Chapter Four

The pool was about the size of a fucking football field, I swear.

It was huge and rectangular with a rainbow of colors separating the spaces for the swim team. The air was humid and warm, the water rippling from the filters and jets in the shallower end. I changed into the swim wear the school provided, a black Speedo with a silver stripe down the right side.

I walked out of the locker room with my towel over my arm, Zeke coming in behind me and bumping his shoulder against mine. I scowled and he gave me a dirty look.

"Why did you invite Stephen?" He demanded, glancing at me out the corner of his eye as he made for the pool. I blinked in disbelief.

"You're the ones that invited yourselves! It was just supposed to be Stephen and me." I protested, grimacing at the way our voices echoed in the large, windowless room. Zeke frowned, his blue eyes narrowing and looking darker in the dimly lit room.

"I told you I hated him." He deadpanned, as if he thought I were stupid for forgetting. I frowned, putting my fists on my hips as I glared at him.

"Why? Stephen's not bad. Sorta weird, but he's actually nice to me." I reminded, hoping that mattered to Zeke or would give him a hint. He narrowed his eyes slightly at me as he tossed his towel onto a nearby bench.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zeke asked, looking at me now, angling his head to the side.

"Gee, I wonder. You guys are always making fun of me and getting me into trouble. And think of it as revenge for ratting me out last month." I added, reminding him of the escape plan I had spent two months planning. Zeke winced, watching me walk over to him.

"Matty, I had to do that. I couldn't let you leave."

"Thanks. So you suffer and take everyone with you."

"That's not fair, Matty."

"Neither is getting me into trouble. Look, I don't wanna argue. I just wanna relax. I've had enough excitement for one day." I retorted, throwing my towel down on a nearby bench. Zeke wasn't finished, though, and started to speak again, but I immediately cannon-balled into the water.

The rush of bubbles around me and water filling my senses drowned out Zeke's voice so I could only vaguely hear him yell my name, followed by silence. I spun in a summersault and dove a tad deeper. The shallow end of the pool was four feet deep meanwhile the deepest part was thirteen feet, but I could swim pretty well, so I wasn't worried.

I swam back up, my head breaking the surface as I sucked in a deep breath of air, wiping my face to see Stephen and Dustin coming out of the locker room, discussing Sister Maria's stupid weekend essay. I looked at Zeke, who was leaning against the railing to the stairs that went into the shallow end.

I couldn't understand it.

Why did Dustin get along with Stephen, but not Zeke? Stephen hadn't done anything to him lately. Sure, he ragged on Zeke every so often, but that's because he was student council. It was his duty to nag at us like our mothers.

I shrugged and watched as Dustin got on the diving board at the deep end before diving in, whooping before he did so. I laughed, blocking my face from his splash. He swam a ways until he reached me and popped up beside me, spitting water in my face.

"Eugh, gross!" I complained, splashing it off my face. Dustin grinned, then looked up at Stephen, who sat on the edge of the pool with his feet in.

"Aren't you gonna come in? This was your idea." I drawled. Zeke snorted from his place on the steps. I shot him a glare, then turned my head as Stephen laughed teasingly, flashing Zeke one of his taunting smirks.

"I'm taking my time. What about you, Zeke? Can't swim?" He asked innocently. Zeke glared daggers at him. I blinked, surprised as I looked at Zeke, who avoided my eyes.

"You can't swim?" I asked. Zeke snorted, folding his arms over his chest and lifting his chin a little to let me know he wasn't at all intimidated.

"It's like learning how to cook. Useless." He responded cheekily.

"For women." Dustin chirped in agreement, even though he already knew how to swim well. Zeke actually cracked a smile at that as Stephen and I laughed, splashing at him for the comment. Dustin grinned, then paddled back away from us.

"I have an idea," He announced, "Let's play Marco Polo!"

"Who's going to be Polo?" Stephen asked as he finally slid in the water. Zeke hesitated, looking at the water like it was going to devour him whole before he slid in up to his waist, staying in the shallow end. I felt a little guilty, so I swam closer until my feet touched the silky smooth bottom and I stayed put as Dustin huffed.

