Brinks Academy (PART I)

THE BEGINNING…..

Summer’s over and the fall semester has begun. There's a cold chill in the air as six childhood friends, Brinks Finest, approach their haunted high school for the first day of their senior year. The school, infamously known for its dark past and eerie reputation, is rumored to be haunted by the vengeful ghost of a Hollywood starlet who was kidnapped, tortured, and brutally murdered on campus many moons ago. Thus, attracting millions of tourists every season who are intrigued and captivated by the dark past of Brinks Academy. But have no fear, these friends aren’t afraid, in fact, they are determined to uncover the truth behind the mystery of their school. As they walked through the creaky gates with security trailing behind, they could feel the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end.

The old building seemed to loom over them, casting a shadow that made them shiver. But they pushed their fear aside and walked confidently into the school, ready to start their final year at Brinks Academy and finally solve the mystery that could potentially make them even more famous. The friends have known each other since they were toddlers—being born into one of the six families in Brinks with money older than the eldest person in town, undoubtedly makes this friend group Brinks Finest.

There’s Christine, the teen media mogul and daughter of the richest man in town; Aqua, the rising TikTok influencer who sets trends all over social media; Jupiter, the teen A&R and talented poet who writes hit songs for artists signed to her father’s record label; Mary-Catherine, the darling philanthropist and lifestyle curator for Seventeen Magazine; Regina, the original mean girl and Miss Teen Rodeo USA, her ability to leave with the crown every pageant should be studied, and then there's Ginger, the ultimate fashionista who has styled numerous celebrities for Teen Vogue.

During lunch period, instead of going to the mall like they normally do, the friends decided to explore a forgotten wing of the school. Once they successfully distracted security, they cautiously made their way through the decrepit hallways, the dust and cobwebs seemed to whisper secrets of the past. The air was thick with an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of their footsteps echoing off the walls. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the hallway, causing the friend group to jump in fright. They turned to see a door swing open on its own, revealing a dark staircase leading down into the depths of the forgotten wing. Heart pounding with both fear and excitement, Christine was the first to speak up. "I think we should go down there and see what's causing all this commotion," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Everyone exchanged nervous glances, but ultimately, their curiosity got the best of them. With a shaky breath, they descended into the darkness.

As they reached the bottom of the staircase, they were met with a chilling sight. The walls were lined with old photographs of students who had attended the school many years ago. Some of the photos seemed to follow their every move, their eyes filled with a haunting gaze. As they explored further, they stumbled upon a room that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. On the wall were horrid photos of the murder and an old newspaper article from over 50 years ago. The headline read: "Murder at Brinks Academy: Hollywood Icon Found Slaughtered." The friends were shocked as they read the article, which detailed the unsolved murder of Dorothy Monroe, who had been found dead in the school gymnasium. Sick to her stomach from the disturbing mutilated images of the starlet, Ginger vomited and ran, accidently knocking over a vase with satanic drawings full of ashes—ending the young lady's exploration for the day.

The strong wind was howling outside the old school as Christine, Aqua, and Mary-Catherine walked to the ladies room. "What was that?" Mary-Catherine whispered, Christine and Aqua shrugged, trying to brush it off as just the wind or maybe a loose floorboard. But as the noises continued, growing louder and more menacing, it became clear that something was not quite right. Hearts pounding in their chests, the girls fled the scene, ultimately bumping into security who weren’t happy about the stunt they pulled and neither were their parents who were waiting on them in the principal's office, watching camera footage to find their whereabouts. Oddly enough, the camera glitched, somehow not showing the girls entering the forgotten wing, leading them to save themselves and come up with the perfect excuse for their sudden disappearance.

After school, the friends agreed to delve deeper into the dark history of the school despite the frightful experience earlier because they were intrigued and closer than ever to solving the mystery. With their likeness and influence, they were able to close the local library early to scour collectables and newspaper articles for hours. In which, they discovered an old yearbook that read “Nairam Nosredna class of 33’”, long before the school was named Brinks Academy. The girls were flabbergasted to see the dean of students, Cristina Santiago, and Dorothy Monore as teachers during that time. The girls began blurting out questions: Why did law enforcement and public officials hide the fact Dorothy Monore was a former teacher at the school before the merge? Did they pay people off and name the county Monroe after her to cover it up? Most importantly, how are Dean Santiago and Dorothy Monroe teachers in 1933 when Dorothy was murdered at age 27 in 1980 and Dean Santiago just waved at us in the hallway today?

Mid discourse, Regina and Jupiter found a newspaper showcasing the school’s hidden passageways with a satanic diary underneath that had the same symbol as the broken vase in the forgotten wing at the school. When they opened the diary, the first few pages detailed tragic events that had taken place in the forgotten wing of the school. According to the diary, during the 1930’s, Dean Santiago along with a group of male students had been experimenting with dark magic, summoning spirits from beyond the grave. Their reckless actions had unleashed a malevolent force that had plagued the school ever since. Based on the photos and names in the diary, it was evident that the male students involved in the satanic cult were the girls' grandfathers, shaking them to their core, ultimately giving them a massive brain freeze.

This is the moment when they realized that they were in too deep down the rabbit hole and couldn’t go back to their normal lives because if their grandfathers and Dean Santiago murdered Dorthy Monore,for whatever reason, selling the solved mystery to the public to boost their careers post high school was no longer an option, it had to be completely buried in the past, exactly where it belongs, but first they must get the answers to all of their questions, beginning with Dean Santiago.

TO BE CONTINUED…..