Warning: This story may contain sensitive events that some viewers may find disturbing. Take a deep breath, and together, let us enter Hell School.
CHAPTER 1: Welcome to Hell
Zein's Point of View
I couldn't stop scratching my leg. I was wearing shorts that kept brushing against the grass around me. And my rubber shoes were already covered in mud.
"Are you guys sure that this is the right way? Just tell me if we're already lost, okay? At least I won't be surprised," I mumbled irritably.
"Can you stop it, Zein? Be quiet. You've been complaining nonstop and you're not even helping," Mia snapped.
I just rolled my eyes at Mia, who was busy pointing out directions. She was the one who found the map, so she had the power to hold it and lead the way.
"It's too grassy. Be careful, there might be snakes around," Dave warned.
"Thanks for scaring us, Dave," Vanessa replied sarcastically while holding a stick.
"Shh. You'll just get more tired if you keep talking," Jerome said as he walked ahead of us.
"We're almost there. Just hang on a little longer," Matt tried to calm us down.
I almost cursed when my thighs were smeared by mud. I shot Vanessa a glare because of the stick she was holding.
She just laughed before moving closer to Mia, she didn't even say sorry.
We are on our way to Hell University, which is located in the middle of the forest. Isn't it amazing? Haha. Mia accidentally found a map, and since our whole circle of friends are full of adventurers, we decided to follow what's on it, so here we are, heading straight for it.
"Ouch!"
I bumped into Matt's back when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Only then did I realize that everyone had stopped walking too.
My jaw dropped when I saw what they were staring at. A huge, old, rusty gate. In the middle, the words Hell University were written in what looked like blood. Creepy.
"Is this it?" Jerome asked.
I almost rolled my eyes. Isn't it obvious, Jerome?
"I think this is it," Mia said.
"What are you doing here?!"
I grabbed Matt's shirt in fear when a man holding a machete suddenly appeared.
"Is this Hell University?"
"We want to enroll," Mia immediately said.
A sly grin appeared on the man's dry lips after staring at us. Shit. I suddenly don't want this anymore.
"Follow me." He walked ahead of us.
I gripped on Vanessa's arm who already looked excited. Everyone looked so thrilled but why do I feel so terrified about this?
"I think this is a bad idea, Van," I whispered.
"I don't think so."
I couldn't believe my eyes when we entered. I spotted some students quietly talking to each other, but what baffles me the most is that some were… even crying.
"You should be registered first," the man said.
But I couldn't take my eyes off the students. Some were glaring sharply at us and others were smiling eerily. Shit. It's creepy.
"It will be exciting," Jerome whispered and winked at the girls.
The place felt suffocating even though it was huge. Hell University. I covered my mouth in shock when the students suddenly started running.
"What's happening?" Vanessa asked.
"A riot. Just ignore it," the man said casually like it's an everyday thing, a common sight.
"A riot? Then why is no one stopping them? You? Why are you still here?" Dave asked.
We stopped in front of a door. The man faced us, and there's still a grin plastered on his face.
"All your questions will be answered inside. Come on."
We entered the room and were greeted by a woman sitting on a swivel chair. She motioned for us to sit which we immediately did.
The muddy floor became even muddier because of our dirty shoes. Do they even know how to clean? Tsk.
"So, good morning, newbies. I am Madame Violet, HU's Headmistress. Please fill up the forms."
The man handed us the forms.
As I filled mine out, I kept glancing at Madame and the man who were both smiling at us. My throat went dry so I focused back on the form.
"Welcome to Hell University!" Madame and the man laughed at the same time.
"Thanks. Umm… how much is the tuition fee?" Mia asked.
"I'm a scholar and I brought all my documents," Vanessa added.
Madame and the man looked at each other, then laughed. Gosh. Why are they so weird?
"It's free. Everything is free."
Vanessa and Mia were delighted, even high-fiving each other, while Matt, Jerome, and Dave just smiled.
"But…"
We all fell silent instantly.
"You must know our one and only rule here," Madame said with a smile.
"You only have one rule?! Whoa!" Dave was amazed.
But why do they seem to be oblivious about the fact that everything is weird? No tuition fee? Seriously? Is there really a school like that? I'll accept if the free part is because they're accepting scholarships but no.
"7:00 PM to 5:00 AM is our Freedom Night, also known as Bloody Night."
My brows collided upon hearing her.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Everything is free. You will have your freedom. Is it also the time where killing is legal, lock all the doors, never get outside that range of time because if you do, you will die."
My blood ran cold after hearing everything Madame said, while the smile on her lips didn't even disappear.
"Are you serious?! That's crazy but cool!" It was Matt.
Gosh! Why are my friends not scared?! Of course I am used to dangerous adventures… but I really have a bad feeling with this one. It feels more different.
