Hey guys, what's up? Well, me, exhausted, but this is how much I love you all. Even worn out, I'm still going to tell you the continuation of this story. What I'm about to confess now is really intense, so maybe I should give you a strict warning for your stubborn little brains. Just kidding. But still, don't say I didn't warn you. Well, I know you're not scared anymore, because I'm not a ghost now and I've gotten even more handsome and I'm getting abs.
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September 30, sometime in the afternoon. Since it was GLU's anniversary the next day, there was an event happening that night on the quadrangle stage. A pretty popular band was set to perform, so Misaki and I figured we'd go, especially since attendance was mandatory.
It was still early, the main event hadn't even started yet, but the music blasting from the quadrangle was already deafening. I was walking down the corridor at the time, coming from Mommy's office. I was just headed to meet Misaki at the car park, since she'd texted saying she was on her way.
The chemistry lab where I'd left Mommy was on the 5th floor. I'd told her I was heading down to pick up Misaki, so I made my way down and started walking through a corridor that was pretty much empty by then. Everyone was probably already getting ready for the event happening downstairs.
By the time I reached the 3rd floor, I couldn't help but notice how most of the lights were switched off, both in the corridor and in every classroom I passed, such a contrast to the 5th and 4th floors. The hair on my arms started standing up, and on top of that, the whole place had this cold, heavy feeling to it. My overthinking always kicks into overdrive whenever I get scared, and this was no exception.
I'm trying my best to calm myself down. Some people say that there's a white lady roaming around here every night. People said a white lady liked to wander the halls at night, and it lined up too, with the students who had classes from 7:30 to 8:30 PM claiming they'd seen her. Sometimes I really don't get what ghosts are up to. What exactly is their reason for scaring people? Do they have nothing better to do or are they just attention-seekers?
I pulled my phone out of my pocket, figured I'd give myself something to do so I wouldn't dwell on the fear, something to distract me from the surroundings. I checked if Misaki had sent anything new too. And sure enough, there was a message waiting from her. She said she was already on campus, along with those two troublemakers, Theo and Seren. Apparently the kids had already gone running off toward the 5th floor to come meet me. These kids, really, they're so naughty.
Theo had been begging me earlier to let him tag along with Misaki and Serenity on the way home, since Misaki needed to swing by their house to grab something first, so I let the kid go, seeing as he clearly didn't want to be apart from his friend just yet.
As for me, I didn't head home myself, not because my uniform still smelled nice or anything, just plain laziness on my part. Misaki said she'd let the kids come along, and that we'd all meet up at the lounge, since her fellow peer facilitators were still briefing them on tomorrow's activity.
While I was walking, I suddenly heard a classroom door swing open behind me, one I'd just passed, so I whipped around right away. I slid my phone back into my pocket first before taking a few steps back toward where I'd come from.
"Who's there?" Even scared, I forced my voice to sound steady. Nobody answered. Probably just the wind. Good thing the music from the quadrangle was blasting loud enough. Horror moments always hit harder in dead silence. Though honestly, if a horror movie played the Sofia the First theme song as background music instead, you'd end up dancing instead of scared.
Since the place looked empty, I kept walking again, but my nerves shot up even worse when I heard footsteps behind me, and I turned around little by little. I stumbled back when I saw Bryan spinning a knife in his right hand, Joseph beside him holding something like a truncheon. I turned away from them to make a break for it, but the second I spun around, Carl was right there blocking my path, arms crossed.
"And where do you think you're going?" Carl said, a sly grin on his face. In that moment, I couldn't think straight, couldn't figure out how to get out of the mess I was in.
"You're not with your girlfriend right now, huh? What a pain! It's actually supposed to be you and her," Bryan said, a demonic little smile stretched across his lips.
"Bryan, what is this now?" I asked him, my mind racing for any way to get away from them.
"It's a surprise! Do you like it?" he said, sarcasm thick in his voice. He looked like he was having the time of his life putting on this whole show.
"Come on, Bryan, for goodness sake, cut it out! Just leave me and Misaki alone!" I snapped at him, anger taking over. It just burst out of me, completely out of my control. In that moment, I stopped caring what they might do to me.
"The heck!" he said, shoving my shoulder.
"You've got some nerve telling me to stop! You think I'm just gonna let you two have your happy ending while I'm the one who loses!" he snarled, practically shaking with rage.
"Just accept that you're the loser this time," I said, sarcasm dripping from every word, which only made him grab my collar harder, fury written all over his face.
"Hey Ayan, it'd be more exciting if we just crack his skull open." Joseph chimed in, sounding way too eager to finally use that truncheon he'd prepared.
"I'm not scared of you. And here's the only thing I'll say to you, Bryan, even if you kill me, Misaki is never going to fall for you." My voice came out weak, but I was shaking too, from anger, while Bryan still had my collar in his fist, practically breathing fire.
"That's right! You really are going to die!" He suddenly shoved me, and seemed to signal to Joseph. The next thing I knew, I felt something heavy swing and strike my head, sending me crashing to the floor.
I hadn't even lost consciousness yet when Joseph brought the truncheon down on me again. He kept at it, over and over, hitting whatever part of my body he could reach. As much as I wanted to get up and fight back, I couldn't. I could barely even hold onto my own breathing between each hit.
Bryan suddenly kicked me hard in the stomach, and the pain made me curl up helplessly. He squatted down beside me, resting one knee on the ground.
"What's the matter, looks like you don't have anything left to say," Bryan said, smirking. I could barely move, shaking from the pain running through me, so all I could do was glare at him, the only thing I had left to fight back with.
He grabbed my hair and yanked me up by it, even though my legs couldn't hold me straight anymore. And since I still couldn't stand on my own, he pinned both my arms from behind and forced me to face Carl.
"Dude! Go ahead, bust his gut open," Bryan said, and right away Carl slammed his fist into my stomach, over and over. I ended up throwing up a mix of saliva and blood right after. The last time he hit my stomach, everything seemed to slip into slow motion, and I sank to the floor bit by bit. All I could hear were echoes bouncing around me, like we were trapped inside a cave. I could still make out their laughter underneath the music blasting from downstairs.
By the time my body was laid out flat on the floor, I somehow managed to crack my eyes open, just barely. My fear spiked even worse when I spotted Matthew and Serenity not far off, frozen in place, shaking, terrified out of their minds, staring right at us.
Before my eyes finally slipped shut for good, I prayed the two kids would just run. I didn't want them dragged into whatever this was turning into. I hope they leave before the three of them spot them.
To be continued
WARNING ⚠️
The next chapters contain sensitive themes that some readers may find disturbing or uncomfortable. Reader discretion is advised.