tradgicworks

[tradgicworks]

Heartfelt 1 - 1 Heart of the Matter

Anna wakes up in a hidden facility and is told the dark secrets of what she had just witnessed.

Anna’s vision slowly stained back to life. She found herself submerged in a mountain of violet flesh, unable to move. The sound of a distant roar droned in her ears. In the far distance she could see Gwyneth and Eva illuminated by a pale purple light, their backs turned towards her. Anna called out to them, but she had no voice. The roar grew louder. The violet flesh began to wriggle as if it was laughing at her. A massive Sorrow charged at them. It dragged itself across the floor, its bulky body speeding out of control. Black smoke billowed out of its gaping maw. The roar grew to ear shattering volumes. Anna screamed in vain as the Sorrow crashed against Gwyneth and Eva, swallowing them whole. Tears ran down Anna's face in silent anguish.

"Take a deep breath," A gentle voice called out to her. “You know this is just a nightmare.”

Anna looked up to see the thin silhouette of man. His body shone a calm sky blue that completely hid all of his features. He looked frail but, for some reason, familiar.

"It's time to wake up, your friend is waiting for you," The man said.

Anna’s breath steadied. She closed her eyes. The darkness that surrounded her hummed to a warm sunlight. . . .

Anna sat up quickly as she broke out of her nightmare. She found herself in a small hospital room. Her tattered uniform had been replaced with a simple medical gown. The bed she laid on took the majority of the room. Sunlight peered through a window beside her. An IV bag hung from a tall rack and connected into her arm. A mirror hung on the far corner of the room.

"Anna!" Gwyneth greeted her with a tight hug.

She was sitting beside her on a small chair. Dark circles clung to the bottom of her eyes. She wore a Warden’s uniform that was slightly too big.

"Gwyneth! Are you okay?" Anna said as she returned the hug.

"I’m okay," Gwyneth choked up slightly. “What about you? You got hurt the most by that Sorrow.”

"I think I’m okay, most of my injuries look like they are healed..." Anna struggled to say as Gwyneth squeezed her hard. “Gwyneth, you’re crushing me.”

Gwyneth gasped before quickly letting go of Anna. “I’m sorry, let me go get a nurse!”

“Wait,” Anna grabbed her arm before she got up. “What about Eva?”

Gwyneth’s face shifted to a mix of hatred and disinterest. “She’s fine.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Anna sat up straight. “What happened? I thought you two escaped.”

Gwyneth sat back down, her face softening. “We did, kind of. We got to the surface and there were Wardens already there waiting for us. I saw Coraline go in, apparently after you. I don’t really remember what happened next. When I woke up, I was already here.”

"Where is ‘here’ exactly..?” Anna asked.

"Uh, okay," Gwyneth sat back in her chair and got comfortable. “There is a lot I have to explain to you. First off, you were knocked unconscious for a whole week.”

Anna’s eyes widened. “A-A whole week?”

“Yeah, and well, a lot happened in that time. I guess I'll answer your question first. We’re currently in the Capital City’s Central Station for Sorrow Affairs, or just Central Station. It’s, uh, literally under the academy.” Gwyneth explained, gauging Anna’s face on whether or not she believed her.

“So, that abandoned bunker we were lost in…”Anna said as she tried to piece her situation together.

"...was once part of the Central Station. It had to be abandoned. When it was, the Sorrow came in and formed its nest there," Gwyneth finished for Anna.

"The 'Sorrow'?" Anna frowned in confusion.

"That is what that 'creature' we found down there is called," Gwyneth gave a complicated expression. "They can’t be hurt by anything except energy, like fire. Even then they will keep regenerating as long as their core- uh, that black orb you saw- is not destroyed."

"Can they all morph their body?" Anna straightened herself.

"No, each Sorrow has a unique ability. The one we encountered was able to shapeshift by molding it's body using it's tendrils," Gwyneth explained.

"Then why didn't it shapeshift into a human to crawl through the air ducts? It literally mangled itself trying to force its way through," Anna's voice shuddered slightly as she remembered it's centaur form.

"They are literally animals, Anna. The Sorrows hunt, make nests, and protect their territory based on their predatory instincts. It shapeshifted to deceive us because that is the way that Sorrow hunted, once we ran away it had no reason to keep up its disguise. I know it sounds cruel, but you can’t think of them as people," Gwyneth’s face softened.

"Oh," Anna murmured as she remembered the Sorrow pleading for help. "How do you know all of this?"

"I’ve been working with Beatriz for a few days now as part of her Surveillance Branch," Gwyneth said with a bit of pride.

"Beatriz?" Anna asked.

"She’s the chief of the East Station, she’d probably want to meet you," Gwyneth stood up and grabbed a radio from her pant’s waist. “Ms. Beatriz, Anna has woken up.”

“That is splendid news, Gwyneth. Call a nurse to prepare for her dismissal and bring her to the observation deck whenever you can.” Beatriz’s voice replied, she had a slight French accent.

"Will do," Gwyneth responded before turning to Anna. “I’ll get a nurse, there’s a lot more stuff that you need to know about but I honestly think it would be better for you to see it first hand.”

“Okay,” Anna said as Gwyneth walked out of the door.

Anna glanced at her surroundings unsure of what to do. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. The scar glanced back at her. She covered it with her bangs as the nurse came in with a change of clothes.

. . .

Anna walked out of her hospital room wearing an identical uniform to Gwyneth that fit her surprisingly well. She looked over at Gwyneth who stood beside the receptionist desk, a bouquet of daisies in her hands.

“Anna, over here,” Gwyneth gestured. “How are the clothes?”

“Great actually, I like the boots.”

“That’s good, um, I’m going to make a little detour before I take you to the observation deck. Is that cool?” Gwyneth asked with slight meekness.

“Sure, we’re in no rush right?” Anna replied.

“Yeah, okay, uh- The detour’s a bit morbid,” Gwyneth began walking and Anna followed after her.

They walked for a while before eventually reaching a set of double doors labeled “Intensive Care Unit”. Anna tensed slightly as she read the name. Gwyneth opened the door and walked up to room 309 and opened it. Sophie laid neatly on a bed. Medical equipment surrounded her, monitoring her condition constantly. She wore an oxygen mask and was connected to an IV. Dark purple veins stained her body. They wriggled ever so slightly with each breath that she took. Gwyneth put the bouquet in a small vase on a nightstand that stood besides Sophie.

“This is what happens to the victims of the Sorrow…” Gwyneth took Sophie’s hand and gave it a soft squeeze. “They enter a coma. None of the doctors know why or even how to wake them up.”

Gwyneth looked at Sophie for a few moments before turning towards Anna. “Let’s get going.” She said quietly.

“Sure,” Anna stared at Sophie’s unconscious body before following Gwyneth.

Gwyneth led her to an elevator and the two stepped inside before the elevator sped upwards. When the doors opened, they found themselves in a large control room. Rows and rows of Wardens sitting behind highly advanced computers took the majority of the space. A small set of stairs led up to a deck where a massive monitor made the entirety of the wall. A woman stood in front of it, her scarf fluttering slightly from the pouring air coming from the vents. Anna stood in awe at how advanced the set up was. Gwyneth made her way to the woman.

“Ms. Beatriz, I brought Anna like you asked,” Gwyneth said with slight stiffness.

“Thank you, Gwyneth,” Beatriz gave a warm smile. “Did you enjoy your lunch break?”

“I went to visit Anna first, I haven’t eaten,” Gwyneth sheepishly admitted.

“Oh, that is not good,” Beatriz pulled out a small pocket watch from her pocket and read the time. “There is still a little more time before we begin our mission. Go to the mess hall and fetch yourself some breakfast, bring a serving for Anna too.”

“T-Thank you, Ms. Beatriz,” Gwyneth blurted before heading towards the mess hall. “Go on, she’s really nice.”

Anna walked up the steps.

“Ah, you must be Anna,” Beatriz said with a hint of excitement. “How are you this fine morning?”

“I’m okay, mostly. I’m still trying to grasp the situation I’m in,” Anna replied.

“Of course, it is a lot of information for one to take in at a time. Unfortunately, your burden will not lessen anytime soon.” Beatriz’s smile weakened.

“What do you mean?” Anna asked with a bit of anxiety.

Beatriz took a deep breath. “I assume Gwyneth has told you about the Sorrows, correct?”

“Yeah, they’re basically dangerous giant mutant animals, right?” Anna bluntly stated.

“Something like that,” Beatriz turned towards the monitor. “Their qualities make them incredibly dangerous, even one Sorrow is capable of destroying an entire city if left unregulated.”

“Then how come people don’t know about them?” Anna asked.

“That is largely part to our efforts, Anna. The Wardens do not just act as security staff for your school. They are also in charge of monitoring the Sorrow and keeping them a secret from society. We do this as the Sorrow Affairs Department- an official branch of the government. We do this to prevent a country wide scare. When our efforts fail, we send the Hearts.”

“Hearts?” Anna asked.

“Think of them as the S.A.D’s soldiers,” Beatriz explained as the monitor blinked to life.

The image of Eva standing in front of a barn shone into Anna’s eyes.

“Eva?” Anna muttered.

“Anna!” Gwyneth yelped in a rushed tone from behind her, she held a warm cinnamon bun by a napkin. “Here, I have to get to work.”

Gwyneth quickly handed her the bun and made her way to one of the empty computers. She booted it back up and logged in.

“E-Enabling audio interface,” Gwyneth cleared her voice. “Stand clear.”

A sharp static sound rang out for a single second before breaking into the sound of crickets chirping in overgrown grass.

“Eva, do you copy?” Beatriz tapped her ear.

“Yeah, I can hear you,” Eva grunted.

“Excellent, you have permission to proceed with the raid,” Beatriz tapped her ear again.

“Finally,” Eva rolled her shoulders. “Waiting for so long was starting to piss me off.”

Eva huffed before following suit.

“Switching to bodycam footage,” One of the Warden’s said as the monitor flicked to an image of the inside of the barn.

The wood that made up the barn was breaking apart and waterlogged. Clumps of wet and filthy hay splattered all over the walls. The bare dirt floor was overgrown with waist high grass. The gnawed remains of deer bones laid scattered throughout the grass. A rickety ladder hugged the far corner of the barn. Eva slowly trudged through the grass and towards the ladder. She climbed up the ladder carefully. The attic was a clutter of tree branches and torn sheet metal. She pulled herself onto the rotting wood floor. She surveyed the attic only to find nothing of value.

“Attic’s clear, I’m gonna climb onto the roof-” Eva said before suddenly screaming in pain.

The screech of something huge howled through the speakers as the bodycam footage turned to black.

“Eva!” Anna exclaimed.

“Switching to drone footage,” A different Warden said.

The image of Eva pinned down by a harpy like Sorrow blipped onto the screen. Its boney violet frame gave it the impression of a mummified corpse. Its legs were slender with long talons adorning the bottom. Two gigantic wings took the place of its arms, its pitch-black feathers glowed a bright purple at the tips. Its neck was elongated and curved downward. Rows of jagged teeth took the place of its mouth. The rest of its face was a cancerous growth of spiny feathers that consumed all of its facial features. The Harpy screeched and flapped its wings. It lifted Eva a few feet up before slamming her back onto the ground.

“The Sorrow is going to kill her!” Anna exclaimed to Beatriz.

“She won’t die,” Coraline’s voice called out from behind them. “Hearts aren’t exactly delicate, miss Anna.”

Coraline gestured towards Beatriz who took out her earpiece and handed it to her. Coraline put it on and cleared her throat with a curt cough.

“Eva, you were tasked with eliminating the Sorrow. Do not embarrass me,” Coraline stated coldly.

“Easy for you to say,” Eva grit her teeth and grabbed its talons. “This thing ain’t exactly making it easy.”

“Just get it done,” Coraline glared.

“Sure,” Eva clenched her grip until she heard the Harpy’s talons snap. “Whatever you say, chief.”

