One clear, summer morning, Mom had dropped me off at the school library with a couple other kids who I had no clue who they were.

“Goodbye, darling! Have fun!” Mom yelled at me as I opened the car door to enter the tall building. I shuddered as I looked up at the school. ‘Wells Middle School’ I read.

“I can’t believe I’m back.” I murmured to myself, as I met my librarian and the rest of the group toward the doors.

“Hey… Chloe.” Mrs. Smeltz read off my name tag. She introduced me to the rest of the children, “This is Aaron, James, and Haddie.” She pointed to each one of the students as she said their names.

“Hm…” I mumbled, keeping my head down, trying the avoid all contact with anyone as much as I could.

“So, I hope you all understand why you’re here.” Mrs. Smeltz said, walking back and forth in front of us. She lead us inside to the book museum and sat us down at the blue desks. “What you have done to the school is unacceptable!” She scowled. “Vandalizing? Especially what you wrote is horrendous!”

“Just tell us the punishment,” Aaron shouted, pushing back his chair to stand up, but instantly got that ‘Death Glare’ that moms give you.

“Ma’am,” He quietly said and sat back down.

“You children will have to organize my books,” she told us. Everyone shrugged, including me. I was fine with cleaning around the library. It was better than listening to my sister’s phone calls with her boyfriend.

“No, you hang up!” She would say. “No, you!”

I sighed of relief.

“Also, you have to dust the bookcases! I want them extra clean for next year.” She walked over toward the four dusters she brought.

We all agreed. Once again, I was fine with that. What I didn’t want was to go to the very back of the room. Apparently, it’s been haunted by some ghost guy from a book. There have been rumors that a child name Cole Smith got murdered when he went to return a book he had borrowed.

“Oh, and one more thing,” she said, “I need you to clean up a spill in the very back of the room. One of the staff spilled something while we had a meeting. Stupid teachers.” She shook her head as she walked away.

We all looked at each other in horror. “The back of the room?” James asked in disbelief. Haddie nodded. We all got up and went toward the bookcases. As we were heading toward the books, we grabbed a duster, ready to pay the price.

“This duster looks old.” I said, surprised to hear my own voice. Aaron agreed.

About an hour later of reorganizing the bookshelf and cleaning, we all decided to head toward the back. Everyone else was huddled up while I stayed as far away from the group as I possibly could.

“Well, we’re here.” James said.

“What’s that?” Aaron asked, pointing toward a crack in the wall.

“What do you mean?” Haddie questioned. She looked around, feeling cold and scared.

“There!” Aaron said, pointing at something no one could see.

“Where?” I finally asked, looking where Haddie and James were looking.

“We don’t see anything- Aaron?” James said. He stepped back in horror; blood was smeared all over the floor.

“Ah!” Haddie yelled. Aaron’s body was on the ground.

“Okay, let’s go back. Please!” I yelled. I gathered the remaining kids up to run away.

“It’s too late,” Haddie said, still facing the same direction as the dead body.

“What do you mean?” James asked.

“I’m next.” She answered, as she slowly fell to her knees, collapsing to the floor.

 

THE END!

SJT