had been chipped and cracked, and there were deep scratch marks in the wall as though something with claws had ran their hands along it. "Everything has been destroyed," Kori commented (a/n: Quote from Stranded! Hehehe!), placing her hand on one of the locker doors that was particularly mangled.

"But who did this?" Richard asked, as they continued walking.

"Not who. What." Gar corrected him, standing up to join his friends. "Whatever's been doing this is definitely not human. Nothing human could leave these marks."

"So what do we do?" Kori said, glancing worriedly at the two boys.

"We find it. But first, I really have to pee."

"You can wait." Richard snapped. "We can't split up. Not now. If we split up, it's a death sentence for all of us."

"Great!" Kori exlcaimed, her voice threaded with worry and fright. "So we die no matter what!" As though something of a higher power was answering, her cell phone started playing "Walking on Sunshine" again. She pulled it out and flipped it open. "What?" she growled into the reciever.

"Say good-bye to Garfield." The same raspy voice that had announced Victor's impending doom replied.

"Who is this?" Kori demanded. "Why are you calling me?"

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Yes I would. Who are you?"

"I'm not telling." Once again, the line went dead and the lights flickered out. Footsteps approached, Kori felt Richard take her hand and pull her to him effortlessly. She wasn't going to resist at that point. She'd take all the protection she could get.

"Gar?" she called out.

"What?"

"Don't be scared, okay?"

"What? Kori, is this some sort of joke?"

"No, Gar, I swear that it's not."

"Guys, I think I figured out who's in here with us."

"Really?" Richard asked, he wrapped his arms tighter around Kori's waist. "Who is it?" The footsteps were getting closer and somebody was breathing heavily down Gar's neck.

"It's-Hey! Dude! Let go of m-Ugh!" Gar was cut short by somebody taking a knife to his throat.

"Gar!" Kori and Richard yelled.