— Julia, can you tell me what happened there?Sara opens the door, ready to leave, when she hears Matthew's voice. She peeks out and sees him standing in the hallway with Julia. The girl's head is bowed, tears choking her, while Matthew watches her with concern.
— You know you can tell me anything. Don't keep it bottled up. Did the psychologist do something wrong to you?Julia wipes away a tear, shaking her head. Matthew sighs heavily.
— I get that he told you not to talk about it, but something's clearly wrong. You've been distant for days—staring blankly, walking away when anyone tries to talk to you...
Julia lifts her face, eyes red and watery. She bites her lip, struggling not to break down again.
— Don't pretend to care—it's your fault! she snaps.— You sent me there. You knew I'd have extra classes with him. You don't even know how horrible he is, she chokes out before bursting into tears again. She turns away, burying her face in her hands.— I went through hell. I felt sick of everything. Even teasing the weak doesn't give me any pleasure anymore. He took away all my positive feelings. He's a monster.
Matthew rubs his forehead, then gently puts a hand on her shoulder. Julia doesn't react—she closes her eyes and leans her forehead against the wall.
— I can't tell you what happened. I'm scared. There's no way out, no one to help me. Not even my parents.She brushes his hand off and steps back into her room. The door slams behind her.
Matthew punches the wall in frustration, then leans against the door, guilt weighing on him. He blames himself for sending Julia to the director.
Sara slips past, pretending not to notice. But Matthew spots her and catches up, forcing a smile.
— Going somewhere?He tries to make light conversation, maybe to ease his own guilt.
— Dinner. I haven't eaten since breakfast.Sara answers.
Matthew smiles again, softer this time.
— Then I'll keep you company and make sure you eat well. You look like you need to revive yourself.Sara's lips twitch into a small smile.— Besides, I'm tired of Oliver's company. He keeps whining about some girl who's apparently in love with him. He's not social, and I'm the only one he talks to.Matthew says this proudly.
Sara glances at him, wondering if that "girl" might be her. Oliver never seemed to like her and was quick to tease whenever he could.
— Why's he so distrustful? He pushes people away, doesn't like making friends, and everyone but you irritates him.Sara muses as they walk down the stairs.
— He's been badly hurt by his family. That's why he's closed off and unkind. It took me a long time to break through to him. He trusts me because I'm his roommate. Sorry, but I can't tell you more.
— I get it. I thought he was just rude to me. Sometimes I feel sorry for him—especially with all the teasing I get here. People joke around, but some of their words hurt.Sara says quietly.
Matthew puts an arm around her shoulder. Surprised, she looks at him as he pats her reassuringly.
— Let me see someone teasing you, I'll break their bones on the spot!She raises her voice playfully as they near the cafeteria.
Groups turn to look at them. Sara flushes, hating the attention—especially with Matthew, the most popular boy here, by her side.
Laura leaves the cafeteria, freezing when she spots them. Sara quickly pulls away from Matthew, noticing her roommate's sour expression. She doesn't want Laura to be angry—she knows how much Laura cares about Matthew.
— Will you stand there all night? I want to get in. I'm starving, and when I'm hungry I get nasty, Matthew says coldly to Laura.— And what are you staring at? I know what you did.His tone is sharp. Sara wonders why he's so hostile toward Laura when he's usually friendly.
— Oi! Laura snaps, turning to face him. Everyone's eyes shift toward them now.— You don't know me at all. I'm in over my head, more than your ex-girlfriend. I might cause trouble, but only to those who deserve it. I don't bully the weak or try to kill anyone. If my friend hadn't been there, Sara might be dead.
Sara feels all eyes on her. She's stunned.
Why is Laura airing this out in public? Doesn't she have better ways to defend herself? Sara is already seen as a freak.
— Julia overreacted. And don't act like you're innocent—how many times have you made Julia's life miserable? I know about it. Matthew cuts in.— And why are you telling everyone what happened to Sara? Not everyone knew, and now your roommate looks stupid.
Laura looks at Sara, who denies it, desperate to avoid conflict. She hates fights, especially between friends.
— I'm going to eat now, Laura says softly, trying to slip past.
Suddenly Matthew grabs Sara's hand.
— Wait. I'm coming too. Otherwise, I might say too much myself, he warns Laura, eyes flashing.— And I'd rather not get in trouble with a girl.
Laura crosses her arms, eyes fixed on their joined hands. Sara senses Laura's resentment but doesn't want any tension.
— Thanks for being on my side, after everything I've done for you.
Matthew frowns.— Why drag an innocent person into this? This is our fight, not hers. You looking for trouble?
Sara's stomach twists with nerves. She hates conflict and just wants peace.
— Whatever. Let him say what he wants. But she won't have my help anymore.Laura shoves past, knocking into Sara, who stumbles against the wall with a pained moan.
