A noble sacrifice and the fool's tears

Ghost of the old academy building? So you knew this thing could be here, despite knowing how dangerous this could be, and brought us along too! This was a ruse from the start, I swear we better not be in danger because of you! I tried to loosen Stacy’s grip from me, but the more I tried to pull away the tighter her grip got. Stacy, you’re scared too aren’t you? Before I could continue my struggle to break away, the ghost began rambling.

“YoU rUIned It! YOu ruINed IT! yOu RuiNeD It!”

It continued to say the same thing over and over again, that I ruined it. I couldn’t make out it’s body well, but if it were human I already know-

“YOU RUINED IT!!!!!!!!!”

-This thing would be on the verge of snapping. The occult club president made the mistake of getting closer. He began asking the ghost questions with a notepad in hand.

“Please I must know, what’s your identity! If we knew then maybe-”

“No one can ever know, NO ONE!!!!!!!!”

No one can ever know? Did it do something bad, is it a lingering spirit due to some sign it committed in the past. I tried to ponder more about what this thing could be, but that’s when it happened. Stacy immediately pushed us to the floor.

“GET DOWN! IT’S COMING!”

Before I could ask what she meant, it happened. Rusted chains shot through the wall and latched onto the lock picker. They were like the same chains he unlocked from the gymnasium door, but that’s impossible those chains should be on the first floor. The lock picker squirmed around on the floor wrapped in chains, then the chains started pulling him towards the wall they came from. The glasses girl started panicking watching the guy get reeled in, despite all this that loon kept trying to talk to the ghost near the board.

“WHAT’S WITH YOU! You’re friend’s getting reeled in and you’re just standing there, forget your stupid project already!”

“No, I’ve come such a long way! This is the moment I’ve been-”

*Drip Drip*

Before he could finish, water started leaking on his head. When the president looked up, some giant mound of slime fell on top of him. The moment he got caught he accidentally flung his notebook at us, Stacy picked it up hesitantly. I decided to arm myself with a chair, it’s better than nothing. I could see the president flailing around in the strange mucus monster that ate him. Me and the other girls found ourselves with our backs against the door, suddenly I heard the door creak open. I turned to see it was Stacy who opened it.

“RUN!”

We all ran out the room, I could hear whatever those things were coming after us in the distance.

****

“WHY THE HELL DID YOU IDIOTS BRING US HERE!”

“I’M SO SORRY! I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS GONNA HAPPEN!”

I started chewing out the remaining occult club member, being that glasses girl. She was teary eyed about what happened, like that’s gonna help! I was planning to do more, but Stacy grabbed me by the shoulder and consoled the glasses girl.

“It’s okay, we’ll find a way to save your friends. Before that though, we need to get outside.”

Stacy is so level headed right now, I’ve never seen her like this. It’s like something’s taken over her-

*Crack*

What was that?

“Oh thank god, I caught up to you guys!”

It was the president, so he managed to escape the mucus monster. It’s strange though his clothes aren’t wet at all, did they really dry that quickly? Glasses ran up and hugged him, well fatty I guess you got a girlfriend! I kinda figured considering that J&C thing, then again I could be-

“GET AWAY, THAT’S NOT MATTHEW!”

What! I looked over at the president who received that hug from glasses, that’s when I noticed something. His face had a crack in it, almost like that mir-No, don’t tell me!

“Looks like I’ve been figured out, at least I got one of you!”

Immediately the glasses girl’s body began to get cracks all over, it was like she was a glass sculpture on the verge of breaking. Eventually she did break, and her dust particles were sent into that accursed mirror. Left with no option me and Stacy ran away, hearing the laughter of the ghoul that just killed one of our fellow student in front of us.

****

“We’re gonna die, we’re so gonna die. I’m such an idiot, why did I choose to come here!”

I’m starting to lose hope now, what are we gonna do! As I panicked, Stacy tapped me on the shoulder and pushed me forward. How is she so calm after everything that happened, more importantly how could she treat me so kindly. She tried to warn me, and despite that I brought her here. Stacy, I’m so-

“Nina look! It’s the door!”

“What!?!”

Stacy was right, the door we entered through was now in front of us. This is our chance to leave, let’s not take this for granted. Wait, why is the door closed, we left the door open! I tried to push it open, but it didn’t budge. No way, there’s no way the door should be locked unless someone chained it. Why, why now! I gave Stacy the chair I brought to protect us, and started fidgeting with the door.

“Come on open, open please! I don’t want us to die like this!”

As I messed with the door, I heard it. The sound of a stampede coming down the hall, it was like the death bell giving its toll. No way, is it over? I looked at my friend, and noticed the notebook was opened. Was she reading it? Stacy looked down the hall at the chaos coming our way, she then looked at me and smiled.

“I figured it out.”

“What?”

“Jeremy undid the chains and got chained up, Matthew turned on the faucet and got attacked by living water, and Terese brought over the mirror only to get trapped inside of it. Meaning what’s coming this way is meant for you Nina.”

Meant for me, what are you-Wait, oh no the board I erased! This is all my fault, all because I fell into that trance. No way, what’s gonna happen to me then? What’s gonna happen to Stacy? Before I could continue my thoughts, Stacy threw the chair I gave her into a window. The window shattered, why on earth would she do that? That’s when Stacy approached me, she put the notebook in my hands and grabbed me.

“If this is meant for you, that means if it took me instead I would be safe.”

“Wha-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! STACY DON’T YOU DARE!”

She threw me, she threw me right out the same window she shattered. As I flew out I could see the ominous spirits surrounding her, my friend giving me a soft smile as she was taken. I tried to reach out only to catch empty air.

****

“...W-Where am I, how long was I out!”

I turned on my phone, it was 6:45pm. We went in around 4:45, we spent about an hour inside. I was out for an hour! What will happen to Stacy and-

“Oh no, STACY!”

I looked back to see the door had chains covering it, as if something was trying to keep people out. No way, how am I supposed to save her. This is all their faults! If it wasn’t for those Occult club losers we wouldn’t-

I got a bad feeling about this. What if the old school house actually is haunted?

I'm only trying to help you!

Maybe Thomas was right, maybe we shouldn’t go to the old school building.

Wait Nina! Maybe we should think about this!

They warned me, they warned me but I didn’t listen. Despite that-

“You saved me, *sniff* I got you in danger and you saved me. Stacy*sniff* I’m so sorry…”

I wept on the ground outside the old academy building, but I had to pull myself together. I’m the only one who can-No, like Stacy said I need help. Where am I gonna find…

“I have no choice, I’ll have to ask that guy for help.”

With that I rushed off, hoping that guy doesn’t hate me and hoping my friend is still hanging in there.