Leah put her finishing touches on her pinch pot for a project. She sculpted a finely made product and rushed it over to her teacher, Mr. Martin. He held the kiln door open with one foot, with his hands out for Leah.
"C'mon Leah I don't have all day" Mr. Martin's foot was loosing strength to hold the door open.
"Coming!" Leah quickly placed it in his hand, and he put it in the kiln.
"Alright they should be done by the end of the day" Mr Martin threw his bowling bag around his shoulder, "I'm off to bowling practice with my team. You can pick up, and I'll leave my keys on my desk if you need to grab something from the closet. Mrs. Nichols is next door, and she can help you at anytime."
"Have fun!" Mr Martin walked out, and Leah was left alone in A-4. As Leah started to pick up the left over clay, she realized she left an important piece for her project out. "The kiln just started to heat up; I can probably snag it open." Leah raced for the keys on the desk and unlocked the door to the kiln. She picked up her large project, and kept the door open with her foot. As she lifted the kiln open, hot air blew into her eyes. She screamed and her project shattered on the floor. She stepped forward and the door shut behind her. Leah turned around, rubbing her eyes and noticed the large metal door. She grabbed the knob and twisted it, it didn't budge. The heat from the kiln became noticeable, and she twisted and pulled the door handle for dear life. She hollered for Mrs. Nichols or anybody to come save her.
Leah looked around the dark room, where the only light source were the lights from the kiln. She reached for her phone in her back pocket, no service. She tried to think of someway to get out of there. "He must have an emergency exit, or else this is poor planning" Leah turned on her flashlight, and looked around the tiny, hot room. She tried to find any possible latch or set of keys. Her eyes spotted something, a door? It was much shorter than the other door, where did it come from. She opened it and shakily crawled through. The heat died down the further she crawled through it, and at the end of the tunnel was another door. As Leah opened it she heard clicking and groaning. Cold air rushed around her. She turned her flashlight up all the way, and stood up. The room resembled the other classrooms, but more warn down. Footsteps became louder, and Leah's heart began to race. the groaning of pain, and the quiet sobbing sent chills down the teen's spine. "Hello?" She pointed her flashlight forward and a man stared down at her. His eyes engulfed her, his skin burnt to a crisp, while his lower jaw hung without support. She screamed, and her flashlight went out.
~~~~
"Hey Mrs Lane? How many art rooms are there? Christina asked, as she has only had art classes in A-1.
"Well, there are 4, but some say there are 5." She smiles while walking over to the table where everyone was gathered.
"There are 5?" Caroline asked with an eyebrow raised.
"No silly, there are A 1-4 and the kiln room. Now that I think about it there are 6 counting the jewelry closet." Mrs Lane laughed at her comment.
"But Mrs Lane what if there was A-5 or A-6? Would you tell us?" Leah asked curious now if Mrs Lane is hiding secret classes.
"Well legend says there was once an A-5, but it has been long since that class was in the building. Supposedly, the teacher was the sculpture teacher and shared the kiln room with Mr. Martin." Everyone looked at her dumbfounded and had more questions than when they started. "Well time to see your sketchbooks."
For the rest of class Leah could only think of the legend of A-5. She didn't work on her project at all, and looked pretty lost. As the bell rung, Mrs Lane came over to Leah. "Leah you didn't work all period."
"Is it true?" Leah looked up to her second mom.
"Is what true?"
"A-5"
"Well..."
"Mrs. lane?"
"Look it is true, I remember teaching with him, his name was Guy. He was the first Mr. Martin."
"Mr. Martin isn't his real name!"
"No, you see Keith is his younger brother, but let's say some things happened, and the kiln exploded." Mrs lane started to leave the room.
"The kiln exploded!" Leah stood up frantically.
Mrs. Lane nodded and left the room for lunch.
~~~~~
"Mr. Martin?" Leah whispered trying her best not to cry. A raspy breath was inches away from her. Leah covered her mouth from screaming. She reached her arm out, and a burning hand grabbed onto her wrist. She felt her skin boiling, tears fell down her cheeks.
"It was him" the man's voice was weak. Leah tried to release her arm, but the grip was tight.
"Who?"
"Keith..." the man cried. He fell to the floor, and his grasp was released. Leah felt her burns and winced. She tried to run away while she had the chance, but the man grabbed her ankles, preventing her from doing so. He pulled her towards himself, and hovered above her. His molten saliva burning holes into her face and neck. He started to rip at her scorched flesh on her arms. Leah punched him in the jaw, and quickly crawled away. He moaned as his jaw fell onto the floor. "What about him." Leah tried not to notice the pain of her singed ankles.
"He replaced me" the man got up and threw a stool at Leah, it missed, but she could see the indent on the floor. "He got rid of me" He grabbed Leah's leg and slammed her on the table. She choked as her spine was shattered on impact. "He burnt me" He wrapped his hands around her neck, and cooked it alive. Leah could feel herself going numb as her breaths got weaker and her lungs filled with the ash of her blood and flesh. Her vision faded into nothing, "He murdered me!"
"Leah?" Mrs Nichols turned the lights on. "Why are the lights out?" She looked over to see Leah laying on the table choking. She ran over and shook the girl. Leah opened her eyes and rubbed her neck; there was ash. "What happened to you girl?"
Leah shook her head and screamed, Mrs Nichols wrapped her arms around the howling girl as she sobbed into her shirt. Leah looked at her wrist and saw a hand marking wrapped around it. "H-he is real."
"Who?"
"The man in A-5".
