1 001 Phone Call

She carefully observed her surroundings and snuck past the hallway, hiding in a locker's shadow just in time to remain undiscovered. Once her pursuer left the hallway, she slowly stepped out from her hiding place and cautiously made her way to her destination. She checked her surroundings once again before finally dashing out of the entrance at top speed.

As soon as she made it out, she took a left turn and hid before she could be spotted. She crouched there, breathing out in short gasps as she slowly peeked around the corner to see if her pursuer was closeby. Not seeing the presence of a single being, she let out a sigh of relief.

She turned her back to the building trying to get as far from it as she could. She finally felt some hope when the gate was in sight. Almost there. Once she crossed that gate, they wouldn't be able to catch her. She was just a few more steps from it when her heart suddenly chilled. She turned around and a tall shadow loomed above her.

"Are you trying to escape?" The shadow asked.

The setting sun's rays fell upon her and she squinted her eyes, unable to see the shadow's face. However, she had no need to. The voice made chills run down her spine. She could recognize it anywhere...

She heard it every day, after all.

.

.

The shadow was her physics teacher. And the building she was escaping from was her school.

Let us go back to the beginning of the event and try to understand what it is that we just saw...

.

The physics teacher made her way through the open corridor towards her next class, as the break was about to end. She could hear the shrieks of a few students playing around, however, she paid them no mind. 'If they are late to class, I will punish them.' She thought.

Amongst what she assumed were joyful shrieks, she heard a particular name that made her stop in her tracks. She turned to look at the source of the noise in apprehension. When that name was involved, it was never a good thing.

She looked at the ensuing chaos and realized that the 'joyful shrieks' were in fact screams of anguish.

She was just about to step in and stop the pandemonium when a shoe came flying at her face. She still held her expression from cracking and said, "If there is an issue, report it. Why do you try to deal with it through violence?"

Yet her words fell on deaf ears as the person showed no signs of stopping. Finally having had enough, the physics teacher bellowed, "Amber! Get here this instant! You have three seconds!"

When she heard these words, Amber stopped and hopped over to her physics teacher.

"How many times have I told you not to deal with them through violence? Do you not understand when I say that you should report it?"

"But Mrs. Ferguson, they don't learn their lesson unless they are taught with fists. This group has come here twice before already and they still don't learn!" Was the response.

Mrs. Ferguson was not convinced. "You will stay after school today and clean the pool. Summer is about to start and it is about time to scrub the pool clean."

"Mrs. Ferguson?!"

"I won't hear any excuses. I will see you after school ends."

...

This was the reason Amber was in a rush and also the reason she was caught. Mrs. Ferguson was already aware that the girl would try to leave and was prepared.

Amber was dragged unwillingly to the school pool and handed a scrubbing brush.

"All the best. I will be watching you." Mrs. Ferguson said as she took a seat in a corner and started grading tests.

Amber sighed and grudgingly started scrubbing.

The soft rhythm of the scrubbing brush sounded in the distance for a little longer than an hour before it was broken by the sound of an incoming call.

Amber stopped scrubbing and looked up at Mrs. Ferguson to confirm if she could pick up the call. Seeing that the middle-aged lady didn't move, she dug her phone out of her pocket and answered.

"Hello?"

"Amber?" The person on the other side asked solemnly.

"Wilson." She said, her heart feeling the ominous tone. This man always joked around. Always. Just what could have made him so serious?

"Amber... "

At his next words, Amber's eyes opened wide and she almost dropped her phone.