Chasing Doom

Chapter 2

As the bell rang, signalling the start of class, I took my seat and watched as my classmates settled into their chairs. I sat at my usual lonely seat at the back, near one of the windows. The sun streamed through the glass, casting a warm glow on the empty seat beside me. I sighed, feeling a pang of loneliness as I watched my classmates chat and laugh with their friends. 

As Mr. Gadling walked to the front of the classroom, his eyes sparkled with the same twinkle of excitement that I had seen earlier. He cleared his throat and began, "Good morning, class. I hope all of you are awake and ready for class today. We don't want you falling asleep, do we?" I half-heartedly chuckled along with the rest of the class, but my mind was still preoccupied with my own thoughts. 

Mostly of the dream I had and of the crow that was now staring intently at me through the window. That was another strange thing about me. Ravens followed me wherever I went, and by now, I was used to it. I half-smiled at the crow in greeting. 

As Mr. Gadling continued with the lesson, my gaze kept drifting back to the crow. Its eyes seemed to hold a knowingness and familiarity that unsettled me. Lost in my thoughts, I barely registered Mr. Gadling calling my name. Startled, I looked up to see the entire class staring at me expectantly. Some of them were already murmuring together in fear. I could feel the weight of their collective gaze; their unease was palpable in the air. 

I said calmly, keeping my eyes on Mr. Gadling, "My apologies, sir. Could you perhaps repeat the question?" Mr. Gadling's brows furrowed in curiosity as he repeated the question, and I could sense his curiosity about my distracted state. As he spoke, I couldn't help but steal another glance at the crow perched outside the window; its presence was hauntingly captivating. 

The unease in the classroom only grew, the hushed whispers intensifying as my classmates exchanged uncomfortable glances. I answered the question with a textbook answer, barely registering Mr. Gadling's approving nod as I glanced back at the raven. The rest of the class carried on with the lesson, oblivious to the strange atmosphere that had settled upon us. 

But only I could feel the familiar buzz under my skin-the sense of doom and power slithering into me again. Without warning, I could feel the power creep from me into the empty seat in front of me. The chair shuddered once, and then a dark, creeping rosebush appeared on it, with roses as black as ebony. 

The class erupted into gasps and whispers as they turned to see the unexpected spectacle. I could feel the weight of everyone's gaze on me, their eyes filled with a mix of awe and fear. I looked at Mr. Gadling, panicking. He simply smiled at me like what I just did was a common occurrence and mouthed the words 'It's okay'. This had only happened before in Mr. Gadling's presence, so of course he wasn't fazed. 

I heard my classmates whispering fearfully about me being a witch or something, but I felt a rush of relief that Mr. Gadling didn't seem to mind in the slightest. He said with a warm smile, "It's perfectly alright, Kiara. We all understand that you're simply different, don't we? You can fix it, my dear. Just try." I nodded, feeling a mix of gratitude and determination. Mr. Gadling had always been my ally, the one who saw beyond the rumours and superstitions. 

With his encouragement, I took a deep breath and focused my attention on the rosebush. Closing my eyes, I envisioned the rosebush disappearing and the wood of the chair going back to its normal state. Slowly, I opened my eyes, and the rosebush was gone. The chair was no longer adorned with vibrant blooms, but instead, it stood bare and ordinary. A surge of exhilaration rushed through me as I realized that I had indeed fixed it. 

Mr. Gadling's smile widened as he said, "There you see. You did it. Now, listen up, everyone. Back to the lesson." Just like that, Mr. Gadling continued the lesson as though nothing had happened. And though I felt the uneasy stares of my classmates, I grinned at that. I realised what I had just done was some form of reality manipulation. The rosebush had never existed in the first place; I had just done something that made everyone believe it was real. 

I decided to keep my hands to myself for the rest of the lesson, and turned back to the crow. To my astonishment, it was gone. Had it simply flown away while my attention was focused on the rosebush? I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to this bird, something beyond the realm of ordinary. 

As the lesson continued, my mind wandered, replaying the strange events that had just unfolded. The lesson finally ended, and I was out the door the moment the bell rang. I headed straight for the garden in the back courtyard just as the bell signalling lunch time rang throughout the school. 

I waited under the same old maple tree for Mr. Gadling since we were supposed to have lunch together. I sat down on the bench there as I fiddled with my hands. Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed when Mr. Gadling finally appeared, his kind eyes crinkling with a warm smile. He was carrying a little box, which probably contained sandwiches. 

I stood and said with a grin, "Hello again, sir." He returned my greeting and handed me the box, saying, "Hello, my dear. I hope you're hungry." I eagerly opened the box to find an assortment of delicious sandwiches neatly arranged inside. 

As we sat down on the bench and started eating, Mr. Gadling looked at me curiously and said, "You seem a bit distracted today. Considering how you distorted reality and made that rosebush appear." I paused mid-bite, a slight blush creeping up my cheeks. 

I admitted, taking a sip of the refreshing lemonade I had brought along, "I suppose I have been preoccupied lately." He nodded understandingly, his eyes twinkling with curiosity and he asked gently, "Care to share what's been occupying your mind, my dear?" I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to articulate the jumble of thoughts and ideas that had been consuming me. 

I said, "Well, I had another one of those dreams, you know? I know you said I have very powerful dreams, which is probably why I started the day creeped out. And I saw a crow. Again. And my power's been out of control all day." Mr. Gadling smiled knowingly. 

I took that as my cue to continue and said, "I had a dream about a dark-haired man dressed in a black robe with a crow on his shoulder. His hand was outstretched to me and his eyes were like molten silver." As I spoke, Mr. Gadling's expression grew more focused, his brows furrowing in deep thought. It was clear that my dream had struck a chord within him, resonating with some hidden knowledge he possessed. 

His expression was imperceptible, almost as if he was trying not to show me something that should be obvious but wasn't. To my surprise, he brushed it off with a chuckle as he said, "You've had many strange dreams, Kiara. Perhaps this one is one of those meaningless dreams, no matter how powerful your dreams are. