Hellraise Academy Ch 1

Chapter 1

I stepped off of the bus and felt the gritty road crunch under my feet.
The scenery was washed out and grey. Crows perched on the dead tree branches that lined the road.

"You'd be wise to continue with caution," the hooded driver warned.
"What do you mean?" I asked turning my head.
"That's one scary ass school your going to. You some sort of crazy person?"
I looked at him confused.
"No, I don't really have a choice anymore. My parents don't want me to retake Jr High, so I was sent here" I said, shifting my bag strap into a more comfortable position.
The driver glanced down and chuckled quietly.
"You're a brave lass" he smirked. "If you go up that road, it will take you straight to the front gates" he directed, pointing to a pathway ahead.
I thanked him and followed his finger down the path.
"Hells gates" he whispered to himself as he closed the bus doors and drove off, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

I carefully followed the path through ever thickening patches of dead forest trees, trying not to get lost.
The trees were bare and lifeless. Their intertwining top branches were closing out the light and it grew darker with each step. The soil was loose and grey, almost like volcanic ash. I knelt down and took in a handful and examined it closely. It had a chalky texture and smell to it.
"This soil is dead and un-nourished, just like these trees" I said, as I let the remains slip through my fingers.
I brushed the remaining dust off my hands and continued forward.
Shadows were engulfing me all around and a chilly breeze swept over my skin that made me shiver in my boots. As I rummaged through my bag while walking at the same time to dig out my sweater, I felt my foot get caught on something and I fell flat on my chest, dust landing in my wide open mouth.
I groaned in pain as I lifted my upper body off the ground with my elbow and spat out the dust that landed on my tounge. Once my mouth was cleared, I turned my head to look behind me to see what I stumbled over. My eyes quickly widened in fear and my body instinctively forced itself to crawl backwards away from it as fast as possible. Because what I had tripped over was a human skull.
I got onto my knees and jumped to my feet and began to run screaming. I didn't care about the branches that slapped against my arms and face cutting into me, the only thought in my head was to get away. The darkness was starting to lighten up as I came to a clearing.
I was relieved to see the light of day once again. I stood there, slouching over grasping my knees for support as I tried to catch my breath. Fresh tears were stinging my eyes. Once I had slowed my heart rate, I wiped my eyes with my sleeve.
I sat down on a fallen log to examine the cuts that I had gotten while running. Thankfully, they were only surface scratches and didn't cut through too deep at all. I rummaged through my binders and sketch books for my occasional drawings, and dug out a packet of napkins, and wiped the blood away.
After my wounds were cleaned, my ear fliched at the sound of a snapping twig and crows flying away squaking to their other companions to take flight.
I lifted my head and turned my gaze towards the sound.

"Hello?" I asked. "Is anyone there?"
The only response that I got was the echo of my voice.
I throughly scanned my suroundings, senses alert and on the look out for any suspicious movement or sound.
Once, twice over, I figured that I was alone and dabbed the remaining blood dry and stuffed the napkin into a plastic ziplock bag that I used for any garbage that I had. I dug out my jacket and slipped it on as another wind sweapt across me. After zipping it close, I checked my watch and remembered when my new school was suppose to start. According to my watch, it was 8:23AM. The Academy didin't start till 8:50AM, so I had some time left before I had to attend class, but I gathered up my supplies and began to walk again. I thought it would be a good idea to walk around the actual ground and get familiar to the building and other students and teachers.
I combed back a loose strand of hair and straightened out my clothes till they were dirt and wrinkle free. I want to make a good first impression now don't I?

About 10 minutes up the road, I came across a decaying sign with faded words in red paint that said 'HellRaise Academy, Dead Ahead'
I was relieved that I was close. There was nothing more that I wished right now than to get out of this forest and start classes, meet new friends, and make a fresh start to my high school year.
Another 15 minutes into the walk, I came across a large iron gate with the letters formed into the spiral design 'HR'. Probably short for 'HellRaise'.
I walked up to the gate and and called out to see if anybody was around.
No body answered my call, yet again.
I slipped my jacket sleeve back to check the time again. It was 8:48AM. So I guess that the gates only opened at 8:50AM.
I slid off my bag and leaned against one of the large brick coloumns that held the gate door.
My eyes were gazing into the forest, nothing was living. I felt sorry for the hundreds of trees that didn't get the attention they needed, and were left to die. Scanning the scrubs and shadows all around, I saw something move.
My senses instinctively sharpened and I shot upward, elevated by my tensed arms.

