Surrounded by the darkness of the past

Most of all in life, Sara is afraid of two things. First, to wake up in the middle of the night and see a ghost with a transparent face above her, which happens more and more often. As soon as darkness falls, they emerge from dark corners.

She gets the impression that they have become even more pushy and are trying to scare her to death. They try to convince the girl to avenge them, but why should she kill an innocent person? She doesn't even allow herself this thought. She can't hurt a person, especially Alan, who is only the grandson of an SS General. He doesn't even know him, doesn't know who he is, so why? Why should he suffer for him?

Secondly, she hates being the center of attention, and sleepless nights make their presence known, and she falls asleep in class. Although she tries to fight it, her eyelids are so heavy that she can't keep them up.

Of course, none of those serving the sentence spread the word further about her secret, for which she is grateful to them, although she still has some doubts about Oliver. So far, however, she has held her tongue, and somehow she can endure the doggedness on his part.

She rises as if scalded as she falls asleep on the bench again.

They have a class with a teacher that Sara and Alan caught in the underground. He's the one who killed innocent people, and he's the one who chased them down those creepy corridors.

They try not to let on that they saw anything. This works out great for Alan, but Sara feels every time as if someone is twisting her insides when this man looks at her. She gets the impression that he knows the truth and is just waiting for an opportunity to get her.

- Your invisible friends don't seem to let you sleep a wink, sleeping royal. In his classes you should be on your guard, by the way, you caught him in the underground yourself, so you know very well what kind of person he is," whispers Oliver.

He just warned her.

- And you know? How do you suppose? - she asks out of curiosity and freezes when she feels someone standing by their bench. She tentatively shifts her gaze to the teacher. He stares at her with angry eyes, and she feels like diving under the bench. This man scares her even more than the phantoms she sees every night.

- First you fell asleep, and now you're having a chat! - He unexpectedly raises his voice at her, and the girl stiffens all over from fear.

She is sure that everyone is watching her. She feels Alan's concerned gaze on her. He knows how scared she is of this man.

She tries to remain calm, but can't erase the cruel image from her mind as he moved the dead bodies, claiming that those kids deserved it.

- I'm sorry," she stammers and shouts unexpectedly when Oliver pinches her leg. She looks at him and notices what kind of face he has. 

- Are you screaming now? Are you emotionally unstable? It's apparent that the school psychologist isn't helping you, so maybe you should take advice from the more effective one who deals with difficult cases? - he suggests, and a mocking smile appears on his face. Sara swallows her saliva harder, but she is rescued from her predicament by Alan.

- I just remembered that I agreed with the director that you were supposed to apologize to me. Did you think I would just leave it at that? I was publicly slapped, and I won't allow myself to be treated that way," the blond man speaks up, crossing his arms over his chest. The man turns to him, and a cynical smile appears on Alan's face. - I bet this must come as quite a surprise to you, since such things have never happened before. It's humiliating, isn't it? But not as much as getting punched in the mouth by a teacher," he adds with anger in his voice, and the man walks over to the desk. He sweeps his eyes over the students and stops his icy gaze on the blonde.

- No one can force me to do anything, not even the director. Maybe he is afraid of your daddy, but not me. You can get around the taste, shithead," he says, and a strange glint appears in his eye.

Sara gets the impression that the despicable treatment of students gives him extreme pleasure.

- Shithead? - repeats Alan. He bites his lip in anger, clenching his hands more tightly into fists. He is close to exploding, and it could end badly, so Sara decides to react.

- You are right! I should talk to another psychologist, because this one is not helping me! - she shouts unexpectedly, and then everyone freezes.

She looks uncertainly at Julia, who starts shaking her head, trying to get the idea out of her head. Alan pushes his lips apart, as if he is about to say something, but finds himself speechless.

Only Oliver curses under his breath.

- What are you doing? Do you know what awaits you? No one goes there of their own free will," he says very quietly, and she feels like hitting her head on the bench decently. Couldn't she find another way to stop Alan?

She pushes herself into the paws of the devil.

- As you wish. I will personally take you there," says the man with a worried smile on his face.

