The Checkmate Murder

Olivia

Drawing into the school that morning, the sun hadn't even reached the top of the furthest tree line as my aunt and I drug our feet across the asphalt and towards the cafeteria double doors. Digging her keys from her green janitorial jumper her expression shifts to one of confusion then anger before back to confusion.

"Olivia?" She asks, pushing the right door open. "Did we leave the doors unlocked last night?"

"Not that I can recall..." I reply as we walk into the building the cold ac hitting us like a ton of bricks. Nodding she throws her keys at me causing me to scramble for a second, I catch one of the two, the other hitting a cafeteria chair before dropping to the floor. "Why did you do that? You know I'm not awake yet?" I grumble ducking down to grab the other key.

"Sorry, sleepy. But could you go to the truck and grab the master key I forgot it in the glove box." She retorts, moving to lean against the cafeteria entrance as I stand. Fixing my round lenses, she chuckles at the sharp glare I return.

"Seriously? You are so lucky I even got up this morning." Grumbling I pocket the keys before shuffling my feet back towards the way we came. Leaving her to stand idly by. Running my hands through my short choppy auburn hair my feet carried me towards the doors and back out into the surprisingly warm morning. Standing outside the double doors my eyes snap to the chain broken in two off to the side a few feet from the door. Humming, I shrug and continue on my way.

'Perhaps one of the other janitors busted it this morning.' I thought as I skip down the stairs to the side parking lot where a dark ruby red truck sat, a sort of rustic tinge trailed by the edges showing the age as I open the driver side door. Reaching over the center console, and popping the glove box open my hand rummages through the papers for the jagged key. Finally pulling it out, I close the glove box and go to jump out of the driver seat.

Stopping when the feeling of eyes draw across me making a chill rush up my spine. Looking around I don't see much between the old worn bricks and the dense forestry beside the main road we came from. Shaking my head, I close the door making sure to lock it before making a swift retreat into the building. The feeling of watchful eyes falling away as the double doors close behind me.

Making my way back to my Aunt, she hasn't moved an inch. Besides her arms now folded behind her head as she continues to lean against the entryway, eyes closed, and her right foot tapping leisurely against the frame behind her.

"Hey Auntie?" I question, stopping a few feet in front of her now balancing on the balls of my sneakers as she cracks an eye open.

"What's up kiddo?" She replies standing up straight and taking the keys as soon as my hand opens.

"Is it only us and Mister Mulch here right?" She nods at my question before turning step into the main hall and towards the janitorial closet two locker rows down unlocking the door she pulls a cart of Miscellaneous cleaning supplies from within. Pushing off to the side she removes the broom and dust pan from the side.

"Why was something the matter?" She finally asks after a long dense pause shaking my head quickly, I take the broom and dust pan from her. "Alright then. Take my master key and start sweeping the classrooms for me okay. I'll be in the gym with Mulch getting the larger mess taken care off." Her voice gives away the slight disbelief in the hurried nod as I take the key back and make my way down the hall. Starting from Freshman hall, I enter each room. Checking the trash and sweeping up dust bunnies as I go.

Every so often, I would pull out my phone to check the time or if I missed any text messages. Entering Sophomore hall a strange stench of what my brain could only wrap around as rotting meat reaches my nostrils.

'What in the world is that smell had someone leave their lunch?!'

Stepping over to room 304 the smell became more pungent. Nearly making me vomit as I pull out the key and unlock the door.

Oh how I wish I never opened that door. The stench smacking me in the face as the door is pushed wide. Laying upon the ground two once nicely dressed students covered now head to toe in strange symbols lay spread out within a circle. Wheeling backwards my heart is going a mile a minute as I fall back onto the floor in the hall. Shakenly I take out my phone speed dialing my Aunt as my brain draws a blank. The horrid twisted faces etching themselves into memory as her voice comes over the speaker.

"Olive? What's up?"

"C-could you come here please? I don't want to believe this..." Finally falls from my lips as the sound of movement from the other end didn't register. That was, till a pair of arms grab my head, and I'm buried into a hug. Mr. Mulch's voice coming from beside us as he tries to explain to who I can only assume where the police.

"It's going to be okay Olivia. It's going to be okay." She repeats rocking me as Mr. Mulch paces the hall. Before turning his attention towards us.

"We need to lock the room and meet them out front." He repeats what the dispatch says a worried look on his face as he helps my Aunt get me up off the floor. Dragging my feet across with every step we reach the front desk as the soft blue and red lights come from the one-sided glass doors.

Opening the doors, two officers step into the room. One being an older man with greying strands, a tired look on his face, and the other a rookie I've never seen before. The elder of the two checks me over before pulling me into a hug.

"You going to be okay. We'll go check it I want you to stay with Elizabeth while we do so." He says pulling back. Nodding he releases me and motions towards the now confused Rookie before walking off.

It only been ten years and he still the same old kind-hearted old man from my childhood. When they return he questions us for a bit as other officers and other people make there way to the scene.

"You all are free to go." The Rookie whose badge I can finally read as Burt Thompson motions for us to follow him out the building and back to our vehicles. Officer Henderson stops my Aunt on our way out to whisper something incoherent into her ear before nodding and walking back inside.

"Is everything really going to be okay Auntie?" She nods as we head around back towards the truck her face a slight pale tinge as her hand falls to my back urging me forward. Getting into the truck the world felt automatic almost impulsive as we pull from the lot, as we are doing so I catch something in the dense forest in front of us. Just a glimpse, but whatever or whoever it was to quick to get an I.D. on as I lean over the passenger seat to look back.

'What in the hell was that?'