Jill Brooks and The Three Runes

A Dangerous Secret

Jill's heart was still pounding in her chest as she hurried down the corridor, her mind racing with thoughts of what had just happened in the storage room. She could hardly believe how close she'd come to being caught. The key, the box, and the strange parchment—they were all part of something far bigger and more dangerous than she had imagined.

When she reached the playground, she found Maria waiting by the swings, fidgeting nervously. Maria's face lit up when she saw Jill, but her smile faded when she noticed how shaken Jill looked.

"Where have you been?" Maria asked, her voice tinged with concern. "I've been waiting forever. You missed lunch!"

Jill glanced around, making sure no one was close enough to overhear them. The last thing she needed was the figure sneaking up on her again. She grabbed Maria's arm and led her to a quiet corner of the playground, far away from the other kids.

"You'll never believe what just happened," Jill whispered, pulling her backpack off her shoulders and setting it on the ground between them.

Maria raised an eyebrow, but she could see the serious expression on Jill's face. "What do you mean? Did something happen with Mr. Thorne again?"

Jill nodded and quickly filled Maria in on what had happened in the storage room—the old box, the strange parchment, and how she had nearly been caught snooping around. As she spoke, Maria's eyes grew wider and wider.

"So... you have one of the relics? Like, for real?" Maria whispered, leaning in closer, her voice filled with a mix of excitement and fear. "And that parchment thing... it said there were three of them?"

"Yeah," Jill said, her voice barely audible as she glanced over her shoulder. "And that figure is after all of them too. If it finds out I have this one, I'm in big trouble."

Maria looked down at Jill's backpack, as though expecting the box to start glowing or doing something magical right there in front of them. "What do we do now?" she asked, her voice tense. "Do we hide it somewhere? And what about Mr. Thorne? Should we tell him?"

Jill shook her head. "I don't think we can hide it or tell it to him. They'll both find it eventually, one way or another. The only way to stop him is to find the other two relics first."

Maria frowned, chewing on her bottom lip as she thought. "But how? We don't even know where the other ones are."

"I don't know either," Jill admitted. "But maybe there's something else in the school, something that can help us figure it out. If Mr. Thorne is after these relics, then there has to be some kind of clue. Maybe something Miss Nettleberry left behind?"

At the mention of Miss Nettleberry, Maria flinched. "You think she had something to do with all this?" she asked, her voice dropping even lower.

Jill hesitated. The thought had crossed her mind more than once. Miss Nettleberry's mysterious disappearance, the fact that she'd sent Jill that key—it all seemed too connected to be a coincidence. And the way Mr. Thorne had spoken to her when he thought she wasn't there... Jill had the unsettling feeling that Miss Nettleberry had known more about the relics than anyone had realized.

"I don't know," Jill admitted. "But I have a feeling she wasn't just an ordinary teacher. And if she was trying to stop Mr. Thorne, maybe she left behind more clues. We just need to find them."

Maria shivered. "This is getting seriously creepy. First Miss Nettleberry disappears, and now we've got some ancient sorcerer lurking around the school, looking for magical relics. What if Mr. Thorne figures out that you're turning your back on him?"

Jill's stomach twisted at the thought. "That's why we have to be careful," she said. "We need to find the other relics before both of them do. And we can't let him know that we have this one."

Maria nodded slowly. "Okay. So what's the plan?"

Jill thought for a moment. "I think we need to start by looking through Miss Nettleberry's classroom. It's still locked, but maybe there's a way in."

Maria's eyes widened. "You mean break in?"

Jill shrugged. "Not exactly. We don't have to break anything. But we could sneak in after school, when no one's around. There might be something in there—notes, books, anything—that could help us figure out what Mr. Thorne is after."

Maria bit her lip. "I don't know, Jill. That sounds... risky."

"I know," Jill agreed. "But I don't see any other choice. If we don't do something, the figure  could find the relics and use them for... who knows what?"

Maria looked conflicted, but finally, she nodded. "Okay. We'll do it. But we have to be super careful. If we get caught, we'll be in so much trouble."

Jill nodded in agreement, feeling a mix of excitement and dread. "We'll be careful," she promised. "We'll go after school today, once everyone's gone."

The rest of the day passed in a blur for Jill. She couldn't concentrate on any of her lessons, her mind constantly drifting back to the relic, the parchment, and Mr. Thorne. Every time she saw him in the hallway, her heart raced, and she made sure to avoid eye contact. The last thing she wanted was to give him any reason to be suspicious of her.

Finally, the last bell rang, and the students began to filter out of the building. Jill and Maria waited in the playground, watching as the teachers and other kids slowly left. Mr. Thorne was one of the last to leave, his face set in a strange, unreadable expression. Jill couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking—was he worried that someone was onto him? Or was he just biding his time, waiting for the right moment to strike?

When the coast was clear, Jill and Maria slipped back into the school. The hallways were quiet, their footsteps echoing off the walls as they made their way toward Miss Nettleberry's classroom. Jill's heart pounded in her chest as they reached the door.

"Do you think it's still locked?" Maria whispered, glancing nervously down the hallway.

Jill nodded. "Probably. But maybe we can find a way in."

She reached for the door handle and gave it a gentle push. It didn't budge. She wasn't surprised. Miss Nettleberry's room had been locked ever since she'd disappeared, and the headmistress had made it clear that no one was allowed inside.

But then Jill remembered something—the key. The key that Miss Nettleberry had sent her. Could it be...?

Jill quickly dug into her backpack and pulled out the small, tarnished key. Her hands shook as she fit it into the lock, half-expecting it to be the wrong one. But to her astonishment, the key turned with a soft click.

The door creaked open.

Maria gasped. "No way..."

Jill pushed the door open wider, revealing the dimly lit interior of Miss Nettleberry's classroom. The room was exactly as she remembered—cold, gray, and eerily tidy. But now, with the knowledge of the relics and the strange spell parchment, the room felt different. Almost... alive.

"We're in," Jill whispered. "Let's find out what Miss Nettleberry was hiding."

They stepped inside, the door closing behind them with a soft click.