Emelia and Laura span to see Justine in the semi dark, with a torchlight held directly under her chin, horror film style. It didn't matter what lighting she applied to herself, Justine could not look in the slightest bit frightening. She was emphasising that she hadn't forgot to bring torches. That she thought that there was a small chance possibly that she would need torches. If there was a possibility that she would need them then she had to include them. It made sense since about 80% of the school on the night of the reunion would be in total darkness. Justine had had the feeling that she could be dealing with drunk girls all wandering off into the darkness. Or high girls floating up stairs to revisit the scene of schoolgirl crimes that had been committed all that time ago. She hadn't thought for a moment that she might need the torches in order to look for girls that had been dragged off into the darkness by a person, or persons unknown. She still didn't think that. Despite that blood curdling chill she kept getting up and down her spine, she still had an underlying feeling that things were going to be alright. That things WERE alright. That they just had to get this night over and done with. They were almost there. They were almost over the finishing line. Now all they had to do was locate the four missing girls - if they were missing that is. And they could all blend back into the night and leave the school on the hill to its eventual fate in the hands of the developers.

"You're such a hoot Justine. How could anyone ever say that you don't think of everything? I mean torches huh?"

There was a detection of some mocking in Laura's voice. But it was all friendly. All fun as Justine dished out the torches - one each for the three, and a couple for the other girls who had offered to help with the search. The eventual search party, six strong.

"Ok guys, we'll go in pairs and - lets not go it alone. Keep in touch by our cellphones and check say what, every ten minutes or so? How does that sound?"

Justine, despite this feeling that she had running up and down her core, showing that she was still in control. That she still had it when it counted. It was an example of it all being alright on the outside but on the inside.... and then another example of everything above the surface seeming calm and serene, but like that duck that was paddling like fuck just under the surface. Justine couldn't ever say that her mind wasn't racing. Wasn't going twenty to the dozen as she tried to get her head around this. Then there was a 'beep'. A beep largely associated with an incoming message to a cell phone. The whole search party looked around at each other - kind of accusatory. Is it YOUR phone? Is it YOURS? No it's not MINE how dare you suggest otherwise. That kind of thing. In the event it was Justine's phone. She fished the phone out of her stocking top. It had been safe there all night. And she looked at the lit up screen.

"It's Serene. Thank god for that!"

The screen announcing the arrival of an SMS from Serene. Then she opened the message to see what it was about. Justine looked at the screen for a long, long time. At least it seemed that it was a long time. And it was though the others all held their breath in a pause, eager to know what the message said. It was like Justine was reading an extra-long message and that she was letting it sink in. making sure that she understood it all before she divulged to the others what it was all about. Maybe there was some huge elaborate reason why Serene had left early and without saying anything. Maybe there was something wrong at home and she had to go quickly and didn't want to upset the party because it had been relatively early. The different scenarios that it could have been was unlimited. But then Justine turned the phone to each of the girls.

"It just says "HELP" in capitals."

Justine had read that word first and had just looked at it. That was why it seemed that she was reading something longer, taking it in. Reading that word had chilled her. Or it had emphasised the chill that was already there. Now she didn't like it. She didn't like it one bit.

"What the fuck is this all about. What does this even mean?"

The first - the very first sign to the outside world that Justine was losing it. That she was losing the plot somewhat. The others didn't say anything. They just all seemed to lean in, to read that solitary word in capitals on Justine's iPhone 6 screen.

"I don't like this. And I do hope it isn't someone's idea of a joke."

Justine spoke and there was the slight cracking to her voice. There was the definite breaking there of her voice. And the others looked at each other. More so Laura and Emelia since they knew Justine the most. They knew that she never lost the plot. She never lost the plot no matter what was happening. She was always the epitome of cool and calm. But that was seeping away from her. Her mouth was dry.

"Look why don't we stay together instead of going off in pairs. We can cover the whole school in an hour, or a bit longer and at least we will be in numbers."

Emelia was taking Justine's demeanour into consideration as she spoke. That's what friends did right? She was just watching Justine and taking the attention off her a little because she wasn't the only one who was watching her. They all were. But so was someone with a night vision scope. No-one seeing the red dot dancing and then being still. Then Justine's phone went off again. Another incoming message. Justine almost handling the phone as though it was an alien being. Or as though she might catch something from it. She held it up and looked.

"It's Sammy..."