Chapter 5: Chasing Shadows

That night, the strange noises started up again.

The wind howled outside, rattling the old windows. Shadows flickered across the walls, and every creak of the floorboards set my nerves on edge. Savannah clung to her pillow, eyes wide.

Justin and Mr. White were still working on lesson plans. Savannah’s scream was so loud Justin ran to our door:

"What happened?"

He burst in, flashlight in hand, eyes wild. I tried to calm him, but the fear in the room was thick, almost suffocating.

I opened the door:

"Nothing, just someone trying to scare us."

I forced a laugh, hoping it would lighten the mood. Justin didn’t look convinced, glancing at the window.

When it was time to turn off the lights, I gave Savannah a look. She got it and lay fully dressed in bed. When the noise started, Savannah screamed, I flipped on the light, and there it was—a pale face.

The face pressed against the glass, eyes wide and unblinking. Savannah’s scream echoed, and I lunged for the lamp, flooding the room with light. The face vanished into the dark.

Mr. White came too. I told him and Justin what happened. Mr. White thought for a moment:

"Forget it. Just pretend it didn’t happen."

He sounded tired, resignation heavy in his voice. I could tell he’d seen too much, knew better than to poke at things best left alone.

But Justin, still young and stubborn, insisted on checking it out, flashlight in hand:

"Mr. White, I’ll go. You stay and look after Hall and Rivers."

His jaw was set, determination blazing in his eyes. Mr. White hesitated, then nodded, pulling out another flashlight.

Mr. White was middle-aged, his back bent from years of teaching. I looked at him, not sure who’d protect whom if things got real.

He caught my eye, giving me a reassuring smile. I realized then how much he cared, how much he was willing to risk for us.

He must’ve realized that too. Gritting his teeth, he pulled out some flashlights:

"Let’s all go. The school board knows we’re here—nothing major will happen."

He tried to sound confident, but I could see the worry etched in his face. Still, we followed him into the night, flashlights slicing through the dark.

"Let’s go."

Our footsteps echoed on the porch, night air sharp and cold. I pulled my jacket tighter, heart pounding as we stepped out.

After all our arguing, we stepped outside and immediately spotted a figure in the distance, almost like they were waiting for us.

The figure stood at the edge of the yard, motionless. A shiver ran down my spine, every instinct screaming to turn back.

The figure was small and thin.

She moved with a nervous energy, shifting from foot to foot. I squinted, trying to make out details, but the darkness swallowed everything beyond our lights.

In the mountains, once it’s dark, there’s barely any light. Folks save power where they can.

Only our flashlights and the faint glow of the moon lit the way. The silence was absolute, broken only by our boots crunching on gravel.

As soon as we pointed the flashlight, the figure bolted—definitely a local, moving fast and sure-footed. We chased after.

She darted between houses, feet barely making a sound. She knew these paths by heart, every twist memorized.

"Looks like a girl."

Justin whispered, breathless. I nodded, pulse racing as we tried to keep up.

"Yeah."

The others murmured, eyes scanning the shadows.

Our housing was a bit away from the rest. Once we reached the edge of town, the figure vanished.

We stood there, panting, darkness pressing in. Dread settled in my stomach—we were outsiders here, no question.

"Turn off the flashlights. Don’t wake anyone up."

Mr. White’s voice was low, commanding. We obeyed, plunging ourselves into darkness.

Justin, impulsive but obedient, clicked his off without a word.

He looked to Mr. White for what to do next, bravado slipping away.

Savannah asked:

"Why?"

Her voice trembled, fear and curiosity mixing.

"Because I know where she went. Don’t scare her."

Mr. White’s tone was gentle, almost fatherly. I realized he’d seen this before, knew the town’s rhythms in ways we never could.

I led everyone to the end of the street.

The gravel crunched underfoot, the only sound in the still night. My heart pounded as we neared the last house on the lane.

Katie’s house was there.

The porch light was off, but a faint glow shone from the kitchen window. A shiver ran down my spine—the pieces were falling into place.

"That was Katie?"

Justin’s voice was barely a whisper, disbelief coloring every word.

"Just a guess. If I’m wrong, we’ll see." I wasn’t wrong. Behind the house, we saw the figure again. She circled around, opened the cellar, and slipped away.

She moved quickly, melting into the shadows. The cellar door creaked open, then slammed shut.

Now everyone realized something was up.

The air was thick with tension. I saw fear in Savannah’s eyes, worry etched in Mr. White’s face.

Justin whispered:

"Katie led us here on purpose, didn’t she?"

His voice shook. I nodded, mind racing. There was a reason she’d brought us here.

"Why?"

Savannah was already at the cellar, turning back to ask:

"Should we go down?"

She stood at the top of the steps, flashlight in hand, breath coming in short bursts.

"We’re here, so let’s check it out."

I tried to sound brave, but my hands shook as I reached for the door.

As we all prepared to go, Mr. White stopped Savannah:

"We can’t all go down. If something happens, it’ll be a mess. You stay up here with me."

His tone brooked no argument. Savannah nodded, stepping back, face pale in the moonlight.