Alter High

Laine runs to the doors, pushing the silver bar in a desperate attempt to open them, though she knows they are locked. A whimper escapes her throat as she twists away from the door, bolting for the courtyard in the hopes of finding someone else- anyone else.

The glass door flies open at her touch, one of the few doors left unlocked. Slowly swinging shut, the door is stopped by a dirty hand. The dim glow of the emergency lights behind him prevents Laine from seeing his face. Her dark eyes widen in shock, and she spins away, the dark Lolita dress over her jeans impeding her movement.

Laine rushes to the door on the opposite side of the courtyard, hearing the footsteps of the man behind her and knowing she has but moments to live. Her pale hand reaches for the shining silver handle, skin turned white by the moon, but as she tugs on the door, her worst fear is confirmed; the door is locked.

“No!” she wails, tugging with all her might at the door. It doesn’t budge, and a hand sweeps up behind Laine. The jagged piece of metal rips into her back, wielded like a spear. Laine gasps, choking on her own dry breath. Stumbling sideways into the wall, Laine looks into the cold face of her killer; there is no mercy in his chocolate eyes.

She pushes away from the wall, hoping against hope for escape or reprieve. With vision fading, Laine feels her shins crack against the cold moulded concrete of the broken-down fountain. The courtyard tips to the side, and cold water soaks Laine’s skin. Fighting the darkness closing over her eyes, Laine rolls over in the shallow water of the fountain and passes out. Blood seeps through the tear in her skin and clothes, and the water runs red.

Earlier that evening

The purple, green and yellow lights flash above the heads of the awkwardly moving teens. They bounce to the left and right, almost moving in time with the beat; they laugh at the shouted whispers of their friends that mock the couple grinding on the other side of the floor.

The students in the gym separate themselves into distinct groups. The smokers are lurking in a dark corner, trying to conceal their activities from Ms. Gallagher, the watchful English teacher who stands nearby. Avery Tate stands with a gaggle of girls in the middle of the dance floor, arms around a simpering blonde and a boring-looking brunette. Next to them, Francesca “Frank” Stevens giggles and whispers in Shayla James’ ear, commenting on the square of paper stuck to the simpering blondes’ shoe. Shayla looks, and, immediately concerned, informs the blonde that she has toilet paper on her shoe. The blonde blushes and runs for the bathroom, while the crowd of people she was standing with roar with laughter, and Avery tightens his hold on the brunette in his arms.

Hayley O’Connor is leaning against the wall on the far side of the gym, listening to twelve-year old Corey Miner explaining trigonometry to her with a slightly glazed look. Kezia Rose, Laine Moore and Isabella Frank are jumping and bouncing in the crowd nearest the live band, while their slightly bored friend, Shawn Connor, watches the smiling Shayla. Nicholas Fery and Kenneth Brooks are standing with a group of quiet, unmoving guys, making slow conversation, and waiting for the night to be over. Brendon Peters is near the door, attempting to edge closer to his friends without being rude to Ms. Daly, the school nurse, who is explaining why condoms are necessary to him and his girlfriend, Sabrina Chambers.

The Sick Monkeys play the last chord of their song, the singer ending with a yell of “Goodnight Alter, class of ’09!” The class of ’09 erupted in cheers, the loudest from the three girls close to the stage, a distracted golf clap from those standing near the walls.

Dr. Grant, the principal of Alter High, switches the gym lights on, and walks onto the makeshift stage, holding his hand out for the microphone.

“An excellent prom tonight ladies and gents! If you could all please exit through the north door-“he pauses, and swings his clipboard-filled hand to gesture at the door, “-as for everyone staying to help clean up, Ms. Gallagher has a list, please go ask her for your job. Have a good night, and I’ll see all of you on Monday.”

Chatting, laughing, joking, pushing and shoving, the crowd of teenagers makes its way out the north door, leaving a mess of torn streamers, spilled punch and broken glow-sticks on the floor. Several students stay behind; the cleanup crew from the prom committee and their not-so helpful helpers.

Ms. Gallagher claps her hands in anticipation and starts to speak. “All right, well, we have to get everything torn down and put back in its proper place. A lot of the decorations are going to need to go back to the drama room, the music equipment needs to go to the music room, the staging needs to be torn down and stacked in the hall, the food needs to be cleaned up, and the dishes washed and put away in the foods room. Hayley, you’re in charge of the foods, pick whoever you’d like to join you. Frank, you’re in charge of the staging, get the guys to help. Laine, Shayla, take everything to the music room, get Shawn to help, he knows his way around. Bella, you and Kezia are in charge of decorations; get the guys to help with storing everything in upper storage in the drama room.” She pauses, glancing at her clipboard again. “That seems to be everything. Let’s get to it.”

Three hours later, with time sliding towards one AM, all the decorations are torn down, all the food and food prep equipment is put away, the staging is stacked in the hallway, and the music equipment is safe in the music room.

Ms. Gallagher is standing in the centre of the room with Ms. Daly, discussing the prom, and what Ms. Daly found Brendon and Sabrina doing, while casting glances around the room, looking for unoccupied hands to fix the last few details of the gym.

Finally, everything is in order, and Ms. Gallagher begins ticking names of her list, signing them out for the night. The last name is checked off (Tate, Avery), and Ms. Gallagher is about to send all the students out of the gym, when the lights in the gym go out with the fading hum of electronics switching off.

A girl screams; 'Probably Sabrina,' Mr. Gallagher thinks before calling out to the students, “All right, everyone find a wall, walk around the edge of the room until we’re all together again.”

The students head for the edges of the room, grouping together by the north door.

“Everyone here?” Ms. Daly asks in her quiet voice.

“I’d assume so, but if everyone weren’t, we wouldn’t really no, would we?” The sarcastic voice of Isabella pipes up. “Ms. Daly, you left Vinnie in the daycare room, right?”

“Yes, I’ll go with you to get him after we’re all by the front doors.”

“Ms. Gallagher... Sabrina’s missing. Avery is too.”

“Of course they are. Well, let’s get all of you out of the school, then Ms. Daly and I will go find them- we’ll get Vinnie as well Bella.” She adds at a slightly irritated tch from Bella.

Leading the students through the dim glow of Alter’s emergency lighting, Ms. Gallagher walks into the foyer to push on the black and glass door of the school.

“That’s funny...” she murmurs, “The door’s locked.”