Ghost Sweepers The XXX that only I can understand

Desperate Hours, Desperate Times

On the next day, Jay and I were both dozing in our dreams. The alarm clock kept on buzzing and ringing, it shook up and down and slid near the edge of the table. And it slipped and made a huge sound.

"Ah? What was that?" Jay was frightened, he woke up and gazed around, there was a clock lying on the floor upside down. Jay grabbed that clock and looked at it.

And his face went pale.

"WAKE UP, ALFIE! YOU are going to be LATE." Jay screamed, shaking my bed.

"Five more minutes...." I said. But Jay shook my bed even harder.

"NO MORE FIVE MINUTES!! It's already 7:50 am! You ONLY have TEN MINUTES to go to school! GET UP RIGHT NOW!"

"WHAT? Why didn't you wake me up earlier?!" I complained.

"Because I overslept too. I was tired after the battle yesterday. I didn't hear the alarm."

"Argh! If I knew it, I should set more alarms!" I cried. Rushing, I grabbed my schoolbag and hurried downstairs at the doorstep and tied my shoelaces on. Before I opened the door, I noticed Jay was not by my side, I turned back and wondered where he went. I gazed up at the staircase and called him.

"Come on, Jay. Hurry up!"

"Alfie, you forgot your keys!" said Jay as he floated down the staircase, holding a pair of keys.

"Oh! Emm....thanks." I thanked Jay. It was always easy to forget things when you were rushing. I got back the keys, locked the door and ran towards school.

Huffing and puffing, Mr. Weaver was standing at the school gate.

"Mr. Weaver, I'm sorry I'm late----huh?!" I looked up. Numerous students were lining up one by one in front of the school, gossiping with each other. Huge class signs were held significantly on the head of the lines with faces of anxiousness. The adults were shouting.

Why is everyone lining up and taking attendance? I wondered.

"Alfie! I'm glad you're ok. Now, get out of here and go back home immediately!"

"What?! What happened?!"

"Just a few moments earlier, there were many windows and lights in school started to break suddenly one by one without any reasons! NO ONE knows why they were broken! We are now evacuating everyone outside school for safety. And that means you too, Alfie!"

"Wait a moment, is there anyone who got injured?"

"No. There aren't any injuries but I received some calls this morning telling me that three students were being sent to the hospital last night. Wounds were found on their bodies but they didn't know who attacked them. We predict there must be someone out there aiming for this school in the first place."

"Who are those three students?"

"Your classmates. Fiona, William and Jose. I wonder why the criminal is aiming at our class."

Those people are the ones who bully me.

Wait. Where's Philip?

"Mr. Weaver, where is Philip?" I inquired. Mr. Weaver nodded his head.

"I don't know. He is on the missing list. I guess he is still trapped in school." He said as he crumbled his eyebrows and gazed far away. He struggled to remain calm and comforted me, "But don't worry, there is a man who is related to the police taking care of the situation right now. You should-----Huh?" As he looked back, I was no longer in his sight.

"Where does he go?" Mr. Weaver searched around, he saw me a few meters away, dashing to the school gate.

"Alfie, come back here right now! It's dangerous!" He warned.