Crystal key

Bayfront Beach

School was reasonably quick, I counted each minute down til the final bell rang.  I quickly got up from my seat and picked up my backpack and was the first one out of the classroom. As I made my way down the hall passing some kids I did and didn't know I searched among the faces for Maria, then as I turned the corridor a sharp pain shot me in the head I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out I shut my eyes tightly grabbing ahold of the wall I fell to the floor as I held my head after what seemed like 3 minutes of pain it all went away. It took me a moment to open my eyes to see if anyone was watching me; which would be embarrassing if there were.

I looked looked around my surroundings to see that it was quiet and the lights that hung from the ceiling were either broken or flickering, I got up to my feet and peeked around the corner to see if there was anyone there,
"Hello?"
Silence was the response I got I turned the other way and continued my way down the stairs with each step I took the more harder it was to see, I stopped on the last step I squinted my eyes to see through the dark floor which came to no extent possible. I held on to my backpack tightly as I made my way into the darkness I took cautious steps the lights started one by one behind me to flicker back on
"How long was I out?" I thought to myself as I proceeded down the empty hall on the first floor.
It burns....
I was stopped, stuck frozen as the voice sounded awfully familiar the voice I hoped not to hear ever, as long as I still drew breath from my now stammered lungs. I turned to see the shadowed ghoul standing a few classrooms away from me, he slowly starts to reach for me with every movement he made a dreadful sound of crackling dead leaves or broken bones ringed through my ears. I looked at the 10 foot monstrosity in complete fear.

You.....BUUUUURRRRNNNNN!
I turned and started running as fast as I could never turning my head to look at the thing, but I could feel it was chasing me, and it was fast. I felt it's hot dry breath in the back of my neck I nearly slid into a sharp turn down a corner finally a bright light was at the end of the hall "FINALLY THE EXIT!"
As I got closer there was a figure standing in front of the door I slowed down praying it wasn't the phantom playing tricks on me, I squinted my eyes and saw that it was Maria
"Zinske!"
I said nothing. Quickly taking her hand and yanking her with me I kept running
"Hey let me go what's wrong with you!?"
I kept running ignoring her questions till we got to the forest I stopped for a breather as I saw that it was no longer following me.
"Oh thank the lord" I said as I fell to the ground
"Answers now! What the hell was that back there!?"
I looked at her in shock is she finally starting to see the things I was "YOU SAW IT TOO I KNEW I WASN'T GOING CRAZY!"
"What? No I mean why were you running?" She said putting her hands on her hips looking down at me frowning I let out an agitated groan "Nevermind." As soon as I got to my feet a wild screech was heard somewhere outside of the forest the birds then flew out of the trees that surrounded us. Another screech went off and the birds dropped to the ground dead.
Maria screamed as soon as the birds fell to the ground dead
"Zinske what is going on!? I'm really scared and you're not telling me anything."
"It's here..." I said in a quiet voice I then turned to Maria pulling her once more "we need to go now."
She yanked her hand away from mine "tell me what's going on!"
"We don't have time! We need to hurry."
She stood in her defiance after a moment she turned to leave till she saw between the wood the phantom-like death creature that was following "wh--"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!?" She shrieked
"The thing I was running from, now that you've seen it WE NEED TO GET TO THE DOOR NOW!"
Maria shook her head and ran ahead as I followed.
We ran toward the opposite direction of where the ghoul was "DON'T LOOK BACK!" I yelled to Mariah who was in front of me. Running through the small wood that separated the school and the mini auto malls and stores we dashed out of the woods and onto the side walk as I ran I caught something in my peripheral view, gasping in horror the ghoul was beside me in the dark wood running his eyes on mine and mine alone. I picked up pace so that I could be neck and neck with Mariah. Turning a corner sharply we headed for the wooded park, a loud screech was heard from in the distance a few more birds fell from the sky and hit the ground around me and Mariah dead. Mariah would let out a scream shielding her head from the falling birds , I look down at all the already dead birds feeling an overwhelming energy of death surrounding me. We made another turn into an empty quiet cul-de-sac.
"Look a trail!" Mariah pointed toward a dirtied path that led into the park.
"Let's go!" I replied in a hurry tone
We ran toward the trail keeping on the trail as best as I could with out falling i and Mariah hopped over high raised tree roots and loop weeds,
The terrain became more downhill making me slip to my back and roll
"Zinske!!" Mariah would call out
I'd let out a yelp of pain once my impact hit a tree trunk. Weakly I made my way to my feet.
I was thrown back down once met with the large figure down on all fours, I scooted away only as best as I could. The ghoul started to stand on his hind legs making him 10 feet once more, his shadow casted over me as all I could see was this tall figure, her let out a low dark growl raising his hand I closed my eyes tightly ready for what was to come next.
A large slap sound was heard causing me to open my eyes
"Mariah!" I said in relief and also surprise
She had hit the ghoul with a large branch causing it to roll down the hill.
Mariah dropped the branch and made her way toward me, helping me up to my feet she checked me for bruises and cuts
"Are you okay?" She asked
"I-I'm fine but we need to go now!" I said, she would nod and we'd carefully make our way back up to the trail that would take us safely downhill.
Finally down to ground level I looked around my surroundings "we're close!"
The screeching of the beast returned putting fear into me and Mariah
"Oh god.." Mariah muttered
"Let's go!" I took her hand and started running again, we made turns and twists running uphill and down hill through the wood until we reached the tree with the door
"Okay here we are!" I stood in front of the door waiting for my necklace to glow to unlock the door.
After a few silent seconds past nothing happened.
"No..." I stared in disbelief
Taking the necklace off I began poking the tree hoping a keyhole would appear
"What are you doing?" Said Mariah from behind me
"It was supposed to be here this is the door!" I said in a tone of frustration and confusion.
"Zinske it's not here we need to go the things getting closer!" Mariah said pulling me away from the tree trunk
I kicked the trunk out of a burst of anger and turned away
"There must be another way" knocking me out of my thoughts was the sound of loud leaves being crushed heading toward me and Mariah I put the key necklace back around my neck locking it in place securely.
We ran toward deeper into the forest the trees became thicker and more spread apart reminding me of the redwood forest near San Francisco.
Keeping my eyes ahead I took another step until gravity pulled me down a opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out as I was down under.