(Too busy to read yesterday?  Then step into this time portal.)

University of New Hampshire

Apollo steps out of the bushes and waves for his friends to follow, the security guard heading off to his next patrol stop. They hurry toward the science building and keep low even though the crouched walking makes them look suspicious. Harvey is the first to stop when he catches his reflection in a window and he whistles for the others to do the same. With everyone muttering about Thomas’s ridiculous suggestion, the four students cross the street and act like they are out for a stroll. Relaxing by the bottom of the stairs, Chris shows off the newest trick he has learned with his hockey stick. Flipping a puck from one side to the other, he gestures for the others to move away when he spots an attractive woman coming by. She smiles back at the handsome athlete, who promptly misses his next juggle and watches his last puck roll into a nearby storm drain. Leading their morose friend to the front door, they take a final look around before Thomas grabs the handle.

“I’ll keep watch and text you if anyone is coming,” Chris whispers as they step inside. He takes out his child psychology book and opens to a random page to pretend that he studying in the hallway. “If campus police come back then I’ll say I wanted a quiet place to study. Let’s not take too long though. They have pizza at the dining hall. We don’t want to miss that since the best pies will be gone in the first hour.”

“You have got to be kidding me,” Thomas says, staring at his friend with his head cocked to the side. Looking at the far end of the hallway, he wonders if he can drag the stronger man to Professor Ramel’s office, but doubts his chances. “First of all, you never study, so nobody is going to believe that. Second of all . . . don’t be a coward. You agreed that something didn’t seem right about this and we should check it out. The fact that there’s no police tape makes this even stranger. Come on, Chris, or somebody else is going to get a chance to poke around before us. Even Harvey is coming.”

“Yes, but I feel like paying my respects to place where he was last alive,” the taller student admits, shying away immediately. Taking out an inhaler, he has a puff and relaxes before speaking again. “I don’t think we should force Chris to follow. After all, we do need a lookout and getting into trouble would cost him his scholarship. You two are paying to attend and I don’t care if I get kicked out, so he is risking more than the rest of us. Besides, standing here and arguing increases the chances of us getting caught. Not to mention the small office would make it difficult for three, much less four, people to escape. I alone would hog a single window given my size.”

Before Thomas can say anything, Chris holds up his phone and shows that it is already set with a warning text. “Trust me with this. I want to help, but I can’t be stupid about this. Much rather my last adventure with all of you being more than sneaking into a dead man’s office. I will stay right at that intersection where they have a desk. They won’t even see me texting from my pocket. Come on, Thomas. You know this is smart.”

“Fine, but . . . Where’s, Apollo?”

“He’s pretty good at disappearing.”

“I know. It’s like living with a ninja cat.”

“Do you mean a cat trained as a ninja or a ninja that turned into a cat?”

“I don’t even know how you could guess the second one.”

“Sounded wittier in my head.”

“Uh-huh . . . Good luck keeping watch.

Thomas heads down the hallway with his friends a few steps behind, Chris stopping to get comfortable at the desk. The other two press themselves against the wall until they come to a door. Harvey crawls across the hallway and stays low while continuing ahead, Thomas imitating him when he comes to the next room. The pair repeat the odd maneuver, both of them doing a clumsy combat roll when they reach an open doorway. Sweating in their heavy winter coats, they stop at a barely working water fountain for a drink and continue being what they assume is stealthy. By the time they reach Professor Ramel’s office, Thomas and Harvey are exhausted and rest for a minute before opening the door. Focused more on being quiet, they nearly crash into someone standing only a few feet inside. They reach up to cover their mouths, the muffled screams of fear still able to be heard in the hallway.

“You guys sure are loud,” Apollo says with his back to his friends. Seeing a clean spot, he jumps to it and crouches to check a toppled stack of books. “This place is a mess, but I heard Professor Ramel wasn’t much of a cleaner. My nose is clogged from a cold, but I swear there’s a chemical smell in the air. Almost like I taste it. Does anyone know what we’re expecting to find here?”

