Dark Woods Academy

Chapter 4

I knew Ashton's password and unlocked the phone immediately going to the call records. There was a missed call from me and the rest of calls were... blank? What the hell? That wasn't normal. Nobody kept a blank call record, Ashton wouldn't have cleared it.

I opened the chats and found the exact same thing. Everything was blank. What the hell was this?

I scrolled through the notes and every possible app which had been wiped clean. Frustrated I picked up my phone and called a tech geek on campus.

"Fred, can you get back anything that's been cleared on a phone?" I asked over the call, fingers crossed.

When he said he could try and that he would head to my dorm right away I felt slightly relieved.

I shook my head believing in my heart that my friends were still alive. Maybe they just got spooked and ran off. The search team would find them eventually. I felt the hope resonate deep within my heart that they were alive. It was just too horrible to think otherwise. Such evil couldn't happen on a campus right? Not so many deaths at least.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts and I opened it to reveal Fred looking slightly disheveled like he had just rolled out of bed.

"You signed the register?" I asked. There was a register at the dorm entrance and an attendant that ensured it was signed by any visitors to clock in and out especially males in the females dorm section.

"Nope, snuck in while a friend distracted her," he responded.

"Good, here's the phone," I said and handed it over to him. I figured he hadn't heard yet about what had happened and I wasn't about to fill him in. He would know eventually. The whole campus would.

He hooked up the USB cord to it and attached it to his laptop running a software while I waited impatiently.

I was glad he hadn't asked whose phone it was and why I wanted to retrieve any deleted files.

A few minutes later he shook his head handing it back to me. "There's only one note left and it's a bunch of numbers. Most likely it's a phone number or something. Maybe even a passcode for something."

I took down the code, paid him a twenty and thanked him showing him out.

It was time to hand over the phone to the authorities. I made my way to Blaze's office. Everyone called him Blaze and some students even called him Logan. As the new head of security on campus, he had an approachable attitude and was helpful to anyone that needed it. I wasn't that familiar with him but I did interact with him a few times.

I knocked on his door that was ajar and waited for him to tell me to enter. "Um I found something when I went into the woods," I stated.

Alarm shone on his face as he looked at me no doubt thinking of the dead body that I had found last night.

"Its Ashton's phone," I said sliding it over to him on the desk.

Relief showed on his face. "Thanks for bringing it in," he said.

"How could they have missed this?" he asked out loud shaking his head. I was thinking the same thing, how had the team of investigators missed Ashton's cellphone, especially since it was on loud, and they could have called it.

"Ace, I need you to stay away from the investigation. There could be trouble for you especially when it comes to these things," he said and it took a while for me to catch on to what he was implying.

I had a cellphone that belonged to one of the missing persons. I was the only one that had returned from the woods and I could very well become... a suspect in the investigation.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked him. He knew what I meant, why wasn't he asking or accusing me of anything, especially with Ashton's phone.

He looked at me, meeting my eyes and I stared back noticing the sympathy in his expression.

"I saw you... how you looked when you ran out of the woods," he said shaking his head.

"You were terrified out of your mind and you looked so... vulnerable."

"There was no way you could have faked that," he said with complete assurance, a slight tinge of sympathy in his tone.

I swallowed blinking back tears that threatened to fall.

"Thanks Blaze," I said wiping a tear. "Its Logan," he said. I nodded, "Logan," I corrected myself.

"If there's anything you need or if you want to talk about anything, my door is always open," he said and I nodded thanking him and turning away.

An assembly was called at 10 am and every student was required to be present. We gathered in the Great Hall which was a large auditorium that could accommodate all the students. There were whispering as I took a seat at the back wanting to fade into the walls because they were about to find out what had happened in the woods.

"Settle down," Principal Webster's voice boomed across the mic and speakers around us. A hush fell on the crown of students and he spoke when there was total silence.

"Last night, a few delinquent students were in the woods drinking alcohol when three went missing and only one returned. Also a dead body was found in the woods," he finished as a collective gasp swept the crowd. Then voices were raised as chaos broke out and everyone had something to say.

After a few attempts, Principal Webster was able to settle the crowd to continue. The atmosphere had shifted, tension and worry clouded the air around me and I gritted my teeth begging him not to reveal that I was the student that had returned while my friends had gone missing. The student body would find out eventually but for as long as it could be delayed, I hoped it would be.

"Your safety is our priority," Principal Webster continued. "And so, the west side of campus is closed off as investigations are ongoing. Students are not allowed to go into the woods under any circumstances. And security is quadrupled," he announced trying to assure the student body that they were safe but it wouldn't be long before there would be mass hysteria and panic.

"A curfew has been implemented, students are asked to have a buddy system where no one should be walking around campus on their own. Please stay in groups, campus security is always available if you specifically need an escort to classes," he assured us calming some of our fears.

"Classes will not be cancelled. However, if anyone needs to speak to a counsellor, one will be available. We are doing our best to keep you safe but that will only be possible if you abide by the rules and guidelines of this University that has been set in place to protect you. I trust you will heed these warnings. Be safe out there," he dismissed the assembly and students started dispersing, their loud chatter buzzing around me as they each wondered aloud and discussed the missing students and who they could be and a dead body.