"Who's there?" I called.
A shape was forming out of the dusty shadows. A walking human shape.
"Hello?" I asked.
The shape stopped and stood there starring back at me.
"I'm Leslie, what's your name?"
The shape's head cocked to the side as if it was confused.
I awaited an answer, but it did not speak. It started to walk again its slow pace.
I crawled to my feet and waited to greet the person. He seemed to be wearing a kind of clothing that covered his entire body, like overalls, and his hair was wild and out of place. My idea of a 'friendly greeting' started to slowly escape my mind as he got closer.
I backed up a bit and leaned against the gate door shaking slightly.
Once he had reached the edge of the forests shadow, he stopped and stared once more.
I squinted a bit into the pathway, and could make out 2 dark, souless abyssys of blackness for eyes piercing through the smog.
It was as if they were looking into my soul, his ghostly appearence frightened me till I was still as stone.
I looked at my watch and it was 10 seconds away from being 8:50AM.
I slowly stepped back further into the gate bars till they were digging into my upper back and shoulder blades, not taking my eyes off of the stranger in the shadows.
I counted backward's from 10 in my head. When I was at the 7 second mark, the stranger started to walk again. He was a tall, strong man who was wearing a white mask and tattered blue overalls with dried brown stains all up and down his body. His mask's brown hair was dirty and out of its original place.

I was absoulutly terrified and spun around. I needed to cry out, someone had to hear me.

"Someone, please open the gate!"

I turned to look back over my shoulder at the masked stranger, and he was getting closer.
The methodical way he approached, with no hurry as I attempted to shift my weight backwards and open the gate myself. What was I thinking? This gate have had to be at least a tonne!

Finally, my 10 second's were up, and something clicked near the top of the gate.
I looked up and saw the 'H' and 'R' cursive written tails unwind and the gate started to open.
I checked back over my shoulder and he was only a few feet behind me.
The gate's open slit was widening too slow. So in a quick attempt, I flung my bag over my shoulder and squeeze through. Thankfully, it was wide enough and managed through.
I let out a sigh of relief and made a break for it into the door.

I burst through the doors so fast, I accidentally ran into a passing student.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" she said.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" I whined.

The girl that I had run into was freaky! She had long black hair that went down to her lower back and had a red streak going down her left side near her face. Her skin was deathly pale, she had one red eye, and the other one was violet. She was wearing a strange looking glove that held razor sharp knives on its fingertips that could easily cut through flesh if need be. Her teeth were sharpened to a point where they could be mistaken for Great Whites!

"You're not from around here, are you?" she asked.
"No, this is my first year" I said.
As I was straightening my clothes, she was eyeing me like I was some sort of weirdo. Look who was talking.
"What?" I asked.
"Its...the way you look" she said, raising an eyebrow.
I looked down and checked myself front to back. There was nothing wrong about the way I looked.
"What about it?" I asked again.
She smirked.
"Let's just say there is a rumour around here that the pecking order here is crazy. If you want to rule the roost, you gotta look pretty damn scary"
That didn't suit my fasion taste.
"What do you mean?"
"If you take a good look around here, you'll see what I mean. I'm Scissors by the way" she said extending her hand that wasn't gloved.
"I'm Leslie" shaking it with a slight tremble.
"If your fear is noticable, the students here won't leave you alone"
My eyes widened and I looked around the empty hallway.
"In about 5 minutes, the halls are going to be flooded with mad men" she said as she turned to walk away. "Take care"
"Thanks for the heads up" I waved.
I took a moment and thought about what she meant.
"Flooded with mad men". So they seem a little out of whack, nothing different than my little brother. I sighed and slouched at that horrid thought. I came here to get away and an education, I hope I'm wrong.

"If my fear is noticable". I am kinda jumpy, so that scratches me being alone.

"To rule the roost, you gotta be scary". Why? Whats so good about being scary? Even if everyone here is crazy about horror and goth, I don't think I can change my personality and fashion so easily. My blonde hair would probably show through any dye that I would put into it cause its so bright. My clothes are soft and fleecy so leather and chains won't do. And my skin is a light tan, its would take months for it to go as white as Scissors.

If I didn't want to be late for class, I should probably fill my new locker later and head to my classroom now than have to deal with the sea of people that Scissors mentioned.
I pulled out the brochure of the school and followed the map that was printed inside.
Room 10B, my new home room.
Peering inside the door window, I knocked.

