The Wish

☆Chapter 7.1: A jab in the guts

"Freya..."

"Over here!" An ominous voice hushes from afar, traveling down the vacant corridor.

Despite everything in me, warning me to stay put, to abide by the rules, like the good student I strive to become, my feet rebel against my better judgment, drawing me towards the chilling voice instead, beyond the gruesome veil of darkness.

I'm at school, an unfortunate predicament, as it's the last place on earth I would have hoped to find myself. Even in my dreams, this nefarious building seems to haunt me, like a pestering flea.

Setting out in trepidation, I'm led down the empty hallway, where each of my steps can be heard, echoing, bouncing off the lockers, adding to the obscurity that lurks in the air.

"Come forth, you're getting warmer..."

Somehow, the school takes on a completely different ambiance than in the day, when it's brimming with life. It feels eerie...forsaken.

Shadows of trees, power lines and branches are depicted on the ground, aided by the moonlight, which helps to navigate me down the dingy path. Midway through my journey, I detect several footsteps trailing closely behind and I swivel back, nearly tripping over myself.

My eyes wander in the void, attempting to discern a figure at the very least, but it's futile. I could barely make out an outline, much less a shape, even if I tried.

A spine-chilling laughter follows, almost immediately, surrounding me, mocking me, from multiple directions and panic douses over me, the effects of this torturous mind game, beginning to bear its fruit and I pivot around, facing forward again.

At the end of the hallway now resides an opened door, a bright light imitating from within. The forbidden fruit, it taunts me with its light, acting as a sort of refuge, filling me with a false sense of security and reassurance.

"Come, this way..."

I'm terrified, to the point my breathing is now audible for my ears to perceive and yet, I carry, heading straight for the light, despite my fears.

A couple of feet away, I slowly come to realize that it's not an exit or a classroom that I'm approaching, but rather, a female restroom.

Cautiously, I stand in front of the room, now doubtful whether I should actually venture inside or head back, in search of another way out, but a strong pull lurches me forward and I'm forced to heed its call.

The lights of the bathroom are so blinding, I need to squint my eyes just to help ward off its intense effects. Once the sting simmered down, I immediately got to work, searching through each of the stalls for the anonymous voice, calling out to me.

"Hello, is anyone there?" I ask, nearing the end of the row, a sinking feeling starting to make itself apparent.

At the last stall, I hesitate before charging in but, like all the others that came before, it's completely empty.

Confused, I carefully drew back, pressing a hand close to my chest, hitting the sink I hadn't realized was right behind me.

My eyes frantically search the room in hopes of seeing something new, the outcome stays the same however, resulting in a wave of paranoia, as to what my lack of discovery might entail.

Then, the sounds of footsteps resume outside, resonating inside the washroom, growing increasingly louder by the second and I hold onto the sink for dear life, bracing myself for what's about to appear.

"Who is it?" I demand this time, my mouth quivering at an alarming rate and suddenly, the noises stop.

I stand motionless for a while, patiently listening and waiting for the slightest shift that might take me by surprise, my hand still gripping onto the sink, now pale from the wrist down, but after a couple of minutes, nothing occurs and I sigh before lowering myself onto the ground.