EPISODE SEVEN:
TW: blood, death, suicide
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34 minutes and 18 seconds
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I watched as each class crowded into the gymnasium slowly filling up the room to maximum capacity. As in the courtyard each class sat in their respective groups according to class. We all sat in the center of th gym on the cluster of chairs we had put out. The teachers had their own chair separated from the main group in the outskirts of the clump of students.
I scanned the room, picking through the crowd of people to try to find Andrew and William. It took a while but I was able to spot Andrew’s black hair above the other heads.
“Andrew! William!” I called out while jumping and waving my arms in order to drag their attention.
William turned around at the sound of his name and began to walk towards us. He was dragging Andrew with him and at first Andrew was protesting but then he realized where he was going and stopped. They both walked over to us and soon the five of us had found a spot to sit among the chaos. I sat down with an exaggerated huff.
“Y’all better be thankful, our class set up this entire thing.” I said.
“Ha, ha, ha” Andrew mocked, “You had to do work.”
William turned his head and knitted his eyebrows together accusingly.
“What are you talking about, Andrew? We had to do work too. We had a test for God’s sake,” William laughed.
Andrew sung his head towards William and glared at him and his statement. I pointed and laughed at him jokingly, which made him turn to glare at me instead of William.
“I would take moving chairs over an English test with Mrs. Ham any day,” Lorie said from the shair beside me.
“I agree. Mrs. Ham’s test are so hard,” Zora complained from beside me. “I have her seventh period and I not looking forward to it.”
“Same,” I said.
Andrew and Zora got into a heated conversation over their distaste for Mrs. Ham and her class. I decided not to participate incase Mrs. Ham were to catch us like she’s done in the past. I lifted my head up off my arms where I had previously laid it and scanned to room. I saw a few freshman huddled in a corner talking nervously amongst themselves as if not sure why they were there. I saw a large group of juniors with a few sophomores mixed in who were laughing loudly. In the far right corner in the back of the room stood about fifteen seniors all surrounding Caspian as he talked about who cares what. I quickly moved my eyes from that place and began to look at the teachers. Most of them were lined up with their backs against the wall talking and laughing a little. I recognized a few faces but didn’t have enough time to really analyze the group before the harsh sound of the old podium microphone turning on echoed through the gym.
All the noise which previously filled the gymnasium was brought down to a quiet whisper. The teachers began to walk around shushing noise students and separating some of the clusters of students when necessary. A few students began to take their seats and so did a few of the teachers. Some of the teachers, however, stood around the chairs like a perimeter of guard dogs. I thought it was odd but took no real notice to it.
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14 minutes and 21 seconds
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“Ahem, ahem. Please, everyone take your seats and quiet down. That’s right, let’s get a move on. Excuse me, Ms. Dean and Ms. Harchick, one person to a chair please. Thank you,” Mr. Zavich said from his podium.
Mr. Zavich was not an old man but he was not a young man either. His hair had begun to gray and his skin was beginning to sag a bit under his eyes. He had a gruff voice but was not scary. Mr. Zavich was taller then me by only a few inches but most people still considered him to be short. He always wore a button down shirt with a vest over it and dress pants. Like most male teachers at Seriph High he wore a tie and he straightened it when he was nervous. In fact, he was doing it right now.
“Now that everyone has taken their seats we’ll start, shall we?” Mr. Zavich began, “I want to begin by thanking everyone for coming here on such a short notice and I apologize if I have messed up any previous scheduling. Now, before we get to our big announcement let me introduce you to Mr. Gladenstone. He will be giving you some exciting information.” Mr. Zavich stepped aside, sweeping his arm toward a man standing in the shadows of the stage curtains.
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8 minutes and 10 seconds
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The man behind the curtain was engulfed in shadow and almost looked like a shadow himself. I watched as a single black shiny dress shoe stepped out into the stage light and behind it was a man. Mr. Gladenstone was a tall man, taller the Andrew. He was bald and most likely in his late twenties. He wore a stiff suit that looked like it had never been used before and had necklace around his collar where a tie would normally be. The necklace swung as he walked over to the podium. Mr. Gladenstone walked with determination and importance as if he was on a mission of sorts.
