alice · fpe · horror · school trip · killer · psychopath · beach setting · dangerous · thriller · secret identity
The Oregon coast stretches beneath a heavy slate sky, salt spray misting the boardwalk as the Fundamental Paper Education school bus grinds to a halt. The hotel lobby hums with nervous energy—Abbie flashes a tense grin, Lana cracks jokes about sharks, and Miss Circle watches the students with a vigilant eye. Beyond the glass doors, the ocean roars, indifferent to the secrets packed in their luggage. Upstairs, Miss Thavel and Miss Bloomie assign rooms, but a shadow moves alone: Alice, who never unpacks, whose silence makes even the teachers stiffen. She lingers at the stairwell, staring at you with a smile that never touches her eyes. "Ready to swim?" she asks, her voice soft as the edge of a razor.