EQAO

Chapter 5 - Teacher Freak Out

"Guys, look! I found a switch!"

Kat was pointing to the area behind a loose brick she had pulled out. There was a metal stick with a red ball on top that indeed looked like a switch.

"Well what are you waiting for? Pull it!" Michelle said.

Kat reached down, and flicked the switch. Nothing happened.

"Well that was pathetic." Sameera said, looking disappointed.

"Um..." Kat looked embarrassed, "Sorry guys, I thought it would do something."

I was going to say something, but just then, I noticed a brick that was a slightly different colour than the rest. No one noticed me as I grasped the brick, and slid it out quite easily. Behind the brick, was a small silver button that looked out of place against the crumbling bricks around it. I quickly pushed it, wondering if it would do nothing like the switch Kat found. I heard a soft 'click' and looked up to find a door had been revealed. Unlike the button, it looked very much at home, because it had bricks painted on it that made it practically invisible. I wondered if it had been there the whole time. But it must have just appeared, because as soon as I had looked up again, Kat had straightened up and said,

"See! I knew it would do something!"

"Actually, I- " I started to say, but Anika interrupted me,

"Yeah, and here I thought we had looked everywhere! Good job Kat!"

Everyone nodded, and I gulped. Kat looked so happy. So proud of herself, even though in reality, she had only found a decoy switch. Could I really strip that away from her to say that I actually saved the day? Yes, a sinister small voice said in my head,

It was you, not her, who found that button. It should be you getting all the glory.

I pushed the thought aside and swallowed again.

"Yeah, uh, great job Kat." I said forcing a smile onto my face.

"You lead the way, your majesty." Michelle said with a horrible British accent.

Okay, this is getting ridiculous.

"Can we just go inside?" I asked impatiently.

"Okay fine." Michelle shrugged.

Then she opened the door, and walked in. Kat, Sameera, Anika, and I followed. I looked into the school as we entered and saw...

The school hallway.

Well what did you expect? A different dimension?

Well no, but... I thought there would have been something.

The hallway was dark and eerie, and looked like something was hiding in the walls, waiting to jump out at us.

"If this was a horror movie, this would be the perfect time for a jump scare..." Michelle whispered.

I took a step forward. The sound of my shoe hitting the floor was startlingly loud.

"So, we got into the school..." Sameera started.

" ... what now?" Anika finished.

A very good question that you don't have the answer to.

"Um..." I opened my mouth to speak, but the sound of footsteps alerted me that someone was coming.

"Quick, hide!" I whispered, anxiously looking around.

But there was no where to hide. We were trapped.

The footsteps grew louder, and they rounded the corner along with their owner, Mr. Folman. As soon as he saw us, he paled.

"What are you..." he choked out.

He cleared his throat and tried again, "What are you five doing here?"

No one said anything.

"Leave, it's dangerous here!" he continued in a panicky voice, "Leave. Now."

Why was everyone so freaked out today?

"Why, what's wrong sir?" Anika asked in a calm, polite voice.

He turned to her, a crazed look on his face, "I can't tell you, but you need to leave and never come back! Please, it's for your own good!"

"Never come back?" I said shaking my head, "But we go to school here!"

"Trust me!"

"Um... anyone know what he's talking about?" Sameera whispered.

"No idea." Michelle answered.

"Should we leave?" Kat asked, anxiously.

"And waste all our efforts of getting here?" I replied, "Nuh uh. We're not leaving just because our teacher is having some sort of freak attack."

But then, Mr. Folman looked around wildly, and started pushing us back towards the door we came through.

"Woah woah woah! We're not leaving without answers!" I said, trying to dig my heels into the ground, and the others following suit.

"I can't explain. I'm sorry, but you can't be here! So you need, to, go!" he said, pushing harder with each word.

"NO!" we all shouted.

"What's making all that noise?"

Mr. Folman stopped pushing immediately at the sound of the cold, slightly familiar voice. Instead, he grabbed us by the arms, and started dragging us away from the door and towards the other hallway.

"It's too late..." he muttered, "She knows you're here."