The Ink Infection

Chapter 4

I stepped out from the sphere. The white lights blinded me, and I head whispers and muttering from a group of people. I blinked my eyes repeatedly, trying to get a glimpse of the university. As my eyes adjusted, I looked around. We were on a narrow platform of white marble. Along both sides, a crowd was sitting on rows of benches, with green and yellow banners hanging from the columns that separated the crowds here and there. I looked behind me: Clove was still adjusting to the light, and Cody was fascinated as much as me. I tried to find Jack, who was a few steps ahead of me.

At the end of the platform, I could see a tall platform, with marble stairs leading up to the middle from the sides. Before the platform, was a man... waiting for us? I took a step forward, looking above me. I could clearly see the open sky through the glass dome on the ceiling. Oh, how much that sky shone, its blue color spreading all over the sky. And was that the sun? Its yellow mass of body, shining. 

Suddenly, I heard a collective gasp. I snapped back into reality. I looked behind me, thinking Cody or Clove must have done something wrong, but they were staring at me as if I was a monster. No wait, their line of sight was toward my feet. I looked down at my feet. It was then when I saw the blotch of red color, and a small red droplet fell from somewhere. I looked at my hand. Shoot. My bandage had disappeared, revealing a dot of red in my palm. Blood was dribbling down the side of my hand, onto my fingers, and landed on the ground. Quickly, I held my hand in my other hand, trying to stop the bleeding.

"I'm sorry, alright?" I told the crowds. They still looked at me, with their wide, large eyes. Did no one get hurt or something? It's just blood. As if on cue, the crowds started to murmur with each other. I looked down at my feet, puzzled. I saw a pair of black sneakers approach me. I looked up, startled. It was Jack.

"Are you alright? It's okay Neil." whispered Jack, "They're worried because you're hurt. I was supposed to bring you here with no harm."

"Ahem." said a voice, silencing the crowd. The man had risen, looking sternly at me and my friends. "Come." he ordered. 

Cody and Clove shuffled forward, and I followed them, Jack following right behind me. Once we reached the platform, we turned back to Jack. He motioned us to go up the stairs. We climbed the stairs rather slowly, and once on the tall platform, we faced the crowd. I caught a glimpse of the man, who was in his forties, wearing a formal suit, his black hair combed, with his brown eyes. He was tall, and stood towering over us.

"This year's new students of A.1!" boomed the man, and a round of applause came from the crowd.

"A.1?" I whispered to Jack.

"You're in the most top group in this school for all the newcomers this year." he whispered back.

The man continued talking, "It is a wonderful honor, to present to you the top 3 students in th-" the door to the platform banged open and a group of teenagers stumbled in, carrying a boy. The crowd faced the new commotion. The man stood up from his spot, looking at the new group. I squinted my eyes and saw Odir and a tall girl carrying a tanned boy with dark brown hair. The girl seemed badly hurt, her hair messy, and her green eyes were sparkling with tears.

"Derek!" I shouted, I tried to run to him, but Jack stopped me. All eyes were on me now, but I didn't care. That was my friend. I ignored Jack, and placed my first step on the stairs, when a pair of hands grabbed me from the back and restrained me.

"Stay still." whispered Jack in my ear, "Now is not the good time. All eyes are on you, you, the top three." I looked around my surroundings. Clearly, Cody and Clove were confused, and the man was staring at me with his piercing brown eyes. The crowds kept looking back between me and Derek. I restrained myself, and walked back to the platform. Odir noticed me, giving me a swift nod, in which I responded with a nod as well. 'We barely made it here' his eyes told me. I gave him a reassuring look, 'good to see you safe buddy.'