The Water Runs Red

The morning at Maplewood began like always. The dormitories were filled with the usual voices of students forcing themselves out of bed, some still curled up under their blankets, unwilling to start the day.

In Room 306, the six girls were slowly waking up.

"Another long day begins," Hazel muttered as she sat up, rubbing her eyes.

Riley groaned, face still buried in her pillow. "I swear, five more minutes won't hurt."

Scarlett was already up, brushing her hair in front of the small mirror by the window. "Then sleep faster, because we need to be downstairs in twenty minutes."

Autumn stretched her arms above her head. "I just hope breakfast isn't as bad as last night's dinner. If it is, I'm skipping."

Evelyn yawned and leaned against the cold wall. "It's barely been two weeks, and I already feel like I've been here for years."

Lemon was still wrapped in her blanket, staring at the ceiling. She had slept strangely last night, waking up multiple times for no reason. Something about the air in Maplewood felt different.

A loud knock on their door made all of them jump.

"Get up already, lazy people!" A senior girl's voice echoed from the hallway. "We're gonna be late!"

Scarlett rolled her eyes and opened the door. Outside, other students were shuffling around, some fixing their uniforms, others searching for their books.

Hazel sighed and got out of bed, heading toward the washroom. "I need to brush before we go."

She reached for the tap and twisted it.

The water gushed out.

But it wasn't clear.

Thick, red liquid flowed from the faucet, splattering against the sink. For a moment, Hazel just stared at it, her brain refusing to understand what she was seeing.

Then she let out a scream.

The sound of her voice cut through the air like a knife.

At first, the others thought she was overreacting to a cockroach or something harmless, but then more screams followed. From the hallway, from the other dorm rooms, from the washrooms down the corridor.

Scarlett ran to Hazel's side. "What is wrong with—"

She saw it.

The sink. The water.

Red.

The tap was still running, filling the sink with a dark crimson color, as it disappeared into the drain.

Hazel stumbled back. "What the hell—"

Outside, footsteps rushed past their door, followed by more voices shouting in confusion and fear.

"What is that?"

"Turn it off!"

"It's in the showers too!"

Lemon and the others ran into the hallway, where a crowd of students had gathered near the washroom entrance. Some were staring in horror at the sinks, others stood frozen, unable to move.

The taps were running, and every single one of them was spilling out the same thick, red liquid. It dripped down the walls, pooled onto the floor, and stained the white tiles with a horrifying shade of blood.

One of the juniors turned away and vomited in the corner.

A girl near the showers covered her mouth, her hands shaking. "It's in the water… It's everywhere…"

Another girl grabbed her friend's arm, her voice barely above a whisper. "This can't be real."

More students arrived, pushing through the crowd, their faces turning pale as they saw the sinks and showers. The water kept running, spilling out the dark red color.

A sharp voice cut through the chaos.

"Everyone back to your rooms! Now!"

It was Ms. Carter, one of the senior teachers, storming down the hallway with three other staff members.

But the students didn't move.

A group of students broke away and ran toward the stairwell that led to the upper floor, where the main water tanker was kept. Some hesitated, but curiosity and fear pushed them forward.

The six girls looked at each other before following.

The maintenance area was at the top of the stairwell, a small, dusty space with a large metal water tank that supplied the entire dormitory.

The door was slightly open.

The air was thick with an awful smell.

It hit them all at once—the unmistakable, metallic scent of blood mixed with something foul and decaying.

Riley said. "What is that smell?"

No one answered.

Someone at the front of the group hesitantly stepped closer, reaching for the lid of the water tank. With trembling hands, they pushed it open.

The moment the lid lifted, a few students screamed and moved backwards.

Inside the tank, floating in the dark water, was a girl's body.

Her skin was pale, bloated from being in the water too long. Her long, dark hair spread out around her head. Her eyes were open—empty, lifeless.

Blood swirled around her body, leaking into the water, seeping into the pipes.

One of the girls collapsed onto her knees, gasping for air. Someone else grabbed their friend's arm, their voice trembling. "Oh my god… oh my god…"

Scarlett took a step back. "This—this is a murder."

Evelyn swallowed, her face pale. "No way she climbed in there herself."

Lemon turned to the crowd, her voice urgent. "Does anyone know who she is?"

A girl stuttered, "S-she's a senior student I think."

The teachers shoved their way through, their expressions shifting from confusion to horror as they saw what was inside the tank.

Ms. Carter spun around, her face dark with anger. "Everyone back to your rooms. Now."

But the students weren't moving.

Someone whispered, "This isn't the first time something like this has happened."

Lemon's heart pounded.

What did they mean by that?

The teachers slammed the tank lid shut, their voices sharp as they ordered everyone back.

The truth was already spreading through Maplewood.

Someone had been murdered.

And whoever did it… was still here.