THE EMPTY CLASSROOM“I was the last one in school. At least… that’s what I thought.” The final bell had rung nearly forty minutes ago. The loud, chaotic energy of students had drained out of the building, leaving behind a strange silence that felt heavier than usual. I sat alone in my classroom, hunched over my notebook. My pen scratched against the paper as I tried to finish my assignment. Outside, the sky had already begun turning a dull orange, fading slowly into grey. “Just five more minutes,” I whispered to myself. The corridor outside was empty. No footsteps. No voices.