The Harpy shrieked in pain before being thrown off of Eva. Its talons quickly snapped back into place, completely healed. Eva stood back up. The back of her uniform was torn slightly but there were no signs of injuries. She put a hand over the center of her chest. A heart-shaped light glowed a bright orange before disappearing. Eva swiped her hand away from her. A streak of orange light traced her fingers and formed a handle. She gripped the handle tightly with both hands. An axe head formed at the end of it. Eva steeled herself as the axe solidified, the axe head still glowing an ethereal orange.

Anna stared in awe.

“Sorrow’s cannot be hurt by anything except for energy, they are faster, stronger and bigger than us. So the question remains, how the hell do we even stand a chance against them?” Coraline looked at Anna in the eyes. “That’s what makes Hearts so special. We are women blessed with superhuman strength and speed...”

Eva charged forward. The Harpy swung its wings at Eva. She narrowly dodged them, snippets of her bangs getting cut by the razor sharp tips. She swung her axe upwards. It wedged itself in between the Harpy’s chest.

“...We can make weapons made of pure energy through sheer will alone. We can fight against the Sorrow, we can kill the Sorrow…” Coraline continued.

The Harpy screeched at Eva’s face only to be met with a swift punch that nearly broke all of its teeth. The force of the blow was enough to break the Harpy free. It began to flee in a mad panic. Eva shifted her weight and pulled her axe back.

“...We, the Hearts, stand as humanity’s sole defense against the hordes of vile men turned beasts and we do it all without them even knowing. Those ungrateful wretches.” Coraline’s glare hardened, Beatriz frowned in annoyance.

Eva threw her axe at the Harpy. It cleaved deep into the flesh between its collarbones. The Harpy crashed back onto the earth. Eva walked up and held the Sorrow down with her boots. She pulled out the axe, exposing the core, and raised it high above her head. She swung down with brutal force. The sound of glass shattering echoed through the speakers. The Harpy’s body disintegrated into a thick black smog, leaving only the cut core behind.

“Sorrow exterminated,” Eva radioed as she crushed the remains of the core with her boot.

“Why are you telling me this?” Anna asked suddenly.

“Because whether you like it or not, you’re a liability now. You know of the secret world of Hearts and Sorrow, a secret that we cannot afford for you to spread. As such you have two options,” Coraline raised a finger. “You return to your life and pretend that you know nothing. Of course you’d be under strict supervision. Everywhere you go, everything you do, and everyone you will ever interact with will be monitored by us-”

“Or, you can work for us,” Beatriz butt into the conversation. “Either as a Warden or a Heart. You can help us protect the innocent and stop the Sorrow from doing more harm.”

“...either way my way of life now depends on the S.A.D,” Anna said quietly.

Coraline scoffed. “You’re smart.”

Anna looked at Eva and then at Gwyneth. She thought to herself for a few moments before taking a deep breath.

“I want to be a Heart,” Anna turned towards Coraline and Beatriz with a determined stare.

Coraline and Beatriz both reacted with slight surprise.

“You sure about that, miss Anna?” Coraline stepped closer. “Becoming a Heart isn’t easy, you have to be in top physical, mental, and emotional condition. Getting there is akin to a death march.”

“I’m sure, I don’t want what happened to Sophie to happen to anyone else.” Anna’s gaze remained unbroken.

“Oh… I hope for your sake your confidence isn’t just for show, because this is going to be hell on Earth for you,” Coraline gave a sadistic smirk as Beatriz frowned.

[tradgicworks]

Heartfelt P-3 Deeper Still

Anna, Eva and Gwyneth are trapped in a mysterious bunker, what's worse is that something might be waiting for them in the dark. WORD COUNT - 5870

Anna woke up to a painfully sore back. Bruises were beginning to form because of Caroline’s beating and the long fall. Unnaturally cold air snaked through Anna’s entire body. Anna sat up as best as she could. She searched for her phone and turned on its light. The pitch black abyss that surrounded her burned into an desolate concrete hallway. Behind her a mountain of shattered debris formed a wall. Broken and dated lights hung from the ceiling by their bare wires. A battered direction plaque leaned against one of the walls, the text long since scraped away by weathering and rust.

Anna slowly got up onto her feet. She took deep shaky breaths as she struggled to move her aching body down the hallway. She eventually found herself at a two way split. To her left was another hallway blocked by rubble. A broken window stood in place of a wall in front of her. She peered over the edge. An abandoned cafeteria stood on a lower floor, bits of shattered glass scattered directly underneath her. Decay ridden plates laid on top of the old tables. Torn apart scraps of clothing and long since forgotten accessories littered the entire room.

“Anna?!” Eva’s voice called out from below.

Anna flashed her light forward and discovered a disgruntled looking Eva crouching over a small pile of scavenged valuables.

“Eva! Are you okay?” Anna asked.

“My butt hurts from the fall, but yeah I’m good,” Eva responded. “What are you doing up there?”

“What are you doing?” Anna gestured to the pile of valuables.

“What?” Eva glanced at the pile. “It’s not like they’re being used.”

“You don’t know who that stuff belongs to-” Anna frowned.

“Goldilocks, don’t be an idiot,” Eva gestured to their desolate surroundings. “Also, I was looking for something useful. Something like this.”

Eva grabbed a lighter from the pile. Its tiny flame sparked to life and barely illuminated her face.

“I was going to use it as a light, but now I got you. Come down here, there should be some stairs to your left- wait crap uh- my left your right,” Eva said before continuing to scavenge through the cafeteria.

Anna turned to her right to find a crumbling set of stairs. She carefully made her way down to the cafeteria and met up with Eva.

Eva’s hoodie was partially torn up. Her hair was unkempt and covered with dirt. Scratch marks and tiny cuts decorated her legs. She brushed off some dust of her skirt and stood up as Anna approached her.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Anna asked as she looked Eva over.

“You don’t look too hot yourself either, Goldilocks, but yeah I’ll live,” Eva responded.

“Good. Do you have any idea where we are?” Anna looked at their surroundings.

“Nope. Hella spooky though, and freezing. Honestly, this whole place just gives me the creeps. But panicking is the last thing we want to do right now,” Eva said as she pocketed the lighter.

“We need to find Gwyneth and get out of here.” Anna said firmly.

“Poor thing is probably bawling her eyes out right now,” Eva commented before turning towards the broken window. “Anything up there?”

“No, just a bunch of dead-ends,” Anna answered.

“Well, I came from over there,” Eva pointed at an offshoot to the left of the cafeteria. “I think- hard to tell in the darkness- which leaves our only option…”

Eva turned and pointed into the hallway in front of them. A plaque limply hung from a single bolt on top of the archway. It read “Living Quarters”.

“...god dammit,” Eva shuddered.

“Maybe we’ll find someone who can help us,” Anna started walking down the hallway.

“This place looks like it's been abandoned for years, Anna. Anything that was once alive in here has probably been dead for a very, very, long time,” Eva followed suit to try to stay near the light. “Though I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse.”

“We don’t have anywhere else to go and Gwyneth needs our help so we need to hurry up. Maybe you can spin kick a ghost’s head off, if one shows up,” Anna turned back towards Eva with a slightly mischievous smile.

“You are some sort of messed up if you think that’s funny,” Eva huffed.

Anna replied with a drawn out giggle before looking forward again.

“...screw you,” Eva muttered.

After walking for a few moments, they found themselves at a destroyed entryway. Deep jagged cuts tore through the concrete. A thick rusting door laid torn in half by their feet. Dark stains splattered all throughout the floor.

"What the hell happened here?" Eva asked slowly as she surveyed the wreckage.

"Something tore the door open…" Anna replied.

"No, dur. What the hell that 'something' is the question… Could have been a forklift," Eva crouched down to inspect the door.

"I don't think a forklift can split a door in half," Anna looked at her with disillusionment.

"Yeah, but I'd rather be worried about machinery gone rogue than some giant mutant abomination that can cut through us like butter," Eva stood up, forcing herself to smile. "Y'know, I'm being optimistic."

"Don't be paranoid, you said it yourself whatever was down here has long since been-" Anna walked through the door.

Rows of mangled bunk beds were thrown all throughout the room. The shredded innards of mattresses coated the floor. Several skeletons wearing tattered clothes laid against the destruction. One slumped a few feet in front of Anna, it's head missing.

"-dead," Anna barely managed to get the words out.

Eva shrieked with uncharacteristic squeamishness. She crouched away from the room and clutched herself tightly.

"They're dead! What the hell happened here!? What is this place?!" Eva yelled out.

Anna ran up to her.

"Calm down, Eva!" Anna grabbed her shoulders.

"Calm down?! How the hell are you calm right now?! Something broke into this place and killed everyone, that thing could still be alive, we could be slaughtered at any minute. What even is this place anyways? Why is it under a private all girls school of all places? I HAVE NO IDEA HOW YOU'RE CALM RIGHT NOW," Eva yelled at her face.

"Because someone has to be, we can’t afford to panic, remember?" Anna said sternly. "I'm scared too, but we need to get out of here. All of us."

Eva looked up at Anna. Anna's breaths were controlled but shaky. Her eyes were determined but fear lingered in her face. Eva noticed her faint scar. This wasn't the first time Anna was this scared. Eva's breathing steadied.

"You're right. Just give me a couple minutes to calm down," Eva said as she closed her eyes.

"We don't have a couple minutes. Gwyneth could be a danger," Anna said in a soft tone.

"Yeah, yeah! I know!" Eva held out her hand, her eyes still shut. "Lead me to the other side, I'm not good with death and stuff."

"Okay," Anna grabbed her hand and stood up. "You know you can be cute sometimes."

"Keep talking and I'll crush your hand, Goldilocks," Eva growled, her eyes still shut.

Anna and Eva slowly traversed the destroyed room. Anna led Eva through the clutter of bone, forgotten items, and broken scrap. Eva meekly followed Anna’s steps, shuddering ever so slightly everytime she thought that she brushed against a skeleton. Eventually, they made it to the other side only to find another dead-end.

"So much suspense for nothing," Eva grumbled as she opened her eyes again.

"Come on, we must have missed something," Anna said as she turned around.

"No, we didn't. The only thing that we haven't explored is all the blocked hallways."

"Then we better start digging," Anna said matter of factly.

"That would literally take forever," Eva protested.

"Better than being stuck here forever-" Anna started before being interrupted.

"Help." Gwyneth's faint voice called out from underneath them.

Anna and Eva searched around them before noticing a garbage chute partially covered by the rubble.

"Come on!" Anna gestured as she propped her phone on the rubble and started pulling rocks out of the way.

"Dammit and here I thought we could avoid digging," Eva groaned before catching up and helping Anna at a much faster pace.

"Gwyneth, can you hear us?!" Anna yelled down the chute once they cleared it.

"Help." Gwyneth's trembling voice replied.

"Stay put! We're going down to get you!" Anna yelled before grabbing her phone and climbing into the chute.

"Ugh, more crap to wash off. Great," Eva groaned as she got into the chute herself.

The two slid down the grimy chute and fell into a massive dump. Trash bags full of maggots and rotting junk made the entirety of the floor. The stench of filth mixed with the frigid air to create an overwhelming air of dread. Identical chutes lined the walls like holes that stretched into the unknown. Most were out of reach and the rest clogged by piled on garbage. Anna flashed her light throughout the room. Dark splotches of mold splattered against the walls. A slick coating of putrid violet flesh squirmed as the light washed over it. Cysts full of an unknown fluid sparked to life, lighting the room with an otherworldly purple glow. Strange human sized cocoons, about 17 in total, hung from the ceiling. They wriggled ever so slightly.

"W-What is this?" Eva whimpered.

"We need to get out of here!" Anna yelled.

"Help. Please." Gwyneth's voice called out before they could do anything.

"God dammit," Eva said with a shaky voice as she ran towards Gwyneth's voice.

"Gwyneth, we’re coming!" Anna said as she followed Eva.

"Lets quickly grab her and get out of this hell hole!" Eva climbed over a mound of trash, her feet pushing against several half empty bottles of alcohol.

A few feet in front of Eva sat Gwyneth curled up into a ball. Strange and incredibly faint cuts swirled their way up the entirety of her body. Her uniform was barely held together by tatters. Blood poured from her temple onto the trash below.

"Anna, I found her. She's in really bad shape!" Eva yelled as she kneeled next to Gwyneth.

