New Beginning

Chapter Sixteen

A/N: I kinda lost my inspiration at times throughout this chapter, so I really hope it turned out ok. Let me know what ya think. As always, I would love to hear your opinions good or bad. This chapter has been edited by my Beta Casey.

My head lulled to the side as the teacher drawled on in front of the class. Her voice was drowned out by the pounding of blood in my ears as I yawned.

"Today we're going to talk about shadow reckoning," I finally heard her say.

I rubbed my face and looked around me, finding Bonnie to my left in a similar comatose state. She was yawning and leaning back against her seat to stay awake, before finally giving up and laying her head on her arms. I tried to catch her attention, but couldn't find the will to move my hands. I was just too tired. I kept my eyes on her, it was odd, but I couldn't look away. I was unsure why, until I saw her sit up and look over her shoulder, staring at something in the hallway, just beyond the open door. She looked back at the teacher briefly before she stood and started to move out of the room. I turned and looked around me, unnerved to find no one had even noticed Bonnie stand to leave. I felt a tug in my chest, and before I knew it, I was standing to follow her against my own volition. I tried to stop my feet but I couldn't, I was a passenger in my own body. I walked out of the oblivious class. No one seems to care that two students had decided to leave.

Bonnie stood just outside of the doorway, her back to me. She was staring off to her right, and from the rigid set of her shoulders, I knew something was wrong. I tried to move my mouth to ask her if she was ok, but it was like my jaw was wired shut.

I stood behind her, waiting. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw something move to our left, and my body turned at the same time Bonnie's did. Breathing heavily, she slowly started to head in the direction we had seen the flicker. This was precisely what scary movies taught us not to do, but I wasn't in any position to try and tell her that.

My body obediently followed behind her, and I noticed that her shoes clicked against the tiles as she walked. I listened carefully and heard nothing from my own — it was like I was a ghost. I tried to catch my reflection in the glass of the classroom doors next to me but could see nothing in my periphery, and my body was still not in my own control.

As we approached the side door that led to the back parking lot, I felt a familiar presence. Bonnie tensed in front of me, her ragged breathing becoming erratic. She froze, and my body avoided colliding with her by circling around and coming to stand on her other side, right next to Emily Bennett. The tension from my body started melting immediately, it was like someone had cracked an egg on the top of my head. I could feel it trail from my scalp down to my feet. I sighed and squeezed my hands tightly, enjoying the feel of my body once again reacting to my commands. I squinted my eyes at my dearly departed friend, and took her in from top to bottom, for the first time in over a hundred years.

Standing against the wall between the door and the lockers, she patiently waited for Bonnie to accept that she was there. I was unsurprised to find that she still wore the same light-colored, checkered gown and bonnet she had worn the day we had died.

But somehow, even though I wasn't surprised that she still looked the same, my stomach rolled at the sight of her. Although her skin and hair were both uncharred and as beautiful as I remembered, I could still smell her burning flesh. I tried to push the thought from my mind as I cocked my head to the side and placed a hand on my hip.

"Was the puppet master routine really necessary, Em?" I asked in a huff.

Emily smiled briefly before turning her eyes towards Bonnie. Until that moment, I hadn't realized she had still yet to acknowledge me. I stepped in front of her and tilted my head when her eyes never focused in on me. I stepped away when Emily quietly huffed and realized I was not meant to be seen or heard. I was only supposed to observe. Emily turned around and walked out the door, and Bonnie followed silently behind her. I stayed directly beside Bonnie as Emily led us into the woods, the further we got the surer I was of exactly where Emily was leading us. As soon as I saw the piles of moss-covered stones, I stopped in my tracks.