Zein's Point of View:
I kept scratching my legs every other second. I was only wearing my thighs. Even my rubber shoes were already caked in mud.
"Are you guys absolutely sure this is the way?" I stopped walking and crossed my arms. "Just let me know if we're lost, okay? So I can at least perpare myself!"
Jerome and Matt stopped chatting and looked back at me at the same time. Unlike me, the two of them looked like they were actually enjoying this never-ending hike.
"Since when did you become such a whiner on tips?" Vanessa snapped. "You're usually the one who initiates such stuff!"
I shook my head. "When I set the trip, I use a GPS map, not some old map picked up from who-knows-where!" I turned my gaze toward Mia, who was holding the map.
"Jeez, Zein, you've been complaining nonstop. It's not like you're helping!" Mia barked back.
What? This was literally the first time I'd complained in the hours we'd been walking!
"Girls, chill." Jerome chuckled.
"Are you tired?" Matt asked. Unlike our other friends, he looked genuinely concerned. "I think we can take a break for a bit."
"Or we could just go back?" I gave a weak, forced smile.
"We've walked so far already. Why would we back out now?" Vanessa let out a sigh and turned to Mia. "Right, Mia? We're close to... wait, where are we going again?"
"Hell University," Jerome answered for her.
Mia nodded hesitantly.
"Did you just randomly find that picture on the internet and print it out?" I accused.
"No!" Mia blurted out. "I-I found it...."
"Where did you find it, Almia Mendez?"
"Oh. She's mad. She's now using full names." Jerome laughed.
"Maybe if we kept walking instead of talking, we'd be there by now," Dave interrupted, cutting through the tension between me and Mia.
I rolled my eyes. He was only talking Mia's side because he had a crush on her!
"Want me to carry your bag?" Matt offered.
Jerome whistled. "How about you, Van? Aren't you going to offer to carry my----"
"You want a black eye?" Vanessa cut him off.
I pouted as Matt approached me. He tried to take my bag, but I didn't give it. He then patted my shoulder, as if trying to calm me down.
And just like that, we were back at it, trekking that same endless path once more.
"Just be careful. The grass is thick. There might be snakes around," Dave reminded us.
"Thanks for the scare, Dave," Can answered sarcastically.
Matt gripped my shoulder and moved me in front of him because I was lagging behind. He took the spot directly behind me, making him the last person in line.
"Do you guys find it funny?" Jerome suddenly asked.
"Your face?" Van replied.
"No. I mean, we were so desperate to escape our school. And now that it's our break, we're actually looking for a school!" Jerome let out a loud laugh.
I mentally rolled my eyes.
Don't get me wrong. I love adventures just as much as my friends do. I guess that's why we became friends in the first place. But when I say adventure, I mean something that's guaranteed to be fun.
But.... really? Hell University? Does that sound fun? No! Sure, the name sounds cool, but seriously. Who would name their school "Hell" when they could just make you experience it while hiding behind an expensive name?
I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice my friends had stopped. I bumped into Van, but she didn't even react. All of them were just staring blankly ahead.
My jaw dropped when I saw what they were looking at. A massive, old, rusting gate. In the middle, "Hell University" was written in something that looked like blood. Creepy.
So, I guess the map was legit after all.
"Is that it?" Jerome asked.
"With that big sign, I hope so," Vanessa responded sarcastically.
I swallowed hard. A school that stood in the middle of nowhere. It looked completely abandoned. But curiousity washed over me... why did it look like time had totally forgotten this place?
"What are you doing here?"
Mia shrieked and hide behind Dave when a man holding a machete suddenly appeared. Even I was terrified and stepped back, bumping into Matt.
"Sir, are you the caretaker here?" Jerome asked the old man.
"How did you find this place?"
I noticed Dave subtly trying to hide the map Mia was holding.
"Actually...." Vanessa glanced at Mia.
"We're lost." Matt stepped forward. "We came from a hike and were heading down, but we lost the trail. We accidentally found this abandoned school."
I smiled at what Matt said. He's always calm and composed. Whenever we're stuck in a tough spot, he's the one who speaks up for us. He's that cool.
"We're out of water, sir. Is there any water inside?" Jerome asked.
"Do you want to go in?" The man asked.
If this gaze was serious earlier, a smile now crept across his dry lips.
"Of course!" Jerome answered quickly. "Right, guys?" He asked us.
But none of us answered.
"They said yes, sir!" Jerome answered for us.
"I can let you in. But..." The man paused for a moment and looked at us one by one. "I want you to know that this place isn't abandoned."
"You mean... there are students inside?" Vanessa asked, surprised.
The man nodded.
"Well then, let's go!" Vanessa almost jumped with joy. She and Jerome even managed to high-five.
"See, I told you." Dave faced me. "What now, Zein? You wouldn't stop whining. Now you're suddenly quiet over there."
"Don't tell me you're scared?" Vanessa raised an eye brow, clearly teasing me. "Are you being a scaredy-cat, Zein Shion?"
"She's just tired, guys." Matt chuckled.
"It's okay, Zein," Mia said calmly. "We are going to be just fine."
I looked straight at the man with the machete. He was just staring back at me.
"Come on!" Jerome frowned.
I let out a sigh and nodded.
The man opened a small side entrance and went in first, followed by my friends. As they entered one by one, I looked up at the big sign again.
Hell University.
My eyes drifted to a small message carved into the wall: "Once you enter, there's no turning back."
My lips parted slightly. What?
I walked past the man with the machete and got goosebumps when I realized he was still staring at me.
And just like that, the six of us were inside.
"You need to register first," The man said.
I held onto Vanessa's arm as we walked. They were all excited, and I seemed to be the only one worried. Maybe I was overthinking. Maybe this really was fun.
"This is going to be fun," Vanessa giggled.
Just like the man said, the school wasn't abandoned. We passed by some students. Some were walking with their hands down, while others were just sitting on the side, quietly reading books.
It looked like a typical school. It just felt.... Dead silent.
"Whoa. I love their uniforms," Mia muttered.
We had caught the students' attention. Some looked away immediately, others just started balnkly at us, and a few gave us very sharp, intense looks.
I suddenly felt a heavy weight in my chest. Yes, the school looked abandoned from the outside, and even after finding life inside, it still felt somehow..... Lifeless.
"What do you mean 'register,' sir?" Matt asked. "Is it just for attendance? Because we don't really plan on studying here. Like I told you, we just got lost."
"Why not, Matt?" Jerome frowned. "Isn't it cool here? Our parents don't even know about it!"