A sunny morning, a beautiful day with no clouds up in the sky.

"Hey, Jin!" Yelled a kid in the street, as he saw his best friend.

Jin whom he was referring to, turned his head to see who was talking.

"Oh, hi Nick." Jin replied back with a merry smile.

Nick then made a small sprint and caught up to Jin, and started talking with a sad voice.

"Ahh... highschool never ends." 

Which Jin then replied jokingly 

"What are you talking about? It's almost the end of the year... Sure enough time passes slowly, but heh, patience is a virtue as they all say." 

"No, I wasn't talking about that... Well, I mean the year is almost over, for US that is... But I believe you've heard about them, right?" Nick said with a mysterious voice.

"I got only one thing to say, urban legends, fake stories and that you're stupid for believing them..." Jin spoke as if he was reprimanding him.

To which Nick muttered "That's three..."

~~~~~~~

Suddenly they were in an empty class, one kneeling down and crying, and the other...

"Jin talk to me! Jin don't give up, JIN!!!" Nick yelled, waiting for a response, something, anything, anything to show sings of life, but he had long since knew it was to no avail, for the dead cannot talk to the living.

Finally not being able to hold back his tears any more, he cried with a heart wrenching voice

"AAAAAAARGH"

A pain unimaginable for many, crying tears of blood as he watched his friend's c-

~~~~~~~

"Nick!" A faint voice was heard.

"NICK WAKE UP!" The same voice spoke, this time much louder, enough to wake up an entire neighborhood, and earning some attention from far away.

The streets were mostly empty, and most of the households were out of the house, and at work. Hadn't they be, they would have earned quite an earful for making such a commotion.

"Holy, finally you're awake... Is it a new habit to creep out your friend while they are talking to you?" 

"Ehh, what happened to me?" Nick, having woken up suddenly asked, however as soon as he saw Jin's face "You- You are, you are alive! You are alive, aren't you?!?"

....

"What happened you say... You suddenly stopped for a few seconds as were walking towards school, fell down, and started crying and trembling. To say I was worried would be the least. Also what do you mean 'you are alive'!?" He said as he looked at Nick skeptically. "Am I not supposed to?"

"Eh?!?" Nick exclaimed as he touched his face, only to find out that he was actually crying before, inwardly thinking of how lucky he was to not have been seen by anyone except his best friend in that embarrassing moment.

"Ok, enough joking, what happened, and are you okay now? " Jin asked, purely concerned about his friend.

 "You might be asking Me if I'm okay, but at least I wasn't the one that... that..." Jin started talking jokingly at the beginning, trying to joke about what had happened, but... "Ermm I don't remember."

....

"It's one of the two, either you are playing a sick joke on me, oooor something's up... Think those ghost stories are real?" He responded, starting up seriously, but then assuming a more casual manner on the embarrassing topic.

"Please make that no..." Jin replied, knowing full well where this would end up. 

"Yes! And you are actually a crucial key into surviving." Nick said, confirming Jin's fears.

"You've been watching too many horror movies lately." Was Jin's only reply.

"Better being prepared than not. With all the rumours that have been circulating around lately, what I study may come helpful." Nick said, with a righteous tone in his voice.

"Bruh, horror movies are stupid, only made for cheap thrills, never touching upon anything helpful, as most always trying to jump scare us, with the main characters being absurdly stupid and in the end surviving out of pure luck, or if you wanna make it more down to earth, 'by the power of the script' would be more appropriate." Jin tried to correct his friend, being a bit more knowledgeable on the topic.

"Well... But-.... Ahh, says who? A guy who almost peed his pants a few seconds ago from watching an empty road???" Nick replied, not being able to find anything valid to retort.

 "Just admit I'm right. Besides ghosts and monsters aren't even real..." Jin said, having the face of a winner.

"But horror movies don't always deal with monsters and ghosts... Besides, seeing a similar situation beforehand let's you ponder on what you would do in his position, even though the characters end up doing a few stupidities and surviving out of luck..." Nick said having regained his ground.

...

At this moment the wind blew, ending the short awkward silence

"It's a tie... Though you still haven't convinced me of the good part of horror stories." Jin said as they reached the school...

"Oh, I can predict its gonna be a long day." Both said after seeing the school entrance.

........

School hours passed fast, one lesson after the other, till the bell rang, signaling the end of the school for this day.

Nick having finished his class, left the classroom, into the hallway, preparing to leave.

As soon as he stepped into the hallway though 

"Hey, Nick! Finally I found you... I wanted to tell you-" A nearby female student yelled at Nick who was in the same class as her. "That you love me. I know, I'm such a ladykiller." Nick suddenly said interrupting her.

