I moved my head as I run. Everyone seems to run away from each other. And some even have knives with them. The seniors only watched us. They didn't even tell us about the monster and this little game of survival. Murdering your friends in order to move on to the next class period.
I saw an alive bush next to a dead sequoia tree. I crawled into the bush and hid inside the bush. I can feel an itchy feeling in my arms. I blinked. A branch, which I rubbed my arm into, has ticks crawling from it to my arms. I shook my arms.
"Argghh!" I looked around to find another safe spot to hide.
A group of dead trees stood some feet away from her. She could cope with the itchiness. She runs to the tree and rolls to the lawn. When she reached the tree's roots, she lays her back on the bark of the tree. She scratches her left arm. A tick falls to the ground as she shook her arms and scratches it continuously.
She grunts and glances at her classmates.
The seniors led us to our first class period. They said we'll meet our homeroom teacher there. No one talked about what happened on the way. Neither what happened in the last few days. This troubled my mind. I felt anxious just by imagining what will happen next. But this is just the start of my academic journey. The tip of the iceberg. Our first-class period will take place in the Damien building. A building composed of two floors with five classrooms on each floor. But there is something that made it stand out from the first buildings I saw. The color, and the decorations there. It is a yellow-painted building, freshly painted. Trees around it were alive and it even sprouts magnificent flowers. We entered the hallway of the Damien building. The floor is maroon and plants are standing next to the foundations of the buildings. It is very welcoming, and a good environ
Two weeks passed after that day.I remember myself staring at a piece of paper, my head busy trying to think.It was the night before the exam, where the teachers will give us a formative test and an early summative test.Stress and anxiety built up in my mind as I think of a way to escape. I had managed to survive the last discipline exam which happened three days ago. I had noticed the teachers getting serious about punishing us. But none had died among us. something terrible is gonna happen to the exam happening tomorrow.I was a coward. I had many chances on escaping, but fear of regretting it stops my way.I clenched my fist tight while a dipping pen is in my hand. I breathe in and then started to write."Hic malum meum vadit;" I said as I write. I stopped when the pen ran out of ink. I reached for an inkpot near me, the lid has a metal monkey as a design. I bent from my seat just to reach the inkpot. I groaned when so
The nurse left the door slightly open. I leaned at the door and peeked at the gap. I saw the nurse walk away, pushing the wheelbarrow. "Follow her." It says, sitting in a crossed leg position. "Why would I?" I whispered. "You should." It hits my left cheek with its staff. "Just follow me." "Oh, All right," Lily says. I watched the nurse disappear in the shadows. It's impossible to walk around and not bump into something. And also, we only have a limited amount of light. This hallway is one of the other hallways that meet the concourse. Compared to others, this hallway is the least favorable when it comes to nightwalkers. Days ago, I met a girl who is a nightwalker, talked about how narrow this hallway was. I can't relate to her since I have never seen myself wandering around while asleep. But here I am, wandering with a monkey on my left shoulder. I have to think quickly. In one of my lessons in Homeroom Guidance when I was in sixth grade, we were advised to think wisel
I stared at the notes I wrote last night. I can't understand anything about it. It's a bad idea to write notes in Latin. I facepalmed as the notes drop on the floor. Reviewing was a bad thing. I did not even stock any knowledge, what should I do!? Incredibly stressful. What's even worse? This school is not ordinary, this is hell. It was worse than I imagined when I was in elementary. Or, high school is really like this. I removed my palms from my face and spread out my skirt. I stretched out the wrinkles in my black uniform. It has bold red highlights, and the tie was half black and half checkered. At the end of my sleeves were puffs with buttons. I brushed my black hair. I can't believe it won't be ironed straight. I will look messy in the exams. Well, whatever. They don't have rules about looking neat anyway. The uniforms are as beautiful as what you expect from a prestigious school. I stand up from a stall and walk
Later that day.It’s four o’clock in the afternoon.It’s time. Earlier in the morning, when we finally got out of the room, James invited the entire class to study. He reasoned it was a preparation for the next test.But that was not the reason.It was something else.Footsteps echoed through the walls and murmurs are filling the air with disturbing noises. I knew it was afternoon, but the fact that no light can be seen reflecting on the windows is suspicious. It is maybe caused by the weather or some phenomenon. Whatever it is, I must not risk my life trying to know.I walked over a red carpet leading to the main hall.I stopped near a foundation and looked around. Scholars scattered around the hall, creating noises from chatting and even running around. Smith isn’
Inside the classroom of the scholars, Tobiah and Lily sat facing each other discussing something. It is the day after the group study.The sun slowly shifts as the two watches the light disappear and dusk was here."I guess so," Tobiah explained. "You are that kind of person that does not like to lurk around this school."I stared at his face. He was right, I don't like to explore since I knew that danger can be everywhere. Just earlier, I asked if I should accept Theodore's consent, to help him explore the forest to find that girl, the girl that appeared with the doll I have now."He needs me," I sighed. "But my other side does not think that brightly."Tobiah goes closer to me, and then gave me a look of concern. He smiled slightly, "You can kill anytime, can you?"I sighed once more. I lowered my gaze."No, I only did that one time because I want to survive, that's it."Tobiah reaches for something
It was a Tuesday morning, and Lily is pretty late for her Homeroom Class. She feared that Mr Byrne might be raging right now, like what he reacted to the group of Megaera, to which Tommy belonged. Until now, the third week of their stay, they were not yet found.Theodore guessed they died, like what he always says when someone suddenly disappears.No one knew if his guess was right neither wrong. Because no one wanted to find out.She was running a few steps to the room, raising the speed of her pace. She clung the bag with her, containing a piece of paper and the doll. She spent the night making sketches for the so-called “plan” that they hope will work.She was about to take a step inside when her instincts paused her. She can hear Mr Byrne screaming.She peeked on the glass window shaped like a small circle in the centre of the door. Mr Byrne has his mouth wide open while his hands are preparing to turn over the desk before him. The
A crow squawked while soaring in the sky. Clouds covered the about to rise moon on a chilly evening. The wind swooshed and the crow had fled to a soul monster’s shoulder. Along with him, are the ghosts of the past students in this school. They are enjoying the game they were playing, hide and seek. The crow bent his head to see a female sophomore ghost pull a trapped ghost kid out of a small hole that goes inside the monster. The girl noticed the crow, and then crawled to it. Her eyes were completely black, shaped like a circle. The crow flinched when it noticed a fat black worm visible inside her. It flew into her stomach just before she could reach it. The crow pecked at her stomach. No matter how hard it peck, it just goes through her. The worm cannot be reached with its short beak. The crow squawked angrily as it flies away from the soul monster. Jesse pressed the binoculars at her eyes as she saw a crow soar at the scene she was looking at. Cleme