Day 3 Part 2

Day 3 Cont.

   I couldn't speak. I wanted to but my mouth would not form the words. In the end, I just stood there with my mouth open like an idiot. Thomas chuckled as did the two women, while the children simply smiled shyly.
   "I suppose I should explain our company.", Thomas said rising from the piano. He walked over to me and pulled me towards the strangers. The younger woman was very pretty, with bright hazel eyes and a gentle smile. The older woman looked more motherly in appearance, with small wrinkles and a few streaks of grey in her copper hair. It was hard to believe how horribly disfigured they had looked a few moments ago. Even the children, who had been nothing more than little black melted shapes seemed normal. The three boys were all about the same age, while the one girl seemed a little younger.
   Thomas made quick work of introducing me to them all.
   "Nathan, this is Mrs. Milo, her assistant Ms. Samantha, and their class: Max, Lionel, Harold, and Lisa."
   "N-nice to meet you.", I said nervously. They all smiled politely before Mrs. Milo and Ms. Samantha ushered the children into the shadows. 
   "They're a bit shy around new people. It took months of me playing the piano before they finally felt comfortable around me.", Thomas explained. 
   "Are they... dangerous?", I asked in a whisper. Thomas simply laughed at me.
   "Them? No. They're not like some of the other spirits.", Thomas answered as he began packing up his schoolbag. 
   "Spirits? You mean like ghosts?"
   "Well, they don't like being called that, but yeah sort of. Didn't Mr. Black explain this to you?"
   I turned away in mild embarrassment when he asked; I felt like an idiot. The truth was that I had no idea what was going on and desperately wanted to. Yet I had no idea how to explain that to Thomas without sounding like a clueless fool.
   "Actually he didn't. To be honest, he hasn't really explained anything to me all that well." Thomas sighed slightly at my answer,
   "Yeah, that sounds like Mr. Black alright. But it is unusual for him not to have explained the basics to you. Tell you what, come sit with me during lunch and we'll go over it together." He opened the door as he finished and stepped to one side to let me walk past. He seemed nice and understood what I was going through to some extent. So of course I said yes.

   We entered the school cafeteria ten minutes after the bell had rung. My classmates were surrounded by islanders who all kind of fit into their demographic. Paul waved at me to join him, Hector, Daniel, and a bunch of nerdy looking islanders. I started to make my way over before I noticed the islanders staring at Thomas.
   Thomas was standing still, and had no followed me towards the table.
   "What's wrong Thomas?", I asked. Before he could even open his mouth, Cindy's voice filled the room.
   "I'm impressed Nathan! I knew you liked to hang out with losers, but I never knew you also had a soft spot for crazies too!" As soon as she had finished, her and her table burst out laughing. Thomas's face began to turn red.
   That's when I snapped.
   "And I'm impressed too Cindy! We've been in this school for all of five minutes and you're already acting like a total bitch to someone who you don't even know! Mind you, I shouldn't really be surprised. I mean, you're so cold that when a girl who did nothing but want to be your friend went missing, you found a way to laugh about it! That's a level of heartlessness I couldn't even hope to achieve!" At that, I did a 180 degree turn and walked out of the cafeteria with Thomas following.

   Me and Thomas found ourselves eating lunch in the classroom hallway. We sat mostly in silence before he finally spoke.
   "Thank you... for that. I've never had anyone stick up for me like that before."
   "It was nothing. I've been wanting to call her out on her evil ways for ages.", I said chuckling lightly. Thomas smiled in return before continuing.
   "Well nevertheless, Thanks. Also, I promise to make it up to you by helping you in any way I can."
   "I'd appreciate that." I said. This earned me another smile.
   The bell rung before he got a chance to explain anything to me, but he promised he would tell me everything he knew after school the next day. After that we both head to class.
   Soon enough the final bell rung and we all headed back to Nightwell Castle.

   I went straight to my room once we arrived. The stares of my class were enough to piss me off beyond the point of talking to any of them. I was mad. Mad at how they were letting Thomas be treated and at the fact they had put Kaitlin completely out of their mind. But I was in there for less than a few minutes before there was a knock on my door.
   "Open up Nathan!" It was Richard.
   "Go away!", I yelled back.
   "Not happening. You know why I'm here, and I'm not going until you let me in!"
   This continued for a short while, till I finally decided getting a beating would be better than having him pounding on my door and yelling. When I opened the door to let him in I saw Cindy quickly duck into her room, as well as a bunch of cracked doors close shut. Richard walked in and I shut the door, resigning myself to whatever he had in mind.
   "Just get this over with.", I said standing in front of him.
   "Relax. I'm not going to beat you up. I just had to put on a little show for Cindy.", he whispered.  
   To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I couldn't believe him.
   "Why?", I asked apprehensively.
   "Because despite what you may think, I don't hate you. Cindy does, so I pretend to. But really, I couldn't care less." He took a seat on the chair in the corner as I sat on the edge of my bed. It was strange to think a guy who always seemed to be out to get me was just pretending. With that in mind, I probed him further.
   "If that's true, then why does Cindy hate me? What did I do to her?" At that Richard laughed softly.
   "Nathan, you didn't do anything to her. Which, funny enough, is one of the reasons she hates you." I began to feel frustrated by Richard's unclear answers. It reminded me too much of Mr. Black and the damned island.
   "Richard, can you just give me a straight answer. I don't want to play games." He simply shrugged.
   "Alright then. Remember the first six months of school? Back when you, Kaitlin, and those weirdos you hang out with were all friends? Well, I hate to break it to you, but it was obvious that you had a massive crush on Kaitlin. Everyone could see it." I looked away in embarrassment as he spoke, but quickly tried to recompose myself.
   "That's not true.", I said pathetically trying to defend myself.
   "Uh huh. Whatever. If it's any conciliation, Kaitlin definitely felt the same way. There was even a little bet between me and some of the other guys as to when you two would get together. Unfortunately for you there was someone who didn't want you to get together. That person happened to be the girl Kaitlin was following around like a lost puppy."
   Those few sentences were a roller coaster ride for me. My heart beat a little faster at hearing she might have felt the same way I did, but the growing confusion in my head as to why Cindy would want to keep me and Kaitlin from being together grew by the second.
   "Why would Cindy care?"
   "Because you were giving Kaitlin something that worried her. Confidence. Didn't you notice how for a while Kaitlin would go long periods of time without kissing Cindy's ass? That was mainly due to you encouraging her to break away from her. Also, Cindy couldn't stand that anyone in our class would fall for any girl but her or Lynda. So, she let Kaitlin into her little group on the condition that she would break off all contact with you. I guess I don't have to tell you what choice she made."
   Crushed. That's how I felt. The girl I had cared for more than anyone else in the class had traded in our friendship for Cindy. I guess the pain must have been written on my face as Richard quickly continued.
   "She regretted it. Cindy treated her like a piece of shit, and any time you were around she'd be staring after you with a really sad look in her eyes. She would have come running back to you in a heartbeat had it not been for the fact she thought you'd send her away." He said standing. He walked towards the door but stopped before leaving.
   "I don't hate you, Nathan. You're a good guy. But when I walk out this door, I go back to acting like it. Whatever I say happened in here is what happened. Understood." I simply nodded before he walked out the door.
   Then I closed my watering eyes and went to sleep.

