Infinty Signs Are Just Eights That Couldn't Bear To Stand Any Longer

Chapter 1

cw: mentions of blood

Footsteps echoed through the empty halls of the high school. Nikolai already knew he had once again lost his way around this new place, but the moment he knew he was in trouble was when the lights turned off, leaving him in darkness. His steps faltered, his eyes shooting up to look at the lamps, even though he knew it wouldn't help in the slightest. He cursed softly, running his hand through his hair, twisting around on the spot. He searched for his phone, turning on the flashlight. It had been fall for a little already, almost winter, and it was getting dark earlier. He had stayed after school, trying to discuss things with some of his new teachers. He'd had trouble finding their classrooms, and after the last teacher had sped away, realizing she was late for something, Nikolai hadn't been able to find a staircase until just a little ago. Once on the first floor, he spent more time trying to find the entrance, when the lights suddenly went off. I didn't end up in a horror movie, did I?

He was just debating whether he had to call his parents – although "I got lost in school" sounded very pathetic – when he heard a muffled cry. His first thought was I'm gonna die, and he knew everyone in horror movies gets killed when they see where the sound comes from, but he still found himself walking closer to where he thought the sound came from.
Tragic event: teenage dumbass found dead in school after being unable to find the exit, and then doing exactly what people yell at characters in horror movies not to do.
Tragic indeed, Nikolai agreed with that voice inside his head, but if he wasn't even able to find the stairs or the exit in this school, how would he find whatever was in here?
Sound, apparently, was the key, because soon, he was standing in front of the door to the girls' bathroom. He had an uneasy feeling in his stomach. Whether it was from the fact that he was convinced he ended up in a movie or if he was about to enter the girls' bathroom, he wasn't sure.
He softly pushed against the door, which didn't even make a sound. Very non-movie like. Nikolai almost shook his head at the absence of a creak, but once the light of his phone shone in the room, he thought he'd discarded the thought of being in a movie too soon: the first thing he saw was blood.
'Oh shit,' Nikolai rushed inside, grabbed a handful of paper from next to the sink, and sunk onto his knees next to the girl who was slumped against the wall. Her blue eyes were big and still watery, looking up at Nikolai with surprise. They didn't leave Nikolai's face, even though he had concentrated his gaze on his hands. He had carefully taken the girl's hand in his, pressing the paper on the wounds across her wrist.
'Oh my god,' Nikolai muttered, his eyes raking over the wound and the blood, trying to assess the situation. 'We should call 911, or your family, or...'
'No.' The girl tried to pull her arm away, but Nikolai's grip tightened.
'Don't, you'll make it worse.' He said softly, dabbing a clean side of the paper to the wound.
'You're hurting me!' She weakly protested.
Nikolai's eyes found hers. 'It seems to me like you already did that.' The girl stilled, but from then on, she didn't dare look at him again. 'Hold up my phone for me, will you?'
Nikolai quickly glanced at the girl's left wrist when she complied, reaching out for the phone next to him, but that arm seemed to be unharmed.
'I can't imagine what it looks like for you, finding a girl bleeding to death in a dark bathroom.' She scoffed. She turned away, whispering the word "pathetic", but it was too soft to be heard.
'I must admit I thought I ended up in a horror movie, but you wouldn't have bled to death, should've cut along the arm if that was your goal, not across.' When he saw the girl's head snap up to look at him, he muttered: 'Shouldn't have said that.' He shifted so he sat down, still holding the pressure on the paper, and sighed. 'Forget I said that.'
They sat in silence, until Nikolai decided to wash her hand – he wasn't sure when the bleeding had stopped, but he was glad it had – so he urged her to stand up, and then carefully washed off the blood, trying not to watch how it got drained. His lips pressed in a thin line when he saw the other light lines on her wrist. He had never understood why someone would do something like this, he thought he might never know. He knew he shouldn't stare, but besides that, he had no idea how to handle a situation like this. His hands were still shaking slightly, and he didn't even do anything. She was hurting, that he knew as well. He just wasn't sure if he should offer his support or not. He was a stranger to her, after all, why would she trust him?