The Unseen (ONC 2023)

Three (Nina)

It turns out moving to Hell wasn't such a total nightmare after all.

My luck had improved significantly upon our arrival here. Nevertheless, I left nothing to chance. I still took extreme caution whenever I stood up, I kept my distance from my fellow students, and sat in the very back of the bus. You would think I'd be lonely, but every day I had someone sitting next to me.

My mystery seat companion's skin is extremely pale like a blank canvas. His hair is chestnut brown, its long too down to his shoulders. He keeps it tied in a ribbon like the founding fathers. His eyes are what shock me the most, they're red the color of freshly spilt blood. Every time I see them a shiver runs down my spine.

He stares out the window during our entire bus ride. I give myself a mental pep-talk every time I see him. I tell myself this is the day that I will speak to him. This lasts as long as the bus ride, I wait until everyone has left before standing up carefully I exit the bus. The mystery boy follows me, dropping to his knees. His face contorted with pain, his body is engulfed in flames until  nothing but ashes remain.

I always stand there for a few moments, wondering if I'm hallucinating. I hoist my backpack higher onto my shoulder walking into the school. I avoid my father's death-glare, the principal here gave him a teaching position. He teaches Economics and coaches the boys lacrosse team. He gripped my arm painfully tight on our first day here, his lips inches from my ear. I gag at the smell of bourbon on his breath.

"Do not ruin this for me Nina."

I nodded, fear in my eyes. I wait until I'm a safe distance away before pushing up my sleeve inspecting the bruises on my arm. My father delivers the same threat every day, taking a deep drink from his flask. He keeps it concealed in the inside pocket of his suit jacket. He's always conveniently sober during his anger management classes. When he comes home however, my mother and I are his targets. There are nights where my mother would sneak herself into my room. We would lock the door, propping a chair underneath the knob.

She gives me her word that she will find a way to make things better. The house is in her name, she says Hell is her hometown. Her ancestors lived in this house for generations. She's been meeting with my uncle who is a lawyer, a very successful one. She's also been in contact with my aunt who is a police chief. She said my father is now on a clock, his days are numbered. I can only hope this means I have seen the last of my bad luck.

I take my lunch out of my locker walking straight into the library. I pass by the librarian who offers me a friendly wave. I take one of the study rooms, sitting down I start unpacking my lunch bag. I hear someone knock softly on the door. My body freezes, my breathing goes ragged. I have yet to make friends here, there's a part of me that doesn't want to. I had friends at my old school, friends who didn't even bother to come to my defense when the accusations came out. They all blocked me on social media, they didn't want to be associated with a cheater and a bully.

"Come in." I bite my lip. I asked the librarian on my first day if it was alright for me to eat my lunch in the confines of a study room. She said while it may be frowned upon, she could see I was a good egg.

"Just clean up after yourself Ms. Winters, that is all I ask."

I kept my word, the study room always looked spotless after I left. The door opens, one of my classmates slips in closing and locking the door behind her. Sweat mats her butterscotch blonde hair to her face. Her blue eyes are fearful her breathing just as ragged as mine. I hesitantly stand up.

"Are you alright?"

She tries to speak, a small squeak escapes her lips when someone bangs their fist on the door. She backs away from it pressing her back against the wall. I withdraw my cell phone out of the front pocket of my backpack. A familiar voice begins to speak on the other side of the door.

"Ms. Summer, get your ass out here right now!" My father's voice slurs.

"Call the police." She whispers to me.

"Why?" I whisper back.

"We were in the middle of a test." She begins. "The captain of the lacrosse team kept trying to run his hand underneath my skirt. I told him to knock it off, but he just kept doing it. Finally, I had had enough so I screamed for him to leave me alone. Mr. Winters called me a tease, accused me of leading his star athlete along. He...He..."

I noticed her clutching her arm and how it was hanging at an unnatural angle. Could my father have done this? I sent a message to my aunt requesting an ambulance and a squad car. When she asked what for I told her of what Ms. Summers told me.

"My aunt is on her way with help. Here, sit down is there anything I can do?" I ask, pulling out a chair for her to sit down on.

"NINA!"

I jump hearing my father pounding on the door. I can hear the librarian on the phone with the principal. My heart begins to hammer in my chest.

"Open this door, Nina! Now! If you don't, I am going to fuckin' break it down!"

"Mr. Winters!"

"Shut the Hell up woman!" He roars. "This is none of your concern!"

"Kenneth, that is enough."

I sigh in relief hearing the voice of my Aunt Sarah. My father instantly goes silent. I don't need to open the door to know my aunt wastes no time in putting my father in cuffs. She has been wanting to do it for years. My classmate looks just as relieved.

"I'm Henrietta." Henrietta holds out her hand.

"Nina." I introduce myself. "Is your arm, okay?"

"I-I'm not sure." She admits. "Mr. Winters yanked it pretty hard when he slammed me up against the wall."

"When I'm done with my lunch we are going to go the nurse's office." I say firmly. "Then we will go to the principal, sound good?"

"O-Okay." She smiles weakly.

The study room door is unlocked, my aunt walks into the room with a small notepad in hand. Behind her my mother comes in. I can hear my father shouting from down the hall. He says this is all a misunderstanding. He says every word Henrietta says will be a lie. My mother looks down at her hands.

"Ms. Summers, may I speak to you privately?" Aunt Sarah asks. Henrietta stands up slowly, she tries to hide the pain, but she ends up flinching when my aunt places a hand on her shoulder.

"Did he hurt you, blackbird?" Mom asks.

"Not since this morning." I answer.

She goes quiet running a hand through her raven black hair. We sit side-by-side in silence I finish my lunch and open my journal. I had taken my mother's advice writing down my innermost thoughts while also drawing my mystery travel companion.

"Who is this?" Mom asks.

"I don't know, I see him on the bus every day." I answer. "I keep trying to work up the courage to talk to him but I always chicken out."

"My beautiful blackbird, you have shown immense bravery from the moment we moved here." Mom places a small kiss on the top of my head. "Why not take the plunge?"

I close my journal, holding it closely to my chest. She was right, in Hell I experienced a lot of firsts. My luck was turning around. Tomorrow I would conquer my fear. Tomorrow I would take the plunge.

*Total Word Count: 3387*