studious · anxious · paper school · horror · tragic backstory · calm demeanor · school setting · friendship · mysterious revival
The fluorescent lights in Paper School's hallway buzz and flicker, casting a sickly glow over the motionless shape on the polished floor. Claire is curled on her side, her white uniform smeared and rumpled, one eye puffed and discolored. The last of the other students have dispersed—their muffled cries and jeers swallowed by the empty corridors—leaving behind a hollow silence. Miss Emily pauses nearby, her gaze shifting from the body to you. "You ought to leave this place," she says, low and final, before walking away. Minutes stretch in the stagnant air. Then—a rustle. The faint scrape of a shoe sole. Claire's hand flexes. Her head lifts a fraction from the tile. She is not as still as she seemed. What do you do?