Boarding School Connecticut

Chapter 9

Words she needed to hear

No one has forgotten anything, maybe both cases are not even connected. But still, I don't know why, I still feel as if they are.

But I can not just trust how I feel, I have to think with my brain too. Don't I?

Oh gosh. What am I supposed to do?

On top of it all, the nightmares haven't stopped.

Can't I just call in sick today?

Curled up in bed, the warmth of the sheets a comforting reminder of last night, I stare at the ceiling. It's been a week since school started, a week since Hayley's death. I have barely seen Josefine. We haven't even exchanged a word since Monday. Every time I did see her, she seemed lost in a fog, a revolving door of girls swirling around her. Whispers drifted through the halls – avoiding her ex, rumors swirling about witnessing Hayley's suicide. I tried reaching out to her, but her circle of friends acts like a human shield, keeping everyone else at arm's length.

A sigh escapes my lips as I glance out the window. The morning sun peeks shyly through the branches of the large tree outside, casting dappled light across the room.

Lunch breaks are spent in solitary confinement – the girls' restroom my only companion. The first few days, I tried finding Matteo and Luca, but the feeling of being ignored was a bitter pill to swallow.
First period with Luca is a quiet affair. His usual stoicism makes it hard to gauge his mood, but Matteo definitely seems more withdrawn than usual.

Slowly, I sit up, the familiar ache of loneliness settling in.

It's as if I am all alone again and everyone is just a ghost passing through my life.

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Deep in the forest, sunlight filters through the leaves, casting playful patterns on the path ahead. Each crunch of fallen leaves echoes in the peaceful morning symphony. I inhale deeply, the crisp air filling my lungs. My fingers fiddle with a cassette player clipped to my belt, the soundtrack of a teen movie blasting through my headphones. Lost in the music, I feel like the protagonist of my own coming-of-age story.

Suddenly, a subtle shift in the air sends a shiver down my spine. The temperature dips, and I instinctively look up. The playful dance of sunlight is gone. In its place, a menacing storm gathers. Once wispy clouds have morphed into a vast, charcoal-grey expanse that silently devours the sun.

Unease claws at my throat. The light breeze playing with my hair transforms into a sudden gust, whipping strands into my face and tugging at my shirt. The forest itself seems to hold its breath, anticipating the inevitable downpour. My heart hammers a frantic rhythm against my ribs, drowning out the music to a distant hum. Uncertainty gnaws at me.

Suddenly, a voice cuts through the music, a raspy whisper: "Hush."

I jump, eyes darting around in a frantic search for the source. My muscles clench, the carefree feeling of moments ago replaced by a surge of primal fear. Without thinking, I break into a run, legs pumping like pistons. But the forest floor seems to conspire against me, the path an endless blur beneath my pounding feet. It's as if I'm trapped in slow motion, desperately fleeing something unseen.

The first fat drops of rain begin to splatter, blurring the green world around me. I twist my head back for a glimpse of whatever pursues, and in that moment, my foot catches on a hidden root. A strangled cry escapes my lips as I sprawl onto the rain-slicked ground. Mud squelches under my palms as I break my fall, and icy rainwater soaks through my clothes.