C1

Keep calm and don't look out

                                                              out the window...

“Is it always this foggy? “asked Camila, wrinkling her face a bit as she didn't like the new place they would be living in. It was pure forest and pure fog. Gray clouds covered the sun. And the weather was cold.

His mother set her lips in a single line and all she did was nod. Even though she didn't like it either she had no choice but to agree to move here. She was transferred to a better job and honestly it was better for them. Or so she thought.

“I like it. It seems to me like those places where a serial killer stalks the people. Nicole, the middle sister, spoke in a hoarse voice, wanting to put fear into them, but Camila just rolled her eyes and kept looking out the window.

Bea, the last of the Clear girls, was coloring in her notebook. She was only 3 years old and she was drawing very well. When she grows up she will be very talented.

“I want you to be calm, this will be a good thing for us. The change will be," the mother murmured, actually she wanted to convince herself of that. Since her husband had died three years ago, her life was not the same. None of them.

Camila thought that tomorrow she would have to go to a new school, she would have to introduce herself and endure the strange looks of the others. She honestly didn't want to move. And her bad mood because of that was very evident.

“I know, Mom, everything will be fine. You take it easy. “Nicole, though not the oldest, was sometimes very mature for her age. Thirteen years old.

They had been driving most of the day. They were entering the town, the houses were big and white, some were wood”colored, and there were always woods behind them. It wasn't windy, but it was cold. They passed by the huge high school, it was two stories high. There were kids outside, lots of them.

“Isn't it nice? “asked their mother.

“She's beautiful. “Nicole praised, at the same time that Camila let out a "she's hideous.

“Camilla... “said her mother.

She ignored her and turned on her cell phone to check I*******m.

“Mother, where are we going?

Camila looked up when she heard her sister's question, they were going down a road away from town, towards the forest.

“Did I tell you that the house is located in the forest? Not so far from here. “she answered.

Camila frowned, she couldn't believe that they would live in a shack in the middle of the forest. It was already getting dark and the fog in the forest made it look scary.

“You must be joking," Camila reproached.

“Look on the bright side, Cami, at least we'll have peace. “Nicole interjected. Camila didn't answer, she just stared out the window. Minutes later the mother parked the car in front of a two”story house, white walls with two huge pillars at the entrance.

“It's beautiful," exclaimed the mother getting out of the car, closing the door in the process. Nicole also got out, leaving Camila and Bea, who had fallen asleep, inside.

Camila thought that the house was not bad at all, but nevertheless being in the forest, dark and mysterious, did not give her any grace, on the contrary, it filled her with fear and she did not even know why. Camila was characterized for being a brave girl.

Her mother took her bags out of the trunk, gave them to Nicole and the two of them started walking to the entrance. Camila had no intention of leaving, she didn't want to, but she had to. She opened her door, put the backpack she was carrying on her shoulder, and walked out.

“Camila, get Bea! “her mother shouted from the doorway. Camila reluctantly turned to her younger sister. She could tell that the mother and sister had already gone into the house. She knelt down, feeling a cold and sinister air at that moment, unbuckled Bea and carried her. The little girl stirred but did not wake up. Before she turned around she could hear something fall to the floor of the car. She noticed that it was her book, the one she had been reading on her way out of town.

Behind her she could notice how the leaves, moved by the wind, were approaching her. Camila began to feel cold, she stretched her hand to reach her book, feeling a tingling in her neck, her skin bristled without knowing why, she stretched her hand more until she could reach the book. She quickly turned around with her heart beating a mile a minute. She was able to breathe easy as she saw no one, she swept her gaze through the forest, looking at it dark and gloomy. She closed the car door, walked briskly to the entrance of the house, opened the door and closed it while inside.

She could breathe easy.

“Mother? “she asked, starting to climb the stairs to the second floor.

“We're here!

The sound of their voices followed, then the two girls appeared down the hallway chatting animatedly.

“Camila, my room is amazing! “Nicole approached.

“Super. “she answered without encouragement.

Her mother gave her a warning look, as she took Bea out of her arms and carried her.

“I'll go put Bea to bed, get some rest and tomorrow we can put everything in order.

Camila started to walk toward the end of the hallway, but stopped.

“Which one is mine? “she asked Nicole.

Nicole smiled.

“It's the one with the "no trespassing" on the door. “She replied, heading for her room.

Camila noticed her right away, walked towards her and, when she was inside, closed the door. She just wanted to rest.

***

It was 2:30 a.m. on the table clock in Camila's room, the lights in the whole house were off, even the one at the entrance. She was asleep, breathing slowly and calmly. The curtains of the window that overlooked the forest and where the moonlight filtered through, began to move because of a cold wind that began to appear. Outside, in the dark forest, a tall, slender figure was watching her room. There were new victims, or so the monster thought. Its tentacle”like hands were moving in the wind.

