Chapter 5 FIVE:THE SINISTER PRESENCE

JULIAN Running from the past, tripping on the now, and not careful of the future is the mistake almost every living soul makes. The school, the building, students, and the books are just a facade of what the school really embodies. It's been like that for years, and I don't think it's stopping soon. In the quest of making the school a success, the thirst for bringing fake respect to the school and greed of covering the truth, the lives of many are left on the edge, but who is to stop them? It's been long, really long, since they have been in existence from the very beginning.

I'm weak, really weak, but you have to put on a strong face to live through the world and Ravenswood High. Him! Fire and danger are lurking right behind him, but if he can get through this, so many lives will be free, but it isn't an easy task at all. The last person that tried, her bones were used to stir the huge pot of potion. He has to be really careful. VICTORIA TAYLOR As the water dripped through my body, I think about the past. The past is dark and too sad to remember, but I'm afraid. What if it happens again? 'No!' I convinced myself in my head. It's gone and gone for good. I must keep the school going at all costs; I must fulfill Malcolm's dream. That boy, Jordan, I must stop him fast, even if there is something, I won't let him find it. I have to keep it hidden to the very end; I have been keeping it for years, he won't be an obstacle to me now! Never! JORDAN I collected the diary from Heather and I read further. September 15, 2002: "I found a symbol etched into the wall in the basement. It looks like some sort of ritualistic symbol." November 2, 2002: "I saw one of the teachers performing rituals in the basement; I'm scared." December 10, 2002: "I felt like I'm being watched. I see people following me everywhere." And then the next few pages were empty until: February 12, 2003: "I'm leaving! We are all leaving! They are disappearing." February 15, 2003: "They're chasing me! I'm fast, but they are faster! Someone find me, someone please!" "It's a bad goodbye now. I hope someone finds this and continues." The diary ends abruptly, suggesting that Daisy's investigation was cut short, probably due to her disappearance or worse. As I closed the diary, a chill ran down my spine; the entries were cryptic, but they hinted at a sinister presence lurking in the shadows of Ravenswood High. I looked at Heather, and she seemed just as perplexed as I was. Here is the text rearranged into paragraphs: "What do you think this is?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. Heather shook her head. "I don't know, but I think we need to investigate further. We can't just ignore this." I nodded in agreement. "But where do we start?" Heather thought for a moment. "Now that we're aware of how much danger we're in, we can't back down now. Daisy's either dead or alive and has become a shadow of herself, but that's not the matter now." I adjusted my seat and moved closer to her. "The date gaps in the diary are kind of strange, don't you think?" "How?" I asked, and she creased her brows as if expecting me to catch on already. "The first date was September 10, and then 15; how come she didn't write anything between November 2 and December 10? She was feeling like she was being watched on December 10, 2002, and after that, she was off until February 10, 2003, where she claimed they were disappearing. Isn't that strange?" She said, and I tried to align my thoughts together. "Was she threatened in between?" "It's possible she was made to see certain things before her final disappearance!" "Who is doing all this?" "It means the society has existed for a very long time. We can't trust anyone now, Dan. Daisy claimed she saw teachers performing rituals in the basement; can it be the same basement where you found the diary?" "It's possible, unless there's another hidden place that's yet to be discovered." "I think we have to go back in there." "Now?" "Yes, tomorrow might be too late." Heather and I snuck back into the school that night, determined to uncover the secrets of the basement. As we made our way through the dark and empty hallways, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. When we reached the janitor's closet, we found the secret door hidden behind a stack of old boxes. It was locked, but Heather managed to pick the lock after a few minutes of fiddling with it. As we made our way down the stairs, the air grew thick with an eerie, pungent scent. I covered my nose, trying not to gag. "What's that smell?" I whispered. Heather shook her head. "I don't know, but it's not good." We reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the room where I found the diary. The chairs weren't there anymore! "The chairs are gone!" I almost shouted. "Who took them?" Heather asked. "That's not the thing right now! We need to get out of here ASAP." "Why?" Heather asked, but I just grabbed her hand and rushed out of the room. As we hurried through the dark hallway, I remembered Daisy's words. "They are chasing me! I'm fast, but they are faster!" I tightened my grip around Heather and rushed out of the school, back to the house. After we successfully made it home, Heather looked at me, asking for answers. "We didn't risk going in there just to rush out like that," Heather said with a frowned face. "The chairs were gone, meaning someone knew we would be there. The person is either there where we were or just left, which can be dangerous." Heather sat down slowly; I wondered what was going on in her head.