*

Her legs are like cotton wool, but she tries not to show fear and bravely follows her teacher, who additionally makes her heart go up to her throat.

They enter the corridor, which is guarded by a secured door. None of the students are allowed in, and certainly not those without a special card.

The corridor is dark, but he can perfectly see the doors that lead to some rooms. They are massive and look old, as if pre-war.

They stop in front of a door that bears the name plate of a psychologist, and with a nod of his head, the man encourages the girl to go inside. She grabs the doorknob and tentatively pushes against it, but feels the teacher tugging on her arm. She hisses in pain as she does so too forcefully and violently. Furthermore, she looks at him with frightened eyes and even in the darkness she can see his sinister expression.

- I am not an idiot. I know it was you guys who were underground. You and that insolent bastard. Your friend is lucky to be untouchable, but you royally will regret being in the wrong place at the wrong time," he says with an unpleasant tone in his voice, not taking his eyes off her. - Those kids there were more meddlesome than you, that's why they met such a fate and not another.

Her lips tremble and tears come to her eyes. The man lets go of Sara's hand, and she blindly tries to find the door handle. At that moment, she is afraid to turn her back on him, she doesn't know what he is planning, especially since she knows the truth.

With a trembling hand, she presses on the handle and goes inside as quickly as possible. She closes the door behind him.

Out of fear, her heart is pounding like a hammer. He knows the truth. He knows that they were the ones in the underground.

- I invite him to come inside. - She hears someone's voice and then remembers where she is. A man, looking about forty years old, comes out of the next room. He mirrors her with his eyes and points with his hand to a chair at the desk. He tentatively approaches and without a word takes a seat. The psychologist sits down across from her and folds his hands, resting his chin on them. He is so serious that even for a second his expression does not change. He stares at her investigative, as if trying to determine what is wrong with her.

- I suffer from insomnia. I can't sleep at night, that's why I fall asleep during lessons," she says timidly, looking at her hands. She nervously plays with her fingers, feeling that the man is still looking at her.

- Is there a more profound problem, or are you just unable to sleep? - he asks, and she swallows her saliva and uncertainly raises her eyes to the man. He is a psychologist, an excellent one since he can dramatically change a disobedient youth. She is curious about what means he uses, and why is he holed up here instead of working as a head doctor? Why is everyone so panicky about this man?

- Since I've been here, bad things have been happening to me. After the accident when Julia pushed me into the pond, I've been seeing ghosts ever since.

She must sound like a crazy person. She guesses that everyone thinks that about her, but she doesn't make it up. Ever since she almost drowned, she has gained something like a sixth sense and can't turn it off. She has no idea what's happening to her, but it's all taking a toll on her health.

- I think it is due to the fear you experienced that day. Ghosts don't exist, and most of all we can't see them. They are simply a figment of your imagination. It's an image you create in your head. The human mind is a real puzzle. You just have to tell yourself that it's not really happening. That's the only way you'll get rid of the fear; otherwise it will take a toll on your health," he announces calmly, and she nods. She doesn't understand why everyone is afraid of this man, since he seems to be a good psychologist. - This is perfectly normal after the shock you suffered, and you don't need to accuse yourself of being crazy. You're healthy, but if you'll let me, I'd like to check if you're experiencing too much stress. I'd rather make sure that you can handle this problem on your own," he adds, to which Sara nods uncertainly. He doesn't know what he has in mind, but probably some research to help him determine that he's right. - Don't be afraid," he adds, seeing her worried look.

The man rises from his chair and walks into the other room, and the girl looks around his office. It is ordinary. White walls, some posters, and a desk where he talks to patients. There is another room he just entered. With a gesture of his hand, he encourages her to join him. Instantly, some doubts arise in her and she looks back towards the main exit. However, the psychologist appears to be fine, and she shouldn't be afraid of this man, yet she is still confused as to why others are so panicky about this man. Something happened to Julia. She heard herself talking to Matthew in the corridor, saying that the psychologist is a horrible person and no one can help her.

In that case, what happened here?

