Chapter 4

I swallowed down the sick feeling rising inside of me, my fingers trembled. When they finally regained their hold on the ballpoint pen, my mind had cleared up.

'What the hell was that?' Echoed in my head, pushing my sanity of its stable standing. The boy was definitely Kevin. The blonde curls that were bouncier than his current self and those eyes that were that unique deep green.

I finally understood that those black bracelets really did, in fact, mean murder, but they held more to them. They were borderline an enigma minus the whole murder thing.

"You didn't answer my question." My mind snapped out of its daze. I couldn't help clenching my teeth.

I couldn't say anything. My hands balled tightly as they wrapped around my stomach. Anger flared inside me.

"Fine. Yes I'm scared of you. In fact, I'm horrified! Are you satisfied?" I said as I turned back to the pile of work. I was almost through with it.

"Why?" He pressed, leaning closer towards me, his elbows on the table and face just off 30 cm away.

I scribbled my way through the work ignoring him once again, until I finally finished just a few minutes after.

"You should know why" it was like I didn't care anymore at all. Maybe I accepted my death? That I wouldn't be able to leave this place alive.

The look on Kevin's face was, however, priceless . As if he had been punched in the gut by ... I guess... his mom? Maybe?

I laughed at his face which shook him out of his daze.

Ignoring him I decided I should call over George before leaving.

"Where's the pool?" I said as I stood up and made my way to the door. Kevin stood up as well, gesturing for me to follow. He recovered faster than I would have thought edging me towards my hypothesis that he might actually be a psychopath.

I blindly followed him, gazing occasionally at the change of scenery. When we finally made it to the indoor pool I was kind of breathless.

"Your house is huge" I said hunched over, supporting myself with the doorframe.

George was swimming, surprising and not just waddling around and jumping into the pool like most of the jocks at school. He hadn't noticed us until Kevin called him.

He looked at us surprised as if we just invaded into "his" house.

"You guys finally finished?" He waddled over to us and stepped out not bothering to thank Kevin as he handed him a towel. I had to glance away when he came out though, scared he might catch me staring and hold it against me.

I suddenly wondered if George would be able to escape from the devil in disguise. Maybe he would be spared... or maybe they would both kill me?

That seemed to snap me out of my lack of fear for my impending doom. I had to leave. Now!

"Oi Hamper why are you standing there? let's go" George looked slightly peeved at my absent mindedness.

"Coming" I called after him embarrassed, following him and Kevin to what I was hoping was the front door, until we passed it.

"Um? We're not leaving?" I questioned glancing warily at the front door.

"Did you not listen to us earlier! Wake up Hamper!" George groaned as we started climbing the wide set of stairs.

"I wanted to show you my room" Kevin laughed behind his hand as he failed miserably at trying to stay polite.

"Oh."

We came to an abrupt stop after walking through the longest hallway I've ever entered. Kevin opened the door for us letting us in before he closed it behind himself.

The room itself was very... white. It was actually a bit painful and I had to close my eyes a few times to adjust to the glare.

White wooden floor, white walls, white rug, white bed, white covers, white cupboard... The only things that weren't overwhelmingly white were the books and small furniture which was relieving yet unsettling.

"Could use a bit more white" grumbled George and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I like the colour as you can see" he smiled amused at our reactions and gestured for us to take a seat on the "white" rug.

We sat down next to each other with Kevin sitting opposite us. His expression suddenly serious and I felt goosebumps on my arms and head.

"I have something to tell you guys" he started and I shut my eyes. This is where it comes.

"It's about Mr Nathaniel." My eyes opened in confusion.

"What about him?" I said, whilst George groaned.

"God I hate that prick." Nobody was surprised, really.

Kevin suddenly placed a folder on the round table in front of us. He opened it up to reveal a bunch of articles stacked up on each other.

Pictures of a teenage boy and girl seemed to appear on most of them. I reached for one carefully with furrowed on brows.

Tom Carlson, a senior student at Saint Andrew High, died in a horrific accident after staying in school grounds after closing hours.

Following the infamous Sarah James suicide at St Andrews. -

I grimaced as George snatched it out of my hands and handed me another article. An older one.

It was dated January the 3rd 2000.

Liam, a student at St. Andrews, was tragically murdered by his fellow classmate. ...

Witnessed by their teacher, Nathaniel Rogers.

I winced as I recalled the three black bracelets on Mr Nathaniel arm. I chewed my lips as I finally understood what Kevin was insinuating, but I couldn't just bite the bullet. I had to play dumb a bit.

"Why are you showing us"- I started but my mouth clamped shut by George's hand as he continued to read his article. I rolled my eyes as he hissed 'shh' at me.

"Alright, what are you showing us?" He finally asked after that rude interruption. I scowled, but held in my anger.

"Mr Nathaniel is a serial killer." He stated with a nonchalant air about him.

"On what grounds?" I asked a bit perturbed that this was said from the mouth of another 'fellow' serial killer.

He gestured towards the papers in front of us.

"All of these students have three things in common." He held up three fingers. "They were all failing students, they all had Mr Nathaniel as a teacher." He paused slightly as if he didn't want to say the last part, but whatever stopped him was soon disregarded, "and they all came from poor families- children of nobody special".

I felt a shiver run down my spine. I, myself, was nobody special, as well, though I was already convinced Mr Nathaniel was a murderer, I still couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that warned me of the danger to come.