The secrets of Gettyson preschool

Chapter 9

"JJ, come on," Micahleah said as she tried to drag JJ to his feet. "We've gotta go."

"No," JJ snapped. "Just...give me a minute, ok?"

"Oh, of course," Micahleah replied as she and Marely left the room.

When they were gone, JJ wiped away his tears and checked Harley's pocket and found her phone. Sadly, it required a fingerprint, but luckily Harley was right there next to him. He used her fingerprint to unlock the phone and checked the contacts. Her other sisters weren't in the contacts, so he figured they must've shared this phone.

He then checked photos and hit something: it was pictures of the underground preschool, but there were people here, and JJ zoomed in to see that these people were actually small children, and they were fast, because those children were mostly a blur.

But wait! Small children? Was it not the laughter of small children he heard on those mysterious phone calls, which were not a mystery anymore? But how could small children do something like this to three fairly-skilled, fairly-strong girls? There would have to have been a few fairly strong adults to do what had happened. To twist a human's body at such unnatural angles required as much strength as a human or two could muster. And what about what happened to Harley? Sure, the bloodshot could've been stress, but the blackened parts had to have been caused by something much, much worse.

He kept looking at the photos, but he didn't see a single picture with an adult in it; it was all just small, blurred children. There was one picture where a small boy was right in front of the camera's lens, drool dripping happily from his lip as he smiled like a normal child would if you just gave him a cookie. His eyes were not there, and were replaced with empty sockets.

The picture after that one was looking up at a several small children running about. There was a video next, and JJ played it.

It was nearly dark, but that wasn't important at that moment. There was a girl talking, but JJ couldn't tell which of the Pfeiffer triplets it was, but his question was soon answered.

"I think I lost them," she whispered. "Me and my sisters Harley and Henrietta got separated when we were coming upstairs, and I'm now in one of the bathroom stalls."

Laughter was heard.

"Oh, no! I think I hear one of them. Before I die, I just wanna say that we were stupid to come here. We didn't know what happened here, and we just wanted to check this place out. And I hope my sisters find this so I can say, I'm sorry I made us all come here. I love you guys and I hope at least one of us gets out of here alive. And if the fire boy is watching this, I warned you not to come. See why? And if you do somehow get out of here alive, please tell our story and keep anyone from coming down here. Please..."

More laughter was heard before the video cut off.

JJ swiped to the next video, which was made only a minute or two after the previous one. He played it.

This time, the surroundings were a little visible, and it took place in the nap room. A voice came on before long.

"I just found Harriet dead in the bathroom," the voice quivered. "I would've dragged her out with me, but I got distracted when I heard Henrietta screaming. I came in here but when I figured out that she wasn't in here, the door had slammed shut. And..."

Giggling was heard, then Harley continued. "I don't think I'm alone."

The giggling got louder.

"Look, please! Just leave me alone...PLEASE!!!"

The video cut off. JJ checked for more videos, but there weren't any more videos after that one. JJ decided to check out some videos that they had shot before, such as their thirteenth birthday. They had gotten a huge chocolate cake, makeup, perfume and a small digital camera. (They each had one of the three, even though the mother was having some trouble figuring out who got what.)

When the video was finished, JJ went into settings and turned passcode off before putting it to sleep and putting it in his pocket. He joined Micahleah and Marely.

"Are you okay, JJ?" Marely asked.

"I guess," JJ answered grimly while thoughts were going through his head.

How did Harriet's body go from being in the bathroom to being in the corner of some classroom if not for Harley? Was Henrietta the one to do it? Maybe she found her and tried to drag her away. But she wouldn't just leave her in a classroom, would she?

"Look, I know this is a hard time for all of us, but if we can make it out alive, we can—" Marely managed to say before JJ interrupted.

"Exactly," he said. "We are not getting out of here alive. I won't be able to get my mom her bike... Wait! I'm not even gonna see her again. Hang on." JJ pulled out his phone. "I've gotta make a phone call or two if I can." JJ dialed up his mom.

It rang a few times before she answered. "Jimmy, what's wrong, sweetie?"

"Mom, I just...wanted to let you know that...I may never come home."

"Jimmy? What's wrong, baby? Are you okay?"

"I...won't be for long. But I just want to apologize for taking your bike without asking, and...and that I love you."

"Well, I love you too, Jimmy. Where are you? I can come and save you."

"I'm sorry, Mom, but I...I went somewhere I'm not supposed to be, and there's no way out. I'm so sorry, Mom."

"Oh, Jimmy, what did you do?"

"I...went into that school that got shut down and found a preschool. I found a couple of dead people and..." JJ cried some more. "Any-anyway, could you please let my epitaph say, 'Died of curiosity,' or something to that effect? And could let my friends know that curiosity did kill the cat, and a football player?"

"Oh course I will, baby."

"Love you, Mama. Goodbye. Sorry you won't be getting your bike back."

"That's okay, baby. Goodbye..."

She hung up.

JJ then called Maralyssa. When she answered, JJ breathed and started talking. "Hey, voodoo doll."

"JJ? You're still alive?"

"Yeah. I...I just wanted to say sorry for all those times I wasn't the best towards you. I'm sorry for embarrassing you all those times. And I'm sorry for...for..."

"For what, JJ?"

"For turning the town's water supply into liquidized mosquitoes that one time."

Silence, then Maralyssa talked. "I was wondering why the water was kinda chunky, but that's the town's water, so I thought it was normal. But it was chunkier than quotidian..."

"MARALYSSA!!"

"Oh, sorry. But I don't know what you want me to do. I can't get you out; as I've told you, there's something there keeping me from getting you out. I'm sorry, I really am."

"Ok, thanks anyway. I love you, my dark little puppet."

"And same here, JJ."

She hung up, leaving JJ to fall to the ground to the sound of giggling children.