ROTER FUCHS

"WAKE UP, GREG!" Somebody said it was Alex, my best friend. I slowly opened my eyes to her enthusiastic voice. "What's up, Alex?" I mumbled, trying to shake off the drowsiness. "We're here," she exclaimed with excitement. Confusion clouded my thoughts. "Here where?" I asked, still half-asleep. "At the school," she announced cheerfully.
"Wait, what?" I replied, suddenly alert. Glancing out of the window, I saw the familiar sight of tall trees and the serene, untouched beauty of a German forest. "Alex, we're in the middle of a German forest," I pointed out, trying to make sense of her words.
"Look across the lake," Alex urged. I followed her gaze and noticed a structure in the distance. Squinting, I tried to focus. "That's the school?" I said, surprised. The bus we were on appeared regular, with rows of seats and luggage compartments.
As the bus descended toward the lake at the mountain's base, my mind raced. "See? I told you. Wonder where Luke and Ally are," Alex mused. "Probably at another part of the lake," I speculated. We were in the Dolfa forest, near Dolfa lake.
After transferring our belongings to a waiting boat, we set off across Dolfa lake towards the distant building. "Well, you were right, I guess," I admitted.
"But why would they bring us to an abandoned building?" I pondered aloud. "I don't know," Alex replied. "This is going to be an interesting experience," I remarked, trying to stay optimistic.
Fifty minutes later, the boat instructor directed us to disembark. "Grab your luggage and head down the trail or row a boat to the school," he instructed.
"What?" Alex and I exclaimed in unison. Apparently, only those with a boat pass could row, so we sprinted down the trail. "This is turning into quite the unexpected journey," I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
The trail wound through the forest, and as we ran, the foliage seemed to close in around us. Suddenly, I stumbled, my foot slipping into the water. "Greg!" Alex's voice echoed as I struggled to stay afloat.
Gasping for air, I felt a strong tug on my arm. "Thanks for the rescue," I said, grateful for Alex's quick reflexes.
"Don't think you're getting away with that," she teased. "We still need to reach the school." "Yeah, you're right. Let's keep moving," I agreed, slightly shaken but determined to continue.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we reached the imposing structure. "Alex, we've arrived," I announced, a mix of relief and exhaustion washing over me. "Who knew." she said sarcastically
We signed paperwork at the front desk and were allocated separate rooms across the hall. "We're close enough," I remarked, grateful that Alex and I weren't too far apart.
Entering my dorm, I met my roommates, Griffin and Ash. "Hey, nice to meet you guys," I greeted them. As I settled into bed, the day's events played over in my mind.
At 5:08 PM, the lights shut off. I closed my eyes, but an inexplicable feeling of unease settled within me. No nightmare, just an unsettling sensation. Despite my efforts, sleep remained elusive.
The night was filled with odd sounds, possibly the creaking of an old building or something else entirely. However, sleep managed to claim me, though I awoke feeling unrested.
September 14, 2016 (3 months later)
I woke up groggily, feeling like a sleepy cat. After donning my uniform, I headed to the canteen for breakfast. "Hey, Greg, over here," Alex called out, already enjoying her meal. Joining her, we chatted briefly before I hurried off to my history class.
The teacher delved into the history of Roter Fuchs, the school's history that I found uninteresting. However, the teacher mentioned an event—the Incident of 1779, involving six students creating a cult that supposedly haunted the school.
After class, I bumped into Ash. "Hey Greg, Have you heard the rumors?" she asked. "Rumors about the school?" I inquired. "People say there's a locked stall with a trapdoor that hides something beneath," Ash claimed. "Interesting," I replied, intrigued by the idea.
"Sure, Ash, I'll meet you tonight with Griffin and Alex," I agreed after talking about the stall, feeling a mix of confusion and curiosity.
That night, Alex and I embarked on our investigation. "I'm not entirely convinced about this," I admitted. "Shut up Greg, this is for people's safety" Alex insisted. As we ventured down the dark hallway towards the stairs, the intercom announced, "Attention students, lights out."