“Signs of foul play,” Thomas declares in a terrible British accent. Showing less concern than his roommate, he walks over the scattered papers to check the broken anatomy dummy. “There’s definitely the smell of bleach around here. Probably the murderer attempting to clean up all of the blood. That or the janitor wanted to disinfect everything. I think this used to be a hamburger, but I can’t tell. We might have made a mistake.”

“I found some black feathers and bird droppings over here,” Harvey announces as he checks the shelves. Trying not to step on anything, he trips and lurches to the desk that shifts with a loud screech. “Sorry about that. I think I’ve given enough respect to the late professor, so can I go wait with Chris?”

“There will be no more quitters here,” Thomas replies while he checks a cabinet. Whistling at what he found, the grinning young man pockets the small bartending book and turns around to find his friends scowling at him. “I’ve been looking for one of these and it isn’t like anybody will miss it. Fine, I’ll put it back, but you two better remember this for my birthday next month. Have we figured anything out?”

Taking a seat at the desk, Apollo cautiously taps at a warm can of soda that hisses when it is jostled. “The smartest idiot is the one who is probably taking a nap in the hallway. We have nothing that says anything funny happened. Considering how cold it is in here, it’s easy to assume the windows were left open and some birds must have come in. You know, this was a smart idea an hour ago. Now, it seems really stupid. I vote that we leave and take a walk to the newest fast food place. Harvey, do you have any coupons?”

“This isn’t the time for food.”

“Says the guy who ate my last donut.”

“You had the chocolate milk.”

“Which you left out of the fridge for a full day.”

“So about those coupons, Harvey.”

The windows slam shut with enough force to crack the glass, a single shard falling into the room. All three of their phones go off at the same time, the rapid beeps making them fumble to check their messages. Instead of a warning from Chris, they see gibberish and random pictures of puppies and kittens. The sound of flapping wings emanates from the shadows that shift around the room, the patches of darkness causing a chill whenever they pass over one of the students. A desk drawer rattles and bursts open to spew a fountain of saccharine-smelling soda. The last straw is when the anatomy dummy’s organs launch out of the body one at a time, the plastic pieces driving the students away.

(Psssst. Wanna go back to tomorrow?)

Salem University

Across campus, students sit in the class or one of the public lounges while waiting for a message about the gruesome death of Professor Ramel. Rumors have spread about what happened, but nobody is sure of the details. The story that he slipped and broke his neck has been overshadowed by word of his head being found in a bush outside his office. Having been found by the tightlipped Coach Warner, there is very little information being shared before the administration gives their official statement. Yet, most of the student body would rather continue guessing and seeing if their version can get more social media likes than the others. Many tell stories about a serial killer being on the loose while others try to push the idea that there are ghosts. Hearing Trina’s name come up several times, Bryce repeatedly wishes that she could stay in her room and avoid this sickening circus.

“The teacher already took attendance, so we can leave,” Aurora suggests, putting a hand on her friend’s shoulder. She yawns and holds up a hand, her cheeks turning bright red from embarrassment. “Sorry about that. I was going to take a nap since this was my only class today, but we can hang out if you need to talk. Jennifer can come along too in case I pass out. She’s been looking for an excuse to get away from her roommate anyway. Right, Jen? Hey, O’Connor, stop winking at boys. You look ridiculous.”

“You mean I look cute,” the theater major replies, her bubbly personality in place. Wiggling her fingers at her admirers, she keeps her hand out to reapply her nail polish. “I’d be happy to go to your room. Mine is being used for stuff that I don’t want to think about. This new girl is determined to drive me away with cigarette smoke and loud music. She doesn’t hide the fact that she wants a single. Enough about me though, how are you holding up, Bryce?”

“Let me put it this way. I miss being teased for having the same name as that crappy dorm Aurora lives in,” the blonde-haired student replies with a smirk. Looking at her long tresses, she reaches into her bag and pulls out a bottle of dye. “Maybe you two can help me. I was thinking of putting black streaks in my hair in memory of Trina. It sounds crazy when I say it out loud, but I always loved her color. It was this natural darkness that sparkling when the light hit it just right. If I do this with friends, then maybe it won’t feel as insane.”