Day 3 Part 1

Day 3

  Dreams can be cruel sometimes. They show you things that you know you'll never have, and can leave you unsatisfied with your actual existence. That night I had a cruel dream.
   I was walking down the school hallway, heading to one of my morning classes. Paul walked to my right, talking about some sci-fi show that was way too complicated for me to pay attention to. As I opened the door, a person jumped at me. Arms and legs wrapped around my off-balance body as I stumbled back. Looking at me through strands of red hair, was the almost angelic face of Kaitlin.
   She leaned into me, bringing her lips up next to my ear. I had this dream before. She would normally whisper that she loved me, and I'd wake up. A very cruel dream. But as I prepared to hear the words that I would never hear in my reality, I was instead treated to something else.
   "Don't look for me Nathan."
    I looked back at her and started to ask a question when I froze. Instead of her usual pretty face, I saw a battered and bruised version. Tears ran down her face and fell to the floor, as she looked at me with pleading eyes.
   "What the-?"
   "Time to wake up.", came a voice from nowhere. The world began to melt away as my dream ended.

   My eyes flew open and were greeted to the sight of the suited man standing at the foot of my bed. His face seemed grim.
   "What the Hell was that all about?", I yelled at him. I could barely contain my rage. The man sighed a heavy sigh and paced around the room.
   "That was a message from Kaitlin.", he answered. My heart began to speed up. I didn't know if that meant Kaitlin was alive or dead, but I was hopeful.
   "Where is she?", I asked. The man looked at me sharply, his blue eyes cutting.
   "I can't tell you. If I did you'd go after her and get yourself killed, and I can't have you doing that. She even knows that and is trying to protect you. If she wanted you to save her she would have told you where she was.", the man's voice raised in temper as he went on. As did my temper.
   "You can't just expect me to sit around while she's in danger, can you?"
   "No. But she's not in danger. There's no way he'll kill her unless he kills you first."
   "Who's "He"?", I asked cutting him off. The man paused, began to speak, then paused again.
   "Nathan, listen to me. The only reason you're still alive is because of how little you know. If I were to clue you in on everything right now, I'd be effectively writing your death certificate. Kaitlin is safe for now, which is good. However, her kidnapper will now be trying to find a way to lure you into looking for her."
   "Good."
   "No! Not good! You go up against him and you will die."
   "So then what am I supposed to do?"
   "If you'd just keep quiet for a second, I'll tell you." I could tell the man was struggling to keep his cool, but so was I. How can someone just ignore someone they care about when they're in trouble? But I knew that if I wanted to see Kaitlin again, I'd have to do it his way.
   "I'm sorry. I just want her to be safe.", I said.
   "I know. And I'm trying to keep you safe.", he responded. His eyes softened though his face remained hard. I had no idea why he was so concerned for my safety, but it was obvious he really cared.
   "Who are you?" The man paused once more, his face frowning at the ground.
   "Call me: Mr. Black.", he said. His eyes hung heavy, and I could have sworn I saw tears begin to form within them.
   "So what do you want me to do, Mr. Black?", I asked now calm and ready to listen. He tilted his head back up and smiled that same smile.
   "I want you to meet a good friend of mine. He's in the school you're attending, and I think you two would not only get on well, but may even be able to help each other."
   "Who is he?", I asked curiously. His smile never left his face the whole time.
   "Thomas Reading. He'll be in room 334 during your lunch break. It's important that you tell him I sent you, otherwise he won't let you in. How you proceed is up to you." With that, Mr. Black vanished into the morning.

   I got dressed in my favorite clothes and headed down stairs. When I arrived in the dining hall, Paul waved me over to his table. Hector and Daniel, a small boy with a buzz cut and a bad acne problem, also sat at the table. Each shot me guilty glances.
   "What they're trying to say is that we're sorry for letting Mr. Burt throw you around last night. But you saw him, he was absolutely terrifying. No one was going to risk getting him angrier.", Paul said trying to make light of the situation. I wanted to punch him in the nose, but thought better of it. Paul was a coward, and I couldn't hold that against him. To be fair, I doubt I could have done any different.
   "It's fine. I understand.", I replied. All three let out sighs of relief, which I'll admit, amused me. The morning passed by as though nothing was out of the ordinary. It both angered and confused me. I leaned over and asked Paul.
   "Oh you didn't hear? Police say she probably just ran away. They said they'll find her in a day or two, and that's only if she doesn't come back on her own.", he said nonchalantly. At first I felt a wave of comfort, soon replaced by a growing dread. Nobody was taking it seriously.

