*** BRIAN MOORE***
(Alarm Ring)
Reine puts the pillow over her head, trying to block out the sound.
Rising from her bed in the small storage shed in the backyard of her parents' house, Reine sighed. As she stepped outside to greet the morning air, her heart felt heavy from yesterday's events.
Running around the garden was Nia, her second youngest sister.
"Nia, you're early as always. Did you water the plants?" Reine asked.
Nia nodded before returning to picking ladybugs.
Reine shook her head and went inside to get ready for the day.
As she sat down to eat a plate of rice and leftover fried chicken from yesterday's dinner, her mother asked, "Where are you heading this early in the morning?"
Reine forced a smile and said, "I'm heading over to a friend's house. I'll be back by 6 at the earliest."
--- Rodren Bell High School ---
(car parks)
"Are you sure about this?" asked Lilian.
Lilian Lee, a 25-year-old Asian woman standing about 5'3", had been Reine's friend since elementary school. They had stayed connected through the years.
"I'll handle everything, trust me," Reine reassured Lilian.
As they watched the high schoolers walk out the gate, Reine kept her eyes peeled for Tyler.
Just then, Tyler and Reine locked eyes. Tyler quickly avoided her gaze and walked back onto the campus.
"Wait—" Reine quickly followed behind.
"Tyler! Wait up! We need to talk!" Reine called out.
As Reine and Lilian catch up to Tyler, he avoids them,"I don't have anything to say".
Reine," What exactly happened Tyler? Why did you say it was your fault?"
Tyler walks forward fastly.
"Tyler!...Please!...at least for Brian–".
Just then, a school staff member approached. "Is something wrong, ma'am?"
Reine glanced at the staff member and shook her head.
Lilian caught up to Reine and tapped her shoulder, signaling it was time to stop.
Reine sighed, but just as they turned away, Tyler called out, "Wait!"
Reine smiled and turned back.
Tyler's eyes welled up with tears. "I'll tell you."
He led Reine to a nearby park, nestled within the neighborhood.
"It's here," he said, voice trembling.
Reine looked confused. "What happened here?"
"Brian was forced to go into the water naked," Tyler said, trying not to shake.
Down the park was a small creek.
"They... they beat him with a basketball, especially Dillian. Brian begged them to stop, but they just kept going. Everyone was laughing like crazy—like it was some sort of game," Tyler cried.
Reine scanned the area, taking in the serene yet haunting surroundings.
"I-I was there... behind the tree, watching as he got humiliated. I should've helped him or called the police—but I was too scared," Tyler broke down. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault, Tyler," Reine told him softly.
"But if I had stopped them, none of this would've happened. I was his friend, but I was too scared. I'm such a coward!" Tyler burst out, reliving the horrible scene.
Soon after, Tyler left, and night approached. Reine took a seat on a bench near the creek.
Lilian asked, "Here? Seriously? Reine, I don't think this is a good idea."
Reine reassured her, "This is the perfect spot. Just be on the lookout... please."
Lilian sighed, then nodded.
Reine positioned herself in a yoga pose, calming her mind and body. As her breathing slowed, an invisible grey fog began forming around her. Her surroundings slowly changed.
She found herself in a black, eerie scene with nothing but a lake and the sound of water. Now simply a soul, Reine got up from her body and approached the creek, now just a body of water.
Reine entered the water, swimming slowly toward the bottom of the water. As she roses up, she found herself in a different world, where the sound of desperate crying filled the air.
Everything was pitch-dark.
She saw someone sitting by a tree.
"Brian?"
Brian looked up, his face bruised and filled with tears. As soon as he saw Reine, he tried to lunge at her. His face turned pale, his voice morphing into a demonic scream. His eyes filled with darkness, his mouth full of sharp teeth and blood. Just before he could reach her, he was stopped by someone.
"My dear, come back to mother."
Behind Brian was a woman with long hair reaching her feet, her body skinny and pale. She seemed like any other spirit, but something about her was off.
As the woman hugged Brian, she said, "You're safe now, don't cry, my dear."
The woman looked straight into Reine's eyes and smiled.
As she embraced Brian, her skin began to expand and cover his body. Soon, half of her was nothing but a skeleton, and the other half was skin that had fully engulfed Brian.
Reine couldn't do anything. She knew that once Brian had crossed to the other side, it was nearly impossible to bring him back.
As Reine returned to her body, Lilian asked, "How'd it go?"
Reine just smiled.