The other girls look at each other and shrug before Jennifer states, “I’ve done crazier over losing boyfriends. When we get out of here, I’ll show you some pictures of my dark period in high school. If there’s one thing this redhead can’t pull off it’s the emo goth look. Yes, I know those are two different things, Aurora, but I still don’t know which one I was going for. Chalk it up to youthful confusion.”

“Well, this is turning into a fun party,” Bryce dryly replies, her mood improving thanks to her friends. Spotting Apollo and Thomas on the other side of the room, she is about to wave them over when she sees them call out to Chris and Harvey. “Maybe it’s best to have it only be us girls. Don’t think I’m ready to deal with Chris again. I know he means well with his teasing and jokes, but he still comes off like a jerk.”

“Probably because he acts that way on the hockey team and can’t always turn it off,” Aurora mentions while putting her head down. She is about to fall asleep when Jennifer reaches over to pinch her on the leg. “Why did you do that? Now I have that ugly polish on my pants and I didn’t want to do laundry until the weekend. Guess I’ll be cleaning these in one sink while you two work on the hair.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” Jennifer whispers, patting her backpack. Looking around, she opens it just enough to let her friend see a familiar box. “Got these in the mail this morning. They messed up my order and sent me three instead of one. Figured even the occasional health nut over there would be happy to indulge.”

“How does someone who devours twelve gourmet cupcakes a week stay so thin?” Bryce asks, her stomach rumbling at the thought of the tempting treats.

“I don’t own a car and walk everywhere.”

“So do I, but three slices of pizza still force me to wear elastic waistbands for a few days.”

“Maybe I’m part hummingbird?”

“Does that make any sense, Aurora?”

Having nearly fallen asleep again, the zoology major yawns and looks from one friend to other. “Yes, because I’ve been sneaking into her room to conduct experiments. I’ve been injecting her with hummingbird DNA to see what happens. My hope is that she’ll sprout wings in a month. You can already tell that something is changing because her tongue is a little longer than when I started.”

“Very funny, mad scientist,” Jennifer replies with a nervous laugh. She turns away and sticks out her tongue, which she curves up to see if it looks different. “That wouldn’t really work, right? DNA can’t be swapped out like in the movies. I mean, that kind of technology isn’t possible, especially by a college student. Right, Aurora? Aurora?”

Every classroom computer and television comes to life, the face of Charlene from the administration building filling the screen. The middle-aged woman leans back in her chair and dabs at her eyes with a tissue. It is obvious that she has been crying, the red and puffiness on her face looking more vivid when she turns on a desk lamp. Her brown hair is neat and tied up in a simple bun, but there is a single strand sticking out from the back. Calmly folding her hands in her lap, she waits until someone behind her computer gives her the signal to start talking. Sitting up straight and clearing her throat, the administrator fixes the camera with a stare that silences everyone who is looking.

“Good morning. Thank you for your attention and I apologize for the disruption to your education,” Charlene says in a sweet voice. Pausing to fix a porcelain kitten statue, she puts on her best smile and sighs. “As many of you have heard, Professor David Ramel was found dead in his office last night. There have been many wild stories going around campus, so I am here to tell you the truth. He was not murdered or found grotesquely torn apart. Professor Ramel’s head was not found in the bushes and the rumor about a raven eating his eye on top of the central dining hall is entirely false. All that occurred was he went back to his office, had too much to drink, and tripped over a stack of books. The corner of his desk caught his chin and his neck snapped. I am sorry to upset the sensitive ones out there, but this had to be said. Too many lies have circulated in the few hours that have passed. The faculty asks that you show the deceased some respect by holding to the facts. For those of you who had Professor Ramel as an advisor, you will be reassigned by the end of the week. Finally, all anatomy classes will be taken over by his teaching assistant, Ms. Sherrywood. Thank you and please take today to give your condolences and refocus your attention on your studies.”

