Castle High's After School Horror

Gerard covers his mouth with his hand and steps over Malone's body, trying not to gag. He's the first one out the door. Everyone else looks at him fearfully.

“He was someone’s father,” Bonnie whispers sadly. “Someone gave him that mug.”

"Who would do this?" Mace says, shaking her head sadly.

"Anyone in this damn school," Chelsea mutters. "No one liked him."

Everyone looks at Chelsea with disbelief.

"What, it's true!" she says. They all continue to stare at her. "Oh, come on, don't deny it."

"You are such a..." Ray starts, then shakes his head. He steps over the body after Gerard. Gerard and Ray glance at each other, then look everyone still in the room.

The Twins are hugging each other, eyes glassy. Mikey's muscles are tense as he stares down at the body. Frank hides behind him. Bob swallows and steps over the body.

"Come on, Mace," Gerard whispers, reaching his arms over. Mace shakes her head and holds on tighter to her sister. Bonnie pulls away from Mace and walks over. Gerard grabs her waist and lifts her gently over the threshold. Mace follows her sister's example.

Mikey steps over the body, followed by Frank. Mikey can't seem to look away. Chelsea has her arms stubbornly folded. Ray reaches over, grabs her, and lifts her over the threshold.

"Is everyone out?" Bob asks. He glances at Frank and Mikey, who have taken it upon themselves to lean against the lockers. Everyone steps away from Mr. Malone.

"Yeah," Gerard says. "Now let's-"

"Beth," Bonnie mutters. Everyone looks over at Bonnie, who's staring at the floor with wide eyes. "B-Beth...went to the bathroom, remember?"

"Oh my God, she killed him!" Chelsea squeaks.

"Don't be stupid," Frank says, looking away from his intent stare at Mikey.

Chelsea looks at Ray expectantly. Ray crosses his arms. "We have to go find her," he whispers. Chelsea pouts and glares at Frank.

"Alright," Gerard says. "Where's the closest girls' bathroom?"

Bonnie grabs Mace's hand and starts down the hall. With an extra second of thinking, and another disbelieving glance at Mr. Malone, Bob starts to follow the twins along with everyone else. He notices that Mikey and Frank are holding hands. Fags. He shakes his head and instead lets his eyes fall onto Bonnie Hart. The short skirt she's wearing reveals her long, toned legs. The way she walks is so elegant and sexy that Bob feels awestruck. She glances back at the group and her sharp green eyes fall onto Bob’s for a second. Mace is pretty, but Bonnie is hot.

After one turn into a different hall, the group of teens stop. Bob looks up and down the hall awkwardly. It's strangely quiet and dark in the school. Every other flourescent light on the ceiling is off and the ones that are on are strangely dim. Usually, every light in every classroom is on and the murmur of after school club discussions can be heard through the walls. Instead, a shock of thunder emits from the stormy outside. Bob jumps. Bonnie whimpers and falls back into Bob's arms. On a normal occasion, Bob would've said something witty and shone her his best smile and made her fall in love with him. But the situation is far from normal. Instead, he enjoys the feel of her body against his for the shortest second. She rights herself quickly.

"Let's see if she's in there," Mace breathes. She turns and looks back at everyone. They all stare at her blankly. Obviously, the guys can't enter the girls' bathroom so Mace looks between Chelsea and Bonnie expectantly.

"Hell no," says Chelsea.

Mace sighs. She enters the bathroom with her sister in tow. Bob looks around at the nervous faces of Gerard, Ray, Mikey and Frank. Chelsea is facing away and Bob can't tell her expression. He hears the Hart twins call Beth's name, just inches from the door. Then, they scream.

Bob gets on the alert immediately. He and Gerard run to the girls' bathroom, pushing through in record speed. Everyone follows behind them. Bob freezes when the scene before him is processed. The twins take a few steps back, holding their bodies close to each other. There is blood dripping from the stalls. Lying on the floor face up, eyes empty, limbs twisted, is Beth. Her skin is colorless. Her overalls are covered in blood. The red liquid is pooling beneath her. The phrase "Sticks and stones" is written on the wall in big, menacing red letters. Bob swallows, hard, and walks away from the scene. Beth's dead eyes stare at him as he leaves. The image of her broken, bloody body is etched into his retinas

Everyone walks out into the hall, leaning against the walls and the lockers. No one says anything. Bob is speechless, not entirely believing all that he had seen in the short while that had passed. He looks at the twins, who are holding each other. Their eyes are glassy and distant. He looks at Gerard, who is staring at the ground. Mikey is wrapped inside Franks arms. Chelsea is biting her nails, with Ray's arm around her. Bob clears his throat.

