Jill Brooks and The Three Runes

After School Shenanigans

The afternoon had dragged on longer than Sophia had expected. She hadn't planned to stay so late at school, but sometimes things had a way of slipping out of her control. Today, it had been a simple misunderstanding with her locker—a stubborn thing that refused to open, no matter how many times she twisted the combination lock. By the time she'd gotten it unstuck and gathered her books, the school had mostly emptied.

Sophia sighed, tugging the straps of her backpack onto her shoulders as she finally made her way through the dimly lit halls. The once-bustling corridors were now eerily quiet, the echo of her footsteps the only sound. She passed the rows of faded lockers and glanced at the classroom doors, all shut tight, leaving the place feeling abandoned.

She wasn't exactly keen on walking home alone at this hour, but there was no helping it now. Her mum would worry if she was late again, but Sophia didn't care too much. She was still adjusting to life at Underwood Primary and figuring out where she fit into the odd rhythm of the school. The feeling that something was strange about this place still clung to her, like a shadow that wouldn't leave her side.

Just as Sophia rounded the corner toward the school's exit, she froze. Her eyes caught sight of two figures up ahead, standing at the far end of the hall, right outside a classroom door. It was late—too late for anyone to still be here, especially not standing around like that. She stepped back into the shadows, watching them curiously.

The two girls looked about her age, though she didn't recognize them from any of her classes. The first one had a round face framed by loose, dark brown curls that fell down to her shoulders. She was petite but looked strong, like the kind of person who carried herself with confidence even when the world around her seemed off-kilter. Her eyes were focused, serious, as if she were on a mission.

The second girl was taller, with sandy blonde hair tied into a messy ponytail that bounced with every movement. She had a more casual, relaxed posture, but something about her bright, keen gaze hinted at a sharpness beneath her easygoing demeanor.

Sophia narrowed her eyes. They were standing in front of a door. Miss Nettleberry's classroom? The door to the infamous teacher's room was cracked open slightly, and both girls seemed to be lingering near it, talking in hushed voices.

Her curiosity piqued, she wondered what they were up to. Everyone in school had heard the rumors about Miss Nettleberry—rumors that had only intensified after the teacher's sudden disappearance. She didn't know much about what had happened, but now, watching these two girls, she couldn't help but wonder if they knew more than they let on.

Just then, the taller girl nudged the door open a little further, glancing nervously over her shoulder, as if worried someone might see them. Sophia held her breath and stayed hidden behind a corner, her heart racing. She was supposed to be heading home, but now she couldn't pull herself away from what she was witnessing. There was a sense of danger in the air, the kind that made her stomach twist in knots.

The two girls stepped quietly into Miss Nettleberry's classroom, and for a moment, all was silent again. Shetook a cautious step forward, her pulse quickening. She wasn't sure if she should follow them, but a part of her was desperate to know what was going on. What were they looking for in there? And why were they sneaking around like that?

As she debated her next move, the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. The girls looking out the room. Sophia quickly ducked behind a nearby set of lockers, her heart pounding in her chest. 

"Did you hear that?" One girl whispered.

Inside the room, Jill and Maria had just started rummaging through the desk drawers, whispering urgently to each other, when Maria suddenly froze. Her head snapped toward the door, her eyes wide.

"I heard something, someone's coming!", she whispered to Jill.

Jill glanced up, the unease growing in her gut. She didn't answer right away, but she felt it too—someone was coming. And whoever it was, they were getting closer.

"We gotta get out, now!", as they both packed their evidence and quickly jolted through the door, quietly, but hastily.

Sophia took a deep breath and cautiously emerged from her hiding spot behind the lockers. Who were they, and why did they look so frantic? She had to know, but instinctively, she pressed herself back against the wall, unsure if she should reveal herself or remain hidden in the shadows.

But there's no helping it now, she just had to know.