Following my close brush with death and my "revival", as well as our encounter with the ghost of Emily, we decided to regroup and talk about our next course of action. As of now, we’re all standing in the hallway of the 1st floor, with a heavy silence hanging in the air. (We’ve only got time until sunrise… We had initially planned for at least 12 more hours, but now we have to do something, and fast…) I get lost in thought, as I rest my back on the wall behind me and fold my arms. “I told you guys we shouldn’t have turned that page…” Chris breaks the silence with a somewhat useless remark. “And what would you have us do mister scaredy cat?” Sarah quickly replies. “I don’t know maybe NOT turn that page, and obey the rules of the book?!” He throws back as a back-and-forth exchange between the two ensues. “We could have found something useful, that’s why we decided to take the risk.” Max eventually joins in in order to support our decision. (Take the risk…) Suddenly Emily’s words come to mind and a heavy sense of guilt forms on my chest. (I’m the one responsible for all this… I was fooled by the dream Emily showed me… I convinced the others that the book may hold something useful to us and I was the one who actually vouched for turning the page and disobeying the rules… I can’t believe I was so easily manipulated!) As I continue to beat myself up over the recent turn of events, a familiar voice echoes through the hallway. “You have made a grave mistake.” Nora suddenly appears next to us and we all jump. Everybody cries out in surprise but we eventually calm down faster than usual. “You should stop appearing out of nowhere like that, Nora.” Max says, a hand over her chest. “I apologize. But I have come to warn you all.” Nora replies, her tone more serious than ever. “Is it about… Emily?” April asks albeit somewhat hesitantly. “Yes. With her awakening I can tell that the malevolence surrounding the school is gradually increasing. Your time is running out.” She explains as all the remaining hope we had left about the matter, vanish. “I also felt the increase on the malevolent forces of the school… So it’s true that we only have until sunrise?” Anette ponders and Nora silently nods. “So uhm, I was thinking… Miss Nora, could you talk to Emily, maybe? I mean you are both g-ghost- I mean spirits and all!” Sarah inquires while stuttering and I instantly feel like facepalming. “I’m afraid I cannot do such a thing. She is a far more superior being than I, and frankly if I ever were to suggest something to her, She would obliterate my very existence.” The spirit replies and we all nod in understanding. “You could at least try!” Sarah once again suggests optimistically and this time I take action. By facepalming, that is. (She must be an airhead right?) “Sarah!” Max cries out in a scolding manner. “We may both be roaming spirits, but we are not equal. She is the one responsible for the deaths of countless students. She is the one that trapped you here, and I in turn I’m trapped alongside you. I hold no power here, I’m just a spirit that is unable to pass on.” Nora gives an explanation that conveys the seriousness of the situation perfectly. (Just what are we up against?) I internally inquire as we all hang our heads in thought. “Nora, may I ask you something?” I come out and say as she turns her gaze towards me. “Are you the only spirit that was unable to pass on, amongst all the other students?” I ask and she shakes her head. “I feel the presence of other late students, their regrets lingering in each and every corner of this school… But it appears I am the only one whose regrets have manifested into something more stable, and I’m able to interact with all of you. But I can feel the emotions, and sometimes I can see my classmates’ faces, even for a moment. I am sure that there a lot more spirits that are unable to rest in peace inside this distorted copy of our school… although they’re not like me, they are still here.” She gives me a detailed reply and all I can do is nod. “…That is why WE placed our trust in you. By surviving, you will not only save yourselves, but you’ll be able to put our souls to rest as well. YOU can save us.” The spirit of the departed Nora, states in an attempt to encourage us. (Knowing that the fate of a bunch of angry ghosts rests on your shoulders is rather stressing though…) “So we’ll bet everything on finding that last key, right?” Max confirms with all of us as we nod in unison. “Yes, that is your one and only chance of escaping. By finding all the keys, not even She can stop you.” Nora confirms and I feel a little more optimistic than before. (It’s just a key… just one last key… Something is bothering me though…) I contemplate on what is the actual source of my disturbance and I quickly voice it. “Why do you keep referring to… Emily as “She”?” I’m somewhat hesitant to utter her name out loud. “Do not forget that this is HER domain. If I utter her name there’s a possibility it will alert her…” Her voice trails off as she replies, and we all glance at each other. “And IF she is alerted? What then?” April voices everyone’s thoughts with that one question. But instead of answering, Nora shakes her head and we all decide to not pry any further. “But if she is as ruthless as that, why give us the chance to escape in the first place?” Chris comes up with a question of his own. And a very logical one at that. “Just like she always clung to the hope of being saved while being imprisoned here… She wants to give us the same hope, the way out, before she can watch us… die.” The answer comes to me naturally, which I presume is an after-effect of my resonance with her. The weight of the last word that came out of my mouth, still lingers in the atmosphere, making it all the more heavy. “But we’re gonna take hold of that hope… that way out she has given us…” Max breaks the silence. “…And we’re going to turn it into reality.” April finishes her sentence, as a hopeful smile appears on everyone’s face. 

With that same hopeful sentiment, we all agree to head to our Home Base for one last time, grab our belongings and start searching for the last key, for our last glimpse of hope, until our time runs out. It’s now 6 in the afternoon and we have exactly 12 hours in our disposal, to turn this curse around. As we’ve all gathered everything from the Home Ec classroom, and we’re ready to depart I, being the last of the group, turn to close the door behind me. As I’m about to do so I take one last long look on what used to be just a classroom and most importantly, the only safe place this school had provided. As I look around the room that is no longer our sanctuary, the memories of this place come flooding back to me. I turn to my right, and remember Max stressing over the lunch we were about to have. I look straight across from the entrance as I remember Chloe and Max bickering amongst themselves. I turn to my left and remember Anette telling me about her past, and I remember myself promising to be her friend. Was that when I’d started to change? I remember comforting Anette when she broke down after Chloe’s death. And last, but surely not least, I take one last long look at the far corner of the room, where me and April shared life-changing, intimate moments. That was when I realized I’m in love, and that was when I realized, I wanted to change. Before I shut the door closed, and leave, the memories of those we lost come to mind. Chloe, Liam. We need to get out, for their sake as much as for ours. At last, I close the door and turn to the others. Max walks close to me and notices the strange feeling of nostalgia on my expression. “We don’t look back, only forward.” She tells me, her lips forming a soft, gentle smile. “Partner.” She adds that little word at the end and I can’t help but chuckle. “You’re right, partner.” I reply in the same manner as we join the others. I look at Anette, the girl I promised to be friends with. I look at Sarah, a cheerful, optimistic but sometimes stupidly oblivious girl. I look at Chris, a reserved, and anti-social teenager that’s easily scared out of his wits. I look at Max, my best friend, the person who supported me even when I wasn’t myself. And lastly, I look at April, the girl I’m in love with and the person who gave me the push I needed. We need to get out of this alive, no matter what. (We don’t look back, only forward.)