"No, I wanted to tell you that my mom is sick, so I asked the teachers if I could go home early. Naturally I have some minor duties to complete, else I wouldn't ask the teachers... Soooo the result being, if I want to go home early, I must find a replacement for what I as going to do. Don't worry, it's some easy things, but I wanted you who has experience with this sort of stuff." she explained, clearly not wanting to dump all of her assignments for the day to another so she could leave, but having no other choice, she picked the one who would most likely not screw up, and agree to help her.

"Hmmm... Okay. I don't see why not. Besides, i wouldn't have much else to do at home anyways. Tell me what I gotta do." Nick said, living up to her expectations.

"Nothing much, just clean the art classroom and prepare the chairs, projectors and all the other stuff for tomorrow's event. Some of the stuff are easy, and some are tricky, but I trust you should be ok. I doubt it will take more than an hour to finish." She explained with a sweet voice.

Jin suddenly showed up and said "Don't worry about being lonely, imma keep you company bro." 

"Weren't you afraid of the school?" Nick said jokingly.

"Hey, as embarrassing as that was, I don't fear any ghosts or horror movies, and in fact its you who started with the rumours." With Jin retorting annoyed.

"Hehe, seems a reliable pair of hands." The female student commented.

"Nah, I aint helping, I'm just gonna watch. I don't have any problems going home later than usual." Jin spoke with a laugh.

