The School Graveyard

Chapter One

The school bell sounded, it's piercing clang-clang-clanging signaling the end of another long day.

    Without another word, the teacher dropped the chalk which had been scribbling across the blackboard making revolting squeaks and left through the front door. No one reacted with the slightest surprise because this was a normal occurrence at Pinewoods High, where each teacher seemed unable to care less.

    A hubbub immediately broke out, babbling voices overlapping in a chaotic symphony that only worsened Kylo's headache.

    "Hey, Kylo!" a bright voice called out from the other side of the wide classroom. "Wanna come over to my house? It's gaming night!" It was Friday, and Friday meant pizza and games like Halo and Minecraft at Freddy's house.

    "Can't," Kylo replied gloomily. "I've got graveyard duty with Jayna and Dev."

    "Ah, man," Freddy's jubilant smile faded, replaced by a look of undisguised pity. "That's rough."

    Pinewoods High was a boarding school situated in a vast, seemingly endless forest in the middle of nowhere. With its majestic gray stone walls, massive stained-glass windows, and assorted statues and gargoyles, it resembled a castle from the 15th century. You couldn't find a more unusual school anywhere, for at Pinewoods High, nothing—from the staff and students to the courses to the campus—was what would be considered "normal." For one, there wasn't the slightest trace of civilization outside of the campus; the landscape was nothing but trees, trees, and trees all the way to the distant horizon. For another, there was an expansive graveyard neighboring the school. No one knew why, nor who was buried there, but it had existed for as long as anyone could remember.

And finally, students were assigned to "after-school chores" in groups of three. This in itself wasn't terribly unusual, but the chores were often to be done in outlandish places—like Kylo with graveyard duty—and generally involved cleaning. The school's explanation for this was that the chores "brightened the atmosphere" by creating a cleaner environment and "raised morale," which supposedly led to improved academic performance—all a load of nonsense, in Kylo's opinion. Either the school couldn't afford to hire someone to do the cleaning or the people in charge just couldn't be bothered. Judging from the way many locations that visibly longed for repairs (cracked walls, creaky handrails, crumbling stone paths, and so on) lay neglected, he wouldn't be surprised if both were true.

    Kylo sighed in resignation and went to find Jayna and Dev. They were already standing together and, expectedly, neither looked particularly enthralled about their task. Dev, who was normally unassailably cheerful, tried and failed to look positive. Jayna appeared unhappy but seemed resigned to their predicament and had donned her signature look of determination. Together they left the classroom, which had already cleared out.

    The school was eerily empty as they descended the wide stone staircase. In the still air the hollow thuds their shoes made were unnaturally loud, almost menacing. With unspoken consent, the three doubled their pace, eager to leave the uncanny aura of the deserted school as swiftly as possible.

    They encountered no other being as they exited the building and headed towards their destination besides a gray cat streaking away in an evanescent blur. The air grew cold, constricting around them in a malevolent embrace. The wind began to whistle shrilly, whispering wordless incantations that made them shudder involuntarily.

    "Where is everybody?" Jayna hissed through clenched teeth. "We can't be the only ones with chores today. How are we the only ones left?"

    The other two made no response besides swiveling their heads in every direction, desperate for the sight of another human being, but to no avail—it was as if they had unknowingly stumbled through a portal leading to an uninhabited world.