Anna soon caught up and went to her side as well. The two of them propped Gwyneth on their shoulders and began to carry her.

"How do we get out? We can't carry her back up the chute," Anna said as they began to slowly walk forward.

"Look for an exit, there has to be one somewhere," Eva replied.

"Door." Gwyneth limply pointed at the wall opposite to them.

An old, nearly rusted over door labeled “Maintenance” stood in the middle of the wall. Anna and Eva nodded to each other before moving towards the door. The flesh on the walls began to writhe uncontrollably as it crept closer and closer towards them. One of the cocoons shook violently as something tried to force its way out.

"We need to hurry," Anna said as she picked up her pace.

"I'm trying but deadweight over here ain't exactly helping. Soft my ass, she's heavy as all hell-" Eva complained.

"GET AWAY FROM IT!" Gwyneth's voice boomed from above them.

Anna looked up at the ceiling. Gwyneth hung upside down from the cocoon that shook violently. She took heavy exhausted breaths. Her face was horrified.

"Wait, who the hell is this then?-" Eva turned to face the Gwyneth they were carrying only to get thrown across the room.

"EVA!" Anna yelled as Eva smashed against a pile of trash bags and rolled onto the floor.

Anna quickly moved away from the fake Gwyneth and grabbed a broken iron pipe from the junk. She turned around and swung hard against the fake Gwyneth's temple. The pipe snapped into two pieces as it collided against the fake Gwyneth, seemingly unharmed. Anna clutched her aching palms that hurt from the recoil of the blow. The fake Gwyneth tilted it's head to the one side.

"Help. You." It said slowly in a deep breathy voice.

The fake Gwyneth began to twitch violently. The cuts throughout its body burst open. The sound of cracking bones echoed out of it as it began to shift it's form. It's body twisted and unraveled from Gwyneth's skin to putrid purple muscles. It's limbs crunched as they elongated to their original length. Rows of fang like bones stabbed through it's slimy skin and formed a light suit of armor. It's hair melted into three squishy points that resembled a jester's hat. It's face hollowed into a mouthless, nose-less, and eyeless mask- deep indentations sitting where the eyes should be. Tendrils slithered through the cracks in its body and finished shifting everything into its place. A pitch black orb rolled out of it's stomach and up into a cavity in its chest. A slab of bony ribs slid over it as it clicked into place. The Jester hunched over Anna, it's hideous form towering several feet above her.

Anna stood scared stiff at the transformation that occurred in front of her.

"Anna!" Gwyneth yelled as the Jester raised it's arm and large claws shot out of it.

Anna's face hardened as she snapped back to life. She narrowly ducked out of the way as the claws cleaved through the concrete effortlessly. Anna hopped back onto her feet and threw her broken pipe at the Jester’s head. It bounced off it doing no harm.

"Just run! You can’t hurt that thing!" Gwyneth yelled from above.

The Jester let out a raspy howl and turned towards Anna. Anna narrowly sidestepped the tendrils that shot out of its body and past her. Before she could react, it yanked itself towards her with blinding speed and pinned her against the ground. Anna struggled in vain as the Jester’s face cracked open and numerous tendrils poured out of it.

"Save. You." It gargled out as the tendrils began wrapping around Anna's body.

Anna's breaths quickened to panicked pants as her body became harder and harder to move. She took one last shaky breath as everything around her was plunged into darkness. Anna shivered as she felt herself get wrapped in a cold, damp cocoon.

"...help me….save me," Anna heard very faintly in the back of her head.

Anna gasped in a heavy breath of air as the tendrils suddenly shriveled up around her. She looked up to see the Jester engulfed in flames. Shards of a broken liquor bottle were stuck to its face. Anna rolled out of the way and got back onto her feet.

"Now we're even, Anna," Eva yelled through gritted teeth from the top of a pile of garbage, a lit Molotov cocktail in hand.

The Jester howled in pain as the fire ate at its boney flesh.

"Shut it you ugly crone," Eva screamed as she threw another Molotov against its body.

Anna ran towards Gwyneth.

"Gwyneth, drop down I’ll catch you!" She shouted at her.

"The drop is too long, I don’t think I can-" Gwyneth said nervously.

"Don't worry, I'll catch you," Anna said firmly.

"O-okay" Gwyneth whimpered.

Gwyneth shut her eyes as she pushed against the cocoon. She shrieked loudly as she fell from the ceiling. Anna braced herself and caught her as she fell, sending the two of them onto the floor.

"You okay?" Anna grunted.

"I'm okay," Gwyneth replied slowly.

"Glad you're both safe," Eva said quickly as she ran up to them. "But on your feet, I'm out of junkyard moonshine to light on fire.".

Eva helped Anna and Gwyneth onto their feet and the three of them ran towards the door. Anna rammed it open and the three found themselves at yet another dead end.

"What a sadistic piece of crap, it wanted to lead us to a dead end to kill us!" Eva exclaimed.

"Not exactly," Anna pointed to an exposed air vent on the ceiling.

"Finally, somewhere I can get to easily" Eva said as she ran up to the vent and jumped upwards.

Eva grabbed the ends of the vent and pulled herself up.

"Your turn, Gwyneth," Eva held her hand out.

"Come on we have to hurry," Anna said as she kneeled under the vent and held her hands ready to boost Gwyneth up. "Hop on".

Gwyneth shakingly stood on Anna's hands. Together the two of them managed to pull Gwyneth up into the vent.

"Goldilocks!" Eva exclaimed as she stuck her hand out.

Anna was about to jump when the door burst completely off its hinges. The Jester forced its way in. The melted flesh on its face slowly squirmed back into place. Two tendrils shot past Anna and into the rubble behind her.

Anna threw herself prone onto the floor. The Jester pounced above her into the rubble behind her.

“That won’t work on me twice,” Anna said with a determined glare.

She jumped and caught Eva’s hand. An echoing roar coursed up to them as she climbed into the air ducts.

“SAVE. YOU.” It roared as its alcohol drenched tendrils stabbed into the air ducts.

“God damn persistent piece of-” Eva grunted as she sparked her lighter to life.

She quickly crushed it against the duct. The lighter fluid ignited into a weak flame, but it was enough to reignite the alcohol and cause the tendrils to retreat in howling pain. The three of them began crawling through the air ducts as fast as they could. Eventually they found themselves at an old vent cover.

“Well, without that lighter we can't defend ourselves. Let’s hurry and get the hell out of here,” Eva huffed with adrenaline as she kicked open the vent cover.

“We must be closer to the surface by now. Hopefully we can find out from here,” Anna said as she hopped out of the air ducts.

“Y-Yeah…” Gwyneth said quietly as she hopped out as well.

“What’s wrong?” Anna asked with a tender gaze.

“I’m cold,” Gwyneth shivered.

Her clothes were soaked in a mysterious fluid that was frigid to the touch.

“Jesus, that thing really did a number on you huh?” Eva said as she took off her hoodie.

It was cheaply made and several sizes too big. The large gash tore through one of the pockets, making it so that it barely hung onto the hoodie.

“Wear it, warm up. It’s not much but the last thing I want is to be dragging around a corpse,” Eva tossed it towards Gwyneth.

“Thank you…” Gwyneth looked at it for a few seconds before putting it on.

The three of them surveyed their surroundings and found themselves in a nearly empty room. A large vault gate took the place of the wall farthest to them. Eight massive deadbolts lined each side of it, locking the gate more than securely in place. A small cubicle hugged the corner of one of the rooms.

“I think this is our way out,” Gwyneth said as she walked into the cubicle.

It was a cramped thing with barely enough room for the chair and computer that sat in it. The computer was incredibly dated. It had an LCD display and a clunky keyboard that was covered in a thick layer of dust. Latched onto the wall was a broken in half shotgun. Gwyneth sat down and turned the computer on, its screen hummed to life.

“What are you doing?” Eva raised a brow as Gwyneth began clicking away.

“Seeing if there is anything useful on this thing,” Gwyneth squinted as she wrote command after command.

“So... are you like hacking it?” Eva said with a tinge of meekness.

“No, I don’t know how to do that. But I have some friends that love computers and they taught me how to use old operating systems like this one. They also taught me how to fiddle with radio signals, that's how I was able to mess with Warden 06’s radio before,” Gwyneth’s voice turned slightly somber. “They taught me that stuff just to annoy me, but who could have known that it would turn out to be useful…”

“You’ll see your friends again and once we regain our strength we’ll save Sophie too,” Anna said in a comforting tone.

“Yeah… Thanks, Anna,” Gwyneth said before continuing to tap away at the keyboard.

Eva stared at the two in silence. She averted her gaze, guilt washing over her face.

“Okay, okay!” Gwyneth’s face lit up as she finished typing. “I think I can unlock the gate”.

“That’s amazing to hear,” Anna sighed in relief.

“Okay, if I run this…” Gwyneth tapped a few times.

The sound of screeching metal echoed through the room as the deadlocks creaked out of view. A guttural roar emitted out the last one as it suddenly stopped.

“One of them jammed,” Gwyneth frowned. “I can’t open the gate without all of them being unlocked.”

“It’s almost all the way in,” Eva grabbed the stock end of the shotgun. “A little elbow grease should do it. Come help, Goldilocks”.

“Sure,” Anna said as she followed Eva to the stuck deadbolt.

“Here, whack it,” Eva handed the shotgun half to Anna.

Anna grabbed it and focused. She smashed the stock against the bolt causing it to inch slightly. She took a deep breath and smashed it again. With every bash the bolt moved closer and closer to being unlocked.

“My turn,” Eva held out her hand once Anna had exhausted herself.

Anna handed her the shotgun and Eva smashed the deadbolt with a hearty thud. The deadbolt lurched forward, a mere inch from being unlocked. Eva grit her teeth and rammed it as hard as she could. The shotgun split into broken parts as the deadbolt fell into place.

“Doors unlocked, hurry up and open it!” Eva yelled towards Gwyneth and then turned around.

Gwyneth stood in front of them with a furious face. She clenched the barrel end of the shotgun tightly with one hand, on the other she held an ID.

“What’s wrong?” Anna asked as she noticed Gwyneth’s erratic breathing.

“What is this doing in your hoodie’s pocket, Eva?” Gwyneth held out an ID.

The image of Sophie’s lint covered ID barely peered through the darkness. Anna turned towards Eva in shock. Eva simply stood with her fists clenched.

“Why do you have this?! Did you do something to Sophie?” Gwyneth stomped closer towards the two of them.

Eva remained silent.

“Answer me!” Gwyneth yelled.

Eva clenched her fists until her knuckles went white.

“I knew your name sounded familiar, you’re that Eva. The Eva that blackmails and harasses students until their lives are ruined. The Eva that every freshman is told to stay far away from. The two faced, spineless, worthless piece of human filth, Eva Moore!” Gwyneth howled at the top of her lungs

“Shut the hell up you effing brat, you have no idea what you’re talking about,” Eva roared back.

“I know exactly what I’m talking about. You’re the reason why Sophie is always so depressed. You’re the reason that everyone avoids her. It's because of you that she’s in this place. It’s because of you that we’re in this mess in the first place. All because you’re a bully that can’t live without terrorizing others.” Gwyneth’s eyes began to water as her words quickened.

“It’s not my fault her dumbass got captured by that thing. Yet, here I am forced to crawl through this murder den and deal with you- a pathetic weak child- so that Sophie can go back to being pampered by her psychopath parents. Y’know what, I’m glad she’s in this mess. All I did was give her what she deserved,” Eva said coldly.

Anna looked at her with disbelief. Gwyneth’s mouth gaped open in shock. Her breaths quickened as she sprinted forward.

“You monster!” Gwyneth yelled at the top of her lungs while swinging the broken shotgun at her face.

Before Eva could react Anna stood in between the two and grabbed the shotgun.

“Anna?!” Gwyneth and Eva said in unison.

“Enough, both of you! Fighting now isn’t going to get us out of here, it isn’t going to save Sophie either,” Anna glanced between the two of them. “While we spend time arguing, that thing is catching up to us. We need to work together or else we will end up in cocoons like the others.”

“But-” Gwyneth started before stopping at the sight of Anna’s glare.

