The next day after school, Rena, Jessy, and Kiara headed to Westbrook High's janitorial office. And this time they found Mr. Harrison mopping the hallway, his wrinkled face creased in concentration.
"Excuse me, Mr. Harrison?" Rena called out, approaching him cautiously.
The janitor looked up, surprise flickering across his face. "Oh, hello there. What can I do for you girls?"
Rena took a deep breath, trying to sound confident. "We were wondering if we could ask you a few questions about the old school building."
Mr. Harrison frowned, his brow furrowing. "The old building? What for?"
"We're just curious," Jessy piped up, flashing him a winning smile. "You know, legends and all that."
Mr. Harrison chuckled, shaking his head. "Legends, huh? Well, I suppose there's no harm in indulging a bit of curiosity. What do you want to know?"
Rena hesitated, exchanging a glance with her friends. "Well, we heard some rumors about... paranormal activity in the old building. Do you know anything about that?"
The janitor's expression turned serious, and he lowered his voice. "I've heard the rumors, yes. But in my opinion, they're just stories. There's no such thing as ghosts."
Jessy leaned in closer, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "But what if there is? Have you ever experienced anything... unusual in the old building?"
Mr. Harrison scratched his chin, lost in thought. "Well, there was one time. I heard strange noises coming from the third floor. Sounded like footsteps, but when I went to investigate, there was no one there."
Rena's heart raced. "Do you know anything about the history of the old building? Any... incidents that might explain the rumors?"
The janitor sighed, his expression growing somber. "I'm afraid I don't know much about the building's history. But I do know it's been abandoned for years. Too many bad memories, I suppose."
As they left the janitorial office, Rena couldn't shake the feeling of unease. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together, but they still had a long way to go.
Back at Rena's house, they gathered in her room to discuss their next move. Jessy flopped onto the bed, her mind racing with possibilities. "So, what now? Do we go back to the old building and investigate further?"
Jessy, with a furrowed brow, turned to Rena, "Hey, Rena, ask Jia if she's the cause of the curse.I mean, three more students died in similar situations like hers. Maybe she's seen something."
"I wish I could remember, but it's all a blur. But I know I didn't curse anyone."
Jessy's eyes widened in realization, "So, you might have seen something that could help us find the killer?"
"Sorry, Jessy, I wish I could help, but I didn't see anything about the other deaths. I'm just as clueless as you guys."
Rena, with a furrowed brow, interjected, "But do you remember seeing anything about the other students who died here? Are their ghosts lingering around too?"
"No, Rena, they aren't here. Maybe they've moved on to the other side, unlike me."
Rena couldn't help but make a snarky comment to light up the mood, "Maybe your evil deeds were so bad, even Satan didn't want you!"
Suddenly, Rena's hand punched her own face.
"Ow! Jia, stop controlling my body without permission!" Rena scolded.
Jia laughed mockingly. "Serves you right."
Rena, now furious, started to scold Jia. "You are the most annoying ghost ever. Just because you're dead doesn't mean you can do whatever you want!"
Jessy and Kiara, seeing Rena's usual energy return, smiled and began to calm her down.
Jessy chuckled, "Okay, Rena. We get it. But you seriously need to stop fighting with an invisible friend in public."
Kiara added, "Yeah, you're gonna make people think you've lost it."
"Alright, back to the topic," Jessy said, brushing off the playful banter. "So, are we going or not? "
Kiara chewed on her lip, deep in thought. "I don't know. What if we run into something... dangerous?"
Rena clenched her fists, her determination unwavering. "We can't let fear hold us back. If there's a chance we can help Jia remember who she is, we have to take it."
Jessy grinned, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "That's the spirit! So, when do we go?"
Rena glanced at the clock on her bedside table. "How about tomorrow after school? We'll have plenty of time to explore without worrying about getting caught."
Kiara nodded, a determined glint in her eyes. "Sounds like a plan. Let's do this."
As they finalized their plans, Rena couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. With her friends by her side, she was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. Even if it meant delving deeper into the mysteries of the old school building.
The next day after school, the trio of Rena, Jessy, and Kiara made their way to the old school building, clutching their bags tightly. As they sneaked in through a side entrance, Kyle happened to spot them. Curious and a bit suspicious, he decided to follow.
After trailing them for a while, he finally caught up. "Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Kyle asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what's with all the food? Are you having a picnic in this creepy place? You guys sure have a really weird taste in picnic spots."
Rena quickly tried to come up with an excuse, "Uh, we just thought...you know, it would be cool to check out the old building.This place is, um, historic! And, um, we got hungry, so we brought snacks."
Jessy nodded vigorously, "Yeah, historic. We thought we'd, uh, make a day of it."
"Yeah, right," Kyle said, crossing his arms. "You guys are hiding something. Spill it. Now."
Jessy nudged Rena, whispering, "He's not buying it."
Kiara tried to help, "Really, Kyle, it's nothing. We just wanted to explore and—"
"Exploring an abandoned building with snacks? Come on," Kyle insisted, his tone more serious. "Tell me the truth or I'm reporting this to a teacher. And trust me, you don't want that."
Realizing they couldn't escape this time, Rena sighed. "Alright, fine. But promise you won't think we're crazy.."
Kyle raised an eyebrow. "No promises. Just tell me."
Rena took a deep breath and explained everything about Jia, the ghost, and their plan to investigate the building. Kyle listened, his expression shifting from disbelief to confusion, and finally to worry.
"So, you're telling me there's a ghost, and you guys are trying to help her remember who she was?" Kyle asked, trying to wrap his head around it.
Rena nodded. "Yep, that's the gist of it."
Kyle ran a hand through his hair. "This is insane."
"Exactly," Jessy confirmed. "We know it sounds crazy, but it's true."
Kyle shook his head, still skeptical but more concerned about their safety. "Well, I can't let you guys do this alone. I'm coming with you."
Rena smiled, feeling a bit more relieved. "Thanks, Kyle. We could use the help."
Jessy grinned, "Good to have you on board. Let's hit the library first. We need to find those old records."
They decided to head to the library to search for old student records. As they walked through the dusty, dimly lit corridors, Jia took the opportunity to tease Rena.
"Wow, Rena, you're blushing just because your crush is here. That's so cute, " Jia taunted.
"And... well Kyle's quite the catch, right? I mean, if I were alive, I'd be all over him too. "
"Shut up, Jia," Rena muttered under her breath, trying to keep her cool. But the ghost's teasing continued, making Rena's face grow even redder.
Kyle noticed her discomfort. "Are you okay, Rena?"
"Yeah, it's just Jia being annoying," Rena admitted, feeling embarrassed.
Kyle laughed softly. "So, this ghost of yours has a personality, huh?"
"More like a pain in the ass," Rena grumbled, which made Jessy and Kiara giggle.
Trying to change the subject, Kyle started talking about their childhood. "Hey, remember that time we got lost in the woods behind our houses? We thought we'd never find our way back."
Rena chuckled, "Yeah, and you tried to convince us that we'd survive by eating leaves and berries."
Kyle laughed. "I was such a dork."
Suddenly their conversation got interrupted by a loud bang. Kiara let out a scream, jumping back. They turned to see a bunch of rats scurrying across the floor.
"Seriously? Rats?" Kiara groaned, clutching her chest. "This place is the worst."
Kyle tried to reassure her. "It's okay, Kiara. They're more afraid of us than we are of them. Let's keep moving."
Rena added, "Trust me, we've faced worse. Like Jia here."
"..... "
To be continued...