There is this one seat left in the corner, almost always empty, never quite filled. No one sat in it, no one touched it, no one dared go near it. Like an invisble barrier around it. It has remained like that even before I transferred to this school. I always wondered why. Why is that particular seat empty? Why doesn't anyone ever approach it? It's like there has been a curse placed over it, an unspoken rule telling people that that seat is not to be touched.

Will I ever find out the answer? I always ponder, eyes drawn to that seat, gaze lingering on the wooden table and matching seat whenever there was a lull in the lessons. I was curious, far far far too curious. I wanted to know why people avoided it. The student who sits there is often absent, but the days he does turn up, there is an even wider berth around him. He looked sickly and unwell most of the time, so I guess maybe people thought he was contagious. But I pulled my gaze away from that window seat and tried to focus on the final lesson of the day.

"... it is one of the many theories that have been disputed by ..." Listening to the drone of the teacher talking at the front of the classroom, I doodled on the margins of my notebook, occasionally looking up to jot down the notes the teacher writes on the whiteboard. A piece of scrunched up paper lands on my desk, soon followed by a poke to my arm from my right side. I glance over to see Jungshin grinning at me and pointing at the note. With a roll of my eyes, I open the paper to read what he had scribbled down. Wanna grab something cold after school? I quickly wrote my reply on the back and passed it back to him. Ice cream or ice block? He wrote back.

The bell rang before I could reply and instead, turning towards him, I said, "Ice blocks. Popscicles. Whatever. It's too hot for ice cream." Everyone was packing up their bags, ready to head home or to wherever they needed to go next, chattering away as they left the classroom. Another of my friends came up to us, leaning against the desk in front of mine.

"I'm coming too! Icy treats right?" Minhyuk chirped. We nodded.

The three of us left school together, waving to other students on our way out and gossiping about our day. "That Yonghwa guy got another girlfriend again," Jungshin says, glancing over at the said person standing by the school gates. We all watched as girls swarmed around him while he had an arm around one. "What a player," Jungshin sighs.

I chuckle, hoisting my bag higher, "Like you can say anything," I smirk, just as we near the gates. One of his many admirers is waiting at the gate, waving cheerily at him. I see the tips of his ears turn pink as he waves back awkwardly and mutters a curt 'hello' to the girl. She giggles and hands him a gift before running off to join her friends.

Nudging him in the ribs, Minhyuk raises an eyebrow, "You gonna date her?" Jungshin pushes him away with a firm but flustered, "No!"

We continue to bicker and tease back and forth as we continue to walk all the way to the local shops in the summer heat. By the time we get there, we're sweaty and exhausted from the walk. Heading inside the air conditioned shop, Jungshin walked straight to the refrigerated aisle, with Minhyuk and I trailing after him to choose our own iced treats as well as basking in the cool air from the open fridge doors. We pay for the food and leave the store, eating the treats as soon as we step foot outside. 

Eating in silence as we walk home, we pass by a park and head inside to sit under the shade of the trees. "Hey, hey. I've got an idea," Minhyuk says excitedly. Jungshin and I turn to give him an indifferent stare. "You know how perfect summer is for ghost stories, right? I thought it'd be such an awesome idea for our class to hold a Test of Courage at school! We can ask the teachers to help out as well!" He says it all with his hands gesturing in the air.

I think about it and nod, "That's not a bad idea actually. Though, to be very honest, it does sound just a little bit scary."

"Alright! Then, I'll discuss it with the teacher and organise everything. I think this will be such a great way for everyone to bond as well!"

"Jeez, Minhyuk. Your student president side is coming out," I tease, laughing when he tries to kick me and misses terribly as I dodge.

It's not long after our little discussion, that the actual event is happening. Rather than just our own class, the whole of our year joins in on the fun. The teachers agreed to Minhyuk's idea surprisingly easily, and had all come together with the student reps from each class, planning out the course of the Test of Courage. Jungshin and I had pestered Minhyuk about the details but he remained tightlipped through it all. 

Everyone meets up at the school gates one evening, dressed in casual wear with torches in hands. The teachers lead us all inside the eerily quiet school to the playground, getting us all to sit down on the ground in a large semi-circle. I can hear the whispers between the students, some excited, some scared, every single one anticipating what will happen. Light from the torches flash around, illuminating faces and casting shadows. The entire atmosphere is just the right amount of spooky. We sit around idly as we wait for what happens next. 

Minhyuk clears his throat in the centre of the circle, gathering everyone's attention. "All right! We'll begin with some... stories to set the mood," he says, then steps aside as one of the older teachers step forward. "Mr. Kim here will tell the tale, and perhaps, it'll scare you." There's a hint of a smirk on his face as he says this.

Mr. Kim begins to speak. "Have you all heard of the Seven Mysteries of Gonghwang High School?" Some nodded and raised their hands, others just looked on in confusion - mine being that of confusion. I had never heard of such a thing, but then again, I never really liked to listen to such things.

"Our school holds seven mysteries. I'm sure some of you know them well and tell them often, and though some may sound false, know that there is always some truth behind a story." He looks around the group, eyes flickering in the dark, reflecting the light of the torches. "The first is the ghost of the old school building. It has been told that there's a ghost of a student who died there, roaming the building on nights such as tonight, where the heat of the summer days cools in the evening, but you still feel sticky in the humid air. Those who have seen the ghost have fled in fear and only a few days later, are met with an unfortunate accident. No one has died from these accidents, but every single one has said that they all received injuries from the feeling of someone pushing them forwards and toppling down a flight of stairs. So, I warn you, it is best to stay away from the old building.

