When I was like 14, me and a few mates would “wag” French class and hide out in the soundproof drum room until lunch time. This went on for a few weeks when one day we discovered a “trap door” beneath the carpet tiled floor under the drum kit. We of course opened the trap door..
Turned out it was an access hatch to a series of small tunnels giving access to the heating pipes that ran around the school. Small but big enough to get on our hands and knees and crawl around a bit. On the first day we only got about 50 meters before turning back.
We were all filthy from doing it but it was a thrill being UNDERNEATH classrooms and hearing lessons going on above us. That’s when I had an idea that become an obsession... you see our high school was horse shoe shaped. Symmetrical. Every room on one wing had a direct opposite.
And the opposite room to the sound proof drum room on the other side of the horse shoe? THE VENDING MACHINE STORE ROOM! And I figured if there was an access hatch in the drum room.. there would be one in its mirrror. This one leading to an Aladin’s cave chocolate and sweets.
IT WOULD BE THE PERFECT HIEST. The door locked. We’d rock up from beneath the floor grab as much as we can and sneak back out. Only problem was we had to make it the full length of the entire horse shoe shaped building to get there. Crawl under dozens of classrooms and offices.
We planned this shit like a military operation. Took us 3 weeks. Figuring out how far it was (about a quarter mile) how long it would take to crawl it on hands and knees. We had torches, changes of cloths, bags and even a knife should we have to cut through the carpet to get in.
So the day comes. There were six of us. One would stay in the drum room to keep an eye on the door while the others would head into the tunnels figuring we could get in and out inside of a 45 minute lesson, stash the sweets and be in our next class creating an “alibi”. If needed
So off we went. I was second in line with my mate Matty just ahead and three behind me. Matty was first as he had one of those torches on a headband. I had some giant upright fake army thing that was weak as shit. Right away things were off. The heating was now on for one thing.
It was off the first time we were down there. Now we had red hot pipes running along side us inches from our face. What started out with nervous giggling and hushed jokes was now serious as a heart attack and kind of scary. We were like 10 minutes deep and under the science labs
We could hear a science lesson going on above as we turned the first “corner” losing all sight of the drum room trap door.. and that’s when Matty’s headband torch ran out of batteries... I had to give him mine to continue. We moved on. About five minutes later it.. happened.
I felt my hand push into something wet and soggy. Now these were concrete tunnels. Up until now it had been bone dry and dusty. I get George behind me to shine his torch by my left hand to see what It was..IT WAS A DEAD FOX. I had pushed my hand through its rotting chest cavity
My hand BLACK with half rotted blood and flesh and I start wretch. Matty in front spins and in the torch lit panic sees me holding my hand out and then the face of the fox. Its dried lips pulled back revealing it sharp yellow teeth. He starts screaming. Thinks it’s attacking us.
We completely lose our shit. Everyone screaming. Bumping into burning pipes which in turn makes us scream in shock and pain as with no room to turn around we can only back up at speed moving blind, bumping into each other, swearing and bickering all the way back to the drum room
We must’ve passed under at least ten classrooms where everyone can hear all these crazy sounds coming from under the floor. But amazingly we get back to the drum room grab all of our shit and get out of there before we’re caught. The heist failed but we live to fight another day
A week later we came back even more prepared. With stolen gloves and smasks the science labs and a fucking dustpan and brush (I can’t remember who’s idea that was) to clean up any “mess” we bump into this time. NOTHING was gonna get between us and the sweets in that store room..
Or so we thought... day of french class comes. We’re all ready to duck out as usual... when an emergency assembly Is called. Turns out despite the vow of secrecy between us. Word was out about the tunnels and “the plan”. That morning the music teacher was preparing for class..
She steps into the drum room to find the carpet pulled back and the trap door open... AND 28 KIDS DOWN THE HATCH! It was a fucking free for all. Everyone knew about the tunnels now. Turns out there was one in the boys changing rooms too and kids were going down there too.
They had to call the fucking fire brigade in and then a police dog handler to make no kids were still down there. It was fucking madness.
The entire school was warned off looking for more access points. Told of the danger of the tunnels and that anyone caught down there would be suspended perminately. So yeah. That was “the incident” in my high school.