"So..." he mutters. "W-what now?"

Everybody looks at him. They all look around at each other and start to straighten their backs.

"I just can't believe..." Bonnie whispers, then lets out a sob. "B-Beth...sh-she's, she can't be..."

Bonnie falls into Gerard's arms and cries into Gerard's chest. Mace rubs her back gently, a tear rolling down her cheek. Bob doesn't know how to react. He didn't...know the girl. But...why? Why would something like this happen? To anybody?

"Does anyone have a signal?" Gerard asks. Everyone checks their cell phones.

"Nope," Mikey sighs. Everyone shakes their heads.

"Well, we...have to get down to the main office. Tell them what's happened."

Everyone nods tentatively. The air in the hall is thick with fear. Everyone slowly makes their way down the hall.

"This is so wrong," Frank mutters. Bob looks at him. He and Mikey are holding hands again. Bob feels confused.

"Do you think it's the same person?" Mace asks in barely a whisper.

"I wouldn't believe it if there were two sick murderers in this place," Gerard breathes. His eyes fall onto Frank and Mikey's intertwined hands. He is obviously thinking the same thing as Bob.

Hearing the word "murderers" being used in a sentence seems to lessen the need for conversation. They all remain quiet as they travel down the hall. Shaken up as he is, Bob is determined to leave the building and rid what he'd seen from his memory. He couldn't stop thinking about it. Mr. Malone and that Beth girl...dead, so unexpectedly. He shudders, letting go a shaky breath. He wonders if it'll stop there...

When they get to the closest exit, Gerard pulls away from Bonnie's fearfully clingy hold and pushes the door leading to the staircase. Nothing happens. He pushes at the door again. He groans and kicks it, breathing hard. Ray offers to help. The two of them push their bodies against the huge metal door. It doesn't budge. Ray pulls away and sighs. Gerard groans again in frustration, hitting the door with his fists. He rests his forehead against the door.

"The doors must be locked," Ray says quietly.

Gerard turns around and looks at the scared faces of his group of aquaintences. The Harts are holding each other again. Bob is staring at the door in disbelief. Ray is holding Chelsea, who looks quite frightened. And, for some reason that boggles Gerard's mind, Frank and Mikey are holding hands. Frank bites his lip, his muscles noticeably tense.

"I-it can't be locked," Chelsea says.

"You try to open it," Ray mutters back.

"But if the exits are locked..." Mace starts fearfully.

"We're stuck in here," Gerard finishes for her. He shudders.

He's used to being a leader but he never thought his leading skills would ever meet this kind of situation. Two people dead and someone hiding in the shadows of the dim-lighted school with blood on their hands. No one's phone has the slightest hint of a signal and the floor seems to be deserted. Gerard doesn't know what to think, what to do, what to feel. He swallows nervously and blinks a few times, looking up at his...classmates.

"This isn't the only exit," Gerard says.

"Yeah," Frank says, a hint of hopefulness in his tone. "Th-there are, like, eight more."

"Thank God this school is huge..." Chelsea mutters.

"It'll take forever to get to all of them," Mikey says.

"We can split up?" Mace says. "And, like, yell when we find one that's open."

"Good idea," Gerard says. "We'll split up."

"I'm staying with Frank," Mikey says, clutching Frank's arm.

"I'm staying with Chelsea," Ray says, holding his girlfriend close.

"I'm staying with Gerard," Mace says, eagerly holding onto Gerard's waist.

"I guess...me and Bob can go with--" Bonnie starts. Bob interrupts her.

"Mikey and Frank," he says. Mikey shrinks into Frank's arms. Gerard doesn't know what to think about that, either.

"Okay," he starts, watching Mikey as he stares at Bob fearfully. "When you find the open staircase, call out the number and we'll meet up there."

Everyone nods. Bonnie and Mace hug each other tightly and let go slowly. The two groups reluctantly turn away from each other and start to go down opposite ends of the hall. Gerard looks back, seeing that Mikey is staying as physically far away from Bob as possible. Gerard sighs. There were more important things to think about then his stupid brother's stupid bully.