CHAPTER 6: THE SCIENCE LAB 🏷
658 Words
The note stayed in Ethan's pocket throughout the day.
Science Lab – 4:00 p.m.
Neither he nor Sophie mentioned it during lessons, but every now and then, they exchanged quick glances, silently reminding each other of what awaited them after school.
When the final bell rang, students rushed out of their classrooms. Some hurried to catch the school bus, while others gathered on the football field.
Ethan met Sophie outside the library.
"Are you sure we should do this?" Sophie asked quietly."
"If we ignore every clue, we'll never know who's behind all this," Ethan replied.
She nodded.
"Then let's go."
The science laboratory was located in the oldest building at Evercrest Academy. By the time they arrived, the hallway was almost empty.
The laboratory door was slightly open.
Ethan frowned.
"I thought the lab would be locked."
"So did I."
He gently pushed the door open.
The room was silent.
Rows of laboratory benches stretched across the room, while sunlight filtered through the dusty windows. Everything looked perfectly normal.
"Maybe this is another trick," Sophie whispered.
Before Ethan could reply, they heard footsteps outside.
Both of them froze.
The footsteps stopped.
Ethan slowly walked to the door and peered into the hallway.
No one was there.
"Did you see anyone?" Sophie asked.
He shook his head.
When they turned back toward the room, something immediately caught Sophie's attention.
"There wasn't a box on that table before."
A small brown box sat in the middle of one of the laboratory benches.
Neither of them had noticed it when they entered.
Ethan approached it carefully.
Inside the box was an old notebook.
Its cover was faded, and the words Student Record were written across the front.
Sophie carefully opened it.
The first few pages contained the names of students from years ago.
Most of the pages were ordinary.
Then, a loose sheet of paper slipped onto the table.
Across it, written in neat black ink, were four words:
Rumours create perfect victims.
Sophie stared at the sentence.
"What does that even mean?"
Ethan picked up the paper.
"It sounds like someone wants us to understand something."
Just then, the laboratory lights suddenly went out.
The room fell into darkness.
Amara gasped.
"Ethan?"
"I'm here."
A loud bang echoed from somewhere inside the laboratory.
Then another.
The lights flickered back on.
The brown box was gone.
"So is the notebook," Sophie said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Someone had taken it.
"But how?"
They had been standing only a few steps away.
A whistle sounded from outside.
It was one of the security guards making his evening rounds.
"We should leave," Ethan said.
As they stepped into the corridor, the guard looked at them curiously.
"What are you two doing here? Students aren't allowed in the science laboratory after closing."
"We were just leaving," Sophie answered.
The guard glanced towards the lab.
"That's strange."
"What is it?" Ethan asked.
"The laboratory has been locked since this afternoon."
Ethan and Sophie looked at each other.
"But... we were just inside."
The guard frowned.
"That's impossible."
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a bunch of keys, and unlocked the laboratory door.
The lab was exactly as they had left it.
Except...
There was no brown box.
No notebook.
No loose sheet of paper.
Nothing.
The guard looked around.
"I don't know what you thought you saw," he said, "but there's never been a box in here."
As the guard locked the laboratory again, Ethan slipped his hand into his pocket.
His expression changed.
"What is it?" Sophie asked.
Without saying a word, he pulled out a folded piece of paper that hadn't been there before.
Sophie unfolded it.
Written in bold black letters were the words:
STOP LOOKING... OR THE NEXT RUMOUR WILL BE ABOUT SOMEONE YOU CARE ABOUT.
Neither of them spoke.
For the first time, the mystery no longer felt like a game.
It felt like a warning.....⚠️
- Writer
