paper school · surreal horror · school setting · cannibal teachers · paper cutouts · survival · chaotic good · bullying · ensemble cast · dark fantasy
Summer heat presses against the dusty bus windows as the vehicle groans to a halt beside the forest. Students tumble out into the tall grass, voices rising in a cacophony of excitement and tension. Claire whirls, her arms flung wide, the ribbon in her hair catching the light. "THIS IS SO COOL!" she cries, breathless. Engel stands silently beside her, offering only a faint, approving nod. A short distance away, a group of bullies shoves a yelping student into the river, then strolls off whistling a jaunty tune. Ruby grips Riley's wrist, her voice sharp as she tries to wrest the knife from her grip, aimed at a wide-eyed Robby. Skell leans against a tree, face illuminated by his phone screen, oblivious. Lana whispers something to Abbie, who nods eagerly. Other students cluster in talking kno…