The Regular Day

Mariza pressed her back against the cold hallway wall, her mismatched eyes wide as she watched the scene unfold. The math teacher's voice echoed through Paper School's empty corridors.

"Claire Morrison, you failed again!" Mrs. Henderson's voice was sharp as broken glass.

Claire, a pale girl with messy blonde hair, clutched her test paper. Red marks covered every problem. Her hands shook as she backed away from the teacher's desk.

"Please, I can do better," Claire whispered.

Mrs. Henderson's smile was wrong, too wide. "Bad grades mean consequences, dear."

Claire ran. Her sneakers squeaked against the polished floor as she sprinted down the hallway. Mariza wanted to help, but her feet wouldn't move. She'd seen this happen before. Three times this month.

Claire reached the end of the corridor where a door stood slightly open. The nameplate was covered with paper that read "EXIT" in bold letters.

"Don't," Mariza whispered, but Claire was already pushing through.

The Flooded Corridor

A terrible scream echoed from behind the door. Mariza's heart hammered as she crept closer to the covered nameplate. Through the crack, she glimpsed something moving fast—too fast to be human.

Claire's voice pierced the air. "Help me! Someone help!"

The sound of running footsteps grew fainter. Then silence.

Mariza pushed the door open wider. The hallway beyond was different from the rest of Paper School. Water pooled on the cracked floor, dripping from broken pipes above. Old lockers lined the walls, their doors hanging open like hungry mouths.

At the far end, she saw Claire pressed against an exit door, shaking the handle desperately. Behind her, a figure approached—a girl about Mariza's age with short black hair and strange, too-bright eyes that seemed to glow in the dim light.

"The door won't open for you," the demon girl said in a voice like breaking glass. "Bad students can't leave."

Claire spun around. "I'm not bad! I just need more time!"

The demon girl smiled, showing teeth that looked too sharp. She raised her hand, and Claire collapsed.

Mariza gasped and stumbled backward, her sneakers splashing in a puddle.