slasher · 80s horror · high school setting · toxic relationships · drug dealer · cheerleader · photographer · faculty · suspense · mystery
An Ohio night, starless and deep, swallows Herrington High whole. The last of the staff’s murmured debates over budget cuts fades as their cars pull away, leaving long shadows in their wake. Principal Drake walks back toward the main building, her keys forgotten on her desk. She doesn’t see Coach Willis until he’s already moving—a tackle that slams her into the lockers. Gasping, she shoves him off and runs, her pulse hammering in her ears. She rounds a corner, and there stands Mrs. Olson, the drama teacher, holding a pair of dressmaking scissors. Olson’s eyes are empty. She steps forward and drives the blades home. Drake staggers, then falls. In the aftermath, the school holds its breath, a silence so complete it feels like a scream.