“Like hell I’m calming down, that brat called me an effing-” Eva stopped as Anna roared in a surprisingly loud voice.

“Eva you are smarter than this, stop wasting our time! What, are you trying to get yourself killed by that thing?!”

Eva and Gwyneth looked at her with anger and dejection respectively. After a few moments the two relaxed a little.

“Good, I’ll get the gate open and you too start making your way out,” Anna walked towards the computer. “We’ll talk about what you did to Sophie later, Eva.” Anna turned around and stared directly into Eva’s eyes.

“Whatever,” Eva spat as Anna walked away.

Anna looked at the computer screen.

“Press enter to continue”, a simple prompt read.

Anna pressed enter and the door began to churn to life. It slowly slid down into the floor, revealing stairs that led up to an exit. Anna’s head snapped towards the air duct as the sound of something shattering pierced through the concrete.

The Jester’s body poked halfway out of the air vent. Its neck split open and a tentacle shot out piercing the gate and stopping it from lowering further. Anna sprung out of the room and brandished the barrel of the shotgun. She smashed it against the tendril, causing it to unhook from the door and slightly bend the barrel. A massive crash roared out as the gate fell down. The Jester’s mouth gaped open and shot another tendril. Anna reacted in time and swung the barrel against it, causing the tendril to pierce into the ground behind her.

“Anna!” Gwyneth yelled as the gate finally lowered and allowed access to the stairs.

“Hurry up, Goldilocks!” Eva screamed.

Anna turned around and ran towards them. The sound of another part of the Jester’s body snapping open clicked behind her. Anna turned around to see two more tendrils shooting towards her. Anna narrowly stepped out of the way as they zoomed past her and towards Eva and Gwyneth. Eva managed to duck in time but Gwyneth yelped in pain as it grazed her side. The Jester began pulling itself out of the duct, its body contorting unnaturally to force its way through. Anna attacked the two tendrils, causing them to detach and erasing the progress that the Jester made.

“Just go, it’ll force its way out if I don't stop it!” Anna yelled at Eva and Gwyneth before turning back towards the Jester.

“No, we’re not leaving without you,” Gwyneth pleaded.

“Yeah, Anna. Hurry up, we can outrun that thing-” Eva said.

“JUST GO!” Anna hollered at them.

Eva stared at Anna as she held her bent, nearly broken, makeshift weapon in her hands ready to swing at any other tendrils that shot out. She noticed Anna’s firm stance, her calm and steady breaths. Anna glanced towards her with eyes filled with a furious determination.

“God dammit,” Eva muttered with a pained face before grabbing Gwyneth and dragging her up the stairs.

“What the hell are you doing?! We can’t leave her there on her own, we have to help her!” Gwyneth yelled in a panicky voice.

“We can’t help her if we’re dead, she said it herself we regain our strength and then we can save the day,” Eva grunted as she struggled to hold Gwyneth back.

“No, I’m not leaving her!” Gwyneth kicked and screamed as she tried to break free.

“We don’t have a choice!” Eva yelled into her ears.

The two slowly made their way up the stairs. Anna gave a relieved smile as she saw them approach the exit. She turned towards the Jester.

“I. Save. You.” It groaned as countless holes split out of its mouth.

“So you’ve said,” Anna braced herself. “Got anything new?”

Numerous tendrils shot out of its mangled body. Anna weaved in between them and deflected as many as she could. Pain surged through her body as the tendrils grazed her arms and legs. The shotgun’s barrel shattered to pieces as a tendril impaled through it. Anna fell onto the floor overwhelmed by the Jester's attacks. The wall crumbled into debris as the Jester yanked itself through. Its twisted and broken body stretched into a set of quadrupedal legs. More flesh burst out of its back and formed a makeshift torso. Flesh shifted into place as it carried the black orb to the center of its new chest. The tendrils retreated back to the main body, each carrying a chunk of concrete. They wrapped themselves into a set of arms. A massive cobbled together concrete lance reinforced with bone was wedged within the stringy flesh of one of them. A new head shaped itself at the top of the abomination of muscle and bone. The Jester turned grotesque Centaur howled with such ferocity that it shook the entire room.

“Save...” The Centaur stomped towards Anna as she tried to stand up and run, causing her to lose balance and fall back onto the ground.

“...you.” The Centaur cleaved the lance towards the gate and completely destroyed it.

Anna looked in fear as her only exit became nothing more than a pile of rubble. She turned to face the Centaur that towered above her.

“Take. You. Home.” It said slowly, its stomach opening up to an endless sea of tendrils.

Dread began to set into Anna. Her vision became slurred from the tears that began to well in her eyes as the tendrils inched towards her.

“I’m sorry, dad,” Anna whimpered as her hope vanished.

“Don’t be sorry yet...” Caroline’s voice rang from behind the rubble.

Two bright flashes of dark green light cut an X through the rubble, destroying it instantly. Caroline shot towards the Centaur brandishing two ethereal green sickles. She swung upwards at the Centaur. Its arms were cut clean off as the sickles effortlessly burned through its flesh. The lance shattered onto the floor as the Centaur tripped backwards in hollering pain. Pitch black smoke billowed out of its wounds.

Caroline stood in front of Anna. The green in her Warden’s uniform glowed the same shade as her sickles. Her coat fluttered in the air from how fast she moved. An emerald green crystal heart took the place of the sigil that was sat on her badge.

“...there’s still much more pain in store for you,” Caroline gave Anna a cold look before removing her coat and letting it fall to the floor.

The Centaur roared again as more tendrils shot out of its body and reformed its damaged arms. Bit of its chest became exposed, revealing the black orb.

“There you are,” Caroline rolled her shoulders before readying her sickles once more. “I hope you're a fighter.”

Caroline swung forward in an X pattern. The Centaur hopped backwards and avoided the attack. Chunks of concrete shot from the ground as it landed. It quickly grabbed them and threw them at Caroline with blinding speed. Caroline effortlessly avoided them and cut one chunk in half before it hit Anna. She pirouette forward and swung downwards with her right sickle. It hooked onto the Centaur's back causing it to yelp in pain. The Centaur swung its free arm towards her. Caroline cut through it, causing it to fall onto the floor as a lifeless stump. Before the Centaur could even scream in pain, she spun her free sickle and cleaved its chest wide open. The Centaur attempted to stomp on her legs in desperation. She hopped over its legs and pushed against its body. The sickle wedged in its back cut through its entire torso and hooked into the black orb as she did. She leaped off of its body, the black orb stuck to her sickle, and landed a few feet in front of the Centaur with her back towards it. The Centaur gave out a blood curdling battle cry as its body unraveled into a mess of coiled tendrils ready to spring towards Caroline.

“Hmm,” Caroline said as she hooked her other sickle into the orb. “Apparently not.”

Caroline turned around to see a wall of tendrils speeding towards her. She gave a sadistic grin as she pulled her two sickles apart cutting the orb in half. A ghastly wail echoed out of the Centaur as its tendrils fell limp. Its body began to dissolve into a dark violet smog.

“...save...me…” Anna heard faintly as the Centaur’s body dissipated into nothing.

Anna sat up as best as she could and looked at the remains of the orb. Its obsidian like form glistened with a faint light that rapidly snuffed into lifelessness. Anna looked up at Caroline through her pain and exhaustion.

"Sorrow neutralized," Caroline said into her radio. "Moving to extract the intruder."

“What are you?” Anna could barely manage to ask.

“The time for questions will come later. For now you and your friends have to go to pay for all the damage that you all have caused,” Caroline crouched low until she was face to face with Anna. “Welcome to a world of Sorrows, Miss Anna. I wonder if you’ll survive.”

A slight grin stretched across Caroline’s face as Anna’s vision faded to darkness.

…

Beatriz blew on her tea as she finished stirring it. She took a sip and stared peacefully at the sunny day that surrounded her. Her black hair had a few white strands and was tied into a braided bun. Her face was slightly wrinkled but her emerald green eyes burned with an eternal youth. She wore a uniform similar to Caroline's, but instead of having a gaudy coat she wore a simple scarf. A woman holding a folder approached Beatriz as she continued enjoying her tea.

"Lovely day is it not, dear," Beatriz smiled at the woman.

"Good morning, Mrs. Reine," The woman opened the folder and began reading from it. "An incident has occurred at Central Station, the chief is currently busy addressing issues in the D.E. Atham's academy and has requested your aid in alleviating the issue."

"Oh my, what could have occurred that would require my help?" Beatriz asked.

"Three intruders discovered the abandoned sections of the Central Station and unearthed a Sorrow nest. Two managed to escape to the surface before being captured by Caroline's team, the other was saved by Caroline herself."

"I see," Beatriz lowered her tea onto a small dish below her. "Why was the other saved by Caroline?"

"According to the mission report, it seems she stayed behind to stop the Sorrow from attacking her accomplices."

Beatriz looked up at the woman with a slight awe.

"What is her name?" Beatriz asked.

"Anna, Anna Hjarta," The woman replied.

"Anna…" Beatriz took one last sip from her tea. "What a pretty name".

[tradgicworks]

Heartfelt P-2.5 A Delinquent I

BONUS CHAPTER: Eva finds herself in a tough predicament where helping the person she hates the most seems to be the only option. WORD COUNT - 909

Eva stood in front of the door to Dr. Ward's office. She glanced at Sophie's school ID which sat snuggly in her hoodie's pocket. The image of Sophie yelling at her in defiance flashed into her mind. Her terrified eyes stared into hers. An annoyed frown twitched into her blank expression. She clicked her tongue and walked into the office.

Dr. Ward stood with her back facing Eva and looking out of the window.

“I’m here,” Eva said after a short pause.

Eva didn’t know what Dr. Ward wanted, but it was never a good thing for her when she called her up to her office. Usually, it was for something stupid. Some rich kid’s ego getting out of line and demanding compensation from Eva, or a not so subtle troublemaking freshman blaming their own crime on her. Of course those kinds of students had no idea of Eva’s circumstances and how much that tied both her and Dr. Ward’s hands. Nevertheless, today felt different.

“Eva, so good to see you this morning,” Dr. Ward turned around with a warm smile.

“Her demeanor is off. Something's up,” Eva thought to herself as she came up with a reply.

“Good to see you too. What can I do for you?” Eva replied.

“Straight to the point as always," Dr. Ward sat down. "Unfortunately for you, I'm here to discuss your punishment?"

"Well that’s new,” Eva thought as she raised a brow. “What for?”

"Violating the curfew mostly, but also some of your more nefarious actions have begun to be noticed by your peers. Namely, one of the students is requesting your expulsion as a result of your 'harassment', but we both know that's not really a viable option."

"She wants me to do something. Great," Eva thought.

Dr. Ward pulled out a printed out sheet and handed it to Eva. A picture of Sophie Dives sat at the top right corner of it. A short description of her grades, family, hobbies and friends filled the empty space of the rest of the sheet. Eva gave an unamused look.

"Instead I have an assignment for you, I'll deal with that… troublesome family while you convince Sophie Dives to join the student council."

"What a shocker, there's her whole ominous 'student council' thing again. I swear at this point she must be making an effing cult. Why does it have to be Sophie of all people too, god dammit," Eva thought.

"How come?" Eva asked flatly.

"Miss Dives is musically gifted, we lack that sort of artistic talent in the council. But, more than that she seems to have trouble interacting with her peers. Inviting her to council will prove to our benefactors that the academy is inclusive to all,” Dr. Ward explained.

“Which means you get more money. The hell do you need so much of it anyways?” Eva thought to herself. “Ugh, I want to refuse. Sophie already hates me and I hate her even more. This will just end up being more trouble for myself than its worth, but it’s not like I can say no. Not with her effing leash around my throat.”

“All I have to do is invite her?” Eva asked.

“Convince her to join, like you did with the other students I assigned to you,” Dr. Ward nodded.

“Sure, consider it done,” Eva scratched her head. “Guess I'll have to use a proxy this time, but who? The girl is friendless… wait there is her quirky friend, Gwyneth or something like that.”

The door to the office opened. Dr. Ward’s entire figure softened as Anna walked into the room.

