"The Forbidden Building?"

"Yes, they said a girl died last night." Two girls passed by, chatting about the old building behind the canteen.

Those nasty rumours weren't unheard of and besides, how could a girl enter a ton which had been locked away for years?

While the gossip continued, I waited at the canteen table near the back door, which displayed a view of the old building, wrapped in a green layer of creeping plants and was butchered by years of torturous weather.

"She used to sit here with a blonde girl," I snapped back when a girl from my class pointed in my direction, ignoring my presence.

Well, that was rude.

Her friends nodded as the took their seats near our table.

Cristina was taking a long time. She was late and, soon recess would be over.

Tapping my foot, I glanced at the old building again. It looked lonely as nobody bothered with its presence. The rushing wind sent leaves cascading down over it.

The bell rang and I stood up. There was no sign of her and I decided to head to her class, where she arrived with a swollen face and red eyes. She sniffed while Nora and Levia soothingly patted her back.

They all seemed down and I asked, "Where were you guys? I've been waiting."

They avoided eye contact and took their seats as Cristina said in a broken voice, "I can't believe Mira is gone. It's my fault. I challenged her to go to the forbidden building."

What was she saying? Then a few flashes sent my hair standing on end.

The hazy memories of the dark, wooden room with dust and cobwebs came back to me. A silhouette of hands appearing on a broken window glass appeared and a sharp, stabbing pain pierced my heart. My breath caught in my throat when the last piece of memory came. A shadow slowly approached, taking its time to absorb my existence and lead me to the abyss of darkness.

Cristina was wrong. I wasn't gone; I was right in front of her.

[Paranormal prompt-16]