*
After finishing dinner, Sara decided to return to her room, but she couldn't get inside. Laura had locked the door with the top lock, the one they only used at night. Sara didn't have the key, so the only solution was to ask her roommate to let her in. However, Laura was stubborn and told her to sleep at Matthew's place.
Sara guessed that Laura was furious with her, but after all, she had done nothing wrong. The girl felt sad because many people treated her poorly. Not only did she have problems with assertiveness, but she was also haunted by ghosts and disturbed by visions from the past. Now she would have given anything to live at home again. Even Victoria wouldn't have been an obstacle for her to leave this place.
Slowly, she began to freak out. Even talking to a psychologist hadn't helped much.
With resignation, she walked away from the door, realizing that pleading with Laura would not change anything. It was going to be a long night, and after all, she didn't want to complain to the principal. She didn't want to make Laura even angrier.
She had no friends to help her either. She could stay in the corridor or find some quiet place. The first option was impossible, especially since teachers and supervisors roamed the building, keeping an eye on order. The only solution was to find a corner where she could hide for a few hours.
She looked around carefully as she went down to the first floor and ran along the main corridor. She didn't want anyone to see her. It was already nine p.m., and everyone was supposed to be in their rooms by then.
Sara froze when she saw someone walking toward her. She ran toward the exit and, having no other choice, went outside. The air was chilly at this hour, and she wasn't wearing anything warm.
She panicked when she heard the main door close behind her. She opened her eyes wide when she realized she wouldn't get back inside. Tugging desperately on the handle, she tried to open it, but whoever had closed it had already left.
What am I supposed to do now? she thought, rubbing her shoulders as the cold crept in.
Determined, she decided to walk around the entire building to find another entrance. It was getting dark outside, and the forest surrounding the fence looked even more ominous at this hour.
She looked around cautiously as she moved forward. Suddenly, she saw someone sitting by the pond. At first, she thought she was seeing another apparition, and the thought gave her goosebumps. But after watching for a while, she realized it was a boy.
She walked closer and stood still when she recognized him. Sitting by the pond was Alan, headphones on his ears, staring blankly ahead and nodding to the rhythm of the music.
Tentatively, Sara touched his shoulder, which startled him. He pulled off his headphones and looked at her with puzzled eyes.
"What are you doing here?"
"I ended up outside because I had nowhere to sleep, and now I can't get back inside since the building is locked," she said quietly, nervously playing with her fingers.
"Oh shit!" Alan exclaimed, quickly getting up from the grass. "It's past nine already? I was jogging and lost track of time. Damn it," he muttered, glancing around. "So, how do we get back inside?"
Sara shrugged shyly. Then she remembered the night she woke up in the tunnels. Since she had been sleepwalking, she must have come in through another door.
She glanced at Alan uncertainly, wondering if it was a good idea.
"Remember when you helped me get out of there?" she asked, pointing toward the trapdoor next to the building. "No one locked me in there. I was sleepwalking, so there has to be another way in."
Alan smiled slightly, as if he understood what she meant. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
"So what? You want to show me a corpse?"
Sara looked at him, trying to decide if he was joking, but Alan looked too serious.
"I don't understand why you want to see those things so much," she whispered.
Her stomach churned as the horrible memories came back. She wasn't drawn to that place, not at all. But if there was another way in, she wanted to take the chance.
Alan wordlessly headed for the tunnel entrance. Sara looked over her shoulder, feeling as if someone was watching them. She told herself it was just her imagination, but she noticed a shadowy figure emerging from behind a tree.
Slowly, she began to back away, horror filling her eyes as the apparition shook its head shrilly, as if denying something. Sara couldn't look any longer. She turned and ran toward Alan.
The blond boy opened the trapdoor and went down the stairs. Sara hesitated, glancing toward the pond, but the phantom was gone. She followed him, so stressed that her foot slipped on a rung. If not for Alan, it could have ended badly. He caught her just in time. She blinked, confused and blushing as he smiled and set her down. She nervously rubbed the back of her neck.
A girl like Laura would have taken the next step long ago, but Sara, shy as she was, could only feel embarrassed. Though she wanted to do more, some kind of block inside stopped her. She wasn't brave when it came to these matters, but at least she had started talking to boys—and that was a big plus compared to her old behavior.
Sara jumped when the trapdoor slammed shut behind them. She stared at Alan with terrified eyes. The boy, who had seemed so confident before, no longer looked quite so brave.
"Did someone follow us?" he asked.
Sara shook her head, denying it.
"I looked around before we went in. There was no one there," she replied quietly, swallowing hard as Alan scanned the dark tunnel.
"Then we're in for a rough night," he said, moving toward the main hallway. She followed uncertainly, praying they would find the entrance soon.
The tunnels were so dark and scary that she felt as if some evil lurked in every corner, waiting to harm them…