Polar Opposites

3 - Forward

It was another day in my solitary life, one that had no unusual occurrences whatsoever, and I was once again making my way to ANHS's main complex, going down the stone-paved path that led to it.

Every single time I went walked down here, I would always have some sort of chance encounter or meeting with one of my friends or someone who I knew closely, but today was different.

It was rather early, the sun still behind its curtains as it awaited its time to shine, and the wind was blowing at an even pace as I stared at the trees, rustling slightly as a small bird swished right passed them, the leaves trying to recover as some fell off their branches.

All of these things I was seeing were normal, and they were occurrences that I saw almost regularly. Despite this, something still felt off about today; I wasn't too sure why that was the case, as it was so vague that I couldn't even understand what it was, but I felt simply off if someone can feel that in the first place. 

Perhaps it was due to the faint splashing I heard when I walked passed the small park that ANHS was acquainted with, or the aggressively harsh gust of wind that came out of nowhere, knocking my bag's materials across the stone. Whatever it was, it gave me a sense of indescribable unease, creeping at me like a shadow in the night, waiting for its time to strike its most delectable victim. Nevertheless, I had to keep moving forward, as school officially starts at 8:AM, and though I doubted I was going to be late, if I stood out here and contemplated the potential person or thing that was making me feel like I was about to be murdered for as long as I had, then perhaps I would be. 

Thus, I got my bearings back together and continued to walk, looking to the left and right of me every couple of seconds for my own protection. Again, this was my intuition kicking in, something that hadn't failed me for all of my years on this planet, but there was still a slight possibility that it was wrong, no matter how small that chance may be.

That doesn't mean, however, that I wouldn't keep my guard up; that was a fool's move, after all, and I was no fool.

As I continued to step across the stone path with cautious steps, feeling as if I was sending a shockwave across the floor each time I moved, I held my bag tightly as my eyes grazed over a small bird that lay on a bench, rubbing its head with its tiny feet as its white fur drenched it beautifully. However, I had no time for distractions; I needed to get to school so I could shake this feeling or person off, and when that happened, I'll be at peace. 

Slowly but surely, I made my way to the entrance of the school as I witnessed the building tower over me, making me feel like nothing but an ant, as usual. But this was a good thing, as I had finally made it to my destination, and that should've been the end of it: the end of my unease and concern. 

However, even as school started, it never left me. 

Whether it was Chabashira-sensei speaking to us, students talking as they blabbed about trivial and uninteresting topics that never meant anything to me or the ruckus that the Idiot Duo, formerly trio, would make: nothing made me shake off this feeling, rushing up and down my veins like a virus.