“That sounded more like they wanted us to stop making a big deal out of this,” Aurora mentions as the other students begin to leave. Having taken a seat in the middle of the room, she waits with her friends until the crowd has cleared. “She didn’t have to give all those examples and look so hungry doing it. Has Charlene ever given either of you the creeps? I’ve only dealt with her a few times, but she makes my skin crawl. Nobody even knows her last name. Ugh, now I’m sounding like my brother.”

“At least you don’t smell like him,” Jennifer quips, giving a playful sniff. Her nose wrinkles at the faint aroma of animals and blood. “I take that back. You need to take a real shower. I’m buying you soaps and shampoos from the student union. Don’t even argue. There’s being unladylike and then there’s smelling like a veterinarian’s office. One that doesn’t have air conditioning on a hot day.”

“Glad somebody else said it,” Bryce mutters with a smirk. Seeing the look of shock on Aurora’s face, she takes her friend’s hands and leads her toward the door. “We really do care about you. So, know that we say this out of love. Not only for you, but for our own senses of smell.”

“Thanks. I’m so touched,” the zoology major ruefully replies.

(Miss a day? Got you covered HERE.)

Georgetown University

Thankful for the end of the day, Professor David Ramel rubs his eyes as he pops an antacid and heads back to his office. Having spent the day trying to teach anatomy without his dummy, the tenured instructor wants nothing more than to relax with his collection of cruise pamphlets. He is still deciding on where to spend his sabbatical, which his wife has repeatedly told him will be five years overdue. Feeling a gurgle in his stomach, David stops at the nearest water fountain and drinks until the sensation goes away. Still caught up in his thoughts, the professor nearly turns into his anatomy dummy that is standing behind him. With a high-pitched yell, he jumps back and slams into the wall, a dull pain running up his back.

“I’m sorry about that, Dave,” Professor Soleman says, the man standing only a few feet away. He takes a drink before patting his coworker on the shoulder in a half-hearted attempt to calm him down. “Good thing you have that vacation coming in a few months. I found Gem here in the library. She was left her standing in one of the rear stacks, but I have no idea who left her there. Probably one of the rowdier fraternities. You know how those pledging challenges go around this time of year. Can’t do anything unless we have evidence. By the way, Charlene, wanted me to talk to you about Harvey Pugh.”

“Surprised to see you acting as her messenger,” David ruefully admits. Focusing on his dummy, he frowns at the gap where a plastic kidney once sat. “Thankfully, I have spares left over from previous pledge week casualties. Although, Gem has lasted a lot longer than the others. Glad I got her from that medical school in New York City. This girl is eighteen and looks as good as she did on her first day. Well, she will when I put the new kidney in. I’m rather surprised because it’s usually the liver or heart that the students take out.”

“Avoiding the subject won’t make it go away,” Jason claims, taking his glasses off. Holding them up to the light, he casually cleans them in the hopes of the other man speaking. “We’re all aware that Mr. Pugh has yet to attend a class outside of tests. He even got his syllabus off our websites, but that doesn’t mean he should be expelled. All of his work comes in on time and he communicates with his professors. Think of Mr. Pugh as a special case.”

Professor Ramel sighs and rubs his stomach, which feels uncomfortably tight. “He has no medical reason to avoid classes. I know he isn’t staying in his room since I’ve seen him leave to attend that mythology club. All of his professors have been talking about teaching him a lesson, but I’m going to do something about it. Maybe expelling is extreme, so I’ll write a letter to the dean about suspension. That’s the best I can do.”

“What if we can get him a note?”

“That sounds unethical.”

“Not by much.”

“Have a good night, Jason.”

“Try to do the same, David, but know that Charlene won’t like your response.”