"Not me." He put his finger on his nose.

"Not it." Stephen agreed, placing a finger on his nose. I started to open my mouth, but Zeke already had his finger on his nose, a smirk on his face. I scowled, giving them all a quick splash

"Fine, whatever, but don't get out of the pool! That's cheating!" I added, glaring at Zeke, who smiled innocently.

"Sounds good," Stephen agreed, "You can't leave the pool and you have to say Marco or Polo."

"Let's do this!" Dustin's voice echoed in the room and I closed my eyes, silently counting to ten and listening carefully. I heard the ripple of water as Dustin slowly and quietly swam away from me. I heard Zeke shift backwards, the water splashing around him and Stephen just seemed to vanish in the water because I didn't hear him at all.

I kept my eyes closed as I started forward, wading through the water as I listened for any sign of someone nearby. I felt the water ripple to my right and I swung my hand out, splashing at the water when a wave of it splashed me back in the face. I spat.

"Hey, that's not fair!" I protested, my eyes still closed as I grasped out for whoever had splashed me in the face.

"Marco!" I barked.

"Polo!" Zeke sang.

"Polo!" Stephen laughed.

"POOOOOLOOOOO YOLOOOO!" Dustin practically screamed, making my ears ring. We all laughed and I lunged for Dustin's voice, only to step into the deeper end. I paddled for a second, listening more carefully.

"Marco!" I called.

"Polo!" Zeke's voice was the furthest away, probably still hanging out in the shallow end.

"Polo!" Stephen cooed loudly from somewhere to my far left, making me drag my hand across the water in that direction.

"Freakin' Polo!" Dustin chimed in, splashing the water violently. I scowled and went for him, just to shut him up, but he ended up splashing me in the face. I spat the water out and grabbed for him, but my hand met the diving board and I hissed past clenched teeth before whirling around.

"Dustin, you jerk! Marco!" I yelled.

"Polo!" Zeke called from far away.

"Polo." Stephen stated calmly from back the way I came. I groaned.

"Polo." Dustin whispered nearby. I swung my arm around to grab him, but my fingers fell through the air and into the water. I scowled and started to swim toward him when I felt something.

Something cold.

Something cold against the back of my neck, making goose bumps rise on my skin.

"Marco?" I asked uneasily.

"Polo!" Zeke responded from the same place.

"Polo!" Stephen announced coming from somewhere further away.

"Polo yolo molo!" Dustin chanted, now further away as well. I hesitated, squeezing my eyes shut tighter.

It was just my imagination. I was getting nervous. That's all. Testy. Not enough sleep.

It didn't matter how much I tried to tell myself that as I still felt the cold draft against the back of my neck, making my breath hitch.

"Matty?" Zeke asked, sounding concerned now, the sound of him wading toward me coming from somewhere in front of me.

"What's wrong?" Stephen questioned, splashing coming from his direction as well.

"Got a cramp?" Dustin called from further away. I didn't answer. I was too afraid to. The draft was still against the back of my neck, like something was breathing against it.

Something cold, something dead.

Something like that freakish corpse I saw last night. I opened my mouth to call out to them when something hooked around my ankle and my eyes flew open in time to see Zeke reaching me, only to have whatever was around my ankle jerk me under.

I only managed a sharp cry before my head went under the surface of the water. I stupidly screamed under the water, my oxygen leaving in a rush of bubbles to the surface. My scream bounced off the pool walls and hit me again as whatever had me dragged me further under. My head started to ache when I reached six feet under.

I flailed my arms, trying to swim back up, but whatever had me, had me tightly. I jerked my head down to see what was around my ankle, but all I saw was water and the bottom of the pool coming closer and closer.

My ears popped at some point and I choked, water rushing into my lungs.

