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jenna stood flanked by maddie and charley in the dimly lit boiler room. their unwavering attention fixated on the janitor, who meticulously scrubbed her bloodstains from the wall., "you shouldn't watch this." charley cautioned.
"i want to." the nears girl replied with nonchalance, her gaze locked onto the gruesome task. "it's kind of disgusting though." jenna grimaced casting a sidelong glance.
"so have you had any further contact with your friend?" charley interjected, changing the subject.
"i thought you didn't want me to talk about it?" maddie questioned. "not with the group, but we're safe." he explained.
"really?" the blonde squinted skeptically, "nothing feels safe here."
"i, for one, feel a hundred times safer here." jenna commented, crossing her arms. her statement was met with a blank stare. "what? we're already dead. how could it possibly get worse?"
"one minute simon and i are talking like nothing ever happened and then the next minute we step into the hall, and i'm gone, done, a memory he can't see or hear." maddie recounted in frustration.
"maybe it just comes in waves." charlie shrugged, "you know how when you really miss someone, their laugh, their touch. maybe if that person truly can't let you go, there's moments when they can still see and hear you."
"no." jenna shook her head firmly, "there's gotta be a reason. like a real reason. something more than that sappy movie crap."
"any idea how long it lasts?" maddie inquired.
charley shook his head. despite being there for thirty years, everything remained unknown. "i did just see two cops walk into principal hartman's office. i'm betting the subject is one of you."
maddie and jenna exchanged knowing glances. they were about to investigate.
👻
"we're talking about severe conditions that led to a mass migration from the middle of the country, crop destruction, relentless heat, abject poverty. the contents of the chapter you were all supposed to read last night—"
maddie burst into ms. fields' classroom, jenna quickly following. their target: simon. while this case didn't directly involve her, the wolf girl had a nosy streak. "the cops are in hartman's office!"
"okay, everybody open your books to chapter nine, people. let's take the next fifteen minutes to read what you missed."
simon tried to ignore the commotion, not wanting his history class to think he was experiencing schizophrenia. but maddie persisted, "they said there's nothing on my phone! that-that's not even my phone, simon!"
"i don't get it." simon muttered.
"okay, but you will if you read it." ms. fields responded, believing he was referring to the lesson.