Taking his anatomy dummy under his arm, Professor Ramel walks away without a second glance. Hearing a door close at the other end of the hallway, he relaxes and searches his pockets for his keys. Not wanting to put anything down, it takes him a minute to get the door open and push his way inside. Stacks of papers cover his desk and books are on every flat surface, a third of them written by the professor. David puts the dummy near the window, which he opens to get some fresh air. Checking his coffee maker, he grimaces at the cold remnants and settles for a soda from his mini-fridge. Sitting in his chair, the professor takes a few sips and chooses a paper to grade.

A thud makes him jump and he looks around to find that the anatomy dummy has fallen over. Going to pick it up, he hears a fluttering above his head and flails to wave away the raven that came in through the window. The bird snatches an old bagel before leaving, two of its feathers landing on the ungraded papers. With a muttered curse, David moves the dummy away from the cold draft and searches for a tissue. Feeling another gurgle in his gut, he rushes back to his desk and takes another sip of soda. Patting his stomach, a loud belch makes him blush even though nobody else is around. He is about to return to his seat when a playful giggle causes him to turn around, the noise continuing until he coughs.

“Must be my imagination,” he whispers, his eyes searching the shadows. The ceiling lights flicker, so he reaches up to tap at the bulb that falls to the floor. “And here I am without a spare and not enough moonlight to move around. This better not be a prank! Doesn’t make any sense that the bulb fell out. The socket would have to be stripped or sabotaged. I can simply leave the room and come back in the morning.”

Letting the silence last for a few minutes, the nervous professor eventually heads for the door and does his best to avoid the books. Banging into a shelf, he winces at the pain shooting up his leg from a broken toe. Surprised at how easily he was injured, David tries to move with more care and fights the urge to rush for the door. He grabs the doorknob and twists to find that it has been locked, the jarring stop snapping his wrist. Wailing in pain, the terrified man stumbles back and scrapes against a cabinet. The sensation of blood flowing down his arm causes him to reach up to a gash, the edges frayed and raw. Whirling around, David steps on the broken bulb and his foot is reduced to blood-seeping shreds. Unsure of when he took his shoes off, he stops moving and tries to make sense of what is going on.

Footsteps echo in the hallway before the doorknob starts to turn, the movement abruptly stopping. David tries to call out for help, but the attempt causes his jaw to break and hang loose on his face. Teeth fall out when he tries to push his mandible back up, the pain reaching a point where his body starts to feel numb. Attempting to reach his desk, he steps on a pile of books that slide beneath his feet. With a sickening snap, his lower leg twists and becomes completely turned around. Unable to walk, David hops and flails in the darkness, his moans echoing off the quivering walls. Having almost made it to his chair, his other leg suddenly shatters and he falls backwards. Professor Ramel hits the anatomy dummy with enough force to sever his neck and send his head rolling across the floor. A chorus of caws fill the room as three ravens fly through the window and begin to feast on the remains.

(One step back if you feel lost.)

Hollins University

Aurora closes her textbook and starts glaring at her brother, who continues staring at his notes. Deciding not to speak until she has calmed down, she goes to her dresser and hunts for a scrunchie to put her hair up with. Grabbing a mesh bag, the tired student throws in the ones that she forgot to clean last weekend. Aurora decides on a red one from the bottom, but realizes that it used to be white before a disastrous dissection in her zoology class. She can still vividly remember the sound of something bursting from the table behind her and the sensation of warmth and stickiness striking her head. Giving up on the distraction, she slams the drawer shut and whirls around to find that her brother is on his phone. Even though Apollo is trying to look like he is researching something, the sounds effects betray him. Taking her film camera off its hook, Aurora whistles to get his attention and gets him with her newest flash that temporarily blinds him.

“Already got my money’s worth on this toy,” she claims with an evil grin. Carefully putting the camera back, she whirls around to cross her arms and put on her best authoritarian scowl. “I can’t believe you told mom and dad about that stupid dream. You know how much they worried when we had that as kids. We were nearly medicated because of it. Even though the setting changes, the whole thing with doodles and crazy deaths remain the same. Do you really want them to make us see a shrink again?”

