The Devil In Disguise

Shadows at School

The bell rang, signaling the end of another school day. Students flooded the hallways, eager to head home or hang out with friends. But for Gianina and her friends, the day wasn't quite over. With everything that had happened lately, they'd all agreed to stay in groups. It felt safer that way, even in broad daylight.

As the hallways emptied, Jordan lingered by her locker, rifling through papers she needed to organize with her teacher, Mr. Scott. She gave her friends a quick smile as she promised she wouldn't be long.

"Go on without me if I take forever," she joked lightly.

"No way," Gianina replied. "We're staying."

Marcus nodded. "I'll head home with Mary and Rufus, but text if you need anything."

After saying their goodbyes, Marcus led Mary and Rufus toward Jordan's house. They all went inside and Marcus quickly walked to the bathroom and locked the door and turned the shower on.

Back at the school, Gianina and Cal waited outside on the front steps. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the lawn, a chill creeping into the air as they sat talking quietly.

"I feel bad Jordan has to stay after all the time," Gianina said, glancing back toward the school. "Especially with... everything that's been happening."

Cal shrugged. "She's tough. She'll be fine." He offered her a reassuring smile, though his gaze lingered on the empty hallways visible through the school's glass doors. "And anyway, we're here if she needs us."

Inside, Jordan finished her work with Mr. Scott, gathering her belongings and humming softly to herself as she walked out of the classroom. Her phone rang but she ignored it. She continued trying to walk but her phone rang again. The touch screen lit up with Unknown Number.

She answers worriedly. "Hello?" She says in a soft voice. "I wanted you to know you're next Jordan," the deep voice on the other end spoke. "Just stop, I'm not in the mood for prank calls and I've done nothing that would make you target me anyway." She hangs up the phone and continues down the hallways.

But as she reached the last hallway, she paused, her instincts flaring as a figure emerged from the shadows at the far end of the corridor.

A tall man in a sleek, black suit and a red devil mask.

Her heart skipped a beat, her pulse racing as she took an instinctive step back. "Hello? Is this some kind of joke?"

The figure tilted his head, the expressionless mask hiding any hint of emotion as he began to walk toward her, each step slow, deliberate, calculated.

"Okay, this isn't funny. Who are you?" she called out, her voice wavering.

But he didn't answer. He simply continued his silent approach, his gaze fixed on her as if she were the only person in the world.

Fear gripped her, and she turned, breaking into a sprint down the empty corridor. Her footsteps echoed off the walls, mingling with the heavy thud of his shoes as he began to chase her. She ducked around corners, her heart pounding as she searched desperately for an open door, a place to hide, anything.

"Please!" she screamed, her voice filling the empty hallways. "Leave me alone!"

But her pleas went unanswered as the masked figure continued his pursuit, relentless, unstoppable. She stumbled into a side corridor, frantically trying door after door, but each one was locked, her desperation mounting with every failed attempt.

Finally, she found the library unlocked and darted inside, slamming the door shut and locking it behind her. She backed away, her breaths coming in ragged gasps as she strained to hear any sound outside. For a moment, there was only silence.

Then, the doorknob turned slowly, and she felt her blood run cold as the door creaked open, the masked figure stepping into the room with that same chilling calm.

"No... no..." she whispered, her back pressed against the far wall as she tried to keep distance between them. "Why are you doing this? What do you want?"

The figure took a slow step forward, his head tilting as if in amusement. But he remained silent, his gaze never leaving her as he moved closer, trapping her in the corner.

Jordan's body shook with fear, tears streaming down her face as she raised her hands in a last, desperate attempt to protect herself. "Please," she choked out. "Don't do this..."

But her pleas were met with cold silence as he raised the knife in his hand, the final moments blurring in a rush of fear and pain before everything went dark.

Outside, Gianina shifted on the steps, glancing toward the school entrance with a worried expression. "Jordan's taking longer than I thought."

"She's probably just tying things up," Cal replied, though his gaze was focused on the empty school building, his expression pensive.

Cal frowned slightly, turning to Gianina with a reassuring smile. "I'm sure she's fine. We would've heard if something was wrong."

But as the minutes ticked by and the sun began to dip below the horizon, a sense of unease settled over them. Gianina couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly, terribly wrong.