The second mystery is the fourteenth classroom at the end of the fourth floor. Many students who have encountered it have either entered and never to be seen again, or have walked past it, not realising what evil lies in that room.

The third is the man who appears in front of students asking them to choose between two coloured scarves. A red or a blue scarf. Choosing the red, would lead to the student being stabbed and left in a pool of their own blood. Choosing the blue, would lead to having all of their blood out and dying blue-faced.

The fourth mystery are the stairs with thirteen steps. This one is not as frightening. Some students have reported that there is a set of stairs that when climbed upwards, there are thirteen steps, however, when descending, there are only twelve. Though, if I'm honest, I think they just simply miscounted.

The fifth tale is about the bust of the first headmaster. Some have said that inside the statue, there is hidden treasure, but every single person who has attempted to break it has ended up with a broken bone, as if beating or breaking the statue only reflected their actions back on them or someone close to them.

The sixth mystery is that there is a basement beneath the main school building. I've never found it, but it has been told that the basement is where a sort of cult meets to cross off names on a death list. Hmm, kind of like the Death Note? 

And the seventh one is a story I'm sure many of you know about very well. It was not long ago that a student in your year had disappeared. It started off as an absence that not many noticed, which soon became several weeks, months. The other teachers and I became concerned and contacted his family, but never reached anyone. The phone line was not connected, mail was never answered, and when we paid a home visit, the address didn't exist. It seemed like the student had never even existed and we'd all been teaching a ghost. But after we gave up our search, three months later, he turns up at school as if nothing had happened at all. Now, the funny thing is, other students began to disappear, often a week long before turning back up at school, not remembering what had happened to them during their week of disappearance. It's fishy, to say the least," Mr. Kim concludes with a clap of his hands.

I shiver involuntarily and rub my hands up and down my arms, fingers running over the raised goosebumps on my skin. Mr. Kim smiles cheerfully, "Now that you're all just a little bit frightened, I dare you to go explore the school. We've laid out traps to scare the living daylights from you all! Enjoy, kids!"

Everyone is chattering away while I glance around to find Jungshin and Minhyuk. I feel someone tap my shoulder and nearly jump out of my skin, instantly in a defence pose. "Whoa there," Jungshin says, holding up his hands. "Jumpy much?"

"Shut up. I didn't think I'd be like this either, but look at my arms," I mutter, showing him the goosebumps. He laughs.

"Come on, let's go see what they set up for us," he replies, leading us to the entrance as people enter in groups. We enter with a few other people, just cause I chickened out at the last second and didn't want to go in with just Jungshin to accompany me. Though we end up with Yonghwa somehow and a girl hanging off his arm. 

Jungshin rolls his eyes but we all enter, the two walking slightly in front, whispering between themselves. I speak up quietly, "Do you think those stories are true?"

"Maybe." He doesn't say anymore and just keeps walking, waving his torch around. I hurry after him and stay as close as possible. 

A few times, we get frightened by someone dressed in scary costumes jumping out at us from classrooms, or props set up to activate when we walk past. It would've been funny except I still felt the effects of the stories, my heart beating fast in my chest, as if to leap from my mouth. My hands felt sweaty and the humidity of the summer night didn't help either.

I feel a stare on my back as we continue to walk, boring right into me. I turn around to look, my torchlight bouncing off the walls and lighting up the darkness, only to reveal nothing there. However, when I turn back to follow the others, I don't see anyone. I'm alone. I jump when I hear screams from the other students being frightened, grating on my nerves and bringing my fear to another level. 

"Hello? Jungshin? Anyone there?" I ask timidly, my voice echoing back to me.

The dark and quiet atmosphere seems to close in around me, before I spot a figure up ahead. Crossing my fingers and praying silently, I walk forward, following the path of the course until I reach the stairs to the next floor. Debating within myself whether to go up or not, I quickly mutter 'Eenie meanie miney mo' then walk up the first step and running up the rest, not really daring to count them. I'd only scare myself even further.

I step into the empty hallway and wonder where everyone is. That's when I hear a clatter at the other end. I muffle the scream that I almost let out and scramble back down the stairs as quick as my legs would allow me; I was shaking and I don't think I could handle any more of the course. Running all the way down every staircase until I reached the ground floor, I ran for the entrance where I could see the lights of the other students. Relieved, I heave a sigh, catching my breath first.

A pale hand wrapped around my wrist just as I was about to make my way to the others, pulling me into a darkened room. I shivered and opened my mouth to scream, only to be muffled by another hand clamping over my mouth. I hear a hiss beside my ear. "Shh, my dear. Do not be afraid," it whispers. My body begins to relax even though my mind is running wild. "I'm sure I'll satisfy your curiousity tonight," it continues, "After all, I see the way you stare at my seat." Cool fingers walk their way up my throat, pressing against where my pulse beats erratically. 

"Sleep. When you wake, you'll remember that you're one of us."

I feel my eyes drift close, the last thing I see is the night sky, and a pair of glowing eyes staring down at me.

"Never forget again," the words seem to linger heavy in the air and deep in my mind.

Written By:  Candy Apple

Author's note: I actually scared myself whilst writing this story and holy moly, I am such a chicken. Haha. It's my first time writing something a little bit scary. And yes, I'm leaving the ending open for interpretation~ I hope you all enjoyed.