   The drive down to the school was mercifully short. Madison and Felicity chatted away behind me. These two girls were my prime example that nice girls who are pretty, never know they are pretty. Both had many male admirers and neither seemed to notice, much to my amusement. Suddenly, Cindy and Lynda both burst out laughing, proving the other half of my theory. Pretty girls who are mean, unfortunately know that they are pretty. I closed my eyes and blocked everything out for the remainder of the trip to school.

   The school was surprisingly large, with hundreds of rooms and a large amount of land. The walls were a muted white, and the floors were black tile. The other students flocked to us and tried to make us feel welcome. They all seemed nice, and as the bell rang everyone seemed excited about the school. Classes ticked forward, and as the lunch break drew near, I could feel myself getting nervous. After all, the only thing me and this guy Thomas would have in common would be Mr. Black.
   As the lunch bell rang, and everyone headed towards the cafeteria, I broke off and followed the numbered doors to room 334. As I stood in front of the door labeled "334: Music", I could hear the sound of a piano coming from inside and faint laughter.
   I knocked on the door, bringing the music to an abrupt end.
   "Uh... Thomas? My name's Nathaniel. Mr Black sent me.", as soon as I said that I heard the rapid approach of footsteps, and the door was swung wide. In front of me stood a young blonde boy about my age. His brown eyes were wide with enthusiasm as he pulled me into the music room.
   "Mr. Black sent you? Really?", he asked with a slight shakiness in his voice.
   "Y-yes.", I struggled to answer. The boy, who I assumed was Thomas laughed a happy laugh in response. I noticed he wore braces.
   "So that means you saw him, right? You saw him too. Which means I'm not crazy!", he said doing a little dance. I began to doubt if he really was sane.
   "Uh... Thomas? Mr. Black said that you could help me."
   "With what?"
   "I don't really know myself. He just said that you could help me out with making it through the next eight months."
   "Really? I mean, I don't know as much as he does, but I can sure try. Just let me finish up here.", he said making his way tot he Piano that sat in the back. It was then that I noticed how dark the room was, with very little light streaming in through the windows. He sat down in front of the beautiful instrument.
   "What are you-?", I never finished my question as he cut me off.
   "It's OK everyone, he's a friend.", Thomas said looking into the shadows.
   To say I wasn't tempted to leave would be a lie. For at this point I was convinced that Thomas was well and truly mad.
   These thoughts were silenced when four small shapes emerged from the shadows followed by two larger ones. I nearly screamed in terror and my heart threatened to jump out of my chest. All six figures were human in shape, and wore tattered old clothes. But it was their faces that truly haunted me. They seemed to almost be melting off of their skulls, with dark black burn marks and bubbles of skin.
   I began to back up when Thomas shouted at me.
   "Wait! Watch this." Thomas then began to play "Moonlight Sonata". The six creatures headed towards him, practically surrounding him.
   But as Thomas played, they began to change. Their clothes seemed to become new again, and their disfigured faces healed. They suddenly began to look more and more human. The four smaller ones were children, both of the taller figures were women; one appeared to be in her twenties while the other seemed middle aged.
   As Thomas ended the song, they all applauded politely before turning and smiling at me. Thomas seemed amused at my expression.
   "So Nathan, how can I help you?"

Day 2

Day 2

   I woke up that morning thinking I was back at home. Disappointment washed over me as my feet touched the soft carpet and I realized that I wasn't in my bedroom. I turned on the bedside lamp and checked my watch. I groaned, as I was reminded of the dead battery. Sitting up, I looked at the small wall clock hanging by the bedroom door.
   The clock read 7:30, and I could see the sun starting to rise through the window. I climbed out of bed, and went into the small bathroom. My black T-shirt was damp with sweat, so I took it off, throwing it onto the white tiled bathroom floor. As I showered, I began thinking over everything that had happened in the last 24 hours.
   Who was that man in the suit?
   Why did he say I needed to be careful?
   And who attacked Kaitlin last night?
   All these questions lacking answers swam around my head as I finished my shower. I dressed quickly in a black hoodie and dark blue jeans, then headed downstairs for breakfast. At first, I was the only one in the large dining hall apart from the kitchen staff. I grabbed a tray of food, and soon enough other students began to arrive. It wasn't long till everyone was present.

   I noticed Kaitlin, flanked by Cindy and Lynda Vine. She was gently sobbing as her friends tried to comfort her. Paul sat next to me, pleased with the sausage and egg breakfast. He started talking about last night, while I internally debated on if I should tell him about the man in the suit showing up again. I really wanted to tell someone, but I quickly decided that wouldn't be a good idea. The last thing I needed was people thinking I was crazy. Yet no matter how hard I tried, I get couldn't the man's warning out of my head.
   "If you aren't careful, you won't last long on this island." I shook involuntarily at the memory.

   Ms. Hackshaw stood up from the teachers table and called for our attention. I couldn't quite place it at first, but there was something different about her that morning. Then I noticed her hair. Instead of it being in a tight bun like it usually was, she let it hang down to her shoulders. A few strands fell across her eyes, and it made her look even younger.
   "As you all know, we had a little incident last night. After with Kaitlin, and looking around the room, I can happily say that it was most likely just a nightmare." Her voice was steady and calm as she spoke. Mr. Burt, however, looked unconvinced and mad.
   "But if something like this happens again, you can rest assured there will be consequences.", the angry teacher said threateningly. This was unlike Mr. Burt, who normally kept a cool and level head with everyone, even me.
   As soon as Ms. Hackshaw had sat down, and the announcement was over, Cindy and Lynda stopped comforting Kaitlin. I guess they figured if it was just a nightmare, there was no need to try and help her. Focusing on their food instead, they ignored the still sobbing Kaitlin. I tried not to look at her as it made me sad or Mr. Burt who was glaring at me with what looked like hate in his eyes.
   

