Living Nightmare

1

Children laughing, singing, some even just talking. Something everyone had truly hoped to hear when they passed a school during the day. Sometimes they heard teachers yelling, no doubt to a class of rowdy students. However, it was rather normal was it not? Hearing all of those things as you passed by. 

At night it was silent, a few lights turned on and scattered throughout the building. No doubt a night crew that was hired to clean the school when the students were long gone, a security detail to ensure the safety of the building, and quite possibly a few teachers that stayed behind to finish their work in the quiet confines of the building itself. 

The sky was near black when the last of the teachers had gone home. No doubt to see his family and enjoy a dinner that would be near cold at this point. As he walked across the parking lot to his car, his hand reaching into his pocket to retrieve his keys, he heard a scream. He jumped at the sudden shriek, his eyes darting around to find the source. He turned his head a few times, trying to see if he saw anyone close by. It was a rather loud scream, sounding quite close, or someone with very powerful lungs to make it this far if they were far from his location. 

"Hello?" He cautiously called out, his body now facing away from his car, and now facing the surrounding forest. 

He stood silent for a few moments, not hearing anything other than the night wind blowing the tops of the trees. A trick of his mind most likely. He decided to shake the eerie feeling he had, choosing to hurry instead of further investigating. 

After all, it could have been a trick of the wind creating what he assumed to be a girl screaming. 

He had gone home to his family, the feeling still lingering in his chest as he thought further on it. He pushed the feeling aside as he was in the comforts of his own home. Nothing could truly harm him right now. Safe, locked inside his own house. 

Or so he thought. 

-

Far, deep in the surrounding forest stood a crumbling altar. One that seven girls had been known to play near. They called it their own sanctuary. Giggling and having a grand time until they knew they had to be home. They had grown up in the same general area, all but one. She was rather new and seemed to have a connection to the group of girls. 

"Do you think they'll ever care if we went missing?" Siyeon spoke, her voice carrying through the near-empty clearing. 

Bora and Minji turned their heads, both perched on a crumbling wall that gave them a full view of everything around them. 

"My parents wouldn't." Minji chuckled. "They hardly know I come out here this late. Nor do they even care." She scoffed. 

"I'm sure they would notice after a few days," Yubin smirked at the elder, her arms crossing over her chest. 

The little group continued to discuss the rather depressing topic amongst themselves, all but two. Handong and Gahyeon were busy sifting through the rubble, Gahyeon on the hunt for interesting rocks to add to her collection in her room back home. Handong just wanted to help the youngest in her pursuit to find different colors and shapes. 

"What kind of rock is this?" Handong held up what she thought was just a normal rock. Gahyeon wandered herself over, taking the small stone from the older girl. 

"I don't know... But I do like it." Gahyeon smiled.

"There are more." Handong picked up the remaining, additional 6 stones. 

"Interesting. Maybe they were apart of a weird design in the wall." Gahyeon whispered as she placed the stones in a separate bag from her own. She wanted to further investigate these herself. 

"What do you do with your rocks?" Handong asked. 

"Sometimes I give them to friends, sometimes I keep them for myself on a display. Other times I send them off to be appraised, sometimes I make jewelry from them." She shrugged her shoulders, revealing a necklace she had made from one of the river stones she had. 

"Very fascinating. You are quite the artist." Handong complimented the younger, it was a rather gorgeous necklace. 

"Thank you." Gahyeon smiled. "I think after I figure out what these are, I'll give each of them a stone. Since you found it here, we can each have one." She continued to explain her little plan as it formed in her head. 

"I will look forward to your gift." Handong chuckled quietly. 

The two returned back to the group, just in time to walk through the dark forest together and go their separate ways home. Something they always did together. No one ever bothered them, why would tonight even be the slightest different?