“Typical, as soon as someone else walks in she’s back to her whole ‘friendly, approachable headmaster routine and everyone falls for it,” Eva smirked to herself as Anna sat beside her. “Well whatever, this is perfect. All I have to do is to convince Gwyneth to convince Sophie and I already have some ‘leverage’”

. . .

“This is a disaster,” Eva thought to herself as she looked at the unconscious Warden. “Sophie’s missing, I beat up a freaking Warden, and now there’s no way I can complete the old hag’s ‘assignment’. Not like that matters, if the Wardens find Sophie, she’ll tell them everything. Dr. Ward will know what I did to her… Damn it, what an effing idiot. I left all the side doors open and she didn’t even bother to check them? She really is nothing but a moronic spoiled brat that got what she effing deserved. Ugh, and I deserve this whole mess too for not being more careful. It really does look like looking for her in the auditorium and forcing her to not say a word is my only plan right now."

Eva turned to see Gwyneth and Anna looking at her.

"I guess if I have those two helping, we might actually be able to find her and I’ll have an alibi. We don’t exactly get along, but I’m sure they’ll vouch for me. They seem like the naive types and no matter how furious Sophie is, she can’t argue in a three versus one situation. Good job Eva, you got a solid plan going now... that is if we don't get caught instantly and gutted like fish," Eva thought as she looked at them.

"I wouldn't go as far as to say that she's in danger..." Eva began to explain. "Because if she was, I'd be effed," Eva thought to herself.

[tradgicworks]

Heartfelt Reading List

Chapters organized by chronological order for your reading enjoyment. PROLOGUE P - 1 A World of Sorrow P - 2 Heavy Meddle P - 2.5 A Delinquent I P - 3 Deeper Still

[tradgicworks]

Heartfelt: P-2 Heavy Meddle

Anna Hjarta finds herself as the sole witness of a strange disappearance. She decides to help find the missing student, despite how much her academy wants to keep it a secret.

WORD COUNT - 6030

Fast paced heavy metal music blared out of Anna’s headphones. Her short dirty-blonde hair bobbed up and down to the fast paced rhythm. Her grey-blue colored eyes scanned the floor as she picked up any trash that was left behind. She brushed her bangs out of her face revealing a faint scar that ran from her left cheekbone all the way through her left brow. Her music was interrupted by the ringtone of her phone. She tapped her phone and answered the call.

“Yeah?” Anna asked as she continued picking up trash.

“Hey, Anna,” Another volunteer’s voice responded. “I finished up where I’m at. Everyone else is done too, we’re gonna head back for today.”

“Cool. I got the keys with me, I’ll finish here then head back myself. You guys have a good night.”

“Don’t overdo it Anna. Goodnight,” The volunteer said before hanging up the phone.

Her music roared back to life. Anna sighed as she looked at her nearly full trash bag. She pulled down her headphones and turned them off. She laid the bag on the floor and swept the remaining bits of trash into the bag with her leg. She tied the bag up and carried it to the dump.

Despite the academy’s strict rules, disobedience was inevitable- especially the week before winter break. For some reason or another, the academy had a policy of having Juniors and Seniors take their finals early. This was done in order to “encourage the active pursuit of future academic endeavors”. Most students took it as a chance to apply to college, scholarships, or internships. While others treated it as an early vacation or an excuse to party in secret. The abandoned auditorium especially was a hotspot for delinquents. Due to the lack of manpower the academy could not afford to routinely survey the theater during the last week of classes, their focus was on finishing up the preparations for the graduation ceremony after all. As such the troublemakers rebelled in relative comfort, often leaving huge messes. Ultimately, it would be up to the older students to take it upon themselves to volunteer and clean up the mess. Anna Hjarta included.

Anna heaved the trash bag into the dumpster and shut it closed. She took off her work-gloves with a satisfied look. Thunder faintly growled behind her. The sound of rain wafted into her ears.

“Mph,” She thought to herself as she checked her backpack. “I forgot my umbrella.”

Anna stuffed her headphones and gloves back into her bag. She glanced outside through a dirty window. The light of the campus walkway was barely visible through all the rain. Anna frowned and flipped a switch on the wall. The work lights that lined the halls of the auditorium blinked into darkness. Her body froze as she heard a shrill scream echo through the pitch black halls.

“Is someone there?” Anna called out in a hush tone.

She was met with silence.

The muffled sounds of teary cries for help crawled into her ears as she waited for a reply. She flipped the lights back on and ran towards the sound.

“Are you okay?!” She yelled out while trying to find the source of the struggle.

One last shriek rang out before being snuffed short. Anna found herself at the doors of the theater. She tried to open them but felt a strange resistance hold them shut. She slammed against them until they finally swung open. She shook her phone and its flashlight turned on. She found herself in the empty theater, the draped curtains fluttering softly. She surveyed the room in confusion and let out a deep sigh after searching for a few moments.

“I need more sleep,” She muttered.

Anna turned around and began to head back towards the dorms. Her shoe kicked against something and sent it gliding across the floor. She flashed her light at it and noticed a sparkle in the corner of her eye. She walked towards it and picked it up. In her fingers was a small golden bangle bracelet.

“Devoted to our pride and joy, Sophie,” Anna read out the cursive that was written across the back of the bracelet.

. . .

Anna flinched awake to the blare of her phone’s alarm. She sat up and looked at her surroundings groggily. Articles of old clothes laid scattered all across the floor. Her desk was stacked high with medical textbooks- some open, almost all riddled with sticky notes. Her bag hung from the door knob with Sophie’s bracelet attached to it by the zipper.

Anna slowly got out of bed. She walked to the bathroom and began to brush her teeth. When she finished she rinsed out her mouth and splashed some water on her face. She looked in the mirror, her scar had become an ugly streak that burned through her face. She traced it lightly with her fingers and frowned. She pulled out a small makeup bag from underneath her vanity. Layer after layer, she applied makeup on her scar until it returned to the faint seam that it was before. She gave a slight smile as she observed her handiwork. The academy’s morning announcements buzzed to life as she finished up.

“Good Morning, students,” Dr. Ward’s, the headmaster, soothing voice called out. “Yesterday’s rain proved to be heavier than was originally forecasted. Be careful when going between classes as staff have reported significant amounts of mud from the downpour. Furthermore, yesterday also marked the most amount of curfew violations in the academy’s history. A fact that brings me much disappointment. The students who violated the curfew will be called to my office to receive a punishment. You know who you are and you will be contacted privately. Let this serve as a reminder to the rest of the student body that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated again. Now, for today’s agenda…” Dr. Ward began reading out the remainder of the dull announcements.

Anna put away her makeup bag. Her phone began to buzz. She picked it up and read the screen.

“Anna Hjarta. Please report to Dr. Ward’s office at-” Anna raised a brow.

She threw on the cleanest uniform she could find and grabbed her bag as she walked out the door.

. . .

The headmaster’s office was built at the highest point of the campus. Curved stairs lead up to the main entrance. A ramp sloped downwards and cut through the middle of the stairs, allowing access into the library on the bottom floor. Colorful flowers and well maintained shrubs all sprinkled with water droplets from the rain decorated the entrance. Anna made her way to the headmaster's office.

“Excuse me,” She said as she walked inside.

Dr. Ward’s office was incredibly organized. Her large desk was filled with papers- all stacked into neat piles. Two bookshelves filled with all sorts of books, awards, and gifts stood behind her. On the wall was a display case with a beautiful ceremonial dagger stored inside. Behind her was a large window that allowed for a majestic view of the entire campus.

“Anna,” Dr. Ward smiled. “Have a seat.”

“You wanted to see me?” Anna said as she sat down.

“Yes, I did. I wanted to see you and Eva,” Dr. Ward gestured at Eva who sat in the chair next to Anna.

Dr. Ward sat down and opened her laptop. The door to her office swung open and a tall warden walked in with a cup of coffee.

“Thank you, Caroline,” Dr. Ward smiled as she set down the cup.

Caroline replied with a curt nod. Her green eyes were locked into a permanent glare. Her brunette hair was tied into a tight bun. She wore the Warden's uniform which consisted of combat boots, neatly pressed pants, a long sleeved button up shirt with a tie, and a blocky hat. Caroline specifically, wore a small badge and a large coat over her shoulders like a cloak as an imposing way of signifying her position of authority amongst the Wardens.

“I have been informed that both of you entered the dorms after the curfew, is that correct?” Dr. Ward asked while quickly typing.

“That’s correct,” Anna said casually.

“Yup,” Eva clicked her tongue.

“Hmm,” Dr. Ward glanced at the two before continuing to type. “Would you mind enlightening me over why you entered the dorms so late?”

“Lost track of time,” Eva said.

“I was helping clean up the auditorium, my group was scheduled for yesterday and I stayed after to finish up. I ended up getting caught in the rain though,” Anna explained.

“I see,” Dr. Ward said as she typed. "Was there anyone else with you, Anna?"

“There shouldn't have been, everyone else went back early. I only stayed after because I had the keys.”

“Did you notice anything strange on your way back?" Dr. Ward asked.

“What do you mean by strange...?” Anna asked slowly.

“Yesterday there was some unexpected interference with the academy’s security system. Given how many students disobeyed the curfew, I wanted to make sure that no one was up to any mischief while some of the cameras were offline,” Dr. Ward drank from her coffee.

“No, not really. I mean I can’t even think of anyone crazy enough to be out in that rain on purpose,” Anna shrugged.

“You can never be too sure,” Dr. Ward pushed up her glasses.

“Well, actually, there was one thing,” Anna grabbed the bangle bracelet from her bag and held it towards Dr. Ward. “I found this.”

Dr. Ward grabbed it and investigated it. Her face tensed slightly as she read the back of it. She handed it to Caroline who didn’t react.

“Where did you find this?” Dr. Ward glanced up at Anna with a smile, but her eyes turned cold and empty.

Both Anna and Eva shifted uncomfortably at the unusual look in Dr. Ward’s eyes.

“The theater,” Anna replied.

Dr. Ward glanced at Caroline who quickly nodded in reply and walked out of the office.

“Something wrong?” Eva asked with slight meekness.

Dr. Ward’s eyes brightened to her usual comforting shine. “No, nothing is wrong. I am just upset that your more rebellious peers are still using the auditorium irresponsibly. Especially when we both know that they could be doing so much better.”

“I see,” Eva awkwardly replied.

Dr. Ward took a deep breath.

“Thank you ladies for providing some insight into what happened during the storm. Regardless of your intentions, the fact remains that both of you disobeyed the curfew. As such, you will be penalized. The school adheres to its strict guidelines after all and they must be enforced indiscriminately,” Dr. Ward took out two forms and began filling them out quickly.

“What do we have to do?” Anna asked.

“The two of you will be working as receptionists at the freshmen dorms,” Dr. Ward handed a filled out form to Anna and Eva each. “Take these to the front office of the dorm. They’ll give you everything you need and tell you what to do from there. You may leave now,” Dr. Ward instructed before returning her attention to work.

Anna and Eva walked towards the door.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Dr. Ward called out to them as they opened the door. “Try not to get into any more trouble,” She said with a gentle smile.

. . .

Anna’s gaze lingered on the empty hallways. She leaned over the receptionist counter, her cheek resting in her palm. Eva, who sat beside her, groaned and put her feet up on the counter. Anna glanced at her with annoyance.

“Stop that,” Anna said.

“What? My shoes aren’t dirty,” Eva replied.

Dried up mud crumbled onto the counter.

“Not that dirty at least,” Eva yawned.

“It’s just rude to the janitors who have to clean that up,” Anna’s gaze hardened.

“Sheesh, calm down. A little dirt won’t kill anyone. What are you some sort of neat freak?” Eva replied matter-of-factly.

“No,” Anna looked at Eva in her eyes. “I just don’t like dirt.”

Eva put her feet down and sat up straight.

“What do you mean by that?” Her eyes narrowed.

The two stared at each other. Anna grabbed a napkin and cleaned the dirt off of the counter.

“What else would it mean?” She glanced at Eva’s shoes.

“Fine, my bad for bringing in dirty shoes,” Eva took her shoes off the counter. “Sue me.”

“Thank you,” Anna nodded curtly before kneeling down to clean up the dirt.

