1.21

Minutes had passed, as I keep on running and running to reach our dormitory. Though its mostly a 30 minute walk but if I run I should be able to get there fast enough. The sky turns into its gloomy phase, strong winds blew as I ran with the wind slamming on to my body. My hair begun to dance with the wind. Nimbostratus the phase which the clouds turn gray, it means it would rain soon. I better hurry up then.

A water droplet touched my skin, droplets of water begun to fall from the sky, it was inevitable to make it without getting wet. The rain was harsh, my uniform was beginning to be transparent from the looks of it. Good thing I wear an extra shirt just in case, looking at the site before leaving wasn't so bad after all. They also post at that site the weather each day or if there's an event to be celebrated.

*splash* *splash* running passed through those puddles was my only option, there's no time to waste even if my shoes get dirty. After some exhausting minutes of running I finally see the gate of our dorms, from a far I couldn't see anyone standing there. Maybe Dean hasn't arrived yet, well our dorms are far away from each other so I couldn't blame him.

As I step foot on the entrance, there was no one really there. I used the passageway as cover from the rain, I took a second to catch my breathe and lean against the wall to recover my stamina. Those excercise tips on the media sure was helpful, I manage to run from our school to here. Waiting for Dean while recovering my stamina, I pulled out something in my pocket. A hair tie, holding on the hair tie by biting it, grabbed the long strands of my hair at the back of my head to tie my hair into a ponytail. Even with hair short as mine I still could do a ponytail. I finally finished it.

"looks great on you," Dean's voice echoed through the passage way. I didn't heard him running this way because of the rain.

"as if you were spying on me the whole time," I smirked.

"how rude expecting me to be a stalker, especially the one who gave you a compliment," he replied.

"that's what every guy does to manipulate the girl," I sarcastically said. Even though it is true.

"you're so mean, I mean I can't blame you considering you're soaking wet," he replied. Though my underwear couldn't be possibly be seen but I covered it with my hands regardless.

"a stalker and a pervert too," I replied, like singing a revise form of a familiar play back in the 2010s. My music taste is definitely old as a grandfather clock.

"you know misunderstandings can change anyone, so be careful with who you talk to," he glared and gave me a smile. Those bloodshed piercing eyes and his charming smile hides a malice waiting to be released.

I smiled at him and said "you're acting weird sometimes you know,"

He smiled back, dropping those piercing eyes of his and averted his direction on the floor "well what can I say, I love reading mysteries and crime stories. Makes you want to do something evil," he said.

Knowing he was acting because that is a quote came from a story, I chuckled and replied "come on let's stop with the jokes and quotes. Everyone must be waiting for us,"

-

We went on ahead to Chase and Kyle's room, the empty halls still creeped me out because they look so old fashioned that it scares life out of you. From what I've heard the one who created or had the vision to make these four schools into reality was a kid, it was said on the news that it was the idea of a kid but a billionaire made his vision into a reality. Though he didn't met the kid again after that, people on the social media says he went abroad, others seem to make stories up without concrete evidence.

Still the man who showed up on the news isn't here as well, though he could be dead by now since this school was founded he was already in his 40s

Our footsteps echoed through the halls as we ran to reach their room. We finally made it, Dean twist the doorknob and pushed the door open. Chase, Stacy and grant were their already, sitting on the table with a pen and paper on it. Chase's hair was messy, it looks like he messed it up on purpose, maybe he was just thinking too much and he couldn't figure it out.

We let ourselves in, went to grabbed some extra wooden stools near the kitchen and placed it beside the table. I already knew Chase was not in the mood but we must know why at least, I cleared my throat and said "so what's the plan,"

Chase played with his hair, twisting his index finger on his hair like a cotton candy wrapping itself on the stick, he spoke "let's talk about it when those five arrive, apparently Jack, Zayn and Michael forgot something in their backpack -" footsteps can be heard from the hall *knock* *knock* two slow knocks came from the door and opened, it was those five -" speak of the devil they are already here,"

Everyone came in, Ashley breathing heavily and said "sorry we were late,"

"it's alright, all of you just arrived at the perfect time," Grant added.

