Human Trash

Wind (9)

In the dimly lit staffroom, the air heavy with dust and the remnants of forgotten conversations, Emo stood at the blue metal table, holding the class roster in his hands. His voice cut through the silence as he read aloud each name, the words echoing off the walls of the abandoned room.

"Akihiko, Alvia, Asahi, Elicy, Emo, Erano, Harumi, Iwasimi, Jetto, Katsuki, Min, Rena, Rester, Sean, Sora, Stephen, Subaru, Tatsuko, Yu, and Zen," he recited, his voice steady despite the eerie atmosphere.

As Emo finished reading, Rester's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why isn't Ray's name here?" he questioned, his gaze sweeping over the list of names once more. Ray, a classmate who had recently returned from a leave of absence for personal reasons, should have been included on the roster, yet his name was conspicuously absent.

Ray, weaving his way through the crowd of council club students, approached the desk where Emo stood, tapping his finger against the register in the other boy's hands. "That's me," he stated simply, his voice tinged with amusement.

Rester's eyes narrowed as he followed Ray's gesture, his gaze landing on the name "Stephen" listed on the roster. "Wait. That's your name?" he asked incredulously, surprise evident in his tone.

Ray hopped over the desk and settled into a seat, his legs swinging idly as he explained, "Yeah. I go by that name here."

Rester's expression softened slightly, his curiosity piqued by Ray's revelation. "Guess I don't need to know everything about him," he muttered to himself, turning his attention back to the register in his hands.

As the group of students lingered in the abandoned staffroom, the air thick with unanswered questions and unspoken secrets, the shadows seemed to stretch and twist, casting eerie shapes against the walls.

***

Two weeks prior, just before class 9-B delved into their self-led investigations, tragedy struck the school in the form of a devastating fire. As flames engulfed the staffroom, panic rippled through the campus, and the shrill wail of sirens filled the air as fire ambulances rushed to the scene.

By the time the firefighters arrived, the inferno was already raging out of control, the flames licking hungrily at the walls of the staffroom. Water hoses thrashed about wildly as personnel worked tirelessly to extinguish the blaze, while others focused on ushering the terrified masses to safety beyond the school gates.

Once the fire was finally quenched, the grim task of searching for survivors began. But amidst the charred remnants of the staffroom, only death awaited. Forensic assistants carefully extracted a crisp, burnt body from the wreckage, their expertise confirming the identity of the victim: Ouran.

The news of Ouran's tragic demise sent shockwaves through the school, casting a pall of sorrow and disbelief over the entire campus. As the police arrived to conduct their investigation, theories began to circulate about the cause of the fire. While the possibility of a pressure leak was floated, the circumstances surrounding the incident remained shrouded in mystery. There was no evidence of foul play, no indication of a suicide attempt or murder, yet the sense of unease lingered like a dark cloud overhead.

In the wake of the tragedy, the staffroom was sealed off from entry, and the campus was closed until further notice, leaving the students and faculty alike grappling with the weight of loss and uncertainty.

Later that day, Alvia gathered the members of the council club, her voice steady despite the turmoil swirling within her. She spoke of the eerie coincidence of death following their recent investigations, of three lives lost in quick succession as if by some sinister design. Her words resonated with her companions, for they too felt the chill of fear creeping into their hearts. It was no mere coincidence, they realized, but a pattern emerging in the shadows.