Secrets of The Gallifrey University.

part 6

Ryan.

I stood at the edge of the pool, staring out at the calm, blue water.
It had this way of quieting my thoughts, even if just for a moment.
The surface rippled slightly,
but all I could think about was her. Sierra.
Her face,
her voice,
and the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled.
The thought made me grin as I cracked open a can of soda,
the cool fizz hitting my lips.

"What a girl,"
I mumbled to myself, replaying our last conversation in my head.
Every word, every look she gave, it all stuck with me.

Before I could get too lost in it,
my phone buzzed,
snapping me out of the daydream. I glanced down.
Celine.

I answered, my voice switching to something more serious.
"What's wrong?"

"Ryan," she said, her tone sharp, right to the point.
"I can't stop thinking about what happened in the library earlier."

I sighed, feeling the tension already creeping in.
"Oh god."

There was a pause, and I could almost feel Celine thinking on the other end. Then she asked,
"I feel like shit."

I shrugged, even though she couldn't see me.
"I mean, it's just a door sound, right? Maybe it spooked her."

But Celine wasn't having it.
Her voice got more intense,
like she was building up to something. "You think she felt something."

I felt my chest tighten.
"What?"

"There's no ventilation that could've caused that loud of a thud,"
she snapped,
frustration lacing her words.
"Everyone ran over in concern, Ryan. That door's heavy. It doesn't make sense."

I leaned against the railing, trying to make sense of it myself.
"What are you saying?"

The line went quiet,
but then I heard a loud thud through the phone,
followed by the clattering of her heels. My grip on the phone tightened.

"Celine? You hear me? You okay?"

Her breathing was heavy when she finally answered, her voice shaky.
"What if she sensed something."

I rubbed my temples, feeling the weight of everything closing in on me. "I don't know... She's smart. She even asked if I knew something was there. But I played dumb."

"Did she buy it?" Celine asked, her anxiety clear.

"She knew I was nervous," I admitted, feeling a mix of admiration and frustration. "Even when I tried to keep my face straight, she could tell. She's sharp enough to figure everything out if she wants to."

Celine's voice trembled. "I need my nerve medicine. This is too much."

I sighed, feeling the heaviness of it all settle in. "Take care of yourself, Celine. We'll figure this out."

But even as I said it, I wasn't sure I believed it.

I was ready to hang but then she called me out.
"Wait."
I sighed heavily as i reply faintly
"What?.."

"Four girls...Four of them. They all experienced some kind of presence, that was communicating with them in the same library. Same situation right?"
She says as she continues.
"Luckily they informed the principal unknowingly. And then nobody knew about it other than us."

I rubbed my temples, trying to process what she was saying.
"Uhh i—"
I muttered.
"I noticed that she was gripping a book, as if she doesn't want anyone else to take it from her."