"You are the newbies. It's better if you guys are careful. Not everyone you call a friend sees you as one. Never let your guard down… or else. You know what I mean."
Even when we reached the dormitory (boarding house) where the six of us would stay together, I still couldn't believe it. Legal killing? God! This is crazy.
"Guys, I need some fresh air." I said to them before going outside.
I needed to breathe and calm myself down. There are a lot of negative thoughts that have been flooding my mind right now, including the fact that we might really die here.
My feet led me to a nearby park. I hugged myself as the cold wind brushed against my skin. There was no one around.
I sat on a rusty swing and pushed off the ground to make it move.
I roamed my eyes around. The students who were everywhere earlier had suddenly vanished after the riot. Are they really that scary? Should I be too?
"You will die."
My eyes shifted to the nearby tree where a man with a black mask appeared. He was smoking a cigarette.
"Who are you?" fear instantly wrapped my whole system when I saw him drop the knife soaked with blood.
I stood up from the swing with my knees shaking.
"Newbie. What's your name?"
"Z-Zein."
He laughed right after hearing my name. I feel a little bit insulted because of his laugh. There's nothing funny here!
"Sounds like an angel… but in the end… you will also hold a knife to survive." he tossed the knife he was holding towards me so I stepped backwards. I feel so nervous that my throat feels so dry.
"Scared. You guys didn't have to enter here. Tsk."
"Who are you?!"
He took several steps towards me so I stumbled backwards again. This guy is so creepy! Gosh!
"I am not your friend. No one is your friend."
My face crumpled at what he said. What does he mean by it? It's so confusing.
"It's already 6:30 pm. You still have 30 minutes to leave. Lock all the doors. Their eyes are all on you. You guys should take care." He turned his back to me and started walking away. I watched his back until his silhouette disappeared.
Who is that? And who does he mean?
I ran back to the dormitory and found my friends laughing at each other. The attention immediately landed on me when I slammed the door shut.
"We went to the wrong school guys! This is no longer fun!" I couldn't help but to feel so annoyed when they all laughed at what I just said. Why won't they believe me? This is not a joke! Our lives are already at stake.
"You know what, Zein? You'll be the first one to die because of being a scaredy cat. Chill out," Mia uttered with a hint of humor.
I glared at her.
All of us were startled when the sound of the bell echoed throughout the whole place. I went around and locked all of the doors and windows.
My eyes landed on the wall clock.
"7:00 o'clock."
The whole place, even my friends, were wrapped in silence, and I could feel the loud thud in my chest. It's so tight I think I'm going to burst.
"What's that?" Jerome asked.
"It's already a bloody night." Vanessa exclaimed and acted like she was going out when I immediately blocked her way.
"What?! Are you going to kill yourself?" I asked irritably but she just laughed at me.
"Easy, Zein. It's just a joke."
Then they all laughed in unison. They are laughing on a serious matter. Are they already crazy?
"Guys, please. I don't want anything bad to happen to any of us. So please!" I threw myself on the sofa and squeezed my eyes shut. Damn it!
"Hey, sorry…" I could feel Vanessa's hug, even Mia sat beside me.
"Are you really scared Zein?" Mia asked me worriedly.
I could feel the tears rolling down my cheeks because of the fear that something bad might happen to my friends and me. I don't want that to happen.
"Mia. I am really serious. There's something in this school more than this bloody night!" I could still feel the creepy stares from that Madame and weird man from earlier. It's like they had a plan in their head that we're oblivious of. Gosh. Am I going paranoid?
"Sshh. Okay. Let's sleep for now and let's leave tomorrow." Mia hugged me tightly.
A smile tugged at my lips, "Thank you.." I whispered.
"Ssshhh." All of us suddenly turned to Dave when he signaled us to be quiet. He was peeking through the tiny gap of the window. We moved closer to him.
We slightly opened the window to have a better view on what he was looking at. I wrapped my arms around Mia's. There were so many people who had their black masks on. They are everywhere.
"Who are they?" Matt asked in a whisper.
They look so scary. Who are they and what are they doing outside when it's already a bloody night? Why are they wearing masks?
We quickly shut the window when one of them looked in our direction. We immediately ran to the corner and hovered over each other. I could feel the loud beating of our hearts as we cuddled up.
"Did they see us?" Vanessa asked in a shaky tone.
"I thin-"
Dave didn't finish what he was trying to say when a series of knocks almost torn our door down. The beating in my chest became rapid.
"Stop it Luke!" I heard a shout from the outside.
"Okay, okay."
Then the knock vanished. We remained close to each other, gripping each other's arms and hugging whoever we could hold in the moment 'till we fell asleep.