chapter four: the school for the damned
On the mirror from the steam was written forever and always the door then slammed shut and I jumped out of the shower. I tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge. The door seemed like someone was on the other side holding it shut so I couldn't get out. I then heard and felt someone breathing on the back of my neck. I didn't even want to turn around to see. I just wanted out of there.
"Come with me. Be with me." The ghostly whisper I heard behind me.
I pulled even harder and finally the door gave way as i fell on my ass, and there my dad stood at the doorway. He looked down at me and asked
"What's going on son? Why are you on the floor? And what was all that noise? I thought you were in trouble." He questioned.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you dad." I said as I stood up.
"Um. Ok, are you alright?" He asked.
"I don't know. I don't feel comfortable here." I said.
My dad looked worried, he probably thought it was because I missed mom. And this was all new to me. Which yes I did. But that's not all. It was this house. Its alive and he doesn't believe me. And now I'm hearing voices. What am I suppose to do?
"Well get dressed. I'll take you to the school so you can get enrolled " he mentioned as he walked away.
shit. I forgot about that. I thought to myself.
I stumbled out of the bathroom and headed to my room. I threw on some clothes and looked in the mirror to see if I looked decent enough to go to school. But when I did, my refection wasn't the same. He blinked before I did he licked his lips in a sexual desire. And his eyes had changed from brown to blue. What the hell was going on? I heard my dad walking up the hall as I turned my head to see if he was at the doorway yet. I turned back to look in the mirror and it was back to my own.
Confused as I was, I just grabbed my jacket and swung it over my shoulder and walked out of the room. I met up with my dad and we both headed for the door. Before we shut the door I heard a hiss coming from the hall followed by the words don't leave me again. Chills ran down my spine as I quickly rushed out the door and slammed it shut.
"Did you say something?" Dad asked me.
"No? Did you hear that too?" I asked.
"Hmm, must have left a window open earlier." He mumbled.
He heard it. I wasn't going crazy. But he wasn't going to admit it. He just blew it off like it was nothing. Oh well, we ended up backing down the drive and again I saw the face in the attic window. I could tell that it was a boy this time. But I still couldn't say anything to my dad about it. So I ignored it once again as we drove to the school which was only a five minute drive.
We reached the school and it looked like an asylum or use to be one. The windows were barred, the front had a porch with pale white pillars that looked as if they were scorched. The double doors had fancy designs carved into them. The windows were too high off the ground as if they were to keep people from climbing in or out of them. The walls were made of stone brick with a greyish tint to them. Gargoyles purched on top of the building and the building itself seems like it went on for miles.
We walked up to the door and pressed hard to open it. The door stood at least 10 feet tall. With it creaking the entire way open. It echoed in the lobby. Inside was huge as well, the ceiling was probably about 20 feet high with a chandelier hanging above. Cobwebs surrounded it as no one has been able to clean it. The floor had a huge circle with a compas design in the middle. The plants against the walls were lifeless and in the middle was a double staircase that led to the second floor. It stopped halfway to landing that split off to two sections. Stairs led to The left side and the right side. And at the wall in the middle of the landing was a huge stained glass window that had been burned at one point. But it had a picture of st. Marry holding a baby.
"This place is creepy." I said aloud as it echoed through the lobby.
"Quiet, don't let them hear you say that." He whispered.
"Its quite alright." A lady laughed as the door on the left to the corridor slammed shut and latched.
She was wearing a black robe with a white sash around her waist. She looked like a nun. I hope this isn't a catholic school I was thinking. She continued to walk towards us.
"Hi you must be the Turner's family. I was expecting you. My name is Sister Agatha." She said as she extended her hand.
Dad reached out to shake her hand as I caught a glimpse of her arm. She had been badly burned and scarred. She noticed me starring as she quickly pulled her sleeve down.
"Sorry, yes I'm Keith, and this is my boy Cole. I'm here to.." He said as he got interrupted.
