It seemed fitting that from the second clock tower they had come to another courtyard. The fog had disappeared and darkness had replaced it. The unexplained symbol sat in the same place, barely visible through the gloom. Harry could hear heavy rain falling all around. He stood, not knowing what to do next, letting the droplets wash over him.

Then came a snarl. It was frighteningly familiar, yet unlike a dog or a bear. Something was moving toward them through the all encompassing ink. From what he could make out it was short, almost childlike, but still threatening. Lydia pulled him towards the east wing of the school where they had started their journey and they stumbled inside. The flooring was the same metallic mesh they had encountered in the clock tower.

They leaned on the door thinking they were safe when Lydia let out a piercing scream. She kicked and fumbled with something. He struck out and succeeded in knocking it to the ground. They ran to the nearest door, falling inside. Harry slammed the door shut behind them. His eyes were adjusting to the gloom. He could see they were alone. He noticed his neck brace was gone. When had that come off?

He was more concerned about Lydia. She seemed to be in serious pain.

"I think I've been stabbed." She croaked.

"How bad is it?"

"There's a lot of blood. Could you patch me up Harry?"

Harry unzipped his jacket and started to unbutton his shirt.

"Are you taking off your shirt? This isn't a movie; use a bandage for goodness sake. We're in the nurse's room."

He flicked the light switch. No effect. He started scrabbling about for a bandage.

"The nurse keeps a torch in her desk."

He found the flashlight and tucked it under his arm. Once switched on it revealed the bottomless pit underneath the wire flooring. This was another bad dream, he was sure of that. He found and pulled open a first aid kit. Lydia removed her suit jacket and lifted up her blouse, which had been white but was now stained red. A whiff of iron hung in the room from blood and rust.

Her wound was deep but not jagged. The blade couldn't have been serrated. That was good. He'd seen how to clean and dress a wound on a TV drama. He tried to remember what he'd seen and hoped it was right, but he didn't know how to hold the two sides of the gash together. She looked pale. Harry didn't know whether it was due to shock or blood loss.

"Is there a phone in here?"

"The nurse has her own extension. By the window."

Harry sprang to the phone and picked up the receiver. Silence.

"The line's dead."

"I'm sure you're as good as any nurse Harry."

She grinned. Harry smiled too. Maybe the wound wasn't as bad as it looked.

"Harry there's something I want to tell you. The reason I came with you. I wanted to tell you about the caretaker. There's something going on here. It wasn't just the teacher I replaced that's gone missing. Children have vanished, locals and tourists. Haven't you noticed how empty this place is?"

"It did seem like a ghost town today."

"If you knocked on any doors, you'd get no answer, I'm sure of it. And the caretaker is involved somehow. I overheard him on the phone saying that it wasn't working, they'd gone too far."

"Who are 'they'?"

"I don't know. He ended the call when he saw me. He told me never to repeat what I'd heard or he'd tell them all about me...he caught me smoking a joint."

"You smoked marijuana in school?"

"It wasn't like that. I don't smoke normally. I've never touched drugs before. I was passed it at a mid term party at another teacher's house and I just thought, why not? But I didn't realize it was PTV."

"PTV?"

"It's a local drug. Really powerful. It showed me this town for what it really is. I can't explain what I saw but it was horrible Harry. It was a waking nightmare, just like this. I wanted it to be over but I couldn't stop. I started having palpitations and leant against the wall in a cold sweat. That's when he saw me. He recognized the smell of the drug. He said my actions were my business. I begged him to help me, but instead he gave me another bag of it. After that I couldn't help myself. I wanted it every day. I found a dealer and got high all the time…when you're coming down, that's when you get the hallucinations. Terrible hallucinations. So I would smoke it beyond the high and keep going until I passed out. I don't want to see those things any more Harry…

Mr. White didn't mention the party again until the day I interrupted his call. I could lose my job over it. I'd never be able to work with children again."

"Lydia, you have to tell the police."

