User: KnightoftheRealm

Dozing in class, I jerk awake as the loudspeaker crackled to life. As I blink the sleep away from my eyes, I hear a voice that sounds like Black's command all staff and students to gather in the auditorium. I look back at Bryn's empty seat and mutter a quick prayer, hoping this assembly doesn't have to do anything with a murder. A gaggle of police officers follow us as we leave class. I stick close to Officer Ross, doing my best to ignore the boy's insufferable chatter. Passing the main office, I see police hauling Bryn and Lily Le out of a squad car. He's arguing with an officer, and I know the worry on Bryn's face mirrors my own. I silently wish him luck as I enter the auditorium, and curse whatever crazy person decided to turn this school into a slaughterhouse. The atmosphere in the auditorium is charged with anxiety, and a subdued buzz runs through the tiny crowd. Even with police officers and staff, the auditorium is barely over half full. After the last death, most of the remaining students got pulled out. The only kids left here are stubborn or desperate. Most of the kids left are scholarships like me, and we're a mix of both. One each side of the stage, I see two huge doors open. Two officers are standing next to each one constantly chasing kids away. Going closer, I notice a good number kids manage to slip through, but the bags under the officers' eyes tell me they're too tired to care. Peering in, I see electric lights strung from wires and realize the doorway leads to a tunnel.A flash of gray catches my eyes as Bennett walks onstage. I comply with his demands that the students take a seat, but most of the students ignore him. Bennett's agitation increases, and I almost laugh seeing at seeing his normally cool composure destroyed. The lights dim briefly, causing the hair on the back of my neck to prickle. I jump up and grab my backpack, heading for the door. No one notices as the lights dim more strongly. A few faces turn up as the lights begin to flicker erratically, and screams ring out as the auditorium is plunged into darkness. Immediately, I whip out my phone, hoping to get some light to see my surroundings. A surge of people jostles my arm and I drop my phone. My stomach sinks. There's no way I'll get out of here now. Screams reach my ears. I swallow nervously as I realize these are screams of pain and terror instead of the usual noise that follows any blackout at school. I hear a sharp grating sound, like metal on bone, and the sharp tang of blood reaches my nose. I can almost taste the metallic taste of blood, and a flash of metal appears in my line of vision far too close for comfort.Fighting my rising panic, I scan the room for any sign of light. To my left I see a doorway. It's closer than I thought the auditorium doors were, and I let myself be dragged along towards the outline of the door. My fingers brush the rough wood of the door and I pull myself out of the crowd. With a sinking feeling, I realize that I headed for the tunnels instead of the door. Swallowing my fear, I force to myself to make a plan. One. I know I'm in a tunnel.Two. Tunnels have beginnings and ends.Thee. If I'm at the entrance of a tunnel, the exit must be farther on. I lay my hand on the brick wall, feeling its uneven edges bite into my hand. It's a little like a maze, I think. If I keep my hand on the wall, I'll reach the end without getting lost. Feeling a little calmer, I start walking. The tunnel has emptied while I made my plan. It seems like most of the kids rushed through together. The emptiness makes it easier not to trip on the stone floor, but the silence is eerie. I can sense a few people walking by, but I do my best to stay quiet. This is the perfect atmosphere for a murder. A scuffling sound catches my attention, and I freeze. It sounds as if someone is dragging something behind them, like a bag.Or a body.I hear soft sobbing and whispering. A harsh voice cuts the noise off. The whimpers end with a horrible squelching sound and I hear a person mumbling to themselves. Footsteps ring out but I can't tell if they're heading away from me. I think they're coming closer. I clutch my backpack closer, and inch forward in the darkness. Running my hand along the wall, I touch warm skin. Instantly, a killer punch takes my breath and I double over. A fierce whack on the back of my head lands me on the floor, and a blinding light flashes in my face. Dimly, I hear someone say my name."Leo!?" The voice sounds familiar. "What are you doing here? Hurry up, or you'll get us both killed."As the light goes out, a hand grabs my arm and pulls me further along. I do my best not to stumble, trying to regain my breath and vision. We round a bend and stop for a few moments, before the person turns on the light. This time, I'm able to see the light comes from a phone. The sharp blue grey eyes and brown hair are familiar, and I realize I'm looking at Ariadne Rane. She's serious, for once, but I see her lips ready to spit out her trademark sarcasm. I hold my hand up to stop her, glad to see no knife in her hands. "I was trying to get out of the auditorium when the lights went out," I whisper. "I headed for the wrong door and ended up here. I lost my phone, so I'm stuck. You?""I was just taking the usual afternoon stroll in these lovely, slimy, tunnels," she says, patting the walls.Is she really making jokes right now? I glare at her, and she sighs. "Uh...I've been down here before," Ariadne explains. Crap. Does that mean she's the killer? I move back a little, and look at her warily. Ariadne holds her hand up. "No, I swear I am not a murderer. I found them a week ago," she says defensively. "It's a long story. Anyways, I just needed time away, and I went to the library for some peace and quiet and then she called the assembly..." Ariadne pauses for a moment, taking in breath. "And I though the tunnels would be the fastest way and well..." She gestures at the tunnel. "This happened." When Ariadne finishes, I see her eyes darting round. I stretch my hearing for a few seconds, but I can't hear what's bothering her. "What do you say we get out of here," she quips. "I'd like to live to see another day." Nodding in agreement, I reach for Ariadne's hand. She looks at me strangely as she pulls away, and I silently kick myself for not explaining my actions. "It'll be easier to stick together if we're holding on to each other. Your phone is useful, but the light is dangerous. Any killer will head towards us as soon as they see our light." I see the doubt in Ariadne's eyes, but she slowly nods and turns it off. We set off through the tunnel linked together in the dark. Although I'm glad to have a friend by my side, I pray Ariadne's face isn't the last one I see before I die. It seems like we walk for hours in the dark. Suddenly, I hear Ariadne gasp."SHHH! What is it?" I whisper. She's doesn't answer, pulling me into an alcove in the wall. There's enough room to sit and not have any of our limbs stick into our corridors. "Now we sit and be very, very quiet," Ariadne says. "What if the murderer has a light?" "Then we can only hope they don't look down.""Not very comforting," I mutter. "Shh!"We sit for some time in the dark. My leg falls asleep. Pins and needles shoot up and down as I shake it out. I stop when I hear footsteps. Holding my breath, I wait and pray the person passes us. We sit like stone, and the footsteps fade away. Light-headed with excitement, I almost hug Ariadne. The only thing stopping me is that she could be the killer.