It's a Trivia Murder Party

Sasha

I blow a strand of blonde hair out of my face, then tuck it behind my ear before going back to scrolling on Instagram.  I cannot believe that I've gotten detention.  Me, of all people!  I mean, seriously?  I roll my eyes as I sit in a pool of my own misery, then scan the room once more.  Sitting at the desk next to me is my best friend, Gabriella Roux.  Her dark brown eyes lock on my blue ones, and it's clear we're sharing the exact same thought: This sucks.

Sitting a few rows ahead of me is a small ginger boy with freckles who is, unlike the rest of us, a junior.  How badly do you have to mess up to get detention with a group of seniors?  That's the question that weighs in my mind as I stare down Cody Crenshaw as he pops a chip in his mouth, his gaze set on a book.  He's really not that interesting, so I shift my gaze to the next victim of detention.  

Slumped against their desk across the room with the hood of their gray hoodie shielding a portion of their dark, messy hair is Kat Sachs.  I'm surprised it took them this long to get detention for sleeping in class; they've gotten off with a warning way too many times.  Oh well.

A few desks to my right sits a young man in a varsity jacket.  He's built like a tank, and it's shocking that he doesn't break the chair he's trying to make himself fit comfortably in.  I make the mistake of letting my gaze linger too long on his face; there are multiple scrapes and bandages, the most notable bandage covering his entire left eye.  I don't realize I'm staring until he snaps, "The h*ll are you looking at?!"

I decide not to answer, because you never know what will p*ss off Tyler Lawson, the hot-headed quarterback of the school football team.  Instead, I let a girl sitting at the desk closest to the door catch my eye.  She is dressed head to toe in black and pink, and her mascara has dripped down her cheeks a little bit, a telltale sign that she'd been crying.  She stares at her phone, but her eyes are distant.  I'm used to this behavior from her, though, because Maddie Peters is known for being the shy emo girl.  Maybe if she'd get a therapist, she would have a better reputation.  I almost feel bad for her.

The little pity I feel flies out the window as soon as I see my next classmate in detention.  His dirty-blonde hair falls in his face as he scrolls through what I'm almost certain is either Tinder or OnlyFans.  The only thing worse than his taste in social media is his choice of ear piercings, silver chain, and yellow shirt and vest.  The combination is almost sickening to me.  I unintentionally meet his gaze, and I can't help but immediately notice that his right pupil is slightly larger than his left one, a subtle but unique thing only found in Eryn Daniels.  

Finally, I look over at the last figure.  His dark hair is slicked back, and he rolls his tongue over his gold tooth as he taps his foot rhythmically.  His blue and brown eyes are hungry for something, likely freedom from the prison that's this room.  I notice how every time his gaze finds its way over to Eryn, his expression darkens.  This realization piques my interest, although there's no doubt that Nathan Young has his fair share of grudges against those who couldn't hold up their end of their bargain.  Making a deal with Nathan is like making a deal with the devil himself; you will always lose no matter what you do to try to get out of it.

I glance back at my phone.  According to the numbers on my screen, we've been here for almost three hours, and there's still no sign of the teacher.  But just as the realization hits me, the door swings open, and an unfamiliar man enters.  He has dark red hair and glasses, and wears a button-down with khakis.  The odd parts to me, though, are his black-painted nails and double ear piercings.  No teacher, no matter how terrible they are at their job, matches black nails with formalwear.  It hurts my fashion-loving heart, and I force myself to look away as he begins to speak.

"Hi kids, I'm Mr. Myrrh, and I'm subbing in for Dr. Pressley," he says. "Sorry I'm late, I was only informed at the last minute that I'd be his substitute teacher.  Anyways, let me just take attendance." 

Mr. Myrrh sets down his bag and fumbles through it for a moment before pulling out a folder.  He begins to read off name by name, but as he does, something begins to feel off.  I start to feel tired, which is weird, because I literally just had a Starbucks caramel frappuccino like an hour ago.  I notice that Gabriella begins to yawn as well, and suddenly Cody's head hits his desk.  I check my phone again.  It's only about six o'clock, and there's no way even a junior would be asleep for another few hours.

And as soon as I begin to realize that something is very wrong, my eyelids get heavier.  I look towards Mr. Myrrh, who pulls an inhaler out of his bag and inhales deeply a few times.  I know in that moment that there is something off about him, but before I can even begin to think about what it may be, the room darkens, and suddenly everything is black.

I open my eyes and try to focus on my surroundings.  The bouncing of the ground tells me that I'm in a moving vehicle.  

A hissing noise fills the air, and I begin to feel drowsy again.

Darkness.

(976 words)

Well folks, here it is.  Chapter one is done.  Now it's time for some action.