The College Final

As she followed her friends into the abandoned school she felt the chill from the wind and heard the leaves crackling on the trees. She couldn't believe she was a freshman in college and that her home was miles, actually states, away. She thought of her little brother and wondered if he was missing her as much as she missed him. Her parents had scrimped and saved to send her to school and she knew she had a lot to prove and was nervous to make everyone proud. She was struggling to make friends and this new group that had accepted her seemed a little too anxious for her to join in their fun. They told her about the academy and how it was supposedly haunted. They told her she had to go with them and tour the academy in order to be a part of the group. She could feel the evil around it as soon as she stepped foot in the courtyard.

The "no trespassing" signs were more than a warning as she continued up the steps to the front doors with her friend Sebastian. He was so gorgeous and she was sure that his interest was genuine. His last girlfriend had left school after the first week. No one was sure why, but the relationship had ended with her goodbyes. Now Sebastian was free for the taking and she was first in line. As he took her hand, Tayla shivered from head to toe. Was this really happening? A hot boyfriend, a new start, and good grades would be the perfect end to a rough summer at home. She would finally stop disappointing her parents and prove to them their investment was worthwhile.

As the door opened a horrific smell engulfed her. Something wasn't right but Sebastian pulled her in and continued down a hallway. It was so dark it was hard to see anything but the red circle with the 5 pointed star in the middle of the floor was glaring at her. She had seen the sign before in a book about devil worshippers but couldn't believe it was here in front of her. Sebastian saw the fear in face and tried to console her. "It's not what you're thinking," he said and grinned. She started to relax and take a breath. "It's worse." She knew at that moment that all of the rumors and tales of human sacrifice in this small town were true. She couldn't believe how naïve she had been. These "friends" had been so easy to make for a girl that never fit in. They knew she was a loaner and no one would miss her for days.

As they went to bind her hands she tried to control her fear and think quickly. She stuck her finger down her throat and began vomiting on Sebastian and another girl that was holding her arm. It startled them and as they screamed at her in anger she began to run as quickly as she could through the academy. She found some stairs leading down and quietly approached them. The creaking stairs gave away her position and they begin to chant her name. She started to cry and tripped over a knot in the floor and fell down into a hole underneath the building. It was damp and it felt like she had fallen into a pile of sticks. As she found a gap in the boards the moonlit night shown through and lit up the stick in her hand. When she glanced at it she realized she wasn't holding a stick at all but someone's femur bone. "Hello, Tayla!" Sebastian's gleaming eyes were fixated on her. Her last thought was of her family and how she had managed to disappoint them one last time.