On October 21, 2019, nineteen students and one teacher went missing from room 316. When the school was aware of the missing class they kept it quiet from the public until they had to release the information. They launched a search with the FBI, local PD, and detectives. They had family of the students from the school looking, and calling the kids trying to get ahold of them. None of them were found and after three months the case was dropped cold. 

It was not until May 20, 2021 that the case had been thought about again. One friend group with three girls and four boys was constantly talking about the case of room 316. They were bringing up old evidence and files as one of the boys dads was sheriff and lead on this case. All school year they’ve been trying to find something and after a few months they let it go with no more leads. But one girl refused to give up that easily, her sister was one of the 19 students. She refused to give up on her sister. So day and night she looked at evidence and searched online. She was so angry that she couldn’t find anything until one day she decided to reread her last text from her sister. Her sister always sent her riddles as if it was their thing but this last riddle she never got the answer for, this last riddle seemed to be as if she was trying to tell her something. 

“I can run but not walk, I have a mouth but don’t talk, A head that never weeps, and a bed but never sleeps” it read. 

What does this even mean? What is constantly running? A sink? What head never weeps? A coin. But nothing seemed to make sense. For weeks she was trying to break down this text but no one could figure it out. The FBI, The PD, no one. Until one day she was driving to school and passed by the river. The river runs… It has a mouth and head… and it has a bed. The river. That’s the answer to the riddle. She immediately pulls over and looks everywhere around the river, but no way they were just in plain sight. No way they could still be here. But this was the only clue she had so she never gave up. 

“HEY AJ Wait up,” she said. 

“Whats up?” Aj replied. 

“Can I use the files tonight?” She asked. 

“I thought you were dropping this… it’s over,” He said.
“Please just trust me I found something,” she replied.

“Whatever here, but I’m not involved,” He said as he walked away and pushed the files into her. 

She wasn’t giving up. Even if she was the only one who believed. This was her sister, she would never give up on her family. She couldn’t focus all day because of the information she has in her possession. Right as the dismissal bell rang she dashed for her car. She floored it to get back to her house. But right as she was passing the river she got distracted, she saw a shadow in one of the sewage drains, then her car spun out of control and she crashed. 

Luckily she was okay and she wasn’t majorly hurt, but her phone was shattered. She couldn’t call anyone and she takes the back road so she may never know when the next person will come. She grabs her knife, puts it in her pocket and goes to wander trying to find someone to help. She crosses the river bridge, yelling for help. No one replies but she hears a knocking… 

“HELLO” She screams. “IS ANYONE THERE?” 

*knock* *knock* *knock* 

She turns her head and moves to follow these knocks. They’re coming from the sewage drain that she saw the shadow in earlier. She was scared. Terrified. But what if it was her sister… so she tried one last thing before entering. She knocked on the side of the drain in a pattern that only her sister could finish. She waited until the pattern was finished a few seconds later. She knew she had to go in. This was her final chance. 

She slowly creeped in the drain. There were so many ways to go but she knew she couldn’t scream or the person holding them may hurt someone. She went with her gut each time. Left or right… and she would go the way she believed she needed to. She walked for a few minutes until eventually hearing whispering. She turned the corner and found 16 students and the teacher. She ran in looking for her sister but she was nowhere to be found. 

“Ms. Williams, where’s my sister?” She whispered. 

“He took her after she knocked,” Ms. Williams responded. 

“Well you guys need to get out of here and I’ll go looking for the rest,” she told them. 

She guided the students and teacher out of the drain, then went back in for her sister and the rest. Step after step, her heart sank further into her chest. She wouldn’t stop looking no matter how much fear filled up her soul. She turns the corner and sees a tall shadowy figure. She backs against the side and tries to avoid being seen. He approaches her and keeps saying one phrase, over and over and over again. 

“Wake up” He says in a dark scary tone. 

“Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up!” 

She runs away towards her sister and right as she’s about to reach her… She’s so close… inches away… She’s going to be the town’s hero… 

“Hey, wake up,” Her mom says. “It’s time for school” 

And she opens her eyes. She wasn’t the hero… she was just a dreamer. She woke up and got out of bed. It was no longer the cold case of room 316, but the dream of room 316.