Horror/MysterySingle PlayerPublicko

The Abandoned School's Test of Courage

Your university hiking club has held its annual fall retreat at an abandoned schoolhouse in the remote hills outside Asheville for years. Local legend says a student collapsed suddenly there twenty years ago, and since then, whispers of children's voices echo through the empty halls. Freshmen hear the stories and shiver as they pass the dormitory alley at night. Tonight, club president Ethan gets bold after a few drinks. He proposes a real test of courage—from 9 to 11 PM, each member must spend 30 minutes alone in a separate classroom with only a flashlight. Phones must be off. You're assigned the third-floor junior classroom. The moment you step inside, the warmth drains from the air. The chalkboard bears a date in white dust: March 15, 2000—the exact day that student died. As you approach the teacher's desk, a rustling comes from the student chairs behind you. Like pages turning. You swing your flashlight—nothing. Just old textbooks, chalk dust, and the stale scent of neglect. What does this abandoned school want to tell you tonight?

Era

Modern day

Location

Abandoned schoolhouse (Blue Ridge Mountains, NC)

Environment

A derelict 1990s elementary school. Overgrown playground weeds, cobwebbed windows, and silent footsteps in moonlit hallways.

Session Status

6 active / 1,409 views

Background

Twenty years ago, Pine Hollow Elementary closed its doors for good in the remote hills outside Asheville. Opened in 1960, it once rang with children's laughter—until dwindling enrollment shuttered it on March 15, 2000. The exact day a student collapsed in class and never recovered. Now the building lingers as the setting for local ghost stories. Whispers spread through nearby colleges: voices in empty halls, phantom touches on shoulders, breath sounds in the corridor at specific hours. Your university hiking club makes this abandoned school its annual fall retreat. Tonight, you and your fellow members stand before its decaying facade once more.

Starting Premise

Club president Ethan proposes a daring challenge after dark: a real test of courage. From 9 to 11 PM, each member must spend 30 minutes alone in separate classrooms—flashlights only, no phones. You draw the junior classroom on the third floor. The air chills as you climb the stairs. A creeping cold settles into your skin, only noticeable in the dark. The classroom door hangs slightly ajar, the darkness within absolute. The chalkboard holds a message in faint white strokes. When your flashlight reveals the date, your blood freezes: March 15, 2000—the day that student died. As you edge toward the teacher's desk, a rustling erupts from the back row. The sound of shifting paper, of wood scraping. You whirl your flashlight—empty desks, a creaking chair. Only the smell remains: old books, chalk, and something older. Something waiting.

Story Setting

The school's phenomena aren't random—or mere legend. Patterns emerge for those who notice. First: the student who died had a congenital heart condition, yet records vaguely cite 'arrhythmia.' A cover-up? Second: that student's name was Jamie Simmons—eerily close to your club president's name, Ethan James. Coincidence, or a hidden connection? Third: since 1997, college visitors consistently report hearing breath sounds between 9 and 11 PM—the exact hours Jamie died. Fourth: every account describes identical details, as if replaying the same moment. You'll realize these aren't generic hauntings. They're one child's unresolved cry, echoing for twenty years through anyone who listens.

NPCs

Ethan JamesMale · 23 · University hiking club president
Crisp flannel shirt over broad shoulders, sharp features flushed from alcohol
Charismatic leader masking unease—especially when the school's truth surfaces
Mrs. SimmonsFemale · Late 50s · Retired waitress
Hollow-eyed and frail in faded denim, her wrinkles etched by grief
Speaks in whispers about the school, fingers clutching a locket with Jamie's photo
The CaretakerMale · Unknown · Former school janitor
Faded work clothes, face obscured by shadows, carrying a rusted flashlight
Leaves only the sound of shuffling steps and labored breathing in dark hallways

Story Rules

Once the 9 PM test begins, no leaving your assigned classroom for 30 minutes
Supernatural phenomena pause only when your flashlight is on
Chalkboard dates contradict the school's actual closing year
All club members experience phenomena simultaneously

Beat Sheet

Opening: Arrive at the school; Ethan proposes the test of courage
2Act: Strange sounds in the third-floor classroom; discovery of the chalkboard date
Tension: Realize other members experience identical phenomena at the same time
Climax: Ethan reveals he's Jamie's cousin—and what really happened that day in 2000
Resolution: Leave the school, glancing back with a silent tribute to Jamie