"I have no proof Harry. What could I tell them?"

"You could tell them he threatened you."

"It's my word against his. He's well respected here."

"If he's involved in something, he might know where Cheryl is. I have to talk to him."

"How do you suggest we find him?"

"We? Don't you think you might be better off staying here? I could go and get help."

"I'm not just going to sit here and bleed to death. I know my way around the school, I can help you."

"Lydia...you'll be safer here. We don't know what's out there."

"We don't know what will come in here. I don't want to be alone."

She reached inside her blazer and pulled out a small canister.

"Pepper spray. A girl's best friend."

Harry helped her struggle to her feet. She put her arm around his neck and pointed the canister towards the door.

"Let's go."

Harry attached the flashlight to his jacket and opened the bloodstained door. They limped into the corridor. Harry's eyes had gotten used to the dim light in the infirmary. The darkness at the end of the hallway had transformed into a solid mass. It was disconcerting and seemingly impenetrable. He turned them slowly away from it towards the nearer door.

There it was, the thing that had stabbed Lydia. It was difficult to determine the shape of the animal without any light, but it was there – still brandishing the knife. Lydia gave it a generous dose of the pepper spray and it dropped to the floor squealing and holding its face. They span back round and moved as fast as they could into the darkness. The double doors at the other end of the corridor grew ever more visible through the gloom. It seemed like an age before they reached it. Harry glanced over his shoulder, he couldn't see the creature.

"Shit! It's locked!" hissed Lydia through her teeth.

"What do we do?"

"Reception." She said as she lurched to her left.

Harry quickly followed. Lydia opened the door and screamed. He could see why. It was horrific. The caretaker's wall hanging was realized. The door with three dark squares. The two hooded figures suspended by chains. It was much more terrifying to see it before him, so hideously vivid in the torch light and shadow. Harry wished that this was a nightmare and that none of this was happening.

He secured the door and joined Lydia who was quietly shedding tears on the couch. This world was spinning. He felt nauseous. Lydia raised her head and stared blankly ahead of her.

"What in the hell is this place Harry?"

"I don't know."

"It can't really be the school. That tunnel from the clock tower should have taken us outside. And why are the floors and the walls different? Who are these men?"

"I don't know that either."

"We have to wake up and end this dream. I want to go home. No, forget that, I want to go to hospital. I don't want to die here."

"You won't. If this is my bad dream then I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you."

"It already has."

Lydia grimaced and let out a soft moan. Fresh blood was seeping through her top.

"This can't be real."

"Then why does it hurt so much?"

Tears stung the back of Harry's eyes. This was all his fault.

"I'm so sorry. What have I led you into?"

"We could never have dreamed this was going to happen - that we would end up here. You even tried to turn me back at the door remember? I got myself into this. I came to help you and all I've done is bleed on you and slow you down."

"And all for nothing. We're no closer to finding Cheryl at all."

"You sound like you've given up. Go! She could be hiding anywhere here. It's a big building..."

"I can't leave you here."

"And I can't go with you. I know that now. It hurts too much.

So what are you going to do? Sit here and wait for me to die? That could take hours."

"If we could find a weapon -"

"Harry go, your daughter needs you."

"Lydia..."

"We've been here a few minutes and I'm already stabbed. If Cheryl is here then…

Take the spray, you might need it."

"Keep it. You might need something to defend yourself with. I'll get help."

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

He couldn't look at her as he left her and moved out into the corridor heading towards the far end. It was empty. He was alone. The noise of his footsteps made him uneasy as they struck the metal and echoed around the school. Everything appeared still and calm.

Harry was the opposite. He was jittery and breathing heavily by the time he reached the other door.

He tried it.

It was locked.

He walked back to the middle of the passage and tried the door to the lobby.

Locked again.

He looked behind him. He had just one choice left. Whatever lay in the courtyard, he would have to pass it.

He tried the door.

It opened.

He went out the way he came in, back into the rain.