HALLWAY OF LIES

The Silent Witness

The beam of the flashlight remained fixed on Maya and Jordan.

For a moment, no one spoke.

The old janitor slowly lowered the flashlight.

"You shouldn't be here," he said quietly.

Jordan stepped in front of Maya.

"Who are you?"

The old man sighed.

"My name is Mr. Ellis."

"You've been warning me since my first day," Maya said.

"You told me to stay away from Locker 117."

Mr. Ellis nodded.

"I hoped you would listen."

"You knew about the notes?"

"I knew someone would eventually find you."

Maya exchanged a confused glance with Jordan.

"What does that mean?"

Mr. Ellis looked around the dark basement before answering.

"It means your arrival wasn't an accident."

INT. LIBRARY BASEMENT – CONTINUOUS

Jordan held up the torn Project Hallway pages.

"You know what this is?"

Mr. Ellis's face fell.

"I was afraid you'd find those."

"What is Project Hallway?" Maya asked.

The old janitor remained silent for several seconds.

Finally, he whispered,

"It began fifteen years ago."

Maya frowned.

"Fifteen?"

Mr. Ellis nodded.

"It didn't start with Noah."

"It started long before he was ever a student."

Jordan stared at him.

"Then who started it?"

Before Mr. Ellis could answer—

A loud buzz echoed through the basement.

The emergency lights switched on, bathing everything in a dull red glow.

Mr. Ellis looked up immediately.

"They know I'm talking."

INT. LIBRARY BASEMENT – STORAGE ROOM

Mr. Ellis hurried them into a small storage room and quietly shut the door.

"Listen carefully," he whispered.

"You don't have much time."

Jordan folded his arms.

"Then tell us the truth."

Mr. Ellis looked directly at Maya.

"The school chooses students."

"What?"

"They watch grades."

"They watch behavior."

"They watch families."

Maya felt her stomach tighten.

"The file..."

Mr. Ellis nodded.

"Every student who enters Westbrook High has a file."

"But yours..."

He paused.

"...was created before you enrolled."

Maya remembered the photograph dated six months before she'd moved.

"So someone knew I was coming."

"They made sure you came."

Jordan clenched his fists.

"And Noah?"

Mr. Ellis closed his eyes.

"Noah refused."

"Refused what?"

"He discovered Project Hallway."

"And?"

"They wanted him to join."

Jordan shook his head.

"My brother would've never agreed."

"He didn't."

The old man's voice became heavy.

"He tried to expose them."

Silence filled the room.

Jordan's eyes watered.

"What happened?"

Mr. Ellis looked away.

"I don't know."

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

"You expect me to believe that?"

Mr. Ellis met Jordan's eyes.

"The night Noah disappeared..."

"...I helped him escape."

Maya gasped.

"You helped him?"

Mr. Ellis nodded.

"I got him into the tunnels."

"I thought he'd make it out."

"But he never came back."

Jordan stood frozen.

"So he might still be alive?"

Mr. Ellis hesitated.

"I've hoped so every day for the last two years."

A sudden knock echoed through the basement.

Three slow knocks.

Knock...

Knock...

Knock...

Mr. Ellis immediately went silent.

His expression changed from sadness...

To fear.

"They've found us."

Jordan whispered,

"Who's 'they'?"

Mr. Ellis slowly reached into his jacket.

Instead of a weapon...

He pulled out an old brass key.

"This opens the east maintenance tunnel."

He handed it to Maya.

"If anything happens to me..."

"...never let Vice Principal Grant have this."

Maya accepted the key.

It felt heavy.

Older than the silver school keys.

"There are places underground even Grant can't enter."

The knocking came again.

Louder.

"Mr. Ellis?"

A voice echoed through the basement.

"We know you're in there."

It was Vice Principal Grant.

Maya's heart raced.

Grant sounded calm.

Almost friendly.

"Open the door."

Mr. Ellis shook his head.

"No."

Grant sighed from outside.

"You're making this difficult."

Mr. Ellis looked at Maya and Jordan.

"When I open this door..."

"...run."

"What about you?" Maya asked.

He smiled sadly.

"My job has always been protecting students."

Jordan grabbed his arm.

"We're not leaving you."

Mr. Ellis placed a hand on Jordan's shoulder.

"Your brother once said the exact same thing."

Jordan froze.

"He did?"

Mr. Ellis nodded.

"And he was brave enough to keep going."

Without another word, Mr. Ellis unlocked the storage-room door.

The instant it opened, he shoved Maya and Jordan toward a narrow passage hidden behind a shelf.

"Go!"

They stumbled into the dark corridor.

Behind them they heard Grant's voice.

"Ellis!"

Then...

The door slammed shut.

A loud struggle erupted on the other side.

Furniture crashed.

Someone shouted.

Then everything went silent.

Maya wanted to go back.

Jordan grabbed her wrist.

"He told us to run."

Tears filled Maya's eyes.

"What if they hurt him?"

Jordan looked back at the closed passage.

"I know."

"But if we go back now..."

"...everything he risked will be for nothing."

Together they ran through the narrow tunnel until they reached a rusty metal staircase.

At the top was a hatch.

Jordan pushed it open.

Fresh air rushed in.

They climbed out...

...into the abandoned greenhouse behind Westbrook High.

The glass roof was cracked.

Vines covered the walls.

In the center of the greenhouse stood an old stone fountain.

Something had been carved into its base.

Maya brushed away the moss.

The carving read:

THE DIRECTOR KNOWS YOUR NAME.

Just below it, someone had scratched three more words:

Find the Clocktower.

The wind suddenly slammed the greenhouse door shut behind them.

They spun around.

Taped to the inside of the glass was a fresh white envelope.

Across the front, in familiar black ink, were the words:

For Maya Only.

To be continued in Episode 3 – Part 4...