As I made my way down the school hallway, I noticed the three bullies gathered ahead. They halted right in front of me, grinning smugly. "What do you want, guys?" Shein asked the pair as Ruby bounced with excitement.
"Oh! Oh! I want a burger with fries!" she exclaimed cheerfully.
"I just want some sparkling water," Kate replied nonchalantly while scrolling through her phone.
"Got that, dog?" Shein said triumphantly, crossing her arms. "And I want a salad without tomatoes, understood?" She added a warning glare, suggesting there would be repercussions if I messed up.
Having just arrived, I found them demanding that I buy their snacks, a familiar situation for me. "Yes," I replied curtly and walked past them, prompting a gasp from Shein at my boldness. She opened her mouth to say something, but Kate interrupted her.
"Let's go to class," Kate complained boredly, and Shein reluctantly agreed. "Fine," she huffed.
After fetching their orders, I headed to class but noticed Hans in the hallway. He saw me and his face lit up with a smile. I simply watched as he approached. "Is that your snack? You sure eat a lot," he chuckled, eyeing the food in my hands.
I didn't want to reveal the truth and escalate the situation. "Yeah, I love snacks," I lied, offering a small smile. He studied me for a moment, sensing something off, but chose to let it slide. "I know, I know," he said with a laugh as he playfully ruffled my hair. Then he glanced at the band-aid on my forehead.
"I'm glad to see it's healing," he murmured quietly, and I nodded. "Yeah..." I replied before excusing myself. After saying our goodbyes, I stepped into the classroom.
"Are you and Hans a thing?" Ruby teased with a flirtatious grin. I simply shook my head while handing over their orders. Shein looked at her salad with a smirk. "It's nice to see you listened," she remarked as I clasped my hands together, watching Ruby and Kate enjoy their snacks-except for Kate, who was sipping her sparkling water.
As Shein chewed on her salad thoughtfully, she suddenly asked, "Did you know about the urban legend at this school, Percy?" It was an unexpected question from her, not typical behavior since she usually erupted with anger first. I felt cautious.
"No. Why?" I responded carefully. Her eyes widened in surprise, mirroring Ruby and Kate's astonishment, who were usually so indifferent.
"Are you serious?" Ruby gasped.
"This is the first time I've met someone who doesn't know the urban legend here," Kate said, finally setting her phone down to give me her full attention.
"Poor Percy. Let me explain," Shein said, taking another spoonful of salad and savoring the vegetables.
"There was a student who died here, Percy. They call him the 'Wisher.' He was a guy from the 1900s-smart and athletic, excelling in every subject and sport, quite popular. But there was something off in his mind. He was a psychopath and a sociopath who ended up killing everyone in the school out of curiosity about what it felt like to take lives. That's why millennials call him 'the Wisher'-if you summoned him correctly with his ritual, he would grant your wishes. But of course, there's a cost." Shein explained in a calm, soothing voice, maintaining her smile.
"What's the cost?" I asked, intrigued.
"Your heart," she replied, twirling her hair around her finger.
"But it's just an urban legend. It can't be real," Kate scoffed.
"It's still fascinating, though. We even know how to perform the ritual," Ruby winked at me, a broad grin on her face.
"Why are you all telling me this?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.
"Oh, relax~ we won't do anything to you," Shein paused with a mischievous smirk. "Yet," she added playfully.
"We're just weary of the same old routine for now. We want something fresh," Shein leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs.
"And what is it?" I inquired once more, and they couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "I really admire your curiosity, Percy," Shein said with a compliment.
"We want you to perform the ritual here, Percy," Ruby said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"But you don't need to worry about the supplies; we've already purchased them," Kate said as she picked up her phone again to play some mini-games.
I tried to process what they were saying. A ritual? They want me to summon an urban legend here at school? I know it's not real, but what if it is? And what if things go wrong?
"So?" Shein raised an eyebrow, awaiting my response, fully aware that she didn't really accept 'no' as an answer.
"When will we do it?" That question filled them with pride, knowing I was willing to go through with it.
"That's what we want," Shein said with a victorious tone. She leaned in closer, looking up at me. "Tonight. 12:00 AM. At this school," she whispered.
I swallowed hard and nodded. She gestured for me to return to my seat, and without a word, I complied, sitting down as I contemplated the possible outcomes of my choice to come here. What if they were deceiving me? What if, instead of participating in a ritual, they had plans to harm me? The thought sent chills down my spine.
I could only hope that it truly was a ritual. I believed I could handle it; after all, I was accustomed to seeing ghosts.
Hours went by, and classes concluded. The girls shared their numbers with me, temporarily adding me to their group chat, where I could see discussions about how they intended to bully me again. I even caught a glimpse of their plans. I sighed, thinking how irrational they were. I decided to take screenshots of their conversations as a precaution; perhaps it might save me one day.