“You’re a real bleeding heart you know,” Eva commented looking down at her.

Anna didn’t respond, she simply continued until the mess was clean.

Eva looked at her for a few moments before she gave up and went back to playing on her phone.

Anna crumbed up the napkin and threw it into a trashcan. The sound of loud banging erupted from the front doors as it fell in.

“Let me in!” A desperate voice yelled from outside.

“She’s going to break the freaking doors-” Eva growled and stood up.

She quickly walked towards the doors and swung them open just as Gwyneth was about to knock again.

“What are you doing?” Eva grit her teeth.

“Thank you-!” Gwyneth barely got the words in before trying to push her way into the dorms.

“What are you doing?!” Eva roared and shoved her back outside.

“Please- Y-You don’t understand. I need to get in I-” Gwyneth choked on her words. “Please, please, just let me in!”

“No way, you psycho!” Eva barred her from entering.

“Calm down, you’re hurting her,” Anna ran beside her and tugged on her shoulder.

“The hell I am! I’m just stopping her from getting through the door-'' Eva glanced at Gwyneth’s face. “Oh, it's you.”

Eva looked at Gwyneth’s wrists, faint bruise marks were beginning to form.

“Oh,” Eva’s frown grew annoyed.

“That’s why I told you to relax,” Anna pulled Eva behind her and looked at Gwyneth.

“Please let me in!” Gwyneth pleaded.

“Sure,” Anna grabbed her wrists gently. “But first we’re going to take care of this.”

“There’s no time I really have to-” Gwyneth said in between panicked breaths.

“There’s no option, either you come in and I help with the bruising or you don’t come in at all,” Anna gave her a stern look.

“O-Okay, but please hurry!” Gwyneth’s breathing relaxed before she exclaimed.

“I will,” Anna led her inside and behind the receptionist desk.

“Are you crazy? You’re going to take the person who tried to break into the dorms seriously?” Eva exclaimed.

“She wouldn’t be this panicked if it wasn’t for a good reason,” Anna sat Gwyneth down and looked for a first aid kit.

“Wow, I was spot on about that bleeding heart thing huh?” Eva groaned. “What if she’s here to cause trouble or stalk some helpless freshman girl?”

“You really think poorly of people you know,” Anna commented as she prepared an ice bag.

“I’m realistic,” Eva huffed.

“You’re paranoid. All I see is someone in need,” Anna kneeled in front of Gwyneth and pressed the ice bag against her wrist.

“And that’s all you need to be at their beck and call?” Eva sneered.

“Yeah, that’s it,” Anna glared at her.

Eva could only reply with an equally furious look.

“I-I’m not here to hurt anyone,” Gwyneth said meekly. “I’m here to- ah” She squeaked as Anna moved the ice bag to her other wrist.

“I’m worried about my friend, her name is Sophie,” Gwyneth said.

Eva tensed a little upon hearing Sophie’s name.

“What about your friend?” Eva grunted.

“I think she’s in trouble.” Gwyneth said sheepishly.

“No way,” Eva waved her hand dismissively. “The academy’s got security like a prison. If she was in trouble she would have been helped out by one of the Wardens.”

“I know, but I’ve called her so many times and she hasn’t responded once. She didn’t show up to our breakfast meet up and last night she seemed really worried about something,” Gwyneth said, her words growing more frantic.

“Well, maybe you’re just overthinking it,” Eva said apathetically.

“What’s your problem?” Anna glanced at her in a mix of anger and shock.

She turned towards Gwyneth and started wrapping bandages around her wrists. “Why are you so sure she’s in trouble?” Anna asked calmly.

“Sophie’s not like this. She always answers her calls, she's a polite and cheery person. She’s full of optimism and hope and she always does her best to help others. I’ve never seen her act so depressed before, so… docile. I just know something is wrong, it just doesn’t add up...” Gwyneth gazed at the floor.

“Pfft, talk about working off hunches,” Eva muttered.

“I agree,” Anna said as she finished tying her bandages.

“You do?!” Gwyneth and Eva said in unison, relief and surprise in their voice respectively.

“You know the people close to you better than I do. If you really think something is wrong, you should do something about it before you regret not doing anything at all,” Anna stood up and held out her hand. “And I’ll be here to help.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you soooooo much!” Gwyneth leaped up and hugged Anna tightly.

“Woah, okay, okay, I’m just glad I can help,” Anna chuckled. “She’s really soft.” She said towards Eva.

“And I care why?” Eva shook her head. “I can’t believe you’re helping her. What do you even want Gwy- uh... Girl?”

“Oh, that’s right,” Gwyneth let go of Anna. “My name’s Gwyneth, I’m a Sophomore.”

“I’m Anna, a Junior,” Anna replied.

“Eva, same,” Eva mumbled. “So what do you want?”

“I-” Gwyneth paused. “I was planning on visiting Sophie’s room and checking up on her.”

“What floor is she on?” Anna asked.

“Third floor, room 309,” Gwyneth replied.

“Cool, let’s go,” Anna grabbed the master key from behind the counter and headed up the stairs. “You coming, Grinch?” She asked Eva as she stopped on the first step.

“Screw you,” Eva spat before following suit.

. . .

The freshmen dorms were not the nicest on campus, mostly due to how old the building itself was. The steps led up to a view of the many hallways on each floor. Rows and rows of evenly spaced doors lined the walls. Occasional break and study rooms broke the monotony of the layout. Framed paintings of previous headmasters and photographs of the academy’s history dotted the free spaces on the wall. On the opposite end, stood an identical set of stairs leading into the floor below. Anna, Eva, and Gwyneth stepped into the third floor. Gwyneth walked ahead of them and led them to Sophie’s dorm.

“We’re here,” Anna stated as they stood in front of room 309.

Gwyneth stepped forward and knocked on the door.

“Sophie, are you there? It’s me, Gwen,” She called out.

There was no reply.

“Sophie?” She knocked again.

“She’s probably just asleep,” Eva commented.

“At six in the evening?” Anna raised a brow.

“You’d be surprised at how many people hit the hay early,” Eva yawned.

“She’s not answering,” Gwyneth turned towards them.

“Hmm, let me try,” Anna knocked on the door a little rougher than Gwyneth. “Sophie, are you in there?”

The door creaked open on her last knock.

“You broke it,” Eva scoffed.

“It just happened on its own,” Anna replied with a tinge of panic.

“Well, no use crying over it now,” Eva swung open the door and gestured for them to walk in. “After ya’ll.”

They all entered the room. Eva flicked on the light switch and the ceiling lamp hummed to a faint light. Comfy looking bed sheets sat as a messy pile on an unmade bed. The cabinets held half open drawers filled with thrown-about clothes. Makeup, perfume, accessories, and other knick-knacks once neatly organized on the shelves laid scattered across the floor. A torn apart sheet music book with ripped out pages leaned limply against a violin. Gwyneth’s gaze lingered on a corkboard that hung above her drawer. Pictures of Gwyneth and Sophie spending time together were pinned on to it. Dumb drawings that Gwyneth made in a silly attempt of explaining some of her favorite controversies were displayed like badges of honor. The letter she wrote for Sophie’s birthday was neatly held by tiny styrofoam stars. A calendar filled with pretty handwritten notes was to the left of all of that. “Dinner with Gwyneth, yay!” was circled in red marker.

“What a mess,” Eva murmured.

“It looks like someone tore up the place,” Anna said quietly.

“Sophie…” Gwyneth whimpered as she walked to the corkboard and traced her fingers over the memorabilia.

“We need to report this to the principal,” Anna said as she glanced at Gwyneth’s worried face.

“Agreed, the way this room is torn up is way too sketchy,” Eva let out a deep sigh. “The academy seems to be slipping in more ways than one.”

“That’s ominous,” Anna commented.

“Just saying, the schools vow of security ain’t looking so secure right now. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are other dorms where just about anybody can break into them,” Eva opened the closet. “We could have a real case for false advertising on our hands-” Eva’s words were snuffed into violent chokes.

A woman stepped out of the closet. Her dark gray colored eyes shone with a strange intensity. She held Eva by the neck, nearly lifting her off the ground. Gwyneth shrieked as she grabbed something to defend herself with. Anna hopped over the bed and slammed herself against the woman. The woman grunted in pain as she let go of Eva and struggled to keep her balance. Eva coughed in heavy breaths. The woman took a step forward ready to attack Anna, only to have a stapler thrown against her face by Gwyneth.

“You. Effing. Creep,” Eva yelled in a horse voice.

Eva kicked at the woman’s legs before she could retaliate and tripped her onto the ground. The woman fell with a hearty thud and her body went limp. Eva raised her foot to stomp her face but was stopped by Anna’s hand.

“What are you doing?! You’re going to kill her!” Anna screamed.

“Oh, do not make excuses for the panty stealing weirdo hiding in a sixteen year old’s closet- she deserved this!” Eva yelled back.

“But, she’s already knocked out!” Anna pushed her leg out of the way. “So, we stop!”

“Fine, Goldilocks. Have it your way, but I’m not helping you if she gets up and starts choke slamming you,” Eva rubbed her shin. “Damn, that hurt. Her legs felt like they were made out of steel.”

“W-Who is she anyways and where did you two learn to fight like that?“ Gwyneth asked.

“I kinda just threw myself at her,” Anna said matter-of-factly.

“Kickboxing is a hobby,” Eva replied. “As for the mystery woman…” Eva took out her phone and turned on its flashlight.

The light shone over the face of a Warden. The three of them stared in silence as the realization dawned upon them.

“We are so screwed,” Eva murmured with a deathly serious tone.

“WE KNOCKED A WARDEN UNCONSCIOUS?!” Gwyneth screamed.

“Shut up!” Eva put her hand over Gwyneth’s mouth. “Do you want the whole dorm to know?!”

“I-It’s fine, we can just explain to the principal what happened. T-That this was all just one big misunderstanding,” Anna said in a slightly shaky voice as she sat the Warden up as best as she could

“Oh yeah, sure, and she can kindly explain how many years in prison we’re gonna serve for assaulting a freaking police officer,” Eva gave a panicked chuckle.

“I don’t want to go to jail,” Gwyneth whimpered.

“No effing dur, girly,” Eva commented.

“Calm down, both of you. Worse comes to worst I can just-” Anna started before being cut off by the sound of a radio.

“Warden 06, can you hear me?” A staticky voice called from the Warden’s breast pocket.

Anna, Eva, and Gwyneth looked at each other. Gwyneth gestured to Anna to give her the radio. Anna tossed into her hands and she began to fiddle with it. After a few seconds she held the button to reply. White noise poured out of the radio.

“Warden 06, there seems to be some interference on your end. Do you read me?” The voice asked again.

Gwyneth tilted the radio downwards. The white noise became more chaotic.

“Warden 06, do you read-” The voice got cut off before changing into a deeper, colder, voice. “Warden 06, you are to cease your search of the target’s dorm. We have narrowed down the location of Sophie Dives to the auditorium. Rendezvous there ASAP. Failure to do so will be met with severe punishment.”

The radio went completely silent. Gwyneth took out the batteries and took a shaky breath.

“Sophie’s in the auditorium?” Gwyneth whispered.

“From the sound of it, it looks like they were trying to keep it a secret too,” Eva commented.

“I knew it,” Anna muttered.

“What?” Gwyneth asked.

“Last night, when I was cleaning up the auditorium I heard a scream. I tried to follow it, but by the time I got to the theater all I found was a bracelet with Sophie’s name on the back of it,” Anna stood up. “I think something happened to her.”

“Why didn’t you bring this up before?” Gwyneth frowned.

“Because I thought it was just a coincidence,“ Anna’s face softened. “We have to tell Dr. Ward, if she knows that the Warden’s are acting out of line she might be able to stop them.”

“Sorry to break it to you, but the Warden’s are on the CCPD’s payroll- not the headmaster’s. I doubt they give two craps about what she wants,” Eva said.

“What other option do we have then?” Anna asked.

“We have to go and help her ourselves,” Gwyneth said with a serious tone.

