Deleterious : Dreamlands

Schoolhouse pt.4

Oliver and Alex stare up in horror as the true identity of their kidnapper is revealed. There before them, stands the janitor they had seen before; rotting flesh and all. He stares at them with his rotting, glazed eyes and let's out a strangled gurgle. A bubble of thick green saliva dribbled out of his crooked mouth. He takes a staggering step forward and the two of them back away from the gruesome scene in front of them. Alex notices that behind the janitor and surrounding the furnace are endless piles of dead bodies. Children's bodies.
Alex opens her mouth in a horrified expression and grabs onto Oliver as the janitor staggers toward them with outstretched arms. Drool bubbles over his decaying lips and falls to the ground with a splat.

"Where do we go?!" Alex exclaims while dodging the janitor's arms.

"Just run! We'll try to meet back in the lobby!" Oliver replies. They both run in opposite directions and the janitor staggers after Alex.
She glances over her shoulder to see the the janitor following her. Her heart pounds in her chest as she runs down a long corridor and weaves herself around various types of janitor equipment.
Meanwhile, Oliver hurdles over piles of dead bodies and bursts through the double doors that they had been dragged through. He runs around a corner and down the hallway with the lockers. He stops beside the nurses office and opens the door, peering inside. He quickly finds a sharp pair of scissors and steps back out into the lobby to wait on Alex.
Alex circles around the huge boiler and stumbles over the rotting corpses littering the floors. She tries her best not to step on them as she bursts out of the doors after Oliver. The janitor is getting closer to her with every second that passes by.
She can hear the janitor's wheezes as she sprints down the locker hallway. Oliver is waiting on her in the lobby holding something in his hands.
"Stay back." Oliver says to her and she steps away just as the janitor lunges at Oliver like a wild animal, jaws gaping with saliva pouring out. Oliver doesn't hesitate to stab the point of the scissors into the janitor's throat. His glazed eyes roll into the back of his head as he chokes on his own blood as it builds up into his throat and bubbles out around the metal blades sticking out of his esophagus. The janitor falls to the floor with a dull this as a pool of crimson fluid surrounds his lifeless body.

Oliver pants with exhaustion and falls to the floor, unconscious.
Alex gasps and kneels down beside him, resting his head in her lap.
"Oliver!  Oliver, wake up!" She yells, holding his cheeks gently in her hands.

"He's in shock." A small voice says behind her.
Alex whirls around, sobbing as the little girl from before stands a few feet away, surrounded by a glowing silver hue.

The girl gives her a small smile and steps closer. Alex flinches and holds Oliver closer to her protectively.

"It's ok. I'll help you." The little girl says. "You saved us, so I'll help you in return."
The girl sits down beside Alex.

"W-what do you mean?" Alex sobs.

"You helped us become free. All of us. We all thank you for your bravery." The girl replies, gently running her fingers through Oliver's hair.

"W-who? What do you mean?" Alex asks, confused. She sniffs and looks sadly down at Oliver.

"He will be alright. He just passed out." The girl says, ignoring Alex's question. "You two have been through a lot."

Alex nods her head solemnly.

Then, Oliver begins to stir. He turns his head to the side and groans as his eyes flutter open and look up at Alex.

"W-wha-" he croaks and begins to cough. "What... Happened?" He gasps.

"You passed out." Alex replies. "The little girls back to help us."

The girl stands back up and grins. "My name is Amanda. I was a third year student here." She says as Oliver sits up.

"You were only in third grade?!" Alex exclaims.

The girl nods her head sadly. "Mr. Martin was the janitor. He was really mean..." She says darkly.

"What did he do?" Oliver asks.

"He came to school very drunk. He was always really sad too. One day, he messed up the furnace in the basement and it blew up. Some say it was on purpose." Amanda explains.

"That's horrible." Alex whispers.

"Yeah... But it's OK now. You saved us, so we can go home now." Amanda says happily.

"We?" Oliver raises an eyebrow.

"Yes. Me and the others. Our spirits have been released. We can go now." Amanda replies.

"But where do we go? You said you'd help us." Oliver says.

Amanda thinks for a moment then beams happily. "Follow me, I know where to go!" Then, she runs off into the dark corridor in front of them. They scramble to their feet and follow the ghost girl quickly.
She leads them back to the upstairs bathroom and stops in front of the filthy vandalized mirror.
"Through there." She says.

"How do we do it?" Alex asks her.
Amanda smiles. "You'll know what to do, Alex." She says, and begins to fade. "I have to go now. Thank you."

"Wait!" Alex yells, but Amanda is gone.
Alex sighs sadly and turns to the mirror.

"Any ideas?" Oliver asks her.

"We need to jump through it." Alex replies.

"Bit we'll get cut." Oliver replies, pointing out the shards of glass sticking from the pane.

"Just trust me. We have to get out of here." Alex replies.

Oliver looks at the mirror with uneasement."OK then, let's do this."