First few chapters can be with a bit slowly developing plot line. And not much happens in this chapter. But starting next chapter, Jake will come back and bring a bit more action :)

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I entered the living room and saw mum sitting on the couch, reading some book. I looked down at my feet and hurried towards the stairs to get to my room.

"Tired?" I heard my mum ask. I only snorted and strolled upstairs.

I stopped in front of the mirror, and realized what a mess I looked like. And I was super exhausted. I needed a good night's sleep. Skipping all the usual sleep duties, I changed clothes and slumped into my bed. Before falling asleep, I thought about Nicole. I have no idea what happened to her. But I really hoped that she would be okay.

***

After waking up, I wished I didn't remember the day before. I wished it all was just a bad dream. But it had seemed too real to be a dream.

I didn't know how to act or how to feel. I didn't cry, though the memories were painful and scarier than anything I've ever felt before.

It was few minutes passed eleven. I got up from bed and took a shower. When I had dressed up, I brushed my teeth and combed my hair. And when I was done, I went downstairs.

"Morning," mum called, when she saw me entering the kitchen. I greeted her with the same, but so quietly I'm not even sure if she heard it. I opened the fridge, looking for something I could have for breakfast.

"How was the party then? Or aren't you too chatty today?" Of course mum won't leave me that easily. I sighed, took the milk and closed the refrigerator, deciding to get some cereal. I was wondering about what I should tell her. Everything that happened yesterday was still confusing even to me. And I had promised Claudia not to tell anything about those supernatural creatures.

"Wait a moment, Selina? You were there?"

"There where?" I asked, walking into living room, where mum stood in front of TV. I glanced at it, too, and immediately realized what she was talking about.

"... Police were called by a girl from the same party, who had entered the old school building with her two friends, to search for those who had walked in before them. Instead they found a gruesome sight.

Police investigated all the rooms. The first scene was found just metres from the exit, where the entire floor was covered with thick blood but no bodies were near. No trail led from the bloody floor, which is still a mystery. There were no signs of victim trying to get help, or of someone dragging a body away.

A similar scene was found in one of the classrooms, where floor and partly the walls were also covered in blood, this time even more of it. Police found signs of struggling, but no footprints or trails that would help with their work. And like last time, bodies were again missing.

The last scene was found in the furthest classroom, where the sight was exactly the same. Police called investigators, and so far police think it was a homicide. Already on the same night, all the kids at the party were questioned, but the event was a surprise to everyone who stayed in the house, about half a mile from the old school building. According to the three girls who had found the bloody sight, there had been twelve of them. They three had stayed outside, promising to come after soon. They returned a bit later, when hearing strange noises. But when they made it back to the schoolhouse, it had been silent again. Upon finding out what had happened, one of the girls immediately called the police.

Police searched the whole night, but nine teenagers, whose blood was possibly in the schoolhouse, are still missing. Police are now looking for the bodies, as they are convinced no one would have survived such a blood loss. Blood samples were taken, to make sure if the blood really belongs to missing teenagers.

Others at the party composed a list of those who are missing: Roy Jackson, Grant Wood, Timothy Foster, Anne Hudson, Kyla Saunders, Breana Francis, Janelle Lee Vega, April Heath and Selina Olson.

..."

 "Selina?" mum asked, baffled, and studying my face. I was dumbfounded, still staring at the screen. All the memories came back, just like it all had happened only moments ago. After talking with Jake's mother, I knew that none of those others made it out alive. But I didn't think about it like this. Images with classrooms covered in blood filled my head, making me feel sick. I dragged myself away from TV, back to the kitchen and sat behind the table. I stared at the table surface, while my forehead was supported by my fist.

"Selina, what happened there? What's going on?" Mum came to sit next to me, trying to look into my eyes.

"I... I don't know," I mumbled.

"Did you go inside that building? Did you see what happened?" I can't remember when the last time I heard my mum's voice being so serious. But of course she had a reason to. I don't like lying, but I now had to come up with something fast. How can it be, that I entered the schoolhouse, I don't know what happened to others, then I somehow got out and came home, without talking to anyone? And just ditching my best friend like this?

"We went into this house," I started slowly, "and just wondered around there. I'm not really sure... what happened. I... I heard some noises. We weren't all together, I don't know what was going on in the front. Then... some of them came running to where I was. They seemed scared. They wanted to get out from the windows, but they didn't open. And we heard screams and... I knew something was going on. I found an open window from the next classroom and got out. But... no one followed me. I was scared. And when a car was driving by, I stopped it and they brought me home..." I trailed off.

Mum sighed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know... I was tired and confused."

After a long moment of silence and looking at me worriedly, she stood up and hugged me. When her cellphone on the kitchen counter rang, she left me go to answer that.

I only heard what she said. "No, no. I know, I saw that... ...No, she is here... ...Yes. But she's frightened. We just talked... ...She doesn't know what happened. She got in a car and came home... ...Yes... ...Okay then." She hung up and sighed, turning to face me again. "It was your dad," she said. "He'll come home to see you."

I felt a little bad about causing my dad to come home like this. He was a builder, and at the moment he was more than three hundred kilometres away from home. He just loves that job. He always has. And I didn't want him to came all this way back just because of me. But of course I couldn't argue in this situation.

Mum took her cellphone again, chose a number and raised it next to her ear.

"Who are you calling?" I asked.

"Police," she said. "Hi, I'm Tiffany Olson. I'm calling about my daughter, Selina Olson. I just saw the news and..."

***

The rest of the day was pretty tiring. I didn't want to lie. I hated it. And lying to police, you get nervous and have to hope they can't see it. I had to always remember, not to change facts. At least it seemed like they believed me.

But would I have told everything if I hadn't made the promise to Jake's mum? Or if I knew no one could hurt me? How would they have looked at me, if I told them about some people with supernatural powers?

When the police left, I immediately called Nicole. I could tell she was hysterical from the moment she answered the call. It took some time to calm her down and confirm that I was fine. Nicole was in such a state, when she thought I was dead because of her. I also felt guilty, for not calling her sooner.

And then I called Rudy, in case he too knew about what had happened. And he did know. He wasn't as hysterical as Nicole, but he was really happy to hear that I was okay.  But when it came to questions like "how do I feel?" and "am I actually completely fine?" and "didn't I really see what happened?" he, surprisingly, was even worse than Nicole. And that made me feel even worse. Because it meant more lying. And I really didn't like lying to him. Rudy was also concerned about if anyone who might have done it saw me. So they couldn't come after me. I must say, Rudy is much more thoughtful than I would have thought. But yeah, we did talk about me almost getting killed.

And then dad arrived. Which meant repeating my lie all over again. But I was glad to see him. He spends too much time away from home, which means I don't see him that often. I love my dad. He's the best dad in the world, like many would say for theirs. Sadly he can't stay for too long. Already in Monday morning he returns to his work.

I didn't leave home that day. And it was hard to think that those eight people who were with me in that old schoolhouse, are now dead. And I could have been one of them. I would have been, if Jake's mum wouldn't have been there. But I still didn't cry, didn't panic. I didn't know what to think. And the next day went more or less the same way. I didn't leave the house even once.

And in the evening I saw the news, where they mentioned one girl - Selina Olson - who is now safely back home. But other eight are still missing.