- Sara, are you coming? - he asks, and she moves toward him. Suddenly, she stops in place and freezes as she gets to it: how does he know her name? She glances at the desk, but there is no card there. He didn't even ask her at the beginning of the visit what her name was. As if he knew it perfectly well, as if he knew her...

He leaves the room, and she looks at him with visible concern in her eyes. He notices it, because he tightens his lips into a narrow line. Furthermore, he looks as if something has upset him. With a confident step, he moves toward Sarah, so she retreats backward.

She opens her eyes wide as she runs into the wall. She looks up at him in panic as he grabs her wrist with one hand. With the other, he removes a white apron from his pocket, and the girl's gaze is caught by a syringe, which he raises to the top. A dangerous smile appears on his face, which means only one thing: Sara has fallen into a trap.

- My mistake for saying your name," he claims, shrugging his shoulders.

He jabs the needle into the teenager's forearm, and she parts her lips as she feels an unpleasant sting. She grows weaker by the second, and her vision slowly begins to blur. She loses control of her body, and her legs refuse to obey her. The psychologist grabs her and strokes her hair, muttering under her breath that everything will be fine. These words echo in her head, and then she loses consciousness completely and falls asleep.

*

- Wake up, Sara. Wake up. - She hears indistinct voices. With effort, she opens her eyes and feels that every part of her body hurts. She wants to move, but can't. Her image is still blurry, so she blinks her eyelids several times, which helps her rouse herself. She would like to get up, but is unable to. She has no strength, and the pain in her muscles is so sharp that tears run down her cheeks.

Furthermore, she is in a dark room, and it is already dusk outside. Phantoms hover over her, repeating that she is in danger. Others taunt her, claiming she deserved it since she won't help them, and Sara tries to free herself with poor results.

She hears a noise. At first, she thinks it's a psychologist. She fears that he has returned to hurt her again.

Someone enters the room, and she closes her eyes, pretending she's still awake. She feels someone starting to untie her, so she lifts her eyelids to see who this person is. What is her surprise when she sees Oliver. The boy puts his finger to his lips, telling the girl to stay calm.

- I'll get you out of here, so be quiet," he whispers, and even though she doesn't trust him, she listens to him. She wants to get out of here at all costs.

Oliver helps her up, but she is not up to walking. She would like to stand on her feet, but flies forward and, thanks to the brunet's quick reaction, doesn't hurt herself. The boy catches her and, seeing that she is unable to move, takes the gray girl in his arms.

There is no choice.

She looks at her hand and sees several forged needle marks.

What did the man do to her?

- How did you know I was here? - she asks quietly, but he ignores the question. - How did you get in here? You need a special card that opens the door.

- It's irrelevant now, Sara. Currently, we are both in danger. I'm risking my life to save your ass because you, of your own free will, decided to go to a psychologist that everyone is afraid of, and that's because you wanted to stop this idiot. He can behave like this because he is untouchable, but you are in danger, so start worrying about yourself," he says in a clearly upset voice.

- How do you know that? - she asks, and then Oliver looks her in the eye. She hopes he will answer her, but when they are at the door, they hear someone's voice. The brunet opens a door leading to some room that caught Sarah's attention earlier.

They hide behind a giant device with many cables hanging by it. Oliver leans out to see if anyone is coming inside. All the while, Sara watches him, wondering what secret he is hiding. She is a walking enigma. Although he doesn't like the girl, he has helped her several times. He should give a damn about her, ignore her if she irritates him, so why? What is driving him?

- Will you explain to me how you got here? - she asks as the boy sits down next to her. She looks ahead. She covers her knees with her hands and sighs quietly.

- They will immediately realize about your absence and start looking for you. If they find us, we're dead," he says, causing chills to run down his body. - If you were like the others, I wouldn't like you, and then everything would be much easier. I wouldn't have to oppose them. Even though I tried to be mean to you because I thought it would help, you made me like you even more. - His confession shocks her. With her lips parted, she stares at him, trying to understand if she has misheard. - I know how much you want to know the truth about this facility's past. I also know what happened to the kids you found in the underground. I know everything, but it's too dangerous for me to reveal to you," he announces, and clobbers the girl.

Who, then, is Oliver, if he knows all about it? What other secrets does he hide?