Rene lay huddled underneath the gray scratchy blanket. Whispers could be heard but she dared not peek her head out for she was scared about what her eyes might see. Maybe she had been delusional and just thought she saw a creepy woman through the mirror? But she had been so close that it had to be real! Right?

As she lay there, her tears drowning the paper she fingered her jaggedly cut hair and couldn't believe Ivan had had the nerve to do that! Who in their right mind cuts someone else's hair without permission! No one that's who. Unless you're evil like he was. She wondered what her mother would say or do upon seeing her hair. Hopefully she wouldn't get punished since it wasn't her fault but a classmates. Hopefully hrt mother would have some sort of kind feelings towards her since her hair was her pride and joy. But mostly she hoped that her mother would keep her home for a few days, that way she could sleep in and do the things that she wanted to do instead of dreading every morning and especially the walk home when the bullies would nearly chase her all the way home.

"Let me go check." She heard Raina's soft voice say as her heeled shoes clickety clacked it's way over to the bed. Then the blanket was lifted from her head and Raina's head entered her sacred place.

"Hi hon. Are you okay?" Rena nodded her head

"Suppose so." She said quietly.

"Wel good because the principal and the school's officer want to talk to you."

"What about?" Raina touched her hair and Rena understood. Rena pulled off the blanket and stood to her wobbly feet. She let Raina guide her down the hallway of the office to Principle Josh Gravy's door. She knocked once and then opened the door. Principle Gravy sat at his desk with his large hands folded in front of him. He was tall like a beanstalk and had a shiny bald head with vibrant blue eyes peering out behind bushy eyebrows.

"Raina, Rena, please, come in." He said smoothly as he motioned towards the two plushy chairs in front of his desk. Raina tried to protest but Principle Gravy dismissed her rapidly and so they slowly took their seats.

"What did you need to see me about?" Rena asked quizzically.

"I heard that there was an incident in class today, something to do with how your hair looks now." Rena cleared her throat nervously as she fiddled with her chopped locks.

"Yes, there was an incident. He chopped my hair and I hit him. I know I shouldn't have but I was so mad and tired." She replied as she made her hands into fists

"Tired of what?" Principle Gravy pressed on. Rena inhaled and exhaled letting her hands go flat upon her knees.

"Tired of-" Rena paused. Unsure if she should say what was on her mind or not.

"Of?"

"Of being picked on day after day. Tired of being called ugly and weird. Tired of having my fingers slammed into doors. Tired of being laughed at because I like to study. I'm tired of having to watch my back all the time." Rena finished and glanced down at her feet. The quietness burned her ears as she slowly looked up at Mr. Gravy who was staring at her with wide eyes and his mouth shaped into an O.

"Rena. . . I-I don't know what to say. I feel like I failed you as Principle. As a principle, I should be aware of what's going on in the school. After all, we only have forty students, I should be able to keep track of every single one of you."

"You didn't fail me. It's not your job to keep track of everyone. The people that failed are the teachers that didn't notice and stop the bullying. Students that saw the bullying and didn't help, that's who failed."

"So. . . do you think we-I need to do a better job of educating the staff on this issue?" Rena didn't take a second to think about it.

"Yes." She immediately answered.

"What should they learn?"

"Have them learn the signs of a student that's getting bullied. Maybe add hall monitors to the hallways to watch the students so the bullying can't happen." Principle Gravy rose and went to Rena and stuck his hand out which she took hesitantly.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'll take all your ideas into account."

"Thank you." Rena let go of his hand and stood to her feet. "Um, can I go?"

"Yes, but not back to class." Rena scrunched up her nose.

"Then where am I going?"

"You're going to help my assistant."

"But why?" Josh shrugged his shoulders a bit as he returned to his chair

"Because. YOu've had a traumatic day and don't meed tp be caught up in it for the rest of the school day."

"Umm okay."

"Great. You'll find her in the file room."

"The file room? I didn't even know we had those anymore."

"Yep. It's in the basement." Rena was shocked at his last words. She didn't know that they had a basement either. I mean from the outside it just looked like the main floor and then the first and second levels, there was no indication of a basement at all.

"I'll show you to the door." Raina said as she flashed Josh a look and then took Rena by the hand and out into the office. Once out of there, Raina went down the skinny hallways and to the wall of mailboxes in the wall.

"What are we stopping here?" Raina didn't answer. Instead she flipped her watch open and pushed a button. There was a low rumble and then the mailbox slid to the right and there in front of Rena's eyes was a gold elevator. The doors dinged open revealing a red interior that seemed to glow. Coldness drifted across their skin and their hair moved slightly from a strange eerie air.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Rena stared blankly at Raina.

"I-I-I have to go down there?" She stuttered out with a gulp.

"What's the big deal?" Raina said in a surprisingly harsh tone unlike her normal self.

"Um, have you seen the inside of the elevator? It's creepy?"

"I've been in a million times, I promise it's safe, now go!" With that, Raina pushed Rena inside the elevator and the doors shut with a bang. Rena fell hard onto her stomach, as she rolled over onto her back the elevator jolted down without warning, making her scream and slide all over the place, her body slamming into the metal walls as she screamed. Back upstairs, Raina smiled with glee upon hearing her screams as her eyes began to burn a dark blue.

The elevator slammed to a stop making Rena fly upward and then down. She lay there half unconscious and bruised. The door slid open slowly and a glowing warmth filled the elevator. With blurry eyes, she saw a figure enter clothed in a white sparkly dress.

"Tsk tsk tsk." She said in a melodious voice. "Those devils treated you something awful didn't they?" Rena tried to lift her head but couldn't as it swam with pain

"I-" Was all she could manage before her eyes closed for a brief time.