Chapter 3 Sophomore Year: 2008

If memory serves me right, that's the beginning of the end of things at Blue Bell. On Saturday, Lindsay, Lionel, and I play tag in the woods yet again. We uncovered an unmarked VHS in a box near where we had found the trap door. We didn't know what to do with it and we were scared. Lionel wanted to go to Headmaster Ashbrook and turn that VHS into him.

We wondered if we should have listened to Lionel; however, Lindsay and I were being too headstrong chose not to turn it over.

Looking for my first big break in the school newspaper writing something that the school would buzz about. Anyhow that night, Chloe, Matt, Bryce, Lionel, Lindsay, Trent, and I snuck into a classroom at 2am in the morning, while all the teachers slumbered. Putting in the VHS into the VCR player. The tape turns out to be a recording made by a child pornographer. A sweet little girl and a dirty much older man. We were in such shock and we kept watching it to the end, mostly because we just couldn't believe our eyes. We were young, dumb and naïve.

It makes me sick in every way. That's not possible, I kept thinking... I wanted nothing more than to figure out who the girl is and to ensure she was safe, and that it never happens to any child again.

We notice the date make on that tape, March of 1998. Right then and there Lindsay, myself, Lionel, Chole, Matt, Bryce, and Trent take a vow, to tell no one, not tell a soul regarding what we had watched on that VHS until we could figure out who the little girl was and if she was one of the dead girls we had found. A few days later after no leads on who she might be, Lindsay and I began to wonder if that little girl is one of our classmates since the girl was our age, now.

Why was that tape too easy to discover in the woods... every damn time I have gone there I stumble upon on something horrific? I must stop going there.

I've begun to see a lot of sexual things happening at Blue Bell. Bryce got after school detention for a bad grade on a paper in Mr. Edwards English class. Bryce told Lindsay and me after that he made her have sex with him while in detention; she had tears pouring out of her eyes and just wanted it to all go away. She didn't want to report him and didn't want us to say anything either. It had been her first time. Such a tragedy. How can I make this stop?

I wrote everything I saw in my notebook. Subsequently, digging in deeper and deeper discovered that some of the female teachers were prostitutes by night, and a few high school senior girls were in it as well to pay for college. Mr. Ashbrook is rumored to be the head of the prostitution ring.

I went right to Headmaster Ashbrook and came right out and asked him if the rumors are true. He told me in the matter of fact and I began to see the evil that he really was when he responded, "Yes," while looking deep into my eyes.

My heart broke inside while I told him off. Running away with tears in eyes. I cried my heart out all night that night. I made a vow to myself, going on this crazy mission to expose what's going on at Blue Bell Academy with my friends' help.

We had heard lots of odd things that some of the teachers were doing and had done to the girls there past and present. Still searching for answers to who the girl was on the VHS. We looked through the many editions of the yearbooks and eventually drew a circle around the name and picture of a girl of our class because the features of her face matched so closely. Lindsay, Chloe, Bryce, and I tried to become friends with the girl in our class, it was much harder than I thought. She was so closed off and didn't want to talk to any of us. The boys Lionel, Matt, and Trent, tried to help.

I vowed to myself to put a stop to all of the sexual abuse that had been kept within the school's walls for years. Starting a group, named "BLOODLINE" in secret where girls could send us messages in secret, we began getting lots of girls coming to me whispering about things that happen to them. A few of the girls were nasty warning me to stop what I was doing in an almost defensive tone.

Now I wonder why on earth I didn't tell the cops, my Dad and Grandma, or even Ella or Riley. Did I enjoy playing with fire... I sure did, it is who I am.

That summer I went home and began writing a full story on identifying the sexual abuse and prostitution ring I've discovered at the school using my many notes taken during the passing school year. I did not want Dad or Grandma to know what's going to school because they might stop me from exposing the truth.

One night alone with my grandma, we were cross stitching. I casually asked her to tell me more on her day's at Blue Bell, without raising a red flag. She explained the joys of being at her beloved school. I've asked her if she ever witnesses anything unusual at Blue Bell like hearing of a prostitution ring and sex trafficking. Grandma gazes up from what she's doing telling me with a panicked look on her face.

"Audra for a sweet girl like you, you should not know a thing like sex trafficking and prostitution anywhere much less at your school. I never observed such things while I went there." Immediately I have seen in grandma's eye a knowing and that she's hiding something from me while she changes the subject. Now wanting to know what my beloved grandma were hiding from me. I started snooping in my grandma's belongings, always coming to dead ends.

One afternoon, two men dressed in all black came to my home asking after me. While Dad happened to be at work. Only my grandma and I were home. The two men talked to me in a harsh tone of voice and warned me not to move forward talking to anyone much less writing an article about what I had discovered. Stopping and making me vow to not to dig anymore into the history of Blue Bell. I had no choice in the matter so they said; I've pretended that I dropped my mission to exposing Mr. Ashbrook and the goings on at my school.

My grandma said we won't breathe a word of this to my dad. I pondered "What the hell is my grandma hiding from me?" Grandma begins acting too odd around me. It made me nervous being under her watchful eyes. I tried to stay away from her for rest of the summer. It drove me to speculate that she must have known much more than she alluded to.

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Meanwhile my Dad was still dating Charlotte, Dad sure picked a winner. I have a feeling that he was going to marry her. Charlotte is the big sister that I always wanted she's not much like a mom at all, she's 32 and closer to my age than his, dad is robbing the cradle. Charlotte took me shopping. lunches with Riley and Ella and splurged on me enough to make me feel special. I didn't dare to discuss the subject of my problems at school with Ella or Riley because I've known it would have been, "I told you so, Audra!' for their first response when spending time with them.

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Lindsay called me and invite me to stay two weeks with her before school began for the new fall term. It was the end of summer and I flew south, and we had such a blast. Staying with Lindsay on her huge and beautiful working southern plantation. It's something right out of a history book. Dressing up as southern belles, we went to a party and wound up sleeping in the old slave's quarters one night. Lindsay and I were watching the people work the fields one day.

Then, Lindsay told me, "History had an odd way, it has never changed. The people still work in the fields for paychecks and want freedom." Lindsay goes on chatting and winds up confessing she had been romantic with our new History teacher, Mr. Corsair, who started teaching at Blue Bell during our Sophomore year, and she loves him. Lindsay explained to me that Mr. Corsair is on our side and knows more about what is going on within the dark school walls and wants to talk to me about Bloodline group. I agree to meet with Mr. Corsair as soon we got back. I've told her that my Grandma had exhibited odd behavior since I asked her about her days at Blue Bell. Lindsay replied, "your grandma, she must have something or holds a major key to our school's past. You got to find out what your grandma is keeping from you, Audra!"