Panic rose inside me so I started flailing more frantically. My hands paddled to bring me up, but I kept going down until my back struck the bottom of the pool. My head was throbbing in pain, my ears feeling like they were going to explode.

Bubbles rose from my mouth as I choked, trying to get the water out, but it only let in more water. The hysteria only made me dizzy as I went to heave myself up to the surface, but I felt a harsh pressure on my chest.

Bubbles started to form around something that was on top of me. I gasped and choked, feeling dizzy and the edges of my vision growing dark just in time to see Stephen swimming right at me. I managed to lift my hand past the pressure as I parted my lips.

My vision slowly closed up on me, but I wasn't completely unconscious. I was numb, cold, sick. I think I felt Stephen's hand grab mine, but I wasn't sure. His arms going around me and his feet pushing off the bottom of the pool as we shot for the surface.

My ears popped again and I felt tears in my eyes, thankful that the pool water hid them before we reached the surface. I tried to gulp in the air, but only water gurgled free. I heard splashing and the others yelling my name.

I think I blacked out for a second because next thing I knew, someone's lips were on mine, blowing sweet oxygen into my lungs. I greedily tried to breath it in, relishing at the feel of whoever's soft lips were covering mine, trying to help.

My eyelids fluttered open heavily to see Stephen staring down at me in concern, his hand patting my cheek before he leaned down, his lips over mine again. This time, I felt the surge of water coming up and I snapped my head away from his, rolling onto my side.

Water poured out of my mouth as Stephen's big hand went on my back, patting me gently as I heaved the water from my lungs. Finally, I gasped and sucked in deep gulps of air.

"Holy shit." Dustin managed.

"What the hell was that?" Zeke demanded, on his knees behind me. I felt his hand on my head, making me look up at him. I could only pant for air, my legs shaking and my arms feeling rubbery. My chest ached and my head was pounding something terrible.

"That was really weird," Stephen commented, reaching out to slick the hair out of my face, acting as if I couldn't hear what they were saying as I tried to regain my senses, "He just went under like someone was pulling him."

"Was he just screwing around?" Dustin asked uneasily. Stephen shook his head.

"No way. He was flailing upwards. Something was pulling him down. All I saw was bubbles, though." He muttered, taking my chin in his hand and studying my face. I still couldn't speak, my tongue felt numb, so I just grimaced.

"Think it was the pool drain?" Dustin asked, glancing at the box controls for the pool on the wall nearby. Stephen frowned.

"Then why didn't we go under?" He asked. Zeke frowned at them, then cradled my head so I was partially in his lap.

"We need to take him to the infirmary. I think he's in shock." He responded at last, looking up at the others.

Was that what this was? Shock?

It felt so cold and achy. I felt sore and still panicky. Something had tried to kill me, again. I cringed, but that was all I could do as Zeke slid his arms under me, lifting me into his arms as he rose to his feet.

"Zeke's right," Stephen agreed, standing as well, "He's not responding to us." I tried to part my lips, but they felt too numb. I gave up on trying to communicate and just let Zeke carry me to the locker room as Dustin and Stephen tried to come up with a logical explanation as to why I was torn under.

But there was none.

It wasn't the pool drain.

It wasn't a cramp.

It wasn't my weight either.

Something had dragged me under the water.

Something cold, something strong.

Zeke just put his towel over his shoulders and wrapped me in one, leaving Dustin and Stephen to get dressed as he carried me out of the locker rooms and to the infirmary that was just two hallways down. All I could do was stare up at Zeke past tired, heavy eyelids. He looked angry, concerned, nervous, all at the same time.

Did Zeke know?

Did he know what pulled me under?

Was last night really a dream or not? Did I really see that corpse?

I tried to ask Zeke, but all that came out was a pathetic whimper that I mentally cursed myself for. However, Zeke only seemed worried now as looked down at me, his eyes searching my face.

"I'm sorry, Matty. I don't know what happened. Only you know what happened. I just hope you can tell me later." He murmured, then totally shocked me further by pressing his lips against my forehead. I wanted to react, freak out, panic more, but I was too weak to even whimper this time.

