Byron's Secret (Slenderman Romance)

Chapter 20. Urgent

Well . . . This is awkward.

Every student that came in the room just stared at my shirt in an absurd way, some even looked uneasy.

"Why on earth are you wearing that?" I heard a voice and turned to see Judy－one of the students who made fun of Helen－rudely asking about my shirt with a roll of her pretty little eyes. Ugh.

"Because I can." I rolled my eyes as well and dismissed her as I flipped through our art subject's book.

"Bad luck, Ms. Williams . . ." Another kid－Ban, who I heard is the biggest bully in our school, said in a quiet tone.

"Why?" I grew curious. They all gave me looks like I'm something so foreign.

"Don't you know?" Judy scoffed, "It's the sign everyone sees before they disappear, like, are you trying to kill us?"

I sat on my chair and leaned as I studied them, "So . . . everyone in this town basically knows all about this huh . . ." I crossed my arms, "And I bet everyone's terrified."

"Why wouldn't we be?" Judy answered on the whole class' behalf, "It's not just adults who disappear, you know."

"So, what happens when someone sees this sign?" I questioned, "Do they lock themselves up in someplace safe or what?"

"If you want to live, yeah." Ban was the one to reply.

"How long does it usually take for someone to disappear after seeing the sign?" I attentively asked.

Everyone turned towards Andrea for some reason, expecting something from her. Finally, she realized and hesitantly spoke, "I-It depends, it can be around a few days to weeks, even months . . ." She awkwardly said.

"Andrea did a paper on the disappearances so she knows a lot about it." A student, who's name I'm not familiar with, informed, "Ms. Williams, I heard you were being stalked."

And at that moment, everyone's eyes widened with questioning looks directed at me, "W-Well, yeah . . . but－"

"How are you still alive?" Judy cut me off with the look of incredulity.

"Wow, Judy, thank you." I felt offended. No manners whatsoever.

"I mean it, with you, wearing that," she pointed at my shirt, "and you blabbing about the disappearances."

"Well, I don't know. Why do you think I'm asking you all these questions ever since the start of class?" I retorted, "I should be teaching!"

"You don't even look scared or paranoid, it's so not obvious that you're being stalked." Judy added, seemingly interested in the topic now with a cautious look in her eyes.

"I know, it's ridiculous. I just don't think I should give them the satisfaction of knowing that I'm wary about them." I sighed.

". . . Who?" A voice murmured, though I couldn't quite trace where the voice came from.

"Whoever they are . . ." I shrugged, unsure.

"But how can you pretend like nothing's wrong . . ." Judy, still skeptical, asked. "You could, like, vanish out of nowhere." She added with a frightened look.

"That's comforting, thanks." I broke into a sarcastic smile, "But in all honestly, I don't know what to do. Though let me say this," I paused and lowered my voice, "If the time comes where 'they' try to take me . . . I'm going to take a stand－I mean, it shouldn't just be me!" I laughed, "Everyone should. How long has this been happening? Don't you think someone should start－I don't know－change how things work?"