The children stood frozen in the hallway.
Everything looked the same…
And yet completely different.
“This is our school,” whispered Mila.
“But new,” added Emil.
The colors were fresher. The doors shone. And completely different pictures hung on the walls.
“I think… we really are in the past,” said Leo.
Janitor Bruno looked around slowly.
“This here… I know,” he murmured.
He pointed to a door.
“That used to be my classroom.”
“Used to be?” asked Emil.
Bruno nodded. “When I was a student myself.”
The children looked at him with wide eyes.
“You were once a student?!” asked Leo surprised.
“Very funny,” said Bruno.
Suddenly the classroom door opened.
A group of children came out.
They looked… old-fashioned.
Different clothes. Different hairstyles.
And right among them…
…stood a boy.
He wore the same cap as Bruno.
And the same astonished look.
Bruno froze.
“That… is me.”
The others stared at him. Then at the boy. Then back at Bruno.
“That really is you,” said Mila.
The young Bruno looked directly at them.
“Who are you?” he asked curiously.
No one answered.
“Uh… visitors,” said Leo quickly.
“Visitors in our school?” asked the young Bruno.
“Yes… we’re just looking around,” added Emil.
At that moment the sound was heard again.
Ding…
Very quiet.
Very close.
Everyone turned around.
At the end of the hallway…
…the little bell floated again.
Now it looked different.
Older. Rustier.
“It belongs here,” whispered Mila.
“Or it’s from here,” said Emil.
The bell moved slowly backwards.
As if it was luring them.
“We have to follow it,” said Leo.
“Again?” asked Emil.
“Do you have a better plan?”
“No.”
Janitor Bruno nodded. “Herbert says we should find out what’s happening here.”
The young Bruno frowned.
“Who is Herbert?”
“I’ll explain later,” said Bruno quickly.
The bell disappeared around the corner.
Ding…
And a new sentence appeared on the wall:
FIND ME BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.