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"Something must be wrong with the emergency generator," said Meredith. "I'll get Mr. Shelby."
"Can't we just finish tomorrow?" Bonnie said plaintively.
"Tomorrow's Saturday," said Elena. "And we were supposed to have this done last week."
"I'll get Shelby," said Meredith again. "Come on, Bonnie, you're going with me."
Elena began, "We could all go – " but Meredith interrupted.
"If we all go and we can't find him, then we can't get back in. Come on, Bonnie, it's only inside the
school."
"But it's dark there."
"It's dark everywhere; it's nighttime. Come on; with two of us it'll be safe." She dragged an
unwilling Bonnie to the door. "Elena, don't let anybody else in."
"As if you had to tell me," said Elena, letting them out and then watching them go a few paces down
the hall. At the point at which they began to merge with the dimness, she stepped back inside and shut
the door.
Well, this was a fine mess, as her mother used to say. Elena moved over to the cardboard box
Meredith had brought and began stacking filing folders and notebooks back inside it. In this light she
could see them only as vague shapes. There was no sound at all but her own breathing and the sounds
she made. She was alone in the huge, dim room –
Someone was watching her.
She didn't know how she knew, but she was sure. Someone was behind her in the dark gymnasium,
watching. Eyes in the dark, the old man had said. Vickie had said it, too. And now there were eyes on
her.
She whirled quickly to face the room, straining her own eyes to see into the shadows, trying not
even to breathe. She was terrified that if she made a sound the thing out there would get her. But she
could see nothing, hear nothing.
The bleachers were dim, menacing shapes stretching out into nothingness. And the far end of the
room was simply a featureless gray fog. Dark mist, she thought, and she could feel every muscle
agonizingly tense as she listened desperately. Oh God, what was that soft whispering sound? It must
be her imagination… Please let it be her imagination.
Suddenly, her mind was clear. She had to get out of this place, now. There was real danger here, not
just fantasy. Something was out there, something evil, something that wanted her. And she was all
alone.
Something moved in the shadows.
Her scream froze in her throat. Her muscles were frozen, too, held motionless by her terror – and by
some nameless force. Helplessly, she watched as the shape in the darkness moved out of the shadows
and toward her. It seemed almost as if the darkness itself had come to life and was coalescing as she
watched, taking on form – human form, the form of a young man.
"I'm sorry if I frightened you."
The voice was pleasant, with a slight accent she couldn't place. It didn't sound sorry at all.
Relief was so sudden and complete that it was painful. She slumped and heard her own breath sigh
out.
It was only a guy, some former student or an assistant of Mr. Shelby's. An ordinary guy, who was
smiling faintly, as if it had amused him to see her almost pass out.
Well… perhaps not quite ordinary. He was remarkably good-looking. His face was pale in the