"Hello?" I asked opening the door wide enough to slip my head though.
There was no one present in the class, so I invited myself in, closing the door behind me gently. The room was painted a light pine color that reflected off the suns rays as they shone through the windows blinds. I quietly walked over to an empty desk near a window at the back of the room, and slid down into the seat. It was very quiet, hard to believe that there was anybody in the building. I scooted a few inches over and opened the window. A fresh autumn breeze swept into the room and whirled around me like a vortex, sucking me into a feeling of tranquility.
I pulled my bag up onto the desk and slipped out one of my sketch books.
Flipping through my countless pictures of wolves and anime anthros, I stopped when I reached a fresh blank page.
I grasped hold of my pencil and thought of something to draw for the next couple of minuets.
Nothing came to mind, so I went back flipping through my book again, hoping some kind a spark of inspiration would shock me.
I hopelessly flipped back to the blank page and just let my hand glide flawlessly across the paper.

I just starred out the window, looking around to see if anybody was outside or would walk by the windows from the hall across. I saw glimpses of moving shapes walk by, but didn't see their faces quite well.
A little later, the bell rang and soon the halls were buzzing with activity. I couldn't make out how many people were out there, bot not many of  them spoke, but they sure did leave loud stomps. I looked back to view what my hand had created. I gasped when I saw what I had unintentionally drawn. The white masked man in the tattered blue overalls that stalked me down the path earlier this morning. His image must have been fresh in my mind, cause each detail of his rubber mask was exactly how I saw him. His onyx black abyss's that served for his eyes pierced through me and made my head spin. Full of insanity and evil, it felt like he was engulfing my soul just by looking at a picture of him.

When I finally heard the rattle of the doorknob, I quickly shut my book and shoved it back into my bag. I don't know why I shoved it in so quickly. Was it because I was scared of what people would think? I don't know, but it was safe in my knapsack. Out of sight, out of mind.

The door opened and a flood of students charged in.
I gasped and quickly dove my face into a book. A chill sped up my spine and my heart began to race. These students were horrifying! They were exactly as Scissors had described them. The way to rule the roost was to be visually terrifying, I hope that didn't mean they were physically just the same!
They were slow paced walkers, almost like a beast stalking his prey. Most were masked to hide their faces, but some didn't care and showed their either deformed, melted, or scarred skin. Most carried a weapon with them in their pockets, hung them by their belts, or carried them 24/7, some of them were stained with red trickles or splatters, thankfully they were not recent, but still.
Out of the mob of horror, one stood out from them all. He wore tattered overalls and a white rubber mask with brown synthetic hair.
It was him! I shot my face into my crossed hands and squeezed my hand on my chest in a hopeless attempt to slow my heart rate.
I took a small peek out of the corner of my eye and saw him stare coldly at me, without a word. He walked towards me with no hurry and took a seat right across from me without taking his eyes off of me. I hesitated and slowly started to sit upright, attempting to conceal my fear, but was failing miserably as I felt my legs tremble beneath me.
Thankfully, I saw a familiar face waltz in, and a smile of hope creased across my lips.

"Scissors!" I waved.
"Hey Leslie!" she waved back.
The masked man took his eyes finally off of me and slowly turned his head to Scissors.
"So Les, I see you've met Michael?" she said.
I turned my gaze to the man beside me. "Your Michael?" I asked.
His rubber mask nodded slowly.
I smiled and held out my hand to give him a friendly shake. He just looked at it and cocked his head to the side.
"Im Leslie, sorry about running away from you, I was just a little jumpy this morning"
He didn't say anything in response, the only sound that came out of him were shallow breaths.
"Um, Michael can't talk" Scissors said tapping a razor on her desk amused.
"What do you mean he can't? Is dumb or something?" I asked.
Michael flinched and grunted annoyed by the insult.
"No, no. That's not the kind of dumb im talking about!" I said frantically. "Dumb means that your unable to speak".
With that cleared out, Michael tilted his head to the side. After a while, he understood and nodded slowly.
"You don't know who Michael is?" Scissors asked.
"Should I?" I asked.
"Michael Myers. He is Haddonfields most notorious serial killer"
My eyes widened and I felt my jaw drop in shock and fear. My hands began to tremble on my desk.
"What?!" I shouted.
All of a sudden, the class went silent and all eyes were on me. I smiled nervously and sank into my desk as I felt my face flush out red embarrassed by my sudden outburst. All I wanted to do was disappear from view. Scissors couldn't help but laugh. Once the silence was broken, everyone went back to what they were originally doing.
"Michael killed his older sister Judith Myers when he was 6 years old on Halloween. His Doctor, Samuel Loomis, tried to help Michael pycologicly for 7 years, then another 8 trying to keep him locked up. Because what he believed what was behind those black eyes of his was nothing, but pure evil and insanity that could not be controlled by any human being"
At that moment with all this info being told to me all at once, I could feel my head go light and I was gasping for air. I had been holding my breath the whole time.