Zeke lifted his head again as he approached the infirmary office and walked in. Almost immediately the Sisters in there panicked when they saw me, rushing me to the hospital bed they had set up.

They fussed and rushed around me and I'm pretty sure I passed out again at some point.

I finally woke up, eyelids fluttering to see the white billowing curtains around me. I shifted a little, tilting my head to look around. My head felt heavy and my neck ached, but other than that, I felt way better. I could actually move, see myself move. I slowly sat up, grimacing at the dull throb in my temples before peering past the curtains to see Zeke talking to Sister Karen, the head nurse.

Stephen and Dustin were there now too, frowning in concern.

"... Quite a scare there," Sister Karen was scolding them, her British accent thick, "He could have died. You boys ought not fool around in the pool, especially without a lifeguard on duty. You should be ashamed of yourselves. I highly suggest you report to the chapel to think about what you've done."

"Yes, ma'am." All three of the boys uttered. I waited until they departed before I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, making it squeak. Sister Karen looked up and gasped, rushing over to me, pushing gently on my chest.

"No, no! You shouldn't be up! You need plenty of rest and to be watched over carefully in a stable environment." She warned sternly. I grimaced at the headache she was worsening.

"I'm fine," I assured shakily, "I just have a headache."

"I'll bring you some aspirin, but you must lie down and rest here for the rest of the day. I'll let you go back to your dorm room after dinner. In the mean time, just relax, darling." Sister Karen soothed. I reluctantly fell back on the bed as she rushed to one of the cabinets and filled a glass of water. I felt way better after a couple hours of letting the pain killers work.

"I'm going to go report this to the headmaster, sweetie," Sister Karen said, stroking the hair from my face and smiling calmly at me, "You just relax here. I'll also be back with your dinner." I only nodded and watched her leave before I threw the blankets back.

I sighed, sitting up and sliding off the bed. My legs trembled a little, but I finally managed to balance enough so I could walk to the windows that looked out into the sporting fields. A lot of guys were joining in a game of soccer or tackle football. Some were just sitting around in circles, enjoying the sun that was dipping near the trees now.

I leaned my forehead against the window pane before looking up at the stained part of it. A picture of Mother Mary holding baby Jesus in a mixture of purples, reds, blues, and golds that cast shadows across the infirmary. I sighed, backing away and looking around the room.

I was bored.

Plain and simple.

I wanted to go back to my room and grab the notebook. At least that'd be something fun to do. I looked back outside at the sound of the dinner bell ringing. The boys immediately dropped their activities and raced to the cafeteria.

I wondered if the guys were going to go as well.

I felt my cheeks grow warm.

Zeke kissed me, I remembered.

Not on the lips or the cheek, maybe, but he still kissed me. Why did he do that? We weren't gay. We didn't like each other like that. Sometimes I wondered why we were friends, and yet, he was getting so close to me like that.

It made me horribly uncomfortable.

I shifted uneasily. It's not like I hated it, I told myself. It actually made me feel a little better.

But... Did I like him like that?

How could I possibly?

He was a guy. I was a guy. He was Zeke. I was Matty. It wasn't normal and it was particularly frowned upon by the staff here at St. Salvatore's. Not to say that it didn't go on, because it certainly did. I'd walked in on my fair share of gay encounters, but I just tried to hide from it because I always felt so awkward.

Was I just in denial?

Oh God.

Why am I thinking about this?

I had bigger things to worry about, I reminded myself.

Like the fact that something was trying to kill me and had almost succeeded twice. First it was the beam that almost crushed me, but Zeke managed to save me. Then it was the pool, almost drowning, but Stephen saved me.

It had to be that corpse.

That creepy ghost corpse. It was the only explanation. He was trying to kill me and I had no idea why. Was it because we disturbed his resting place? Maybe it was his notebook? Was he the creepy Satanist kid? Did he die in the old wing?

I nibbled on the end of my thumb, watching the last person disappear into the cafeteria.