Camila unconsciously woke up suddenly, as if something was watching her, her breathing was agitated and she began to feel a small tremor in her body. She had a bad feeling, she began to feel afraid for no reason. Even her forehead began to sweat. She looked at the window, half open and frowned. She was sure she had left it closed. Then she stood up, crept forward to it and closed it, but did not move, her sight remained in the forest, in that dark wood. The feeling that someone was watching her was not lost on her. There. Among the trees. She didn't like that feeling at all. She tried to get rid of the fear, shaking her head; she adjusted the curtains too well so as not to look at the forest anymore, and then got back into bed. He already wanted it to be daylight. Somehow, he didn't feel safe at night.

***

Camila and Nicole were having breakfast in the huge kitchen, the walls were wood colored, the mother was sitting in front of them feeding Bea, who was looking at the window with a smile on her face. Nicole was on her cell phone, laughing at something that had been said to her. Camila was out of it, she hadn't even tasted the food, the idea of being in a new school with other people was on her mind. Besides, what had happened last night was not leaving her calm.

“Aren't you going to eat? “I don't want you to faint at school.

Camila blinked and looked at her.

“I didn't wake up very hungry today. “She answered, taking a sip of juice.

Her outfit consisted of blue jeans, black gym shoes and a black jacket that reached a little below her buttocks. The buttons of the jacket were almost at her neck. His straight black hair was loose, it was short, so it reached a little below his shoulders.

Nicole, on the other hand chose black pants and a white shirt, along with wool boots in white. Her jacket would be carried in her hand.

“I'll just leave this in the sink and we can go," her mother announced, standing up with the dishes in hand.

Camila took a last sip of her juice and stood up, picked up her plate and left it in the sink. Nicole did the same.

“I'm so excited to get to know my classroom, what this high school is like on the inside," Nicole smiled.

Camila rolled her eyes as her mother smiled. At the table, little Bea laughed out loud looking out the window, which overlooked the forest. Camila looked at her with a frown, what was wrong with her, she thought. She walked over to her, looking in the direction she was looking. But there were only trees, nothing else. He left her on her own, walked over to the couch where her leather bag was, it wasn't a backpack or anything, it was a brown cross”body bag. She put it on, dropping it in the back.

At that the doorbell rang. As she stood nearby she quickly opened it. Outside stood a blonde girl, smiling.

“Hi, I'm Jesse, the babysitter. “The girl introduced herself.

“Come in," replied Camila.

The mother, with Bea in her arms, and Nicole following in her footsteps, appeared in her field of vision.

“Hi, you're the nanny, right? This is Bea. “And these are my daughters Nicole and Camila.

Camila half smiled at him.

“Come on, I'll fill you in on everything. “Her mother said, taking her to the kitchen.

Nicole and Camila left in search of the car.

“It may sound strange, but in the early morning I thought I saw something in my window," said Nicole.

Camila looked at her, she knew very well what she was talking about because she had also felt something similar. She had not seen something, but she did feel that she was being watched.

“Oh yeah?" she pretended not to know.

They stopped near the car to wait for her mother.

Nicole looked at her.

“Yeah, maybe you don't believe me and think I'm trying to scare you and stuff, but I'm not," she muttered. I swear I thought I saw a shadow looking at me. I don't know if it was my imagination.

Camila thought it wasn't her imagination, she wanted to think it was nothing more than the reflections of the night and that. Her mother appeared next to them.

“Ready? “he asked as he opened the door to the main seat and got in. I hope Bea gets used to it.

Camila sat in the co”pilot seat and Nicole in the back seats. The mother started off, the high school was not far away.

“Mom, do you believe ghosts exist? “asked Nicole.

The mother laughed.

“I don't know, but I've never seen one, so I don't believe," she replied.

Nicole was thoughtful.

Camila was out of it.

The rest of the way was silent, the car parked in front of the huge building, the girls got out, detached from their mom and walked to the entrance. There were many fancy cars, there were several boys and girls outside dressed in gray clothes and jacketed. They looked at them curiously. Camila guessed that was how they looked at the newcomers. Nicole was on her cell phone, and because she wasn't paying attention on her way in, she chatted with another girl.

“I'm so sorry," said little Nicole.

The girl played it down.

“Never mind, it's okay," she smiled and looked at them. I guess you're new here, since I've never seen you before.

Camila nodded.

“That's right.

“I'm Carmen. I'm in tenth A," she shook Camila's hand. She took it. And you are...?

“Camila Clear... And I think I'm in tenth A, too.

She remembered her schedule and confirmed that it said she would be in tenth grade A, since there were two groups.

“And I'm her little sister Nicole, and I'm in first year.

“Excellent, you seem like nice girls.

Camila raised her eyebrows, but her gaze fell on two black, dark”glassed cars coming in. All eyes fell on them.

“And here they come," said Carmen.

Camila looked at the first boy who got out of the low car, he was dark and came with a girl. Then the other boy who came in the other car caught her attention more. His entrance was like in slow motion, that boy was tall, black tousled hair and his airs were carefree. He was wearing black jeans and a black jacket. The two boys joined him. And, feeling Camila's gaze, his eyes met hers. They were dark, mysterious, they really caught his attention. But she didn't want to have anything to do with him. So, taking the others by surprise, he grabbed his sister by the hand and dragged her to the entrance of the high school.

The boy's eyes narrowed and he was curious about this new girl whom he had never seen before. Her indifference caught his attention, as no girl had ever done so before. And that puzzled him.