“We’ll probably find out more when we investigate.” Xiang Chen said. “Everyone should split into groups of three. We’ll search the first floor together, but afterwards, we’ll go our separate ways. Meet back at the entrance in an hour.” 

 

Each group had at least one phone that could help them keep track of the time, and also had a flashlight to light the way. Naturally, Xiang Chen, Ben Shen, and Li Qianru were together in a group. 

 

“What time is it now?” Xiang Chen asked.

 

“It’s 11:15PM.” Li Qianru replied as she checked her phone.

 

“Okay, we’ll try to meetup on the first floor entrance at around 12:30AM.” Xiang Chen said to the others. Everyone nodded in understanding. 

 

Xiang Chen gripped the flashlight in his hand as the group of students made their way back to the old school. The air was tense as everyone remembered the crawling figure that had chased them out in the first place. 

 

Cautiously, Xiang Chen shined his flashlight into the main entrance of the school. There was nothing there; it was completely empty from the looks of it. Just like how it looked when they had first arrived. He flicked the light up and carefully scanned the ceiling; nothing above as well. 

 

Bai Shen gripped onto Xiang Chen’s left arm, and Li Qianru tightly clutched onto the sleeve of Xiang Chen’s right arm. Slowly, they made their way into the school and entered the long corridor of the first floor. 

 

“Let’s go to the left first.” Xiang Chen said as he remembered the peeking shadow that had watched him earlier today. Maybe they could get some clues if they searched the area where he had seen it. 

 

Xiang Chen led the group down the long corridor, passing by the rows of classrooms. They shined the lights inside the windows facing the hallway, quietly and diligently observing their surroundings with caution. When they passed by the stairs leading to the next floor, Xiang Chen paused for a moment. This was definitely right around the area where the shadow had been peeking its head out from. So it had been watching him from the stairs?

 

Just as Xiang Chen was about to step further ahead, he paused. A quiet sound had caught his attention. It sounded like… whimpering? Like someone was crying.

 

“Do you guys hear that?” Bai Shen whispered as he tightened his hold on Xiang Chen’s arm. 

 

“Hear what?” Shao Ming replied from behind them. 

 

Xiang Chen turned to the others and pressed a finger to his lips to silence them. Then his cupped his ear, relaying to them to listen quietly. Everyone was still as they silently listened to the sound. 

 

“Where’s that coming from?” Someone whispered. 

 

Li Qianru shivered, stepping behind Xiang Chen as she replied, “The girls bathroom…” She pointed in the direction a little further ahead of them. 

 

There were bathrooms right next to the stairs. The boys’ on the left and the girls’ on the right. As Xiang Chen quietly listened, he agreed with Li Qianru. It did seem like the crying was coming from the girls’ bathroom. 

 

He looked back at the rest of the group. Nine people in total being crammed into the girls’ bathroom would be a bit of a tight fit if they had to run out for whatever reason. 

 

“I’ll go check it out. Does anyone else want to come with me?” Xiang Chen asked quietly. 

 

It was quiet, but then Shao Ming stepped forward. “I’ll come. Maybe it’s Meimei.” 

 

“And if it’s not, then…” Xiang Chen reached down to pick up a crowbar that was lying against the wall. It was probably left in the school after they tried demolishing the old building. “Here, take this.” 

 

Shao Ming took ahold of the crowbar, and Xiang Chen held tightly onto the flashlight. The two of them stepped forward and cautiously entered the girls’ bathroom. The swinging door creaked shut behind them, swaying back and forth until settling to a stop. Xiang Chen and Shao Ming stood at the entrance, feeling the hairs on the back of their necks raise up. The quiet whimpering and crying sound came from the very last stall at the other end of the bathroom. 

 

Xiang Chen quietly motioned for Shao Ming to have the crowbar ready, just in case. Then they stepped forward into the dingy bathroom, avoiding dirty puddles and broken tiles. Their backs faced the mirrors on the walls as they carefully made their way to the very last stall at the end. 

 

The whimpering and crying sound had stopped. 

 

Xiang Chen glanced at Shao Ming who readied the crowbar in one hand. Shao Ming carefully reached out his left hand, pushing open the door to the last stall. 

 

It opened without much resistance because the lock was already broken from the outside. Xiang Chen shined the light in the last stall’s direction, so that as the door opened, the inside of it would become illuminated in light. 

 

“Meimei?” 

 

Shao Ming’s voice trembled quietly as he saw the young girl sitting on the toilet seat with her legs folded against her and her hands covering her ears. The young girl’s eyes were squeezed shut, and she was shivering in fear. Tears streaked her dirt-covered face, and she looked to be desperately trying to drown out whatever had scared her. 

 

“Meimei!” Shao Ming lowered his crowbar, quickly moving forward and hugging his sister. 

 

Xiang Chen was just about to warn Shao Ming but then the young girl opened her puffy eyes with a shocked expression on her face. “Gege, I was so scared ah!” The young girl cried, throwing herself into her brother’s arms. She buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing. 

 

Xiang Chen couldn’t afford to lower his guard. He furrowed his brows and spoke quietly. “We should keep our voices down and rejoin with the others.” 

 

Shao Ming looked grateful, quietly thanking Xiang Chen. “If it wasn’t for you convincing everyone to come back, I wouldn’t have been able to find Meimei.”

 

Xiang Chen gave a small smile. “Don’t thank me just yet. The night’s not over.” 

 

Shao Ming nodded, and then he gently helped his sister come out and supporting her as they left the girls’ restroom behind them. 

 

“It’s Meimei ah!” One of the other girls said as the rest of the female students surrounded her, looking visibly relieved. They all began bombarding her with questions. 

 

“What happened to you?”

 

“Was it scary?”

 

“How’d you end up in the bathroom?”

 

Meimei’s body was shaking lightly as she clutched onto Shao Ming for support. He gently guided her to the staircase so she could sit down and get her bearings. 

 

“Leave her alone ah, let her rest!” He said sternly.

 

Meimei shook her head lightly. “I-It’s okay, Gege. I’m f-fine now…” She took a deep breath before looking up to answer their questions. “W-When everyone ran off, I think I fell and hit my h-head. The next thing I remember, I woke up in the b-bathroom stall. I kept h-hearing noises a-around me, so I was too scared to l-leave…” 

 

Xiang Chen pitied the girl; she looked visibly shaken up, and her teeth kept chattering from the cold despite Shao Ming having taken off his outer uniform jacket for her. 

 

“Xiang Chen, Meimei needs to rest…” Shao Ming said as he looked at Xiang Chen with a pleading look in his eyes. 

 

Xiang Chen sighed, understanding the look in Shao Ming’s eyes. He wasn’t a cruel person, it wasn’t like he was going to force her to go along with them since she obviously had gone through a terrifying ordeal. But they also couldn’t leave her alone, so that meant at least one other person was going to be left out of the search later. “It’s fine. Just rest up.” 

 

“I’ll stay behind with Meimei on the first floor. We’ll be at the bottom of the stairs if you guys need anything.” Shao Ming said. 

 

Xiang Chen and the others continued walking up and down the long corridor, but they didn’t seem to find much. All of the doors were locked, and Xiang Chen was too cautious to try to break the glass to get in; it might attract unnecessary attention to them in their already precarious situation. 

 

After finding no clues and none of the other missing people on the first floor, the group then split up to go their separate ways.