Whatever it was, I had to get rid of it, or I was going to die here. Just like him.

And that was the last thing I wanted.

I felt a gust of wind on my back, sighing with relief that Sister Karen was finally back. I turned around, then froze, feeling like an icicle as the door creaked open, then banged shut. The hatch lock swung down and the air in the room grew colder.

Oh God.

Oh God.

Not now. Please not now!

I took a step back, then immediately remembered the windows were behind me. They could easily break through if I was thrown at them. I just ducked down under them, curling my knees to my chest and watching the room.

It was still cold, which meant the thing was still in here. I watched the curtains around my hospital bed flutter gently before settling. The sound of the bed creaking, then the curtains fluttered again. I tried to find where it was and I felt myself growing frustrated.

"I know you're in here!" I barked. The curtains fluttered and I went still, waiting to see it appear, but it never did. I ground my teeth together, clenching my fists on my feet, keeping my knees drawn to my chest.

"Oh, you had no problem showing your ugly face last night. What's the problem now?" I demanded, feeling pathetic by the fact that my voice was shaking. I hesitated when I heard the gentle whooish, whooish of the corpse breathing.

Corpse breathing?

What kind of phrase was that?

Corpses couldn't breath.

They were dead.

But they sure as hell knew how to attempt murder and freak you out.

I waited, my eyes studying the air before I saw a shadow hovering behind the curtains. I held my breath, my eyes widening. Every muscle in my body froze, taut and achy as I watched the shadow move.

I couldn't even scream this time as the skeleton drifted out from behind the curtains. Now, I could see him more fully.

His body was rotted from the inside out. He looked like he was wearing a shredded version of the school uniform, but it was so old and tearing away that it was hard to tell for sure. His eye sockets were still empty and his teeth clicked together as he tilted his head to the side. A whistle sounded from his decayed throat before it turned into a moan.

I immediately shut my eyes tightly, hugging my knees to my chest.

"Dreaming. Dreaming. This is a dream. I'm still lying in the hospital bed. I fell asleep. I'm asleep, that's it." I told myself repeatedly, but I heard the clatter and wet smacks of the corpse moving across the floor. It was when it got closer that I smelled it.

I gagged on the stench of rotting flesh and decay. I whimpered, covering my mouth with my hand, forcing my eyes open to stare up at the thing. He stood about four feet away now, standing there and watching me with empty sockets.

I choked on a sob, the fear welling in my throat and clogging it. I couldn't even cry now. I was too scared to. Too scared to do anything, even scream or sob.

He stared at me, his head tilted slightly as if it had been broken that way. I watched as a trickle of water slid from inside the socket and down his skull to his teeth where it disappeared. It took me a moment to realize this corpse ghost thing was crying.

"Wh-Wh-What the fuck are you crying about," I managed, "You're the one scaring the shit out of me!"

A whistle emitted from his throat before he held up his hand slowly to me. It took me a moment to realize what he was trying to shown me. Wrapped around his finger bones and buried in the flesh left sticking to his palm was a pendant.

A silver inverted pentagram hanging on a silver chain.

"Holy shit, you’re the Satanist freak!" I gasped. The corpse whimpered and its jaw cracked in an attempt to open, but only the whistle sound came. It reached for me and this time, I managed a scream. It was choked, hoarse at first, but it grew and echoed off the walls.

The thing retreated instantly as if I had struck it.

I squeezed my eyes shut and screamed again three more times before I heard something screaming over my scream. I blinked and opened my eyes to see Sister Karen gaping at me.

No...

Not me.

At something above me.

I jerked my head up and felt my blood grow cold as I spun around, turning to face the stained glass window of what used to be Mother Mary and Jesus. Now a bloody red inverted pentagram was painted over top with the red oozing under Mary's and Jesus' eyes.

I couldn't stop staring.

Did that ghost do that?

What hell was going on? How did that happen without my noticing?

One thing was for sure.

I wasn't the only one freaking out now.