Ashwock Academy ✓

C H A P T E R - S E V E N

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The ten students sat around the seating area, silent. After sitting with no noise for too long, Rafe patted her book and put it in the middle. "There has to be someway to get out."

"Should we look around the academy?" Fletcher suggested. That's when Trevor clapped his hands, remembering something Mr. Barla had written in the note.

"Of course! He hid everything around Ashwock that we would need to get out!" He said, bring out his signs more than his words.

"So generous," Jackson whispered.

"Hold on," Ella interrupted. "Remember what happened when Rum and Fox strayed? Fox barely made it out of there alive!"

"There were only two people then," Damien reassured. "I'm sure with a big group nothing is going to happen."

"Famous last words," Ella whispered sarcastically. 

"Maybe while we're looking we'll find out what killed Jessica," said Fletcher. Marisa bit her nails, staying silent.

"You're right, splitting up is the best option if we want to get out before we're all killed. Five go on the second and five on the first?" They all agreed, and said that they would check the other two floors later. In one group was Raven, Jackson, Marisa, Fletcher, and Damien and in the other was Ella, Fox, Trevor, Teony and Rafe. The first group took the ground floor, while the other group found another staircase that lead to the second level.

Trevor held up his watch. "Meet back with you guys here in an hour?"

"Make it two," Damien said, an electric watch around his wrist. "So that we can find out even more."

Everybody else agreed, and the groups split up. Trevor and Rafe lead the group up the staircase, surprised it wasn't spiral like the last one. Teony stayed behind with Fox, whispering.

"What do you think happened to Jessica?"

"I honestly don't know, but I do know that none of us are safe. I should know."

Teony gulped, and touched her scar again. She made sure no one was watching when she whispered, "I swear I didn't do it. Everybody's blaming the girls because of where we were, but I don't think that's what happened."

"It wasn't me either, I promise. And if I were to guess, I think it was Marisa who did it. She's acting really suspicious, and she was the only one out of bed."

"I wouldn't blame her, she was Jessica's closest friend here." Teony didn't want to blame anyone, but she knew somebody murdered Jessica, even if she didn't want to admit it.

They didn't speak again after that.

"Guys, look here!" Rafe called from upstairs. Ella, Fox and Teony sped up their pace and ended up at the top of the staircase with Trevor and Rafe. Trevor stood at the door, and tried to turn it open but it didn't budge.

Fox looked around, and saw a painting next to the door. On it was a picture of Mr. Barla, but a little different. He wasn't his jolly self, but instead serious. He was much younger than he was before, maybe early thirties instead of mid forties, but that wasn't the most frightening part. When Fox picked it up to examine it closer and looked into his eyes, he swore that he saw them glow a dark red color instead of their normal blue.

He dropped the painting in horror, and almost screamed but instead only briefly squealed. The others looked at him concerned and asked him what's wrong. Fox shook his head, insisting his eyes were playing tricks on him but inside he knew they weren't. Ella went over to the fallen painting and noticed something about it. The blank canvas side with the wooden boards was facing up, and behind one of them was a small piece of golden metal. Ella reached down and picked it up, showing the group a small key that's end looked almost impossible to replicate.

"Try this," Ella said, and handed Trevor the key. It slid into the door with no problem. A few of them thanked Fox and he shook it off like it was nothing, but inside he was still spooked by what happened.

Inside wasn't like the classroom they had studied in. Instead there was only one bookshelf, but it was completely filled, and around the room were a few desks, maybe only three, that looked completely worn down.

"That's weird," Ella said, looking at the chairs. "The school is pretty new."

Also around the room were other signs of a worn down classroom, like old artifacts, a broken window, and dust and cobwebs all around in the corners.

Trevor ran over to the window, excited there was a way out. When he reached there, however, he was disappointed when he saw how high up it was. Not only that, but the thorn bushes planted at the bottom. He looked over the window, and almost fell but Rafe grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "Get away from there! You almost fell, you idiot."

Not understanding a word she said, Trevor turned away from the window and walked over to the bookshelf, staying away from the broken shards of glass barely held together.

Teony walked over to one of the artifacts on the bigger table, and picked it up, inspecting it. It was a stone tablet in a language she didn't understand. "Does anybody speak-" She started, trying to guess what language it was. "-Greek?" She guessed, and when nobody answered she put the tablet back down, and continued looking around.

Trevor looked at all of the different books on the shelve, and checked each title. Unlike in the classroom, all of the books were fiction with classics like Anne of Green Gables and Sherlock Holmes mysteries. The book he was looking for was not there, and instead the only copy of that book was in Rafe's hand.

Ella borrowed the lantern from Rafe, needing extra light on her side. While Ella was using the lantern, Rafe set The Effects of Dark Magic down on the long table and walked over to one of the bricks in the wall. She pulled it out, dropped it and right as it hit the floor the school burst into light. All the electricity turned back on. At first, Rafe thought that she had caused the sudden jolt of power until Ella mentioned the possibility of the other group finding a power source. As she looked further into the brick wall, she found a small piece of paper and read the one word in her head. "Go."

Right as she read it, the door slammed shut.

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