    Breakfast ended soon after the announcement, and we were told to go out into the front yard. The sky was still grey as we all funneled out onto the front steps of the building. The Caretaker was standing at the bottom of the steps, looking up at us with a smile. He wore a dark grey coat, with long black trousers.
   "Good morning boy and girls! My name is Oscar Rye-Song, and I am Nightwell Castle's caretaker. I was employed by Lady Karina Nightwell herself, and have been here ever since. If you need anything fixing all you need to do is stop by my office over there by the entrance." He gestured towards a small building by the main gate of the estate. He looked at me and smiled. It felt genuine and I actually began to consider going in to get my watch fixed.
   "Now I know this place is pretty cool, and there is a lot you can do here. However, we do have some rules. First of all, the Nightwell estate has two lakes. One very large and one very small that are very close to one another. You are free to swim in the small lake and all the other lakes you can find on this island, but that big lake is off limits.", he said. His cheerful smile was gone now, replaced by a stern and serious look. I noticed Cindy raise her hand.
   "Yes, little black haired lady.", he said.
   "It's Cindy. And if I may ask, why aren't we allowed to swim in that lake?" She asked in a very bitchy tone. Oscar sighed heavily and chuckled.
   "Well, Cindy, because if you do, you will drown. That lake has claimed more lives than I'd like to admit. These people were island natives, who had been swimming their whole lives, and they drowned. So unless you want to throw your life away, I'd suggest not going into that water.", he answered smugly. Cindy was surprised at the way Oscar had spoken to her, and wasn't able to come up with a come back. Instead, she just gave him a filthy look.
   "Now if there aren't anymore stupid questions, allow me to continue with rule two. No one is to enter the kitchen after it gets locked up at night. If you get the urge for a midnight snack, consider eating your own arm before trying to get in that kitchen.
   Next one is also simple, we have a large library full of hundreds of books. Feel free to read them to your heart's content. But only in the library. You are not allowed to take any of the books to your rooms.
   And finally, try and be inside before it gets too dark. This place can be a bit dangerous when the sun goes down.
   Follow these rules, and everything will be alright. Now try and enjoy your stay here at Nightwell." With that he smiled at as again before dismissing us and walking to his office.

   Ms. Hackshaw told us that today would be our last free day before we'd have to start school properly. Paul and Hector decided to have a movie marathon, and most of the class had shown up with snacks and drinks from the kitchen. Eventually, I got tired of being in the small room with all the others, and went out for some fresh air.
   I was walking out the front door when I saw her. Kaitlin, alone and crying, sat at the bottom of the steps. Madison had told us that Cindy and Lynda had dropped her shortly after Ms. Hackshaw's announcement. Apparently, she kept trying to convince them what happened was real, and they got sick of it. No one believed her aside from Mr. Burt.
   Except for me.
   The man in the suit had warned me for a reason, and I believed that reason was whatever had attacked her. I knew Kaitlin's room was across from mine, and if I had heard her screaming I would have run in without thinking. The reason why lay back in our first year.
   We had been in school for a few weeks when we finally spoke for the first time. It was during lunch, and at the time she was desperate for Cindy and Lynda's attention. However, neither girl wanted anything to do with the shy and nerdy ginger, and would often go out of their way to make her feel stupid. And yet she persisted in trying to be their friend.
   I can still remember the soft green eyes behind round glasses and the uncomfortable looking braces in her mouth. Her red hair was tied in a messy ponytail, a small amount of eyeliner could be seen as well as some light blush. 
   She sat alone, nobody wanting to talk or even be near her. But I couldn't sit by and watch her cry alone. I was not stranger to being teased and unpopular, so I was able to sympathize with what was happening to her.
   "Hey, it's Kaitlin, right?", I asked sitting next to her at the empty table.
   "Yeah, and you're... Nathan?", she asked in return. She spoke softly and her shyness was obvious and she seemed timid of me.
   "Yep. So, what do you think of the school?" With that question, I inadvertently opened a can of worms. She told me about how she missed her friends from her old school, and how she was finding it difficult to fit in. We talked all throughout lunch and after we started to grow close. She began sitting next to me at lunch with Paul and Hector, stopped sucking up to Cindy and Lynda, and began to make real friends. I even began to have strong feelings towards her, and it looked as though she felt the same.
   But that all changed a few weeks later. We were eating lunch, laughing at one of Paul's jokes when Lynda walked over to us.
   "Kaitlin, Cindy says she'd like you to come sit with us." Lynda didn't even look at me or the others, instead focusing on Kaitlin. I thought for sure Kaitlin would send her away, that she had learnt these girls weren't good friends, and didn't deserve her. And yet she all to quickly grabbed her lunch and went over to their table. 
   That would be the last time we ever ate together. Eventually she stopped messaging me or even saying hello to me in the mornings. She got contacts, started wearing her hair down, and put on more makeup than necessary. Once her braces came off, she could have passed for a completely different girl. 
   A few weeks later, Cindy stopped being indifferent to me, and instead began to treat me like I was the scum of the Earth. Kaitlin soon began to follow suit, treating me like Cindy and Lynda had treated her. To say it broke my heart would be an understatement. And yet, no matter how hard I tried, I could not find it within me to hate her. So even now, when I should feel glad at the fact that Cindy and Lynda had shown their true colors again, all I could feel was the same sympathy I felt when I first spoke to her.       
   Without a second thought, I sat down next to her, causing her to jump in surprise. Behind the teary eyes and runny makeup, I saw confusion in her face. I reached into my pocket and handed her a clean tissue. She used it to wipe her tears and nose, before screwing it up into a ball and putting it into her pocket.
   "W-what do you want?", she asked. Her voice was very weak and she seemed apprehensive of me. I took a deep breath before answering.
   "I just wanted to let you know that despite what the others say, I believe you. You aren't the type of person to make up stories like this for attention, and I've got a weird feeling about this place.", I answered. At first I was going to tell her about my own experiences on the island, but I wasn't sure if she would believe me. After all, my story in comparison was a lot more unbelievable.
   "Are you serious?", she asked looking at me in curiosity.
   "Yes." I answered, looking into her puffy green eyes which had long streaks of mascara running down to her cheeks. 
   She didn't respond for a few seconds, looking down at the floor. Then, without warning, she fell into my shoulder and began to cry. I instinctively placed my right arm around her and tried my best to comfort her.
   "I'm so sorry.", she cried.
   "For what?", I asked.
   "You were the only one who actually gave a shit about me, and in return I stabbed you in back." I could feel my eyes begin to water at her words. Despite what she just said being true, I couldn't help but still care for her.
   "It's OK, I forgive you.", I said pulling her in closer.
   "How?"
   "Because I know the person you really are. All you wanted was to be accepted, like many people do. I couldn't hate you for acting the way you did, because you wouldn't have if it wasn't for Cindy. She's the one I don't like, not you.", I answered.
   Slowly, she lifted her head up and looked me in the eyes. I pulled out another tissue and began to wipe away her tears for her. I then stood up, pulling her up with me.
   "Why don't you go upstairs and join the others. They're watching movies, and neither Cindy or Lynda are present." She shook her head in response.
   "I'm just going to head to my room and read till bed." She straightened her hair and clothes, and wiped away the black streaks with her saliva and another tissue.
   "Well then, I'll see you around.", I said turning to leave.
   "Wait!", she called out. I turned back around and she gave me a hug.
   "What is it?", I asked laughing.
   "I need to talk to you when you get back, it's been way too long and I have something important to tell you.", she said with a smile. Something I had not seen her do in a long time.
   "Sure.", I said smiling right back. That's when she surprised me by leaning over and giving me a light kiss on the cheek.
   "See you later.", she said before turning and walking back inside. I stood in place for a while, before smiling a bit to myself. Something I had not done in a long time. Then I turned around and walked down the path.

