Chapter 3 THREE:INTO THE ABYSS

JADEN

It seems he's unaware of what he's getting himself into. If only I knew, maybe I wouldn't be in this mess. One thing I've come to realize is that sometimes, even when something is wrong, you just have to overlook it and look at its positive side.

I'm Jaden Rock, a junior at Ravenswood High. I lost my dad when I was nine, leaving me alone with my mother, who seems almost unavailable. She's a nurse and works shifts, making me spend more time alone than with her. It was strange at first, being alone, but as I matured, I learned to go with what life throws at me. The saying "If life throws you lemons, make lemonade" resonates with me. Well, I went a bit further – I made lemon juice and even lemon pie. Trust me, it landed me in a lot of trouble.

You'll understand better. I'm not an introvert, though that's everyone's assumption. I was an extrovert in my own world until circumstances turned me into an introvert.

Maybe if I hadn't made lemonade, lemon juice, and lemon pie out of lemons, my eyes wouldn't have seen what they saw. I didn't go to the archive for my project that day; surely that's what Jordan must be thinking. I know what he was doing – I was just as clueless as he was until... until I saw something I'll never discuss with the living or the dead.

The faster he knows what he's getting himself into – a death trap, a death valley – the better. But who am I to discuss what he's likely to encounter?

...

Later that day...

The light in the room was dim, but it was enough to see the three figures – two girls and an older woman standing under the swinging chandelier. They spoke in low tones, as if not to let anyone hear what they were saying.

"He's a junior; we saw him clearly. He was going there."

"Yes, we saw him. What if something goes wrong?"

"Quiet! Nothing will, and must not, go wrong. You won't be starting any rumors, okay!"

"But... what if... the society?"

"That didn't exist, doesn't exist, and will never exist," the older woman said in an almost high-pitched voice, as if passing a warning.

"But-"

"There will be no 'but.' Now leave!" The two girls walked toward the door.

"Remember, no word of this to anyone!"

"Yes, ma'am," one answered, while the other rolled her eyes and walked away, muttering something to herself.

"It's back, and we can't miss it."

-----

JORDAN

It was as if I was in another world, but no – it's the school. It has to be the school, but why is there another school inside the school? Immediately, I entered the closet; I found myself in a vast room with a wide hole in the center. I walked toward the stairs and saw that they went a long way down.

Since I came with my torch this time, I flashed it around the room. That's when I realized it wasn't an empty room after all – there were dusty chairs and tables littering around. I looked through the hole with the torch but couldn't see the bottom.

I was hesitant about going down the stairs, but something in me urged me to follow. I looked around the room one more time before going down; it was actually a basement – a really strange basement. I saw chairs arranged in a circle with something that looked like a furnace at the center.

I walked toward the shelf stuffed with books and saw a book with a blue cover – it looked like a diary. I pulled it out, dusted it off, and saw "Daisy" written on the hard cover. I opened it, and it was indeed a diary. I checked the dates – 2002!

I took the diary and put it in my bag. I must get out of here fast; lunchtime is almost over, and I don't want Heather looking for me.

As I turned to leave, I noticed something strange about the chairs – they were clean, as if still in use. Unlike the other things in the room, which were dusty. And then I saw names written on them; it would take long to look at all the names, but then I saw one – Ava.

I rushed up the stairs, back to the room, and out of the closet, only to come face-to-face with Julian Styles. I was in absolute shock and couldn't find my tongue. Julian Styles is a ruthless senior – I've never seen her smile, always frowning and passing suspicious glances.

"What are you doing coming out of there?" she asked with a stern face.

"Um... I"

"Speak!!"She barked.

"I lost my way!" I said, knowing it was nowhere near enough to convince this senior.

"I have a class now," I said, leaving her front.

I was thinking she would call me back, but surprisingly she didn't. I could feel her eyes on me as I walked through the hallway.

A lot of thoughts were rushing through my head. Who is Ava? Why is this place off the school map? Why is there a diary dated back to 2002? There were a lot of questions running through my mind, and I hoped the diary would answer them all.

---

We were in biology class when the principal walked in. I could see the fear in everyone's eyes. Principal Mrs. Victoria Taylor is strict and stern, making everyone fear her. If one gets on her bad side, she'll make them miserable.

"Um, students! I received a complaint that something is missing from the janitor's closet, and one of the janitors claimed they saw one of you," she said, her eyes rummaging through the class. I'm in trouble!

"Jordan Chen!" She called my name, and just like that, I ended up in detention.