CHARLOTTE

CHAPTER III

Watching myself cry I was able to catch in the window a glimpse of a long tall shadow, it seemed like it measured almost 3 meters. My instinct made me turn around to find something to defend myself with, but there was nothing nearby. I decided to run since the figure appeared to be pretty slow. I was going on my way to the elevator but something grabbed my leg and pushed me against the floor. The only thing I felt afterwards was the cold floor of that disgusting place.

-New bodies have been discovered recently near... -The news abruptly cut on the television, and I could observe my father starting to frown. He told me that I wouldn't be able to stay any longer at school and that I should start to say goodbye to my friends. I argued with him about the reason why, I needed a clear explanation, -It's for your safety -he screamed, I was shocked by the sudden action but kindly my dad apologized, he realized the mistake he made. After apologizing, we had a long talk about why It was dangerous to keep going there, I didn't have much of a choice than to agree with him.

The next day the sun was setting down, I was outside of my school, "Nashville elementary school" was the precious building I spent a lot of time in. I don't have many memories of there but the ones I remember make me feel like home, like if you were in a cozy shack with a warm chimney, I had already said farewell to my dearest friends and teachers so it was time to go back home.

I was taking the usual route to get home, a path where not even the wind could be heard. I was used to it, but this time, the silence was louder than ever and being all emotional didn't help at all. I wanted to leave immediately, I didn't enjoy this feeling, I wanted to escape from it. But it was impossible, no matter if I tried to run home, it would still be there. So I closed my eyes and kept going on.

I was ignoring my surroundings, until a big figure stood right in front of me, he talked and talked. But I didn't understand him, not until he pulled out a knife which was drawing gently circles around my shirt. I realized that was the reason for the roaring silence, someone had followed me and now maybe I won't be seen again. 

Taking a deep breath. The gravity of the situation hit me. As I desperately tried to get away from the thing that was grasping my leg, a huge wave of adrenaline rushed through me. With all my strength I crawled through the floor and found a sturdy metal pipe lying in the floor. Without a second thought I instantly grabbed it and hit the mysterious presence, even though I could swear I beat it, I missed, it was no longer there. I still had the mark of its hand on my left leg, it burned like if someone had thrown acid on me or something like that. Trying as hard to vanish the pain, I got up and sprant to where the elevator was, every step I took was one step closer to get the hell out of here. Seeing the elevator each time I blinked closer, made me feel glad. Now I have finally reached it.

When I smashed the button I noticed that I had just touched a gooey wall. Frantically I examined the whole panel just to realize that the elevator was turned into a huge portrait -that's impossible- I spoke out loud. My hands ended up covered in a substance that looked like blood, I ran my right palm to my forehead as I was trying to comprehend what was going on and thanks to this half of my face was painted with the reddish color.

It all felt hopeless, the elevator was gone, there were no stairs, and there was no way to ask for help from outside. My head was bumping against the wall as I slid myself down the floor just to be stopped midway by some terrible pain in my abdomen. I had just gotten stabbed.

The knife came out from my stomach and commenced to bleed, I spun around just to see a girl smiling, after a few seconds the wound wasn't on my belly anymore, and the aggressor was nowhere to be seen around. The younger one extended her arm and I expected to see a knife, instead she gave me a "higanbana", a Japanese flower. I reluctantly snatched it out of her hand and after that she began to walk away, I wanted to follow her but my feet didn't move, I had the sensation that they were glued to the ground. In the time I was trying to move my feet the girl had already faded away combining herself within the darkness.