   I arrived at Oscar's office in a few short minutes, wondering if he would actually be able to fix my watch. Knocking on the door, I began to wonder if this was a good idea. Oscar pulled the door wide open and smiled.
   "Hello there, son! Come to get that watch fixed?"
   "Yes, sir.", I responded.
   "Then come inside and let me take a look at that piece you're wearing." He stepped aside as he spoke letting me into his small office. The office was a mess, and that's a nice way of putting it. It was dusty, and all the tables were covered in papers and various objects, aside from one in the back. It was also oddly warm. I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
   "How long is this going to take?", I asked as he sat at the uncluttered table while pulling out a large red toolbox. He gestured for the watch which I handed over to him apprehensively. He reached into his tool box, pulled out a thin knife, and in one quick motion popped the bottom of the watch off.
   "Judging by the amount of operating I'm going to have to do to get to the battery, I'd say roughly thirty to forty minutes at the most." I was disappointed by this answer, and took a seat in one of the empty chairs, wishing I had brought a book or my phone.
   Oscar worked rapidly, and soon my watch's insides were laid out on the table. As time slowly ticked forward, Oscar began casual conversation with me. He asked what I thought of the island and other questions in the same vein. I answered and soon began to become more involved.
   "So tell me, where did you get this watch?", he asked towards the end.
   "My dad gave it to me.", I answered sharply.
   "I take it by your tone that's a touchy subject? Don't worry, I won't press." He then continued in silence. 
   "Thank you, but the story isn't interesting." It really wasn't. My dad had left around five years ago on what he said was business. I hadn't seen him since then, and didn't know if I wanted to.
   "Well, whatever he did, I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt you. When I had children, I used to say some truly nasty things, but I still loved them. And when I left, I did it because I could see how bad I was for them and wanted to do the right thing for once. I'm sure that your dad did what he did out of love.", Oscar said placing the lid back on.
   "Let's just say it wasn't what he said, but what he didn't say.", I said getting up and walking towards him.
   "As I said, that's your business, not mine." He set the time and handed it to me. The ticking of the second hand brought a smile to face. The time read 5:30 PM and the sun was starting to set.
   "Thank you so much for all this, but I really must be going." I said putting on the watch.
   "Oh don't mention it, and you're quite right. I don't want you caught out after dark. That can be very dangerous." He walked over and opened the door for me. Something about his tone made me nervous, but I tried to brush it off. I said goodbye, and walked out, hearing the door shut behind me.

   As I walked up the path, the sky above darkened and a cool wind began to blow. Shadow covered the estate like a blanket, as automatic lights began to power on. He stood a few meters off the path, a smile plastered on his face. I stopped, fear spreading from my head to my toes. The man in the suit simply waved in response.
   "Hello Nathan! Just wanted to remind you to be careful." For some reason this angered me. I didn't like people who knew more than me rubbing it in.
   "What exactly am I supposed to be watching out for?" I asked, my voice a bit shaky but none the less angry. He just laughed.
   "Pray that you don't find out." And with that the man vanished yet again. I stood in the growing darkness, feeling a sense of dread build up in my chest. I began to run up the path toward the main building.
   Once inside the building, I struggled to catch my breath. When I looked up, after regulating my breathing, and was able to see Mr. Burt charging towards me with the rest of the class following behind. Before I could say a word, he slammed into me and pinned me against the wall.
   "What did you do to her?", he yelled into my face.
   "W-what? Who?", I asked.
   "Kaitlin! One minute people hear her banging and screaming, and the next both you and her have gone missing. So stop playing dumb and tell me where she is!" His grip on me was iron and the look in his jet black eyes terrified me.
   "I don't know! Please, you have to believe me, I was just at Mr. Rye-Song's office getting my watch fixed!" I yelled back. He pressed me harder against the wall, and I began to worry how far he would actually take this.
   "Don't lie to me!", he threatened.
   "I'm not!", I persisted.
   "Yes you are! You've been obsessed with her since we started school!", Cindy yelled from the crowd. Mr. Burt turned and looked at her then back at me.
   "If you lie to me one more time..."
   "MR. BURT!", came a loud booming voice. In all the commotion, nobody had seen or heard Oscar enter the building.
   At the loud voice Mr. Burt had let me go and turned to face the source of the voice. Mr. Burt looked at him with malice.
   "What do you want?", he asked aggressively.
   "I thought that it may be useful for you to know that he was in fact at my office this afternoon, and therefore could not have been the cause of this young girl's disappearance.", he answered back in an equally aggressive tone. At this, Ms. Hackshaw emerged from the crowd. 
   "Then what happened to her?", she asked.
   "Damned if I know. However, it wasn't this one's fault and I think you owe him an apology.", Oscar continued in a very angry tone. Mr. Burt just glared at him and me, before storming off. 
   Ms. Hackshaw sent us to our rooms while she contacted the local authorities to report Kaitlin's vanishing. Paul filled me in on what they knew, which was very little. They had heard a commotion from Paul's room while watching a movie, then her screaming. When they went to check in on her they found no trace of her.
   I sat alone in my room, thinking of Kaitlin. I thought of the smile she had shown me earlier that day, the return of the girl I once knew. Now gone, God knows where. Unable to stop myself, I began to weep for her.
   "Be strong, Nathan." I sat up in a flash to see the man in my room yet again. Anger and sadness took over me and I no longer had room to fear the man.
   "What happened to her?" I asked, tears falling from my face. He only looked downwards, with a sad look in his blue eyes.
   "It's best that you don't know." Then he too vanished into thin air. I sat there for a few more minutes before turning out the light, and crying myself to sleep. 