Before heading home, I stopped by the clinic to chat with Hans. We shared a few laughs, and he even gave me a piece of candy. After that, we said our goodbyes. Hans couldn't accompany me home today because the teachers were having a meeting, so I was on my own.
I took the bus back home. Once I arrived, I began preparing for the night. I even did some research on the 'Wisher' and found various information online. While there were no limits to the wishes granted by the Wisher, the more wishes you made, the greater the price to pay. The ultimate price, it seemed, was to spend eternity in hell with the Wisher.
Checking the time, I realized it was nearing midnight. That's when I left the house and borrowed a bicycle from my neighbor. Well, to be honest, I kind of took it. The owner is elderly and doesn't lock their bike. I promise to return it once I'm done.
I leaned my bike against the wall upon arriving at the location. I spotted the three of them waiting for me behind the school. The gate was obstructing our path, but I had a plan. We would climb over it.
"Hi, glad you made it, Percy," Ruby said with a broad smile, while Kate simply nodded in acknowledgment.
"Let's go," Shein remarked with a grin as we all began to scale the barrier gate.
Together, we successfully entered the school. It was dark inside, with the lights off, and the atmosphere was quiet. We made our way to our classroom, where they started rearranging the chairs to create a large space for our ritual, and I observed them as they prepared.
Ruby drew a circle with a star in the middle, and Kate placed candles around the points of the star. Finally, Ruby pulled a knife from her bag and handed it to me. I flinched slightly but took it, unsure of what I was supposed to do.
"Listen closely, Percy. I need you to go into the center of the star and cut your wrist while repeating, 'Wisher, come out. Grant my wish and save me from distress' three times. Do you get it?" Shein said with excitement. I could hear Ruby squealing with delight. The three of them were buzzing with energy.
"Wait, why would I cut my wrist?" I gasped, horrified, but Shein grabbed my collar and pulled me closer, her breath warm against my face. "Just do it, you punk. Don't make us force you," she hissed before releasing me, causing me to stumble but thankfully not fall.
Nervously biting my lower lip, I stepped into the center of the star, noticing them encircle me, hands clasped, wearing broad grins.
The three began chanting something in Spanish, words I didn't understand but recognized as part of the ritual. When I saw the signal indicating I should speak, I shaky pressed the blade to my skin and sliced my wrist, a hiss of pain escaping my lips.
"Wisher, come out. Grant my wish and save me from distress," I recited once, blood trickling down to the floor.
"Wisher, come out. Grant my wish and save me from distress," I repeated.
Finally, "Wisher, come out. Grant my wish and save me from distress." I glanced around after finishing the incantation.
The three looked around, and when nothing happened, a silence fell until Ruby broke it.
"Well, so it's not real?" Ruby said in a bored tone.
"Let's get out of here," Shein said, walking to grab her bag. I remained standing at the center of the star, pressing my hand against my bleeding wrist, trying to staunch the flow. The pain was intense.
Maybe I should say it again? I'll give it another shot.
"Wisher, come out-"
Suddenly, a loud boom echoed through the classroom, causing us to fall to the floor. Ruby screamed in shock, along with Shein, while Kate clung to the wall for support.
"What's happening?!" Kate shouted, and as I attempted to stand, a cloud of black smoke materialized in front of me. My breath caught in my throat, and I realized I wasn't the only one witnessing it.
"Kate! Record this!" Ruby urged, a mix of fear and excitement in her voice. Kate nodded and hurried to start filming.
"Who's the earthly being that has awakened me?" a voice echoed as the shadow began to take shape. My eyes widened at the sight before me.
It was a man dressed in the same uniform as our school. His hair was dark, and his eyes glowed a crimson red. He chuckled menacingly, gazing down at me.
"Boo," he said with a wink.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" We all screamed as we bolted out of the classroom. I witnessed the man's head twist a full 360 degrees, adorned with a chilling smile, sending shivers down my spine.
"THE FUCKING URBAN LEGEND IS REAL!" Kate yelled in disbelief as we continued sprinting. We made our way back to the place we had entered earlier, climbing back over the barrier without daring to look back. All that occupied our minds was escaping that creature.
We jumped off the barriers, and I landed gracefully on the ground. I quickly grabbed my bike and rode away. I could hear them calling for me, but I ignored them, knowing they would leave me behind.
At last, I reached my home. I dismounted the bike, neglecting to return it to my neighbor. Once inside, I secured the door and collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily. My thoughts were racing after everything that had happened. It feels unreal. Truly unreal.
The ritual succeeded; we called forth the angry spirit. But what was the price? I realize that from this moment on, things are going to get difficult.