THE MISSING STUDENT
458 Words
The next morning, Amara arrived at Greenwood Academy earlier than usual.
She had barely slept.
The words from the notebook kept repeating in her mind.
TOMORROW, BRING DANIEL.
She found Tobi waiting near the school gate.
“Did you see Daniel?” Amara asked.
Tobi shook his head.
“No. I thought he'd be in class.”
They hurried to their classroom.
But Daniel's seat was empty.
Amara looked around.
“Maybe he's absent.”
Their teacher entered a few minutes later and began taking attendance.
“Daniel Okoro?”
Silence.
The teacher looked at the register.
“Has anyone seen Daniel this morning?”
Nobody answered.
Amara exchanged a worried look with Tobi.
During break time, they searched the school for Daniel.
They checked the library.
Nothing.
They checked the cafeteria.
Nothing.
They even asked some of Daniel's friends.
Nobody had seen him.
Then Tobi suddenly stopped.
“Amara.”
“What?”
He pointed toward the second-floor hallway.
At the very end stood Room 13.
The door was slightly open.
Amara's stomach tightened.
“Do you think…?”
Tobi nodded.
They slowly walked toward it.
As they approached, they heard a sound coming from inside.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
The same sound from yesterday.
Amara pushed the door open.
The classroom looked exactly as it had before.
Dusty desks.
Cobwebs.
The old blackboard.
But this time, there was something new.
A schoolbag sat on the floor.
Amara recognized it immediately.
“That's Daniel's bag.”
Tobi stepped closer.
“Where is he?”
Amara looked around.
Suddenly, the blackboard began to change.
White chalk moved across the surface by itself.
YOU FOUND HIS BAG.
Amara swallowed.
“Where is Daniel?”
The chalk continued moving.
FIND THE CLOCK.
Tobi looked up at the old clock.
“That's it.”
Amara walked toward it.
The clock was still frozen at 1:13.
She reached up and touched it.
Click.
A hidden compartment opened underneath the clock.
Inside was a small brass key.
Amara picked it up.
There was a number engraved on it.
13.
Suddenly, Daniel's voice came from somewhere inside the classroom.
“Amara!”
She spun around.
“Daniel?”
“Amara, don't trust—”
His voice disappeared.
The classroom became silent.
Tobi stared at her.
“What was he going to say?”
Amara didn't answer.
She was staring at the blackboard.
A new message had appeared.
THE NEXT LESSON BEGINS TONIGHT.
Then, underneath it, another sentence slowly appeared.
AND THIS TIME, YOU WON'T BE ALONE.
Amara tightened her grip around the brass key.
Whatever Room 13 was hiding, she knew one thing for certain.
They were getting closer to the truth.
And somewhere inside Greenwood Academy…
Daniel was waiting for them.
TO BE CONTINUED...
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD