Valerie Lives in Dreams

CHAPTER 3

"If anyone can figure this out, it's you, Mary! You can do this!" I whispered to myself as I went face-to-face with a blue-eyed, freckly girl whose loosely wavy dark hair was tied up in a messy low ponytail, in the mirror reflection. I put my hand over my heart. I could feel my heart pounding and racing as I took a deep breath. I have to do this.
Backpack? Check.
Flashlight? Check.
Parents asleep? Check.
I put my phone on vibrate and after checking off everything on the checklist inside my head, I quietly went down the creaking, squeaking stairs. I was cautious not to wake my parents up. I headed in the direction of my school with fast steps as silently as I could at this hour.
How am I planning to break into the school at this hour? At one in the morning?
Well, good question.
Mary's always one step ahead.
I had bribed the janitor in the morning, making sure no CCTV cameras in the school captured me doing so, to let me in at this hour.
Wrong of me to do but the demons of curiosity inside of me were desperate to be released and let out into the world so they could satisfy their hunger for answers to all of the questions in my mind. I had unleashed my demons. There was no going back now.
I wanted to check out the basement first but didn't want to immediately ruin the excitement that I had to check out this creepy place, in case it turned out to be a disappointment. So, I rushed to the top floor but I stopped in my tracks because I heard footsteps behind the same door that I heard the little girl's voice from, so I stood there, just waiting.
I can't give up now.
"Mommy! It's Mary again. She's here to see us!" the little girl said in a trembling but hopeful voice.
"Shhh," someone else's voice could be heard, probably the mother of the child.
But… who were they?
Why would a mother and a daughter be locked up in a school? Why are they waiting for me? How do they know my name?
Questions circled my mind.
I went to the basement next, which was usually locked during the day because I had tried to sneak in here after school before, but at night… somehow the door was left open.
My jaw dropped.
"God. This is a graveyard, not… a school," I muttered in a terrified voice.
"One, two, three…” I mouthed as I pointed towards each grave, counting the horrific number of people buried under this school.
"Fifteen." I looked at the graves in horror.
"The last names are all Stuart except a few… Annie Stuart. Simon Stuart. Oh, there’s a new one: Hunter Williams.”
Why were people buried under the school?
I looked at the gravestones that revealed the ages of their birth and death. I immediately got out of the basement and ran off outside. I slowed down to catch my breath and noticed there was a girl who was dusting off her clothes standing near the tunnel-crater-thing. I immediately hid behind a tree.
Who is this girl and what is she doing here at this hour?
What if she saw me? Who am I and what am I doing here at this hour?
She was wearing denim overalls.
I completely forgot about the tunnel even though that was what I had wanted to explore so badly. I rushed to get home as soon as coast was clear.
"Phew. My parents are still asleep and clueless or they'd ground me," I breathed a sigh of relief as I put my my backpack and things away, making sure I left no traces of me ever leaving the house.
My phone vibrated. Hannah was calling. At this hour? Was she okay?
“Oh, I know you’re up at this hour usually and I completely forgot to tell you I’m missing school tomorrow because Alex and I are going to go thrift a couple things.”
“Ohh,” was all I could utter.
I was way too sleepy to comprehend.