“Are you crazy? She’s being hunted down by the Wardens right now, y’know like actual highly trained cops. On top of that, they’re on high alert, if they find us they’ll rip us to shreds,” Eva furrowed her brow.

“Not exactly,” Gwyneth turned towards her. “I’ve heard rumors that because of all the curfew violations yesterday the headmaster is pissed off at all the Wardens. She wants to make sure that not a single student misses it tonight. Me thinks- I think that they won’t head to the auditorium until after curfew. It gives us some time to break in.”

“You really believe those stupid overblown rumors? Give me a break, they’ll have Wardens posted all over the auditorium,” Eva groaned.

Anna walked to the curtains and opened them up. A view of the auditorium bathed in the light of the setting sun appeared with not a single soul in sight.

“Are you sure about that?” Anna said with a tiny jeer.

“Screw you,” Eva looked away and scratched her head.

“We don't have much time," Anna looked at her phone. "Curfews in three hours. If we're going to help Sophie, we should move now."

"You're still going to help?" Gwyneth asked.

"Of course, it doesn't sit well with me to stay still when someone needs help. Besides, who knows what the Wardens will do to her if one of them was ready to strangle us to death," Anna explained.

"Thank you," Gwyneth said quietly

Anna and Gwyneth looked at Eva who thought in silence. After a few moments she spoke.

"I wouldn't go as far as to say that she's in danger, but yeah, the sooner we find her the better," Eva said curtly.

"I really thought you would say no," Gwyneth said with a slightly stunned face.

"Don't act like you know how I think," Eva scoffed.

"Well, we better head out then. Let's go close up the receptionist's booth first," Anna said as she walked out of the dorm.

"Ever the worrywart," Eva grumbled.

. . .

Day began to bleed into night by the time they arrived at the auditorium. The weathered down entrance was chained and locked shut by a simple key lock.

“They locked it,” Anna stated bluntly.

“I guess this really means that Sophie is in here,” Gwyneth said with a worried face.

“Well she won’t be trapped here for long,” Eva said as she took out some of the bobby pins that held up her hair and kneeled beside the floor.

“What are you doing?” Gwyneth asked.

“Picking the lock, duh,” Eva replied as she started unlocking the door and blew some of her loose hair out of her face.

“Where did you learn that?” Anna asked.

“Would you believe me if I said daycare?” Eva turned around with a smirk as the lock clicked open. “We’re in.”

“Follow me,” Anna walked into the auditorium and towards the theater.

The work lights from the day before stood in the exact same spot. Anna turned them on, lighting the auditorium with a musty light. The three walked at a brisk pace while still scanning each room they came across, before turning towards the theater. Anna opened the door and looked at the rows of dimly lit seats.

“The only place I didn’t check yesterday was backstage,” Anna said as she made her way down the stairs and climbed onto the stage.

“This place gives me the creeps,” Eva muttered as she read the scratches on the podium.

Anna walked in between the curtains and into the dark backstage. She turned on her flashlight. Old props and backgrounds littered the floor. Rusting clothing racks filled with forgotten costumes loitered throughout the backstage. A large grandfather clock leaned against boxes stacked up high. The word “John” was painted onto it, it’s time was stuck at 3:13 PM.

“Wow, it's a whole lot of nothing,” Eva said loudly as she leaned against the grandfather clock.

“We at least have to try to look for her,” Anna said as she started searching the mess.

“But, there really is nothing here, Anna,” Gwyneth said sadly.

“We don’t have much time left either,” Eva glanced at her watch. “We should just head back and try again tomorrow before they catch us and we can’t try at all,” She looked at Anna, her long hair fluttering slightly in a soft breeze.

“Yeah... good idea,” Anna said with a slightly dejected tone before turning towards Eva. “What’s wrong with your hair?” Anna asked suddenly.

“What? I was too lazy to tie it back up after picking the lock,” Eva replied dismissively.

“No, why is it moving,” Anna asked again before walking towards the grandfather clock herself.

She felt around it looking for the source of the breeze. Eventually she found a small crack in the wall. Cold air trickled out of it slowly.

“Help me move this thing,” Anna said towards Eva and Gwyneth as she started trying to move the grandfather clock out of the way.

“This is heavy,” Gwyneth panted as she pushed as hard as she could.

“Just push,” Eva commented as she led the clock onto the floor. “Now what?” Eva asked Anna.

Anna picked up a broken off leg of a chair from the floor and smashed it against the crack. The wall crumbed into wet clumps of drywall that revealed the entrance to a tunnel.

“A tunnel?” Anna murmured.

“You are amazing at breaking things, y’know that,” Eva said blankly.

“D-Do you think that Sophie could be in there?” Anxiety lumped in Gwyneth’s voice.

“If this was a horror movie, sure, but to me that just looks like an effing death trap,” Eva shifted uncomfortably.

“We have to check,” Anna took a deep breath before stepping inside.

“Are you crazy?!” Eva grabbed her arm. “We have no idea where that leads, if there’s anything even in there or if there’s even a way out.”

“Where else could she be if the Wardens couldn’t even find her?” Anna tugged her arm away from Eva’s grasp.

“I don’t know, but I’m not gonna risk my life to find out,” Eva crossed her arms.

Anna’s breaths stiffened. She glared at Eva who returned the gesture.

“I-” Anna opened her mouth before being interrupted by the muffled echo of classical music.

“Nocturne op.9 No.2, Sophie’s favorite song. She set it as her ringtone…” Anna and Eva turned to face Gwyneth.

She clutched her phone close to her, she had dialed Sophie’s number while they were arguing.

Eva looked into the tunnel. Its jagged walls seemed like they were cut into the building itself. Drops of a mysterious liquid fell onto the floor with an unnerving pitter-patter. The end of the tunnel remained a mystery as it curved into an unknown depth.

“Still not doing it,” Eva swallowed nervously.

“Fine, you can stay out here. I’m going,” Anna steeled herself as she turned on her flashlight.

“Me too-” Gwyneth said as she took a step forward.

Her voice skipped into a shriek of terror. Anna and Eva turned around to see Caroline holding Gwyneth up by her hair.

“Warden 06 was right, there were some rats in the theater after all,” Caroline leered.

Anna sprinted past Eva and tried to help Gwyneth only to get kicked in the stomach. She fell onto the floor and curled up into a ball as she clutched her burning stomach.

“Let me go!” Gwyneth shrieked and tried to kick herself free.

Caroline swiftly jabbed her in the abdomen before dropping her. Gwyneth gasped as air escaped her lungs.

“And you?” Caroline turned towards Eva, her eyes glowing an ethereal dark green.

Eva looked at Anna and Gwyneth whimpering on the floor. Her face hardened.

“They didn’t deserve that,” Eva grit her teeth as she raised her fists.

“Hmm,” Caroline stepped over the two and towards Eva with her hands behind her back. “But Miss Sophie did?”

“Don’t act like you know everything, you crap shoveling pig!” Eva yelled as she jabbed at Caroline.

Caroline caught her first and pulled her close before headbutting her. The strength of the blow forced Eva onto her knees.

“Oh, Eva,” Caroline said in a condescending tone and got closer to her. “We know everything,” She whispered.

Caroline pulled back her fist. Eva sluggishly looked upwards, unable to move. She closed her eyes as Caroline swung at her face.

"You’re not hurting her anymore," Anna's shaky voice said.

Eva opened her eyes to see Anna holding Caroline's shoulder back to stop her from punching her.

"How persistent," Caroline said in an unamused tone as she elbowed Anna in her side.

To her surprise Anna didn't budge.

"You have no idea," Anna grunted as she stomped on the back of Caroline's knee.

Caroline hollorred in pain as she crumbled onto her knees.

"Take Gwyneth into the tunnel!" Anna screamed, struggling to hold Caroline down.

Eva looked at Anna stunned at how much she was fighting back. She groggily stood onto her feet.

"Hurry up and go!" Anna yelled again.

Eva's face burned into a furious frown. She closed her fist and grit her teeth before punching Caroline’s face with the full force of her body.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Eva roared as her fist collided with Caroline.

Anna let go of Caroline with barely enough time to evade the blow. Caroline held her bloodied nose as she struggled to move.

"Come on, Goldilocks," Eva said as she leaned Gwyneth on her shoulder.

Anna quickly grabbed Gwyneth's other shoulder. The two limped into the tunnel as fast as they could. Waves of frigid air poured out of the cracks of the tunnel as it curved deeper and deeper into darkness. The ground under their feet morphed from concrete to something squishy and wet. A sense of dread creeped down Anna's neck as the air became thinner. Sophie's ringtone distorted and echoed into noise before suddenly extinguishing into a deafening silence.

"Eva, can you see anything?" Anna asked loudly, her voice reverberating in her ears.

"I can't see shi-" Eva yelled in reply before suddenly screaming out of panic.

Anna felt the ground underneath her crumble into nothing. Her screams echoed endlessly as she plunged into absolute darkness.

[tradgicworks]

Works by exellero

[tradgicworks]

CEMETERY 

by Boris Groh

[tradgicworks]

Heartfelt:P-1 A World of Sorrow

When a student of a private school disappears during stormy night, three strangers come together to look for her and end up discovering the dark secrets of the world around them. WORD COUNT - 3134

The light of the setting sun peered into the old diner. Black clouds dotted the sky. Sophie took a long sip from her milkshake and stared wistfully at the horizon. Her golden bangle bracelet slid down her arm as she did.

“What’s wrong?” Gwyneth asked as she noticed her gaze.

Gwyneth brushed her bangs aside. Her dark brown colored eyes were filled with concern. She had voluminous long black hair that covered her shoulders like a fluffy mane. She wore a uniform which consisted of a long skirt, a simple tucked in blouse, and a blazer- all in different shades of purple.

“Nothing’s wrong, I’m just thinking about some stuff,” Sophie said with a meek smile.

"What kinda stuff?" Gwyneth asked.

"Midterms, winter vacation, piano practice. The usual," Sophie replied.

“Wow, not even trying to hide the fact that you weren’t paying attention to my story, huh?" Gwyneth gave an exaggerated sigh.

"I'm sorry," Sophie awkwardly smiled.

 “It's okay, I forgive you. Anyways, remember that girl that went missing a couple months ago, she was a freshman, um, vice president of the chess club or something. Well some of the older students have been talking about how this isn’t the first time that it has happened,” Gwyneth ate one of her few remaining fries. “Near the end of last year’s spring semester a different freshman suddenly moved away. This normally wouldn't have been seen as strange except for the fact that it was right in the middle of finals. Supposedly, one of her friends decided to call her parents to ask about what happened only to be told that the phone number had been out of service for weeks.”

“Spooky,” Sophie commented simply.

“Mhm. So, the older girls started talking and it turned out that a lot of students went missing over the years. They say that it's been about fifteen students in total that have suddenly disappeared. For every single one of them there was a convenient excuse for why, but all of it just seems too coincidental,” Gwyneth leaned in for dramatic effect. “Me thinks there’s a conspiracy afoot.”

“Really? I suppose it is strange, but it could just be that the seniors get overactive imaginations with how much free time they have during finals,” Sophie sighed.

“Aw come on, humor me at least," Gwyneth leaned back. “Don’t you think it’s weird that the academy has a dedicated security team that answers directly to Capital City’s police department? We even have a creepy name for them- Wardens- that’s not normal!”

“Well, given the kind of students that attend it’s not that strange,” Sophie said.

“You really are playing devil's advocate today, huh?” Gwyneth gave a friendly smile.

“Sorry,” Sophie lowered her gaze.

Gwyneth’s smile turned to a face of concern. 

“Hey, are you sure you’re okay-'' Gwyneth started before she was interrupted by the chimes of their phones.

“Curfew,” Sophie swiped at her smartphone. “It’s time to head back.”

“Right...” Gwyneth gazed at her for a few seconds as she packed up her things and got ready to leave before following suit.