“Good morning.” He said formally, “My name is Mr. Gladenstone and I will be giving you, the students, very important information. Today will change your life forever and I look forward to working with you in the future.” He spoke robotically and slowly addressing us as if we were at a business meeting. “However, some… things must be taken care of before we can begin.” He cleared his throat and straightened his suit. “If all the staff could please create a line along the left wall of the gymnasium.”
Just as he instructed all of the teacher and janitors and admissions directors lined up single file along the left wall of the gym.
“Thank you. Now, if each one of you could come up, on at a time, to receive a gift from us.” Mr. Gladenstone instructed.
‘Us? Who’s us?’ I wondered, ‘He must mean the company he’s working for.’ The teachers and staff did as he instructed. One by one each person walked up the steps onto the stage and received something from Mr. Gladenstone. It was a small necklace, very similar to the one that hung around Mr. Gladenstone’s neck. The chain was made of gold which gillited when the stage light hit it just right. On the chain hung a small ornament; it was about the size of a half dollar coin and was made of gold like the chain. In the center of the gold ring there was a small purple crystal like rock.
As all of this happened, as each person took a necklace, dread filled me. Like a stone it weighed me down making me nervous as it grew. ‘Something isn’t right here. Something isn’t right.’i thought to myself. I looked around at my friends and they all seemed to be nervous too. Andrew had sat up straight like a statue guarding a temple. Zora was flicking her eyes from teacher to teacher as if they were going to all jump on her at once. Lorie looked as if she was on the verge of tears as she clutched William’s arm tightly. William had his arms around Lorie and looked ready to move a mountain and fight a hundred people to protect her. We were all on edge to say the least.
In a little over five minutes all of the adults in the building had received a necklace and had been reseated. I watched a few people inspect theirs while others just ut it on immediately after getting it. Some looked confused while others looked delighted to receive the gift. Mr. Gladenstone’s reaction was the most baffling. ALthough we have only known him for maybe ten minutes he was no the type to smile. But, despite my initial conclusion he had a big toothy grin on his face, which was unsettling.
“I’d like to begin by saying, thank you, to all of you lovely people who have helped with the education and upbringing of this particular experi- school. Now, if you’d please put on the necklace which you have received.” Mr. Gladenstone waited patiently as all the adults put on the small trinket. “Does everyone have it on? Yes? Thank you. Now under each of your chairs is a bag which contains an important instrument for what I’m going to have you do next. But don’t open it.” He said firmly. “ Okay, hopefully this works. Now you see we’ve been having a little trouble with the adults recently. They hold the students back from true potential in this experiment.”
‘Experiment what is he talking about?’ and in that moment I realized that something was very wrong
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39 seconds
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“So, we’ve decided to eliminate them.” Mr. Glandenstone snapped his fingers.
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Each adult’s arms and legs snapped together as if toy soldiers and they pulled something out of their bags simultaneously and then…
BANG!
I realized too late. I saw it too late. I stood up too late. I screamed too late. I was too late. They fell like dominoes onto the ground. The gun slid from their hand as their bodies crashed onto the gymnasium floor. Crimson liquid began too pool around their bodies. I fainted.
I woke up to devastation. Blood soaked my shirt. The red substance covered my hands and they began to shake. 'I didn't know a person had that much blood... ' Fear was the only thing I could feel, everything else faded away.
"Evangeline?"
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“Evangeline, please sit up. Are you okay? Evangeline?” A voice said from beside me.
I felt like I was underwater, unable to breathe or hear or speak. I looked around and saw all my friends sitting around me but register none of it. Their dead. All of the adults are dead. I lifted my head to look at the face in front of me. It was Zora’s, her eyes were filled with worry and her hands were around my shoulders holding me up. After a few seconds of blank staring I was able to bring myself to an aware state of mind. But before I could talk or even process my surroundings A voice boomed through the gymnasium.
“Now, let us begin.”
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A/N
1836 words
Dear readers, this story will have recurring themes of death, violence, and blood. I will continue to put trigger warnings, but if this is something you are uncomfortable with you may want to find another story to read. Thank you for your consideration and support.
- love from QueenCobra <3 -
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