Day 1

Day 1

   I will never forget the day I left for Nightwell Island. It was September 7th, 2013. My mom was panicking about me being late, my sister Abby was crying about my leaving, and I was angry. The reason for my anger, was due to the battery of my father's watch dying right before I had to leave home. That watch was the only thing I had left that had once belonged to my father. When I noticed the lack of movement from the device, I cursed and ran down stairs to tell my mother.

   My mother, a tall slender woman in her mid forties, was busy making me a quick breakfast while also trying to calm my young sister when I found her. Her brown hair had begun to show grey streaks in places, and a few wrinkles clung to the corners of her soft grey eyes. Despite these flaws, she retained a certain young look in her face that many women envied. I showed her the watch asking her what I could do.

   "Nathan, it's going to have to wait till you get back. You have to meet your class in less than an hour." I could hear the impatience in her voice as she struggled to speak over Abby's crying. Abby had just turned six, yet acted like she was four. She had been in hysterics about me leaving all morning, which I found strange considering how eager she had been for me to leave all the days prior. Disappointed, I left to get ready.

   The truth was, I didn't even want to go to Nightwell Island. When our class was given the opportunity to study abroad, I wanted to go somewhere warm and sunny. And yet my class chose Nightwell, an island so grim it could only be accessed by sea and was sunny for no more than a few weeks every year. That place was to be my home for the next 8 months. I felt miserable about the whole thing, and wished I could just climb back into bed. As I brushed my teeth, my reflection showed that my black hair needed cutting and my heavy blue eyes told me I needed more sleep. Grabbing the last of my luggage and putting on the dead watch, I ran down stairs and left my home.
   
   The ride to the port was short but agonizing. Abby hung onto my arm for the majority of the ride, begging me to stay. As much as I wanted to, staying would be bad and embarrassing for me. I tried telling her this, but it didn't help. Her tears continued to fall, as she fell silent. It wasn't until we had pulled up and I was gathering my luggage did she speak again. She looked at me sadly with her big blue eyes.
   "Nathan, if you go I'll never see you again.", she stated. In her voice I could not hear any sadness, but instead found something much worse. Fear. Her long black curls clung to her damp cheeks, but tears no longer ran down them.
   "Of course you'll see me again.", I said trying to comfort her. For a moment I paused. Those were the same words my father had said to me before he left. I shook the thought from my mind and hugged my sister tightly one last time. She clung strongly and I had to fight to get her off. As I walked away, I turned back to wave at her. She just stared at me, before the tears returned and she looked away.
   Me and my mom walked in silence till we could see the class in the distance. I took my luggage off her, and gave her a hug.
   "I won't get a good night's sleep until you get back.", she said laughing. I could feel her crying. I could understand, this was the longest I'd ever been apart from my family. I would cry too, if it wasn't for the fact I had to join my class in a few minutes. 
   "I'll be back in no time. Plus I'll call you as soon as I can." I said trying to be comforting to the woman who usually comforted me. She smiled, but I could see that all this was hard for her. As I turned away and walked towards my class I looked down at my watch and sighed. I hoped I was on time.

   My class was very small in comparison to others. Thirteen students and 2 teachers. As I approached the group, dragging my bags behind me, I could see I was the last arrival. Ms. Hackshaw smiled as I drew near.
   "Nathaniel, I'm glad you could join us. I began to worry you wouldn't make it." It was hard to tell if that was genuine happiness, or just sarcasm. Her small glasses hung from the tip of her pointy nose as though they would fall off, and her short brown hair blew in the light breeze.
   "Sorry, miss." I said not wanting to suffer any embarrassment at her hands. For a woman so small and weak looking, I had a fear of her that lay on the edge of being a full fledged phobia. I often wondered how a woman so young could be the head of class. A smug look hung on the face of Mr. Burt, the second head of the class.
   "Go join the others Greyson.", he said smirking. The balding man in his late thirties was kind to almost everyone he met. But for some unknown reason he harbored a strong dislike of me.
   I nodded and made my way towards the twelve other students. My best friend Paul smiled and waved me over enthusiastically.
   "Nathan! I thought you weren't gonna make it in time!", he said giving me a high five. Paul Elbert was your stereotypical geek. Pale white skin that burnt easy, thin as a pole, thick giant glasses and braces. He always had his shirt tucked into his pants and would usually try and talk your ear off about some TV show or comic. 
   "I almost didn't." I said with a smile. To my left side, I heard Richard make an audible groan. Cindy looked at me with disgust while wrapped under his arm. These two were the perfect definition of popular assholes.
   Richard Fredrickson was athletic, smelt like body spray, and loved making everyone's life a living Hell. The only people who were safe from his constant teasing were Cindy, her friends, and anyone who enjoyed sports as much as he did. And even they had to deal with the occasional annoying remark. Despite all this, he managed to obtain the popular title thanks to his girlfriend.
   Cindy Leigh had dark black hair like me, but had soft brown eyes. She had the unique gift of being friendly to all the right people and a complete and total bitch to anyone else. I wasn't lucky enough to be one of the "right people". I did my best to stay out of her way and keep my life free of drama. 
   "Just ignore them.", Paul said comfortingly. Richard grinned and whispered something into Cindy's ear. Cindy giggled, looked at me, then giggled some more.
   "This is going to be a long 8 months.", I moaned. I had no idea how true that statement would be.