The two left a tip for the waiter and headed out into the cold air of the coming winter. The sleepy sky matched the energy of the few students that remained outside, all of them in a quiet hurry to get back to the main campus of Dorothy Elaine Atham's Private Academy for Young Women, or “the academy” as the students plainly referred to it. It was originally constructed in the early 1940s, yet it managed to remain one of the most prestigious high schools in Capital City. This was mostly due to the academy having the support of the Capital City Police Department. They would employ off-duty officers to act as the academy’s security team, or ‘Wardens’ as they were officially referred to. As a result the academy set itself apart as one of the safest private high schools in the entirety of the United States. Strict curfews, no relationships, mandatory dorms, quarterly inspections by the Wardens, uniforms and an arduous curriculum were some of the measures taken to keep the students safe. Wealthy families from all over the country enrolled their children with peace of mind that they would be safe, allowing the school to afford top of the line facilities, staff, and to further its reputation even more. It was said that the academy was so stern with its policies that even the lightest violation could lead to expulsion. Of course that was just a rumor.

Sophie and Gwyneth eventually found themselves back at the main entrance of the academy. Tall walls made of brick and black fencing led to two large half open gates. A flower bed filled with wilting violet roses that matched the student’s outfits sat underneath them. A tall Warden stood at the side of the entrance. Her bright green eyes filled with overwhelming sternness locked with Sophie’s. Sophie averted her gaze and made her way in alongside Gwyneth.

“W-Well, see you tomorrow,” Sophie said to Gwyneth as she took out a pair of wireless earbuds.

“Wait,” Gwyneth gently grabbed her arm before she left. “How about we walk back to your dorm together? I got some more spooky stories I want to tell you about.”

“You won’t make it back to your dorm in time if we do that, you’re on the other side of campus.” Sophie replied.

“I could just stay at your place, y’know like a sleepover,” Gwyneth doubled down as she let go of her arm.

“We both know you can’t do that,” Sophie let out a long breath and held Gwyneth’s shoulders. “I’m fine, really. I know you’re worried about me but I just haven't been getting a lot of sleep. That’s all.”

“Are you sure?” Gwyneth asked.

“I’m sure,” Sophie looked her in the eyes. “I promise that I’m okay.

“Breakfast?” Gwyneth asked dejectedly.

“Of course, breakfast sounds great,” Sophie gave a convincing enough smile. “Now let’s hurry, before the dorm doors lock.” She said as she let go of her.

“Yeah, goodnight,” Gwyneth smiled slightly.

“Goodnight,” Sophie replied before putting in her earbuds and selecting a classical music playlist.

The sun was halfway nestled into the horizon by the time they split. Night was rapidly approaching. The pitch black clouds moved as a mound, thunder rumbled in the distance. The academy resembled a small college more than a high school. Four buildings took up the majority of the campus, each housing their respective grade. A well decorated plaza rested in the middle of the four buildings, where the freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors could interact with each other during lunch or after classes. The dorms sat a few hundred feet from their respective buildings. Wilting but mostly green grass took the majority of the empty space in the campus. Trees and flower beds stood beside the lamp posts that lit up the sprawling walkways. The campus barely had enough room for everything that was built on it, but it was efficient nonetheless.

Sophie’s brows furrowed as the freshmen dorm came into view. It was tucked away in the farthest corner of the campus. While the other dorms enjoyed a nice view of the academy, the freshmen dorms were greeted with the old auditorium. It was by far the oldest building on campus and in a desperate need for renovation. Unfortunately, the construction was inexplicably postponed until the end of the semester- leaving the freshmen with the sight of an ugly, half finished, and decaying building.

Sophie glanced at the front doors. A girl leaned against the doors as she chewed gum. Sophie overlapped the ends of her blazer together and averted her eyes. The girl stopped chewing as Sophie walked to the entrance. Sophie quickly took out her ID card and pressed it against the door’s scanner. The girl swatted her ID to the ground as it finished scanning.

“Whoops,” The girl, Eva, leered in a pretentious tone as she put her arm around her shoulder. “Didn’t see you there princess.”

Eva blew a bubble with her gum and popped it with a sharp snap. Her dyed ash blonde hair was tied into a messy bun. Her hazel colored eyes were flecked with dull orange blemishes. She wore a thick black hoodie and a short skirt which barely fell within the academy’s dress code. A faint but irritatingly smug smirk stretched across her face.

“What do you want, Eva?” Sophie said meekly.

“Nothing much, nothing much at all. I just wanted to talk to my dear friend for uh,” Eva glanced at her wrist watch. “Five minutes.”

“We’re not friends,” Sophie kept her gaze glued to the floor.

“It hurts me to hear you say that,” Eva squeezed her shoulder until she winced from the pain. “Listen, I need a little favor. As you know, winter break is in a week and I’m running low on funds, so I was wondering if you can help me. It’ll run you about five thousand dollars, but of course that’s nothing compared to all the allowance money your mommy and daddy are giving you, right?”

“No,” Sophie muttered.

“Excuse me?,” Eva tilted her head until she met her gaze. “You need to speak up, I can’t hear you through your teeth.”

“I’m not giving you anything,” Sophie pushed her off of herself. “Leave me alone or I’ll report you to the Wardens!”

“Oh, really now?” Eva chuckled dryly. “I think you and I both know you can’t follow up on such a threat, not without putting that friend of yours in a whole lot of trouble…Well you do have a point, I can’t take what’s not in my hands after all…” She glanced at her watch and gave a sadistic smirk.

“But neither can you,” Eva said before sweeping Sophie’s legs and causing her to trip backwards.

Sophie yelped in pain as she just managed to catch herself. By the time she got up Eva was already inside of the dorm with her ID in hand. She rushed to the doors only to find that they were already locked. The sound of a grandfather clock chimed through the PA system signaling the start of the curfew. 

“It’s a good thing you managed to scan the door before you dropped your ID, huh? That way it's on record that you got in here before curfew. Your perfect attendance is not in danger, though it was a real shame you lost your ID. Don’t worry though I’ll turn it in to the lost and found in the morning. Have a nice night, princess! I hear it's going to be a dark and stormy one,” Eva laughed while waving Sophie’s ID in the air. 

“Wait!” Sophie pleaded as she desperately tried to open the door, but no matter how much she pushed against them, the doors refused to budge.

She froze as she felt a cold drop of rain fall down her neck. She looked up at the rumbling dark sky. It began to pour. Sophie clung to what little shelter could find at the side of the building. She took out her phone and tried to call Gwyneth, only to find that her screen had shattered completely from when she tripped. She looked around for a Warden but found none. She yanked out her earbuds and angrily threw them into her bag in frustration. Pathetically faint music leaked out of them. She leaned against the wall and sunk until she was sitting with her knees to her chest.

Despite its claims to security, the reality is that the school can’t keep everyone safe. With the majority of students coming from wealthy backgrounds, treating one too harshly could lead to the parents withdrawing their donations. Without those funds, the school would cease to function- something the academy avoided at all costs. As such, there was an unwritten rule that the wealthier the family, the more lenient the punishment. Though many students did not take advantage of this reality, after all attending the academy was a privilege. All except for Eva. Nobody really knows why, but the school would turn a blind eye to her many misdeeds. Some speculated that it was due to her role as one of the academy’s star athletes, others thought that she was secretly related to the headmaster. Regardless of the rumors, the reality was that she was cruel, spiteful, and above all, manipulative. She made a habit of harassing students that had unfortunately drawn her attention. Whether it be through blackmail, harassment, or slander, she would abuse her victim until they were forced to do whatever she wanted. No matter how much students tried to retaliate she always seemed to have the upper hand and the academy would turn the other way. As a result she had gained an infamous reputation amongst the freshmen and sophomores as someone to be avoided at all costs. Unfortunately for Sophie, Eva seemed to be obsessed with making her time at the academy as miserable as possible. Eva’s persistence was so overwhelming that Sophie ended up being isolated from the rest of her class out of fear of Eva alone. The only person brave enough to still talk to her was her closest friend Gwyneth. She did her best to make sure that Sophie was rarely alone and felt safe. However, even that backfired. Eva had somehow managed to take a photo of Gwyneth that would lead to her expulsion if revealed to the public. Ever since then, Eva has hung that threat over Sophie’s head and she couldn’t let anything happen to her best friend. As such, Sophie felt so alone. She felt as if she was left to fend for herself against the clutches of a monster.

Sophie pressed her face against her knees, frustration weighing at her heart, and began to cry. Harsh winds began to pick up and slam waves of rain against her. Sophie took a shaky deep breath and slowly rose to her feet. She looked at her surroundings to try to find better shelter. Her gaze eventually lingered on the auditorium. She choked down a cough before grabbing her bag and heading towards the unfinished building.

. . .

The outside of the auditorium was a mix of moldy wood and peeling paint. Its towering size gave it the imposing essence of a Victorian mansion. Overgrown vines and unkept leaves dressed the entirety it’s walls. Sophie steeled herself as she approached the entrance. She stopped under a small awning that hung over the front doors where no rain seemed to fall. Lightning followed by thunder struck as she gripped her rain soaked skirt and wrung out the excess water. She shivered from the cold as she dried herself the best she could. When she finished, she leaned against the door. 

“The dorms open up at 6 am, I’ll be able to get my ID back then,” She thought to herself as she stared at the hole riddled awning. “Maybe father will buy me a new phone, it was pretty old anyways.”

She grabbed her wrist and felt for her bracelet, her only reminder of warmth. A wave of sadness surged through her.

“Mom, Dad, I want to go back home,” She whispered to herself.

Chills spread out through her entire body as the door she braced herself against suddenly flung open with a sharp clang. She regained her balance and turned around. The door’s handle laid on the floor completely broken. The darkness of the auditorium greeted her with a gust of musty, but warm, air. She took a step back only to have the freezing rain fall on the back of her neck. Sophie looked at the entrance with an uneasy face. After a few moments she hesitantly walked in.

The building was much larger than it appeared. A few work-lights left turned on lit the auditorium with sheets of inconsistent light. Door frames to rooms that were used for the construction’s storage lined the walkways. The long hallways on either side of Sophie curved out of view. In front of her sat two large doors. She pushed the heavy doors open and stepped inside. She found herself in the academy’s theater. Rows of weathered red fabric seats stepped down into the center stage. The stage’s walnut flooring was scuffed from years of use and subsequent neglect. Two large maroon curtains blocked the view to the backstage.  A small podium sat at the front of it, its paint flaking off to the bare wood. She climbed onto the stage, its visage faintly lit by the work-lights that peered through the half opened doors.

Sophie stared at the seats in a silent awe. She imagined what the theater would look like if it were full of people and wondered why the academy refused to finish renovations. As she pondered, her gaze lowered to the podium. Her eyes narrowed. Faint scratches lined the bottom of it. She wiped a layer of dust off with her hand and revealed a string of faintly recognizable letters.

“Save me?” Sophie slowly read out loud.

“Heard.” A breathy and raspy voice that stretched out every syllable echoed through the theater. “You.”

The doors slammed shut, snuffing out the work-lights and leaving her in complete darkness.

“W-Who’s there?” Sophie stammered.

A bittersweet melody of hums snaked through the dark and into Sophie’s ears in reply.

“Show y-yourself,” Fear gripped at her heart, she clutched her school bag ready to swing it whatever was lurking in the darkness.

“Heard,” The voice repeated, this time more strained. “You.”

“T-This isn’t f-funny, please stop!” She said with a slight whimper.

“Save. You. You. Want. Me. To. Save...” The voice called from behind her causing her to jump in fear.

She swung her schoolbag wildly but it collided against nothing.

“Go. Somewhere. Safe. You. Want. To. Go. Somewhere. Safe. Somewhere. Home...” The voice grew louder.

“Stay away…” She said silently.

Her breaths grew frantic. An overwhelming dread welled in her gut. Panic coursed through her entire body.

“I. Can. Help.” The voice whispered.

A raspy strand of flesh wrapped around her feet before she could react. Her horrified scream was cut short as another strand that gagged her mouth shut. More and more threads wrapped around her body until she was stuck in an airtight cage. She shrieked in muffled terror as she was yanked behind the curtains. Lightning flashed illuminating the theater in a pang of white before decaying back into darkness. Silence followed. The night continued as normal as a stormy night could. Though a few freshmen swore that they heard strange noises coming from the old auditorium that night. Screams of struggles, pleads for help, and a blood curdling shriek to name a few. Of course nobody took it too seriously. It was just a rumor after all.