"You ok?" Scissors asked.
"You think im ok?!" I scowled. "The man beside me is a phyco killer!"
"Him and every other person in this room! Course except for you it seems"
In that moment, my body stiffen up, and I became still.
"What do you mean?" I asked in a quivering voice.
Not breathing or thinking. Time had slowed down, and everything was going black.
"Leslie!" Scissors cried.
I had gone limp, and Michael quickly dove for me as I slipped off my seat into his arms.
I was shaking in his grasp, consciousness slowly fading away. A crowd had must have gathered around us, cause I could hear heavy footsteps quickly approaching.

"Step back! Give her some air!" I heard Scissors snarl bearing her teeth.

Michael positioned my body till I was sitting in his lap lying across his shoulder. He looked down at me concerned. If what Scissors said was true, and everyone here is a killer. Why was Michael showing me Sympathy? This doesn't make sense.
The last thing that I remembered was Michael's chilled touch before everything slipped away and gone black.

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I awoke in a bright, white room on what appeared to be a bed concealed with a curtain that wrapped around it completely.

"Am I in the hospital?" I asked weakly.
My words must have been heard, cause a pair of footsteps were approaching.
The curtain was pulled aside and Michael peeked in.
I let out a shrilled scream and threw the white sheet over my head, pleading for him to leave.
Several minutes must have passed, but it felt like an eternity when I heard what sounded like a chair being pulled up beside me. I peeked out of the corner of my eye and saw Michael starring back at me.
I could feel fresh tears well up in my eyes and was starting to cry into my pillow.

"Go away!" I screamed frightened.
He leaned over and placed his hand on my shoulder, probably trying to assure me that he wasn't going to hurt me. I don't care if he tried to comfort me in any way, he had killed and destroyed lives of men, women, and children. He was a monster.

"Don't touch me!" I snapped at him, ripping my shoulder from his grasp. I couldn't tell what was truth or fiction anymore. Is Michael really just a souless shape driven by the need to kill? Cause right now he was trying to comfort me, but I wasn't going to take any chances if what Scissors said was true.
There was a long and erie silence between us. Just the sound of my crying was heard, till another set of footsteps were approaching.

"Michael, I think you need to go" said a voice from behind the curtian.
He turned his head slowly towards the person.
The curtain opened and there stood a balding middle aged man wearing a white lab coat holding a clipboard, with a look in his eye that screamed insanity. My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest and my spine would freeze at how many chills raced down it.
I began to sob so hard that it hurt to breath with how much fear I was in.

Michael took another long, concerned look. He reached out for my arm, but the man in the coat placed his hand on his shoulder and gave his head a slow shake. "No Michael. She can't deal with anymore stress right now. It seems to me that you're scaring the daylights out of her with your presence, I'm afraid you're going to have to leave her to me"
Yeah, no shit he's scaring me, Sherlock.

I heard Michael give a hesitated sigh of frustration and rose from the chair. He turned and gave one last look before leaving.

"Thank you" I said to him recovering from my shivering fear.
The man smiled and looked over his clipboard, possibly with my medical info on it. "You're Miss Leslie, correct?"

"Yes I am" I replied.

"You took quite a load on yourself in class today, you would probably have a pretty sore head bout now if Michael let you fall head first on the tile. He was the one who brought you in actually"
it
"Michael brought me here? Where exactly is here?" I asked looking around.

"The school infirmary. You've been unconscious for almost an hour. Im Dr. Lecter, But you can call me Hannibal if you wish"
I could feel a smile crease on my tear stained cheeks and nodded politely.

"Now, can you tell me anything about as to why you fell limp?" Dr. Lecter asked with a pen ready in his hand.
Looking back to this morning, all I can remember was Michael stalking me through the woods on the way here, Scissors handy advice, and her telling me Michael's childhood blood bath. As I explained it to him, his facial expression was turning more and more interested as I continued further into the story.

"Very interesting" he stated as he scribbled something down on his note pad. "So you are not fully aware of these students own little... criteria?"

I slowly shook my head as my tremors slightly little by little came coming back. I could already feel my hands quiver in my lap and my eyes widen in fear of the thought of what would happen when I returned to class. If I returned alive.
I lowered my head and could feel another tear sneak its way into my eye.

"You should get some rest. You've been through a lot today" Dr. Lecter said as he stood up to leave.

I looked up and quickly wiped my eye. This man is the most generous person I have ever met. It must be tough working with the mentally disordered and disfigured here. I smiled the sweetest that I could and lied my head back on the soft pillow.
I could see out of the corner of my eye him smile back and slowly sliding the curtain closed.
I let out a sigh of tranquility and slowly began to close my eyes as my eyelids grew heavy. In a matter of minuets, I was fast asleep, lost in my own little dream world.