[ON HOLD] OH THE HORROR || ᵃⁿ ᵒʳⁱᵍⁱⁿᵃˡ

CHAPTER THREE || WOMAN IN THE PANTRY

   "OH COME ON, OPEN YOU STUPID DOOR!" Emma continued pounding on the exit doors, pushing and shoving at it, but it wouldn't open.

   "Why don't we just get a knife and make a dent in the door?" Qasim suggested. All the students blanched at the mention of knives.

   "No," Fatimah from fifth grade said immediately. "That is way too creepy."

   "We don't really have a choice, but won't we be getting charged for damage of property?" Lily asked. Tiba facepalmed.

   "The chairs were floating and we saw a strange woman by the gym doors, personally I don't know about you all, but I'm not sticking around here much longer," she pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled through her mouth. "I'm heading to the kitchen upstairs."

   "But that's all the way on the third floor!" Sara exclaimed.

   Tiba shrugged.

   "I'll need a flashlight though..."

   Her eyes landed on the office door behind them.

   "Perfect!"

   Sam leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "So let me get this straight, we're going to start picking up any phone we find?"

   "Basically," Nicola shrugged. Tiba opened the door to the office (which was surprisingly unlocked) and stepped inside. Nicola shined the flashlight into the large room.

   Tiba approached the secretary's desk and spotted a black rectangle shape on it.

   "There," she picked it up. "Oh god, it's at 14% battery."

   "Let's not waste that, we might need it later on," Nicola indicated to the phone in Tiba's hand. Tiba, however, approached the stairs.

   "It'll only be a minute."

   "Girl, no—" Fatimah began, but Tiba had already dashed up the steps.

   The others remained in their place, the kindergarten kids having not said anything in the entire exchange. Though they were all hugging each other and huddled close to the older students.

   "Alright, who's going after her?" Sam deadpanned.

✦   ✦   ✦ 

   Tiba went straight up the steps, light shining in front of her.

   She chose not to focus on anything to her left or right; it would only slow her down.

   She got to the third floor, and after making sure the large cafeteria was empty, she entered and approached the door to the kitchen.

   "Bismillah," she mumbled to herself before opening the door.

   Nothing was there.

   Phew...

   She looked through the cabinets, but they were all empty. (spare for a spider she found)

   At least the (normal) spider kind of reassured her that she wasn't alone.

   Slightly feeling nervous, Tiba turned to the large pantry door.

   Thinking of a hundred different prayers in her head, she braced herself and opened the door.

   And screamed as a woman with long black hair in a red dress stepped out with a fork.