Kirsten

 

 

Kirsten’s sneering face is a nauseating sight to behold. There is a cold triumph in her voice as she recites to them how she, the appointed student of the school have all the authority to report any misdeeds, and they have broken an important school rule of not going to restrictive area. Don is now exercising every bit of self-control so he won’t grab Kirsten and choke her.

“The penalties shall be discussed in the Principal’s office,” Kirsten concluded, her voice quivering with suppressed excitement.

“Principal’s pet,” said Alice to herself. As much as she wants to nag at Kirsten, she knows that any wrong move will get them into deeper water.

“But we just came here by accident,” Don explained.

“No more excuses now, just tell it to the Principal!” She said and Cara’s face reddens behind Don.

She then turns her attention to the unusually quiet Van.

“And you, you are warned to never go back here. You never listen do you?” She nagged at Van.

And Kirsten broke into a lengthy litany on how much of a mischief he is and if this is his way of thanking the Principal for his generosity. But Van is not listening. His mind is somewhere else. The moaning sound that kept him intrigue is getting louder again. It’s like something is struggling to break free from that closed door, and it seems like it’s calling him.

“Van, please pay attention!” Kirsten shrieked after Van remains unresponsive.

“Huh,” said Van blankly.

“Are you still with us? Goodness!” Kirsten shouted and Alice is glad that she is losing control.

“Can you hear that?” He asked while pointing at the end of the hallway.

“Hear what?”

“There Kirsten, something is in there.”

“What are you saying Van, we are not hearing anything,” said Don nervously.

“I’m sure of that, and the moaning sound is getting stronger.”

“You’re hearing moaning sounds,” said Alice, now fearing for Van’s sanity.

“Yes, and I think I should go there to check it myself.”

And Van drifts blankly towards the end of the hallway, much to his friends’ horror.

“Hey don’t go there,” Don shouted as he and the rest goes after him, leaving the enraged Kirsten behind. Kirsten doesn’t really like being ignored like this, and she has to scream at the top of her lungs to get their attention.

“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING, I’M CALLING THE SECURITY RIGHT NOW,” she growled.

Van stopped and turned slowly at Kirsten.

“I won’t be doing that if I were you,” he said. Alice squeaks with fear, she knew that Van could get pretty nasty when provoked. And just in case Don readies himself to restrain Van if necessary.

“What made you think so? And do show some respects!” Kirsten said as she pulls out her phone.

“Go ahead, but you don’t want the Principal to see this,” Van said. He plays a video in his mobile phone which shows Kirsten copying answers from her seatmate during an examination. She is also holding a folded piece of paper containing the exam’s leakages. To Van’s satisfaction, Kirsten’s face goes brilliant crimson.

“So this is how you become a top student,” said Don sarcastically.

“No, that’s not me,” Kirsten denied even though she could be seen chuckling with her accomplish in the video.

“Where did you get that,” Cara asked looking amused.

“Ana gave this to me, she told me I might find this useful one day,” Van replied.

“The school valedictorian caught cheating in her exams. That will be one heck of a headline,” Alice said, an evil grin cutting on her face.

“And you’re here accusing us of breaking school rules,” Cara added.

“No, the Principal won’t buy this,” said Kirsten now looking confused.

“Let’s see what the Principal will say,” Van said. He turns his back at Kirsten for right now he had a more pressing issue to mind. And without giving his friends a second look, he proceeds to his intended destination at the end of the hallway.

“Are you still thinking of going there Van,” Alice said, and she grabs him by the arm.

“You go back without me Alice. Kirsten can’t touch you. I must do something here first,” he said. There must be a reason why only he can hear the moaning sound and why he is seeing visions of a girl in black. He will know once he gets there and opens the mysterious door.

“So why are you still here,” said Van. His friends simply refuse to leave him and they are still there behind his back.

“We don’t want to leave you here alone, and you forgot to give us the copy of Kirsten’s video!”

“Alice is right. And it might sounds ludicrous, but what if you don’t come back,” Cara added.

“And what is she doing here with you,” Van asked. And there is Kirsten, standing meekly among his three friends.

“You don’t know the way back, do you?” Cara said slyly, and Kirsten blushes.

“Sort of, I mean I don’t really go to places like this,” Kirsten replied.

“Err, where exactly we are going,” Don asked. The hallway is now so dark that he had to use a flashlight.

“Watch it,” Alice shouted. Her reflex is good. She managed to swipe Kirsten’s hand off Van’s pocket.

“Trying to snatch my phone huh,” Van snapped. As a precaution, he transfers his phone to his front pocket.

“You have a spider in your pants,” Kirsten lied. This earned her a murderous glare from Cara.

“What a creepy place.”

“Indeed Don,” Alice added. The dirty floor, cracked wall and cobwebs are now making her nervous.

“So, there is a place like this here in school,” said Cara, sounding fascinated rather than scared. Don then stepped on a rotting floorboard. It gave way and produces a loud cracking sound. This sends Kirsten into hysteria.

“Ouch,” Don shrieked, for he just received an accidental elbow from the panicking Kirsten.

“Cara let go…”

“It’s not me Alice, it’s Kirsten.”

And indeed amid her panic, Kirsten just grabbed the nearest person to her; in this case it’s Alice.

“Kirsten I can’t breathe…”

“WHAT’S THAT?” Kirsten gasped behind Alice.

“It’s the floor board Kirsten,” Don replied.

“Oh,” said Kirsten. She releases Alice casually as if nothing happened.

“Look Van there is a door here.”

“We’re here Cara. This is the place where the noise is coming from,” Van answered.

His friends eyed the mysterious door apprehensively. It looks meek and harmless on the outside, but even his friends who could not hear the strange noise could feel a strange form of energy coming from it.

“Are we supposed to go there,” Don asked.

“It’s probably an old cupboard,” Alice added.

“Funny, the Principal didn’t say anything about this,” Kirsten said suddenly.

“Let’s see what’s behind this door,” said Van. Finally he will get to see what secret this door conceals. With shaking hand, he seizes the knob and swings the door open.

And what they found startles them.