Chapter 16: The Connected Call
Miles placed his phone down, his gaze jittering back and forth between the device and the imposing dark green forest that lay behind him. The unsettling fact that the old man lurked within those shadows was a reality he could not shake off.
Regardless of the numerous occasions they’d crossed paths, or even if it was just a fleeting glimpse of the elderly man from afar, the effect never varied. Each encounter brought on a rush of fear that tingled down his spine and took root deep within his bones.
Shifting his attention momentarily, Miles murmured to himself, “Jing should be… gone by now.” However, he swiftly shook off the distracting thought and refocused on the vital matter that lay ahead. “The immediate task is to escape from this accursed place and put as much distance as possible between us and the old man. If he manages to capture any one of us again, our fate is sealed. It doesn’t matter if it’s William, Coral, or even myself; the outcome would be inevitably the same.”
When William spotted Miles returning, he let out a sigh of relief, “Miles, where did you disappear off to? Did you manage to locate Jing? The school is teeming with ghosts. You’re the only one brave enough to venture around. I don’t have the courage to move an inch.”
Miles replied, “I did reach out to Jing over a call, but as I suspected, he’s had an encounter with a ghost.” He continued in a grave tone, “I spotted the old man who was previously pounding on the classroom door. That area is now strictly forbidden. Our primary concern should be to find a way out of this place. If we delay any further, I can’t guarantee who else among us will succumb.”
His ominous words echoed in the stillness, casting a pall over the group. The expressions on their faces mirrored sheer terror and impending doom.
Just a few short hours ago, they were all alive. Now, only a few of them were left following the chaotic escape. The rest had vanished without a trace. The meaning of ‘disappearing’ in such a ghost-infested location was morbidly clear.
This was not some bad dream or a scene from a horror flick. This was an actual and lethal haunting where lives were on the line.
“Miles, we owe you our gratitude for leading us out of there. Without you, we would most certainly have met our demise,” one of them finally spoke up.