   The large boat sailed across the ocean at a comfortable pace. Many of the other students were lounging around, laughing and talking to each other. Paul was going on about some new game he brought along with most of his collection and console. I pretended to listen, staring out into the dark waters ahead of us. The clouds seemed to get darker the further we traveled. 
   Then I saw it. At first it was nothing but a dark spot in the horizon. But as we began to get closer it grew in size. The island was 4000 square miles, and was dotted with hills that ranged in size. Small towns dotted the coastlines while the center was sprayed with villages and farms. 
   The boat pulled up at the Nightwell port, the largest and main port of the island. We all grabbed our luggage and began to exit the vessel and walk onto the docks. Waiting for us was Mrs. Kline, director of the island's tourism board. She was old, probably in her early seventies, and wore a bright lime green dress with a matching fancy hat. Her face was covered in wrinkles and her hair was an almost florescent white. She beamed a smile so wide I thought her face would tear. I knew in that instant she would be an annoyance.
   "Hello ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Nightwell Island!" For a moment no one did anything. Then Ms. Hackshaw started to clap rapidly while shooting daggers at the rest of us. We all followed suit, and soon we were all applauding our welcome. I'd laugh if it wasn't for the fact Hackshaw or Burt would kill me. Mrs. Kline did a little curtsy, which did make me laugh, but thankfully neither teacher heard.
   "We're happy to be here.", Ms. Hackshaw said after the clapping had ceased. Mr. Burt simply nodded. Mrs. Kline's smile stayed glued to her face like it was etched into it. I didn't like the look in her eyes. I'm sure everyone else simply saw it as eagerness and excitement, but something about seeing that much energy in a woman so old left me uneasy. Not to mention her eagerness seemed a bit extreme.
   "The Islanders have been buzzing about your arrival all week, and we're so excited to have people living in the castle again. Maintaining it simply for tourism has felt wrong, a place as grand as Nightwell Castle deserves to be lived in." Her eyes seemed to grow and shrink with every word, giving her the appearance of a crazy cat-lady. 
   "May we head there now? I'm sure the students would love to unpack.", Mr. Burt said in an overly polite way. 
   "Of course! Right this way! Right this way!", Mrs. Kline said turning and leading us towards a small coach. We made quick work of placing our bags into the bus, although Richard did shove me during the commotion. 
   
   As we drove up Castle Road, Mrs. Kline gave us a bit of history on the island. I do not remember everything she said, as I was only half paying attention. However I can recall some parts that I found interesting.
   "The Nightwell line came to an end three years ago, with the death of Karina Nightwell. The only daughter of Jason Nightwell, and the youngest of ten children, she was the only one of her siblings to die of old age. All of her brothers, save for Lance Nightwell, died in mysterious circumstances."
   "How did Lance Nightwell die?", I heard Madison Green ask. She seemed to be one of the few who had been paying attention since the beginning. Mrs. Kline's smile grew even larger at the question.
   "He was murdered by the other members of the Nightwell family." At this the bus grew silent, even Richard and Cindy who had been the loudest out of everyone.
   "Why?", asked Felicity Lark, the tough and strong willed tomboy. Mrs. Kline looked at all of us before speaking.
   "Well, the Nightwell family had a very peculiar rule, which was that they only married natives of the island. Lance, who was the eldest and most respected of the ten children, was to inherit the entire Nightwell estate, so obviously whoever he chose to marry would become one of the most important and influential women on the island. But Lance did not want to marry any of the respectable island natives. No woman seemed to earn his interest. 
   Then came Celina White, a fair maiden with long golden hair and eyes that were an even brighter shade of yellow. She moved to the island and managed to catch Lance's eye shortly after. They began a love affair that made the family very angry. They refused Lance's constant requests to marry her into the family and urged him to leave her. When he did not leave her and threatened to leave the island with Celina, the family plotted to kill him and her. However, he was warned by his young sister Karina and was able to get his love to safety. Unfortunately, to secure her escape he had to stay behind and was killed by his brothers that very night.
   His remains were buried at the very edge of the family plot, and viewed by his family as a shameful traitor. No one has heard from Celina to this day, and we only know the story thanks to Karina Nightwell. Over the next few decades, the rest of the Nightwells would die in strange and mysterious ways like..."
   Mrs. Kline went on about the deaths of the eight other boys as well as some other less interesting facts. Finally, we drove through the estate gates and pulled up to the main entrance.