"Fair enough." Nick said, knowing he could have earned a pair of extra hands, but instead throwing all the work back at him.

 ~~~~~~~

Both of them sitting in front of a ruined painting

"We screwed up, didn't we?" Nick said.

He tried to move the final item from its place to prepare the class, but it was awkwardly positioned alongside a fancy painting. 

The one hour it was supposed to take had already passed, and it was reaching two, so instead of moving carefully, he...

"No, you screwed up... but, I guess I could help you. More than 2 hours have passed watching you trying to fix this... I got borred." Jin said, finally deciding to help "Bring me a canvas, imma redraw it." 

"No way you can do that... never mind finding the painting tools, don't you see how difficult it will be to draw something exactly like that?" Nick said disbelievingly, but his face full of hope showed otherwise.

"You know how good I am at this... Besides, this is an art classroom. I remember there are a few 'painting tools' here." Jin said, making Nick's face all the more hilarious to watch.

"Just help me find the supplies... I wanna go home today you know... Unless you wanna bear responsibility for the painting, and leave it as it is. And actually why don't you do just that, the painting wasn't something that important if I remember well..."

"I don't wanna to... It will be embarrassing, after all she entrusted me with this and... Argh, I simply don't want to... Imma just help you find the supplies, and you keep it secret." Said Nick with a crestfallen voice.

Nick just couldn't believe how stupid the person that placed those two items in that way was. It was like begging for an accident to happen. 

Jin though, helped him a lot.

Not just now, but throughout many of his mistakes since the day he met him.

As he had done so too.

Jin was a master in painting. So much so, that he had even gotten an early scholarship for a college specified in art.

After gaining all the necessary tools, Jin began drawing. Sometimes looking at the ruined painting and pondering, before quickly resuming to copy it.

"I have to say, I'm thoroughly amazed... This is even better than the original." Nick commented, genuinely surprised.

He had heard how good Jin was, but it wasn't till now that he truly understood.

"Naaah, you're overeating. I don't know exactly how well it would compare to the original, but I don't imagine the difference being too much. I also believe that not many remember the actual painting as it was, and if we compare it in similarity, color me surprised if anyone finds out about your blander." Jin stated.

"Anyways, thanks bro. I don't know what I would have done without you... Now let's get going, it's already late as it is." Nick said, looking at the bright moon covering the sky.

None of them imagined that they would sit in school for this long. Their parents must be worried sick, so tactfully leaving and explaining the situation to them should be a priority.

However

No one had called them in all the time they were in school.

This came as a surprise to both of them when they realised it.

"Call them?" Jin asked.

"You joking right? Of course and call them!" Nick yelled at his insensitive friend.

Their parents must be worried sick, and he wonders wether or not to call them...

"Ermm, I can't reach them." Jin suddenly said, snapping out Nick from his daydream as he was finding excuses for their late arrival at home.

"Wait, let me try." He said, taking his phone out and dialing a number. "I can't either... Shit!" 

"Well, let's exit school first, maybe it's the location that has the problem." Jin points out.

Quickly gaining the approval of his friend.

Nick was constantly tagging Jin to move faster.

They were already late as it was, let alone explaining this to their parents, they were in a 'haunted' school with phones not working...

Reaching the school doors, they find it locked.

"What do we do now?!?" Nick asked Jin, seeing if he had any ideas on how to get out of this predicament.

"Let's go get the keys from the principal's office. I clearly remember where they put them... This place is starting to creep even me out, so the faster the better." Jin spoke calmly, even though he was spooked out by what was going on.

Still it would make for a great horror story, provided they spice things up when they tell it.

"Sprint there?" Nick suggested.

"Count me in." Jin said.

"Count me in too!" 

a sudden strange voice was heard.

"AAAaaahh!" Both Nick and Jin screamed, scared and surprised.

When they took a good look they calmed down though.

"What are you doing in here kids..." said the principal.

"Ermm, we stayed in for a 'schoolwork', and when we tried to go out, we found the door locked as usual, and prepared to go look for they keys in your office." Nick took the initiative to explain.

"Tough luck on that part... I don't know what's going on, but this door shouldn't be locked, and I can't unlock it." The principal spoke with a deadpan voice.

"What?!? No way... If I may ask, sir why are you here as well???" Jin inquired, smelling something fishy from the situation.

Truthfully he might be getting a little paranoid, but anyone in his place would.

"I usually wait 10 minutes after everyone has left the school premises and lock. This day was the same, however after I went to lock, I realised I had to stay in for fax that would come in a few minutes. The door was still left unlocked as I believed I would get the fax, lock and get over it. As you see, the fax didn't come, and I slept accidentally. I awoke half an hour ago, and tried every possible method to leave, aside from damaging school property, but to no avail." The principal explained to the kids, who might have mistaken the situation.

 "Have you tried calling for help?" Nick asked this time.

"Of course and yes, but my phone doesn't seem to work, and I can't call anyone. Since you are asking me this question, I imagine you yourselves have tried it too." The principal once again spoke, getting more familiar with the kids.

"Sadly, it js as you say... I vote for breaking a window. I pay for the damages." Nick once again spoke, with even himself being freaked out from the situation.

"I vote for no! Its school property, damaging it is out of the question." The principal once again spoke with that domineering voice he used to speak with to troublemakers.

"And do what? Spend the night here? My family might be worried sick now, I can't just sit here and do nothing. Besides, this place is getting creepier by the minute, let alone leaving next day, I'm afraid if they find our ghosts here next day." Nick once again spoke, this time almost yelling.

"Argh... Okay... Even I'm not that insensitive... Let's brake a window, and don't worry about the cost, it's my responsibility to care for youngsters." The principal's voice grew softer, after he remembered that he wasn't alone, and that they had worried families.

He himself took a big desk, and threw it with all his might at a large window.

Unsurprisingly, the window broke, and they tried to head out from there.

First being the principal, then Nick, then Jin.

A small accident happened however when Jin was trying to get out of the broken window, as his leg was grazed by the not properly broken window, and started to bleed.

"Ouch... I hope this doesn't leave a mark..." Jin exclaimed after he was injured.

"Flesh injury, it will heal properly, but even so for safety precautions" The principal teared apart a small piece of his clothes, and used it to bandage the injury.

That made both Jin and Nick see him with a better eye.

"Well, now it's only the closed school gate, and we're out." Nick exclaimed. 

All of these events weren't good for the mental health of anyone.

"Should I be surprised at this, or not." Jin exclaimed at the barbed wire on top of the gates surrounding the school premises.

It seemed impossible that someone would do such a thing without getting noticed by at least one person, but even so... there wasn't a soul.

It was late, so it would explain the lack of people, but as they looked, even the houses seemed void of life, seeing many households that leave their lights open almost all night long before falling asleep, suddenly not doing that.

Like someone had taken everyone away from them.

"Climb through the barbed wire?" Jin and Nick asked the principal, opting to take his advice before doing anything rush.

"No, that is too dangerous. If you want a better suggestion, go back to school, tear up some curtains, and use them to at least prevent injuries..." He said, leaving them in an awkward silence.

"Go back there?" Both of them exclaimed, spooked out by their own school.

"Ahh forget it, I will go." The principal Shaked his head, only to realize they were just scared.

"We will go with you." They suddenly yelled.

Surprising the principal who wonder at their change of heart.

"There is power in numbers." Jin said, and the headmaster nodded.

All of them could think clearly till that point.

But...

Maybe if they hadn't listened to the principal.

Maybe if they had gone with their rush decision to climb the barbed wires as they were.

As they went back in school, all three of them traveled together, quickly finding a big curtain close to the shattered window. 

It took some strength and attention to bring it down, but when they did so, they were delighted.

They quickly returned to the broken window.

Only to find that the word broken, didn't quite match it's description.

"What in the name of... the window is back in one piece." All of them exclaimed, while feeling trapped.

"It isn't much, let's just brake it again." The principal said, grabbing the same big desk, and throwing it at the window.

Nothing.

Absolute silence.

~~~~~~~

One random TV inside the school with three bodies laying not far of it, playing at the news channel.

"And today's news are about 2 missing students and the headmaster of the said school. The student's families have filed a missing report, and call out for help. If you see any of these people in the images, please call in the number you see below. The police is doing its best to unearth any clues as to where they might have gotten. Many suspicions fall on the headmaster, but luck of evidence has led little to no results on all sides of investigation."