Chapter one: Part I

Walking alone through the silence, my senses became heightened. Making my way down the long hallway, the wind comes in chilled as the windows are no longer there. I lean against one of the windows slightly and cut myself on a shard of glass.

"Ouch..." I hiss out loud "goddamn that hurt" I said as I brought my finger to my mouth and proceeded to lick off the blood and suck on the wounded appendage.

Continuing on my way through this empty school I look through broken down doors and the remains of what looks like some very lively classes. Some of these rooms still had pictures on the walls and notes in the desks. I walked into this classroom first and sat in one desk in particular. It had some kind of familiar feel to it. I reached into the desk to find some old papers. Pulling them out, I read some of their content. This is a letter; ‘a grade six class ‘I thought to my self

"Today I will work up the courage to tell him. I sit behind him all day but I’m such a coward. I can’t even ask him for help. He is so smart and popular. Everyone likes him…he would never like someone like me. All I do is sit there in my desk and stair at him…"

I smiled slightly and flipped through some more of these girls’ papers. Finding what I was looking for I chuckled

"Ah ha…a diary" I mumbled softly and continued to read on

"Yesterday didn’t go as planned. I got up to him and just smiled and bowed goodbye and left for home. I could hear the boy that was with him laugh and I knew I had made a fool of myself. I got to school early that day to avoid seeing him outside of class. It worked for a while but then he came into class with the same friend as the day before. We made eye contact he blushed and looked away. BLUSHED! He blushed! I can’t believe he just blushed. Maybe I do have a chance after all! I wonder why the teacher hasn’t come in yet. The class rep goes out into the hallway to check where the teach is and come back in; white as a ghost. Worried everyone goes out and checks what is going on. Everyone was dyeing! What is going on!? Suddenly people around me started falling. I’m so scared what is going to happen to us all? He looks at me with fear and concern in his eyes then fall s to the ground as well, struggling to stay conscious. I look around me and there are only a few of us left. I feel funny, my head hurts and I can’t see well. What is-"

From there the writing gets scribbly and un-readable. I get up and feel a pain in my chest. Wanting to know what happened to this school I went through more desks and cupboards finding more notes and paper. What I found shocked and disgusted me at the same time.

I sighed heavily and rose slowly out of the desk I was sitting in. Running my fingers through the silver locks on my head; the memories of the class play in my mind like a short film. I reached the door and was stopped dead in my tracks. Laying my hand gently on the handle of the door I closed my eyes and listened. Softly. slowly the sound of singing reached my ears. Curious I opened the door and followed the sound down a flight of stairs and through a hallway with many painful memories. I had found myself in the elementary wing of the school

"Hnn…."

I winced and clutched my chest. My heart rate increased and began to beat harder. Neglected memories bombarded my body; robbing my lungs of the air the desperately needed. Gasping I fell to the ground wrapping my arms around my shaking form. Images of innocent and happy children running out of the classrooms, going outside for recess, totally oblivious to the horrors that were about to unfold. Regaining my breath I stood up and grasped the wall trying to steady myself. Walking staggered down the hall I looked into open classrooms, glancing at the teachers who were planning activities that would never come. Reaching the large window at the end of the hall, I peered out at the play ground. Smiling sadly I watched them play and tease each other jokingly. I gasped slightly as the song made its way back to my ears. Opening my eyes wide I turn back around and look down the hall; teachers and the few students that were left in the school ran out of the classes clutching their throats…scared and very confused. One child collapses at my feet, coughing trying to get more air into his tiny body. Falling to my knees I reach out for the boy, only for my hand to fall to the cold floor. The boy just barely clutching to life as tears streamed down his face. Tremors begin to wrack his frail body as parts of his body begin to shut down and cease to function. His eyes begin to turn white and glossy. The last of his raspy breaths are the worst. The air itself; the coarsest sandpaper against his lungs. A soft eerie bell rang and the boys image disappeared as his life slowly faded away.

Getting up from that horrible sight I walk back to the window; only to be met by an even more morbid sight. A clear gas, like a heat wave swept out of the doors and onto the playground. The images of many children looking around confused as their friends start acting very strange; almost like they are being possessed by some higher spirits. The sound of the small children laughing and singing plays in my head, screwing with my mind. Slowly, one by one the children outside grow stiff and collapse, crawling along the ground like sad little blind pups. The ones who died first are lucky. For the ones who perished later had to endure the sight and sounds of so many of their friends and classmates dying of the most unusual and obscure ways. As the strange song fades in my head the children slowly fade as well, taken away alive or dead. The shock finally getting to me I slump against the wall. Sliding down to the floor; breathing heavily, a cold sweat drenching my body.

“W-why…?”

I barely manage to get out as my throat has closed up and gone extremely dry. The images and memories burned themselves into my head. Trying to get up I brace myself on the window ledge; my legs not wanting to move. I couldn’t even move one step forward. So like many others I crawl along the floor. Finally regaining the feeling in my legs I stand up and walk the rest of the way down the stairs to the back courtyard of the school.