   I spent a good portion of the day getting unpacked in my room. The building was so large that we were all able to have our own rooms. I chose the room in between Paul and Hector Drake, a slightly over-weight movie buff who constantly went on about how he would be the greatest director in the world one day. He was a bit of a pain, but it was hard to hate him.
   The main building was an immense structure, that from the outside looked more like an abnormally large mansion. I was a bit let down, as I was picturing large towers stretching into the dark sky, and cold stone lining the walls. The name Nightwell Castle was a misnomer, and would have been better off being called Nightwell Mansion. Apparently, the Nightwell family had originally wanted to build a castle there but were unable to, and so Nightwell Castle was given it's inaccurate name.
   One thing that they got right, was the dark narrow corridors and creepy oil paintings that hung from the walls. Most of the floors in the building were a hard dark wood, apart from the tiled bathrooms and carpeted bedrooms. My room was on the second floor, and was one of the few with a balcony. 
   The first time I ever spotted him was I was unpacking. I was moving back and forth trying to get the job done quickly when I noticed something strange in the mirror above the dresser. Standing in the mirror was a man in a full suit and tie, with a black bowler hat. I made an audible gasp, to which the man snapped his eyes to meet mine. At first he seemed confused, but before long he slowly stretched his mouth into a smile
   I quickly turned around to face him, but the room was as empty as it had always been. When I turned back to the mirror the man was gone. My first instinct was to rationalize the situation as nothing more than my mind playing tricks on me. But deep down I did not believe it. The man had seemed too real to simply be a figment of my imagination. The event had scared me, but in hindsight it was nothing in comparison to the things that would come to pass during my stay on Nightwell.

   Nothing of interest came to pass till after dinner. I had told Paul about what I had seen but he laughed it off as me being stupid. I wanted to believe him. Richard and Cindy had vanished before dinner, only to return sweaty and with giant grins on their faces. It wasn't hard to figure out what they had been up to. As I started to tell Paul how pissed I was with my dead watch, I nearly jumped off the chair I was sat on when a hand firmly gripped my shoulder.
   I turned to see and older looking man, staring at me with blue eyes behind long dirty black hair. He smiled at my jumping, his white teeth shining through his thick bushy beard.
   "Sorry there, son. But I couldn't help but hearing your watch problem.", he said in a voice that was oddly soothing. I calmed a bit before speaking.
   "Yeah, the battery died."
   "I see. Well, I'm the caretaker of this fine estate and am quite handy. I've replaced watch batteries before, and would be happy to fix yours, free of charge." He offered.
   "That's kind, but this watch has a lot of value. I don't really feel comfortable handing it to anyone, even my closest friends."
   "It's true.", Paul chimed in.
   "I understand. How about this, if you ever feel like getting it fixed in your time here, you can visit me in my office and I'll fix it there with you watching. That way you can make sure I don't steal it." I didn't really feel comfortable having this stranger around, but if what he meant what he was offering then I'd be a fool to turn it down.
   "Maybe, sir." I answered. Just then, Mrs. Kline approached us. At seeing her, the strange man said his goodbyes quickly and walked away in the opposite direction. By the time Mrs. Klein had arrived at our table, he was already near the door.
   "Was the Caretaker bothering you boys?", she asked looking toward the large figure of the man as he left the dining hall with what appeared to be anger in her eyes.
   "It's fine, miss. He wasn't disturbing us." I said quickly. Mrs. Kline smiled at that.
   "Well if he ever does, you just let me know." With that she turned around and rejoined the teachers. Paul turned to face me, with a look of confusion on his face.
   "What the Hell just happened?", he asked.
   "I have no idea.", I answered with a laugh. He also laughed and we soon went back to our conversation.

   It was close to ten in the evening when I decided to turn in. I had called my mom to let her know I was safe and promised to call her in a few days when I could tell her more about the trip. I got changed and climbed into bed. I was exhausted after a long day, and found myself falling asleep in almost an instant.
   As I began to lose consciousness, a bit of movement in the shadows caught my eye. I opened my eyes wide, but found myself unable to move anything else. I couldn't even open my mouth to scream, as the man in the suit stepped out into the moonlight that streamed through the curtains and stood at the foot of my bed.
   He smiled at me before speaking.
   "Don't be afraid, Nathan. I'm not going to hurt you. I come to you now simply to warn you that if you aren't careful, you won't last long on this island." He began to walk around my bed and sat on the edge of it.
   I tried to speak, but my mouth would not move.
   "You needn't speak, just listen. In a few moments you'll hear screaming from across the hall. It is important that you do not run straight into the room. Instead, wait ten seconds before leaving your room. Do this, and you'll be safe from harm." His voice was serious, and his words chilled me to the bone. He stood up and headed into the shadows again.
   "Remember. Ten seconds." Then he was gone. Feeling began to slowly return to my body, and soon I was able to sit up. Sweat drenched my body, and I was panting like a dog.
   I was seriously starting to think I might be going crazy when I heard the scream. It was blood curdling and loud. Most importantly, it was coming from across the hall. I sprang to my feet and headed towards the door. It wasn't until I had my hand on the handle that I remembered the man's words.
   I paused, took a deep breath and began to count down from ten. Once I had reached zero, I ran out the door to see others gathered in the hallway. Mr. Burt had burst through the door and was in the room. The source of the screams had been come from Cindy's best friend Kaitlin Herrera. Kaitlin was sat on the floor in a fetal position and crying.
   Mr. Burt attempted to calm the girl to no avail. Finally after a few minutes, she looked up, her green eyes red from crying so hard.
   "S-someone tried to attack me. I woke up and saw them standing over me. They grabbed my arm and said..." She stopped and began to shiver.
   "What did they say?", Mr. Burt asked softly. Kaitlin just shook her head.
   "T-they said they were going to rape me. Once I heard that I screamed with all my might and they ran off." She then collapsed back into a fit of tears. Ms. Hackshaw sat next to her and said she'd look after her for the rest of the evening. By this point all of the students were present in the hall.
   Mr. Burt shut the door, before facing all of us, anger in his eyes. He focused on my sweaty and panicked face and lingered there for a while, then he snapped back and looked at the rest of the students.
   "Whoever thought that was a funny joke is a very sick and cruel individual. And if I find out who did it-" he looked at me, making his beliefs on who did it painfully clear "- let's just say you'll regret it."
   As we all headed back to our rooms, I could see people glancing at me. I worried that they now would think it was me thanks to Mr. Burt. I fell back into bed, but did not fall asleep for hours. The last thought I had before I fell asleep was one that had been on my brain all day.
   This was going to be a long eight months.