Adrian stood in the center of the living room, scrolling through the contacts on his phone.
After he and Natalie finished doing the dishes, everyone had gone up to their rooms, leaving him alone downstairs.
Eleanor.
His finger hovered over the contact for a second.
She's probably going to be upset I'm calling this late.
He sighed.
Well, better late than never.
He dialed her number, and after just two rings, she answered.
"Took you long enough," she said from the other end, a hint of displeasure in her voice.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Adrian replied.
"You should be. Do you know what time it is?"
He could practically hear her foot tapping on the other end.
"I've been busy." He scratched the back of his head.
"Too busy to call your favorite teacher after all those heartfelt words you said this morning?" Her voice was thick with exaggerated hurt. "To think you'd forget about me so easily."
Adrian rolled his eyes lightly.
"And how ever could I make it up to you, Your Highness?"
Her tone changed instantly.
"That's better. How about you take me out to dinner?"
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"Where is this coming from?"
"Come on. Don't you think it'll be fun?" Eleanor persuaded.
"With you? I'm sure it'll be. But shouldn't you be the one taking me out instead?"
Adrian could practically hear the smug smile in her voice.
"What kind of man lets a woman take him out?"
"What kind of teacher lets their student take them out?" he replied without missing a beat.
There was a brief silence on the other end.
"The kind whose student owes them an apology," she said triumphantly.
"Fine, then. When are we going?" He couldn't argue with her anymore.
"How does Sunday sound?"
"Perfect."
There was a short silence between them before Eleanor spoke again.
"Soooo... do you have a girlfriend?"
Adrian blinked.
"What kind of question is that?"
"I'm just curious. With all the rumors going around the school thanks to today's little fiasco, I had to make sure," she clarified.
Today's little fiasco.
Just thinking about it was giving him a slight headache.
"Plus, it's been a while, so I wanted to know."
"You're right about that. We have some serious catching up to do," Adrian said.
"That discussion can wait until Sunday. I'm exhausted."
A light yawn followed her words.
"Awww, bedtime already." He grinned.
"Beauty sleep," she corrected him in a matter-of-fact tone. "Goodnight, Adrian."
"Goodnight, Eleanor. Sweet dreams."
The only answer was another weary yawn, which he took as his cue. He hung up a second later.
He instantly collapsed onto the soft couch behind him, only now realizing just how tired he was as well.
His eyelids felt heavy as sleep took him away without protest.
...
Eleanor dropped her phone onto the desk as she stretched her arms out above her head, chest straining against her shirt due to the motion.
"Seriously, big boobs are overrated. Things are always getting in the way." She undid the first two buttons of her shirt with a sigh of relief, remembering her morning encounter with Adrian. "Though they can be a bit fun sometimes." She giggled to herself.
"I'll finish up this paperwork tomorrow." She stood up from the desk, picking up her bag while slinging her jacket over her shoulder.
The halls were dark and quiet. The usual chatter of students had long since faded, replaced by an oppressive silence. Deep shadows nestled in the corners like monsters waiting for someone to wander too close.
As Eleanor walked, however, something about the darkness began to change.
The silence became less peaceful...
And more... deafening.
The shadows seemed to stretch farther than they should, shifting whenever she passed, as though they were watching her.
Waiting.
Despite this, Eleanor remained unfazed, though her brisk walk had gradually turned into something closer to a hurried skip toward the exit.
Then she heard it.
Laughter.
Not the loud, boisterous kind that teenagers were known for, but something quieter and high-pitched, like a child's giggle.
Did a kid wander in here? she thought.
The exit was only a couple more steps away, yet the laughter seemed to drift from a dark corridor to her left, its faint echoes weaving through the empty halls.
The shadows along the walls twisted subtly, almost as if they were beckoning her toward their lightless depths.
"Andy should be patrolling the school right now. So how did a kid even get in here?"
She frowned.
Well, they sound like they're doing just fine.
Another giggle echoed through the corridor.
This time, it was fainter.
Distant.
And yet, Eleanor couldn't bring herself to ignore it.
She couldn't simply walk out knowing that a child might be wandering alone in the dark, possibly starving.
Especially not when she remembered all the little children she'd taught back in kindergarten.
Their laughter. Their bright smiles.
And their tears.
A memory surfaced.
There was one time when a thunderstorm had rolled in, and they had all cuddled up to her, crying. She had spent nearly an hour sitting with them, comforting each child until they eventually fell asleep.
Eleanor had always had a soft spot for children.
And now, that same tenderness refused to let her leave without making sure the child was safe.
So she turned around, her phone's flashlight causing the shadows to back away without fully clearing, and walked in.
Her shoes clacked against the floor with every step, the shadows running away wherever her light flashed, at least for a couple meters.
And then she heard the laughter again, another soft giggle trilling into her ears, except now it came from just a few meters beyond her flash.
She came close, and the light illuminated him for a second. A little boy, not more than eight years of age, with short, messy hair, wearing a dirty shirt.
The moment the light shone on him, he stepped back into the shadows as if frightened.
"Wait, I didn't mean to startle you." Eleanor called out as he ran into the next corner.
She was about to chase after him when he poked his head out from behind the wall, only a vague silhouette visible in the darkness.
"Why are you hiding in the dark? Are you scared of... light?" she asked. Almost all kids were scared of the dark, but she never knew one who played in it.
"No, I'm just really messy." He replied, taking a step into the hallway.
"You can come with me to get cleaned up, or maybe I can take you to your parents?"
"Will you play with me?" He asked, completely ignoring her question.
Eleanor frowned. I find him roaming around in a school he doesn't even attend near midnight, and he wants to play.
"I know. How about we play hide and seek?" he said, slight excitement tinging his voice.
She took a step forward, about to scold him, until she stepped in something.
*Splash*
Is a pipe leaking?
She looked down at her shoes and saw that whatever she had stepped in had dyed them red.
She looked left, from where the stream led, and saw...
Andy.
His body shoved into the closet, blood dripping from a large hole in his chest, and yet, despite it...
...there was a bright smile on his face.
She turned the flashlight back to him and saw the mess he was talking about. Blood dripped from his fingertips, scarlet stains marring his clothes.
"Looks like you found Andy, now." A whimsical smile played on his face. "Let's see how long it'll take for us to find you." He laughed, vanishing behind the corner the next second.
Us?
She started hearing laughter again, except this time it came from all around her, a cacophony of giggles enveloping her.
Everything seemed to spin around her for a few seconds, and the next second, a clawed hand shot out from the shadows, aimed at her neck.
*Schlit*
Her phone slammed to the ground, the screen cracking as the flashlight went off, restoring darkness and quiet back to the halls.