The Secret Society of School

(2)Mysterious Wail

Ethan, Zoe, Max, and Reaan sat together in their favorite corner of the classroom, laughing over a shared joke. Mrs. Ellia, their class teacher, smiled indulgently from the front as she wrote notes on the board. It was a typical afternoon, filled with chatter and lighthearted teasing among friends.

Suddenly, a strange noise cut through the room—like a low, groaning hum. Everyone fell silent, eyes darting around. Max raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"

Before anyone could respond, the noise escalated into something worse: a loud crash followed by the sound of shouting and scuffling. It came from the hallway just outside the classroom.

Mrs. Ellia, normally calm and composed, froze for a second before quickly heading toward the door. "Stay here," she instructed.

The four friends exchanged uneasy glances. "Should we help?" Zoe whispered.

Max frowned. "We can't just ignore it."

Reaan, usually the most cautious, stood up. "I say we stick together."

With Mrs. Ellia out of the room, the four friends quietly crept toward the door, peeking through the crack. Outside, the sounds of chaos continued, but they couldn't yet see what was happening.

The door swung open abruptly, and Mrs. Ellia stepped back into the classroom, her expression calm but her eyes wary. She closed the door behind her with a soft click, as if to shut out the chaos just beyond it.

"Nothing to worry about," she said, her voice steady. "Just a little scuffle between two students. They'll sort it out."

The four friends exchanged uncertain glances. Ethan was the first to speak, his voice low. "That didn't sound like just a scuffle."

Zoe nodded. "It felt... different. Like something more was going on."

Max crossed his arms, frowning. "Did you see the way she acted? Mrs. Ellia seemed a little... off."

Reaan shivered. "Yeah, she didn't even sound worried. She didn't even look worried."

The air felt heavy, like something was being kept from them. The classroom, which had once felt like a safe space, now felt strangely distant, as if it was just a shell around them. They wanted to ignore the feeling, but the more they tried, the harder it became to shake the sense that something wasn't right.

Whatever was happening outside, it was bigger than a simple fight. And somehow, they knew it wasn't over.

The sounds from the hallway, Mrs. Ellia's strange calmness—it didn't add up. Reaan's gut twisted with unease. Something about the whole situation felt wrong. He couldn't explain it, but it was like a shadow had settled over the day, and he couldn't shake it.

When they reached his house, Ethan waved goodbye, his voice carrying a sense of finality. "See you tomorrow, Reaan! Don't let the mystery keep you up all night!"

Reaan managed a forced smile, but as his friends walked off, the feeling only deepened. He stood there on his porch, staring at the darkening sky, trying to make sense of it all.

Then, as he turned to go inside, his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a text from Zoe: "Did anyone else notice the janitor standing in the hallway, just staring at the fight?"