Everyone grabbed those wooden stools and placed them near the table, it was just perfect for ten people. For some reason I feel like km forgetting something, I just can't put my finger on to it.

Chase placed down some sort of map, I noticed some landmarks like a park and a fountain, that's when I realized it was a map of this place. From the view of the map, this place is definitely gigantic. New places appeared on the map, apparently there's a forest if we go further out behind the mall. And some random spots on the map, though nothing is written on it.

Grant intensely looked at the map and scanned it with his eyes, he averted his direction and looked at Chase and said "where did you even obtained this map. Its like a sacred text,"

"apparently it kinda is, remember the author of that story we talked about," he replied.

"you mean that one story about God giving powers to a kid," Grant replied.

"he's the one who gave me this map. Before all of you arrived, he was waiting in the passageway and asked me my name. I told my name and he told me his then he tossed me this map and left, since I was in a hurry I didn't bother talking back," Chase stated.

"what was his name," Stacy asked.

Chase grabbed some water Jack prepared for everyone and said "his name was Ash Barton, though he's a bit taller than me and his physique is just your normal average guy,"

"at least we know his name," Dean added.

"maybe we can ask him for help, after all he has been here for six years now," Michael asked.

"we could ask him for help but will he directly say it or give some hints instead," Stacy added.

"I don't even know if we should trust him but this map will definitely help us," Chase replied.

A random guy gave us a map to help us in these events, makes me very suspicious of him though he did finished that story and uploaded it a week ago. That right there is definitely strange, story from 2020s being continued today. 'what if he was the kid in the story' I thought to myself.

Chase folded the map and kept it on his backpack. My eyes widen, I tried to look around to find my backpack 'Shit!! I forgot my backpack'

"you look worried reanna," Stacy asked.

I stopped, straighten my back and sat straightly and replied "me?? Worried oh please you're just imagining things," I chuckled to shrug it off.

Chase looked at me dead in the eyes and said "you forgot your backpack didn't you??"

I looked down and replied "yeah.."

"don't worry about, someone would definitely find it and give it to the lost and found," Zayn stated.

"there's a lost and found?? I didn't know that but thanks. Maybe I'll grabbed it tomorrow before we went investigating," I replied. That was a relief, I doubt it someone would be kind enough to turn it in. I pat the pockets of my skirt, I'm lucky my phone is hear.

Dean pulled out something from his backpack, a notepad and said "what should we do with this data then,"

Dean handed it to Chase and said "most of your classmates suffered from being weird occurrences huh. Like this one for example your classmate Hary, accidentally lost his phone then minutes passed by it appeared on his hand,"

"I thought it was just a prank after that he lost another item again, this time I looked at him then it suddenly appeared on his hand," Dean replied.

"weird.... Oh yeah Where's our list Reanna???" Chase asked.

"its in my backpack......" I mumbled.

"oh yeah.... Anyway how about you Dean, did something strange happened to you??" Chase added.

"well... Yesterday when I was at the cafeteria eating a sandwich, sitting and minding my own business. Suddenly I experience my worst headache possible, some of my classmates even rushed to me and gave me some water. After that it was gone, then when I got home I felt the headache again. Since then I never felt it again, it feels like being constantly hit with a hammer on the head," Dean explained.

"you suffered from a headache huh, a mental based occurrence. Like our classmates, they forgot who they are and what they were doing , an hour passed by and they returned to normal," I stated.

Dean placed his hands on the table and said "maybe what happened reanna was a part of those occurrences, she did passed out,"

"if so its a mental based then," Grant added.

That is a reasonable explanation because I wasn't dehydrated, I didn't feel any illness at all that could cause me passing out. For now it is a mental based then, since I was perfectly fine at that day but I passed out suddenly. Yeah that should definitely explained.