The Phantom School 28 Chapter 28

We hesitated to approach the cafeteria's door, and slowed down. None of us wanted to head directly into whatever Onur saw.

"Onur!" Ata cried. We heard another scream from the other side of the door.

"Don't stop, keep running!" Mr. Kenan shouted. "If we stay close, it will be okay!"

Mr. Kenan wanted to close the distance between Onur and the rest of the group. Even though we would have a door in between, being in close proximity would stall the plans of 'the community'. We started running again, and reached the door.

Ata and I hit the door a few times, but it didn't move the slightest. It was locked before we could arrive. No one currently in the building had the key for that door, so we had nothing to do.

Losing just one person in our situation meant the same as losing everyone, because even if one of us were separated and victimised, that would be enough for 'the community' to accomplish their evil plans. The lost person would either be turned against us, or worse... That person could hunt down everyone in the morning. Of course we were in a group, and we could definitely win a fight against a single person, but not without sacrificing things that we required to protect at all costs. So, we could not leave anyone behind.

The whole group had reached the door soon enough. Even that short sprint through the last part of the hallway was enough to deplete our energy. Some people were sweating and breathing heavily. A few others were sitting near the walls.

"The door won't open." said Ata.

"Leave it be." said Mr. Kenan. "The important thing is that we made it here together before something happened to your friend on the other side of the room..." Mr. Kenan raised his voice for Onur to hear: "...despite how ignorant and stupid he is."

I could hear Onur crying next to the door.

"I'm... so- sorry." he said.

"If people had just listened to me, from the very beginning, none of this would've happened!" Mr. Kenan said. He was a little angry. "This includes you two, first of all." he pointed at Idil and me.

"I'm so-" I was about to apologise.

"Don't be." Mr. Kenan interrupted. "Don't be sorry. It is no use. Work for a better future from now on, and you may compensate a bit. There was, and still is, just one simple thing I want from you; do what I tell you to do, and don't do what I tell you not to."

He was right. I could not say anything, and I could almost feel my face going red. I looked down in shame.

Although I agreed with him; I couldn't help thinking Mr. Kenan was at fault too, at the beginning of everything. When we first met after the school had ended... If he had just told everyone to leave the building with proper reasoning instead of trying to rush us out at the final moments with no explanation... We could have done something. Even though I really wanted to tell this to him, I didn't want to start a possible argument. Because now, it didn't really matter who was at fault; we were in danger. We all had learned a lot through the process, and we had to plan for the future.

I was lost in my thoughts again. If the feeling of hunger didn't intervene, I could just stare at the featureless wall in front of me, talking to myself.

"So... We are just going to stay here and wait for the morning? Maybe we can search the building for something we could use." Ata asked.

"I hate telling you this... but there is nothing we can do at the moment. If we leave him, he..." Mr. Kenan didn't know how to end the sentence. Although we all have witnessed death, that didn't make it any comfortable. "He won't stand a chance." he said, at last.

"How about dividing the group in two? One group would stay here with Onur while the other group conducted the search. Everyone would be okay since people would still be travelling in groups." Melis suggested.

"I already thought of that, smarty." Mr. Kenan said. "But we would have much less people in each group, making us much more vulnerable. Also, I would have to be included in either one of the groups, so I couldn't guide everyone at once."

"But we won't accomplish anything by just sitting here." I said.

"I know, I know that..." Mr. Kenan said in frusturation. "Let me think for a while, okay?"

The conversation ended, and we all were lost in our thoughts again; until we heard something from the door. Onur had hit the door from the other side.

"Get me out!" he yelled.

Mr. Kenan ran to the door and started trying to pull it open.

"What is it on the other side!?" he yelled at Onur.

"I'm stuck here!" Onur shouted back. Mr. Kenan stopped trying to pull the door open, and sighed.

"Then shut up, we are trying already!" Mr. Kenan said, angrily. "I thought you were in danger, idiot."

I sighed.

"Alright, listen up." said Mr. Kenan. "There is nothing else I could think of. Even though I hate the idea, we are splitting into two groups. You, you and you are coming with me, while the rest of you are staying with Onur. I think we can find something useful near the storage or the restrooms."

Idil, Melis and I were a.s.signed to stay with Onur, while Ata and two of my other friends were going to search the building with Mr. Kenan. Mr. Kenan continued talking.

"Stay here, and no matter what you see or here, don't move anywhere. Be together, and you will be okay. We will be back once we find something useful." he said. "If anything out-of-ordinary occurs, don't hesitate to yell."

"Understood." Idil said.

"Alright. Let's move." Mr. Kenan said, and his group walked away. We could no longer see them after they took a right turn, but we could faintly hear their chatter and footsteps.

I turned to the door.

"How are you holding up?" I asked Onur.

...

There was no response.

"Onur?" I said.

No response again.

Idil and Melis stepped back from the door, instinctively.

I did the same.