“If it helps me figure this out then I’ll go,” Apollo replies, imitating his sister’s posture and expression. Seeing that he is about to lose his video game, he quickly hits a few buttons with his thumb and quits. “There’s no reason to get so upset. Mom and dad think it’s only me, so you can keep lying. We both know you haven’t put whatever is causing our dream to rest. I’m still thinking a trauma in the womb. Could we have been quadruplets and absorbed the other two before birth?”

“This is why I keep telling you take a creative writing minor,” Aurora says with a half-hearted smile. Reaching under her mattress, she pulls out a diary and searches for the last time she had the dream. “It’s been a week for me and it was fairly tame. Everyone died from poisoning instead of a unique one each time. Then again, my experiences were never as vivid and varied as yours. Maybe you’re the cause of it all and I merely have to get hundreds of miles away to cure myself.”

“That’s not very nice.”

“You’re right, but it sounds like such a beautiful dream today.”

“Can’t run away from your problems.”

“Of course you can if you’re faster or can afford the airfare.”

The awkward silence lingers as Apollo tries to figure out if his sister is serious about wanting to get away. Having never spent more than a weekend away from each other, it is difficult for the young man to imagine going for very long without her. He smirks at how strangers find their attachment creepy until they admit to being twins. Apollo is still amazed at what they can get away with since people tend to assume their shared birth has given them a predisposition for being strange. The only time he can remember things going off the rails was when they went to prom together in each other’s clothes, their real dates happy to be a part of the prank. To this day, he is not sure why the teachers and some of the students got so upset about an innocent clothing swap.

“You were thinking of our prom prank again,” Aurora says, putting her fingers to her temples. Knowing that the psychic joke only works on new friends, she drops the act and flops onto her bed. “Do you think anybody else can decipher our different smiles? I can’t do it with anyone other than you. Be nice to see the truth behind expressions even for a day. That would help me talk with Bryce. I don’t think she was ready to come back.”

“She wasn’t very talkative at lunch, but she seemed better,” Apollo replies, taking a seat at the desk. He scrambles out of the seat when a raven lands on the sill and violently bangs a large snail against the window. “Those birds are really creepy. I know we had them at home, but the ones here have no fear. Thomas and I saw a flock staring at us from across the street last week and they never moved. They were gone when we passed by later, but it looked like they had devoured a cat.”

Aurora knocks on the glass to shoo the bird away, but it simply cocks its head to the side and stares at her. “Students probably feed them, so they aren’t afraid of humans. The ones you saw were guarding their meal. Even on campus, winter means less food. Although, I do see a lot of them. It’s like they’re the school’s version of pigeons, which I haven’t seen one of since our first week. Are we really talking about ravens?”

“We’re only studying together until our friends get out of their classes or whatever they’re doing,” the young man reminds his sister. Waking up the computer, he goes to the school’s meteorology site and pulls up maps listed for the next class. “I’ve looked over these things a hundred times. There’s nothing else for me to do. Be nice if you had a television. I can’t believe your roommate, who is never here, forbids TV and you go along with it. Thomas would have to pry my favorite shows out of my cold dead fingers. You want to take a nap while I play some computer games, Aura?”

“I’m not that tired and please don’t call me that, Po,” she responds, her eyes locked on the well-made bed on the other side of the room. With a groan, she gets to her feet and goes to her roommate’s closet. “The strange thing is that I haven’t seen her in a while. Always figured she came in while I was in the lab or I’ve become a very deep sleeper. Some of her clothes have been moved, but I don’t know where she could be on the weekends. Unless she managed to find a boyfriend and is staying with him. Doubt it considering how prim and proper she was. Nearly drove me to move off campus. I even started the paperwork and talked with Charlene in housing about it.”

“You have got to stop running away from your problems.”

“Does it look like I left?”

“I’m just saying that you shouldn’t even consider it until you’ve tried to fight back.”

“For the last time, I’m not putting itching powder in her bed.”

“Killjoy.”