THE LAST BELL

The Last Laugh

“Axel, are you here again?” Chloe whispered as she pushed the heavy library door open.

Axel jumped at the sound of her voice. His hands were dusty from arranging books that no one ever read. He turned and forced a smile.

“Yes… I like it here. Nobody bothers me in this place.”

Chloe stepped inside, closing the door softly behind her. She looked around at the tall shelves, the old lamps, and the quiet shadows.

“You mean no one bothers you except me,” she teased gently.

Axel shook his head. “You’re different, Chloe. You don’t laugh at me like they do. You don’t make me feel small.”

Her eyes softened. She walked closer, her voice low. “I just want you to know you’re not alone.”

Before Axel could answer, loud voices echoed outside the library. The laughter of Damian and Mason carried through the walls like a cruel song.

“Did you see his face yesterday?” Mason laughed.

“Pathetic,” Damian replied. “Always hiding in there like a scared rat. Let’s give him something to remember.”

Axel froze. He knew what was coming. Chloe frowned and grabbed his arm.

“They won’t stop, Axel. They’ll keep hurting you.”

“I know,” Axel whispered. “But what can I do? I’m not like them.”

The library door rattled suddenly. Damian’s voice came through.

“Enjoy your books, loser! We’ll check on you later!”

The heavy lock clicked. Mason laughed louder. “Have fun, rat!”

Chloe ran to the door, pulling the handle. It wouldn’t budge.

“They locked us in!” she shouted.

Axel’s chest tightened. He had been trapped before, but this time felt worse. The air already seemed heavy, like something alive pressed down on them.

At that moment, Sophia appeared outside the window, holding her phone up. Her face was hard, serious.

“I recorded everything,” she called softly through the glass. “Everyone will know what Damian did.”

Axel stared at her. “Why… why would you help me?”

Sophia’s eyes flickered with guilt. “Because it’s wrong. He enjoys hurting you. People should see who he really is.”

Before Axel could reply, Lena walked past, her head down. She stopped for a second, looked at Axel through the window, then shook her head. Her lips trembled, but she turned and walked away.

“Lena!” Chloe called. “Please, don’t leave us here!”

But Lena did not turn back.

Axel lowered his head. “She can’t even look at me anymore.”

Chloe touched his arm gently. “Forget her. You still have me.”

They sat on the floor as hours passed. The library grew darker. Dust floated in the weak light. The silence grew deeper, broken only by their breathing.

Axel whispered, “Do you think Sophia will really show them the video?”

Chloe leaned her head against his shoulder. “I think she will. And maybe then they’ll leave you alone.”

For the first time in a long while, Axel let himself relax. He looked at Chloe, at her warm eyes, at the way she stayed by his side when no one else did.

“Why do you care so much, Chloe?” he asked softly.

She smiled faintly. “Because I like you, Axel. More than a friend.”

His breath caught. He had never heard those words spoken to him before. “You… you mean it?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

Before he could answer, the silence broke.

Creeeeak.

Both of them jumped. A shelf at the far end of the library groaned, as if something heavy pressed against it.

“Did you hear that?” Axel asked, his voice shaky.

Chloe nodded. “It’s probably the wood. This place is old.”

But then a book fell from the shelf with a loud thud. Another followed. Then another. The sound echoed through the library like footsteps.

Axel stood, his body trembling. “Someone’s here…”

“But the door is locked,” Chloe whispered.

They both stared at the far corner where the shadows were thickest. The smell hit them first—strong, rotten, like meat left to spoil.

Chloe covered her nose. “What is that?”

Axel’s eyes widened. “It’s coming from there.”

The shadows shifted. Something moved slowly, dragging itself upright. A pale face appeared, skin stretched tight, eyes glowing faintly with a hungry light.

Chloe gasped. “Oh my God…”

The figure stepped forward. Its fingers were long, twisted, with nails sharp like claws. Its chest rose and fell with harsh, wet breaths.

Axel froze in place, his voice barely a whisper. “That… that’s not human.”

The thing tilted its head, bones cracking with the motion. Then it smiled, a wide, broken smile.

Chloe clung to Axel’s arm. “What do we do?”

“I… I don’t know,” he whispered. His whole body shook.

The creature moved closer, dragging its feet across the wooden floor. Books toppled from the shelves as it passed. Its eyes never left Axel.

Chloe pulled Axel toward the other side of the room. “We need to hide!”

They stumbled behind a shelf, pressing their backs against the wood. The stench grew stronger. They could hear the thing sniffing the air.

“It’s looking for us,” Chloe whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

Axel tried to steady his breath, but it was too loud in the silence. He looked at Chloe, her face pale, her lips trembling. In that moment, he wanted to protect her, even if he couldn’t protect himself.

“Chloe,” he whispered, “if something happens, I’m sorry I couldn’t—”

“Don’t say that,” she cut him off, tears in her eyes. “We’ll get out of this. Together.”

The sound of footsteps grew closer. The shelf above them shook as books rained down. Chloe buried her face in Axel’s chest, muffling a sob.

Then, the creature’s hand appeared around the edge of the shelf. Its long fingers scraped the wood, leaving deep marks.

Axel held Chloe tighter. His heart raced.

“Run,” Chloe mouthed.

But where could they go? The only door was locked, the windows too high.

The creature stepped into view, its glowing eyes fixed on them. It opened its mouth, and a low growl rolled out, deep and hungry.

Axel felt his knees weaken. “Why is it looking at me like that?” he whispered.

Chloe shook her head, trembling. “I don’t know… maybe it wants you.”

The creature’s growl grew louder, echoing through the library. Its jaw unhinged wider than humanly possible.

Axel clutched Chloe’s hand tightly, his voice breaking.

“What… what does it want from me?”