• Children passed by room 222. Everyone had always said that it was the place where Miss Hort, the vice principal, locked all the bad children who broke the really big rules. But no one dared to go in, or even touch the door for that matter, because that was the number one rule. Do NOT go near room 222.

    Dear, whoever gets this,
    Please read this! My life is on the line! Have you ever heard the rumors about miss Hort, how she only has a black pit where her heart should be, how she locks children in room 222 when they disobey and doesn't give them basic necessities to live, like food, water, and A BATHROOM, well those and many others are true. And I just happened to be one of those idiots who disobeyed rule #1.
    My friend Miranda Clark and I, being the dimwitted 7th grade thrill seekers we are, wanted to test the rumors, to see if there really was anything wroth hiding in here. I guess we figured that if we did find anything we could blackmail Miss Hort until she quit, or if there was nothing we'd have less to be afraid of. A win-win, right? Wrong!
    We snuck out of our dorms at 11, past curfew, figuring that she wouldn't catch us. It's not hard to sneak into the school. We'd made it in easily, both figuring that was the hard part. The school’s creepy at night. The floor’s almost got a purplish glow. No one was there and everything felt empty. It was so cold.
    We passed room 219, 220, 221. Finally, Maria and I made it to the "horrid" room 222. I began feeling nervous. My hands got clammy and my heart started to race. We flipped a coin on who would open the door- neither of us wanted to- and I won. Slowly, Miranda reached for the doorknob, opening it. And what we saw in there nearly made my heart stop.
    Do you remember Sarah Mores? The girl who went missing two months after she started a petition to get rid of Miss Hart? Well there she was, laying her head on an ancient, dusty desk. At first I didn't recognize her. Sarah's cheeks were sunken in and she looked like she hadn't eaten in days. Her hair was frazzled and her arms and face were covered in scars and bruises. The only thing peaceful looking about her was her closed eyes, as if she was asleep.
    Miranda and I turned around simultaneously, ready to bolt, when there she was. Miss Hort. Her eyes looked soulless in the dim light. She smiled down at us, revealing her yellow, crooked teeth. "Well now. What do we have here?" She said this through her teeth, her mouth still smiling but her eyes glaring. "Two little rule breakers, eh?" her fake smile then faded into a sinister glare "Who? Who's idea was it to disturb poor little Sarah in her sleep?"
    I nervously glanced back at Sarah out of the corner of my eyes to see if she was alive. To my relief, I saw her chest move up in down. She was breathing. Barely, but she was still breathing. I looked up again, and took in a deep breath. "It was me. My idea. All me." Miranda stole a nervous glance at me, obviously not keen on the idea of me sacrificing myself. Miss Hort suddenly grabbed Miranda's arm. She'd said something inaudible and Sarah rose out of her seat. She walked out of the door and fell onto the bitter woman. Sarah was an even more horrifying image up close. She was bleeding from some of her cuts, the blood dripping to the floor. Her face was blank, and her eyes were completely gone. Just empty black holes. The peppy Sarah everyone had known was completely gone.
    Miss Hort shoved me into room 222 and slammed the door. I could hear Miranda's desperate screams and pleas. "Now, now, darling, have you ever been to the pond? It's so beautiful there." Miss Hort gave a dramatic pause while Miranda calmed down, probably confused. "Especially from the bottom!" This was followed by evil laughter on Miss Hort’s part and more screams from Miranda.
    I've tried to get out. Obviously the door didn't work. And of course the room doesn't have windows. The only furniture is Sarah's desk (as I've decided to call it), the teacher's desk, and the teacher's chair. Blood stains cover Sarah’s desk, which makes it hard to approach, but I've gone around it, examining. Inside I found some papers and pencils, which I’m using now. Underneath the desk someone wrote a whole list of names. I recognize some of them as other people who have been reported missing. And on the bottom, right next to Sarah’s, is my name.
    It's horrible in here. I can't tell whether its night or day, its always dark. Sometimes there are voices, but I can’t tell which are real and some are just my imagination. Some scream for help, but I know there’s nothing I can do.
    Please, if you are reading this, tell the police, tell the school board, tell someone! I think it’s too late for Miranda and Sarah, but someone has to put a stop to this. I’ve only been here for a few days, (though I don’t know how long exactly) but I can tell worse than what I’m dealing with now is yet to come.
    Please, please help, Cilia Rod

    Mrs. Hort walked by room 222 late in the night, when she noticed the corner of a note barely peeking out from under the door. She pulled it out and read over the note, then crumpled it up and it away. “Pathetic,” she mumbled. It wasn’t the most pathetic attempt she’d seen, but it would never work, obviously. Slowly, paced off, down the hall.