"Yes I know why you are here. Come with me." She demanded.
We stayed in silence and followed along with her. She headed towards the door that she came from. She pulled out a ring with what looked like over a hundred keys. She unlocked the door and held it open for us to go through. After we went into the corridor, the door slammed shut again. And continued down the hall. Finally reaching a door, she opened it with another key. We followed her into the office and took a seat.
"I don't want to be here." I whispered.
"Don't worry son, everything will be fine." He whispered back.
As he said that sister Agatha place a pile of papers on the desk in front of us to fill out. The office smelled like mildew almost like a damp basement. A picture hung above her seat that stood tall of three nuns standing side by side. The walls were concrete and blackened at the top close to the ceiling. She had walked out of the room to let us fill out the papers and would be back shortly.
"Do I have to go here dad?" I asked.
"Yes, it'll be temporary until we get you assigned to a new school." He said.
I sighed at the thought of being in the giant prison. It seemed like a school for the damned. And erie feeling overwhelmed me the whole time I was there. We finished up the paperwork and she never showed up. So I decided to wander the halls in search for her. As I walked down the corridor, I heard people shushing and whispering but was very faint coming from the doors. There were no windows on the doors or even the walls for that matter. All of the doors were locked the pictures were covered with dirty cloth and the mirrors were covered as well.
I reached the end of the hall and there was a set of double doors that were locked as well. I turned back around and noticed that I had been walking for miles. I couldn't even see the end of the corridor.
"Go... Go back. Please help. Don't leave." A ghostly voice from being me echoed.
Chills once again ran down my spine as I took off in a sprint to the end of the corridor to try and find my way back to the office. The closer I got to the end, the voices grew louder and louder as if they were screaming. I couldn't make out what they were saying. There were hundreds of voices all at once. Covering my eyes, and looking back. I ran into sister Agatha. Knocking her down and me falling on top of her.
"I'm so sorry ma'am." I said stumbling to get up.
"This is no place for that kind of attitude young man!" She growled.
She led me back to the office where she sat me down and told my dad that I need discipline. He agreed and handed over the papers.
"I'll see you tomorrow bright and early young man. You will learn to respect others." She demanded as she stood up and led us out to the lobby.
We left the school and headed to the truck. I just kept getting an uneasy feeling about this place. Not just the school. But the whole town. Just as we left, the fog started to roll in again. Were we ever going to see the sun?
"What the hell is up with this weather?" I asked.
"Watch your mouth son. You shouldn't be talking like that." Dad muttered.
I just looked down at the floorboard as we drove. We went in the opposite direction we came from.
"Where we going?" I asked.
"Well I have to go into town to get a few things for the house." He said.
As we came to a sign that said to turn around, the bridge was out. But it was more than just the bridge. The other side was gone. Barely visible through the fog, I couldn't see anything across the way.
"Well I guess we can't go into town." He mentioned as he turned the truck back and headed home.
"And you don't find any of this weird?" I asked.
He just shook his head no and continued on driving. As we pulled into the drive, we saw someone standing at the door. But the fog was too thick to make out the figure. We got out of the truck and headed up the walkway. The closer we got. The fog started to dissipate, it was Sara. She had stopped over to see my dad.
"Um.. Hi?" Dad muttered as he scratched the back of his head.
"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I just came to tell you that the roads are out and it will be awhile before we can get anyone from the other side to fix them. But if you need anything at all just let me know and I'll be happy to assist y'all." Sara said as she smiled and handed my dad a key.
"What's this for?" He asked.
"Oh yeah, its for the cellar door. The sherrif told me to drop it off to you." She said
"Alright then. Would you like to come in for some coffee?" He asked.
"No, I gotta get going. I've got a lot of things to do before nightfall. But thank you for the offer. Maybe later?" She said as she stared up the attic window.
does she know something? I thought to myself. She then shook my dads hand and kissed me on the top of my head and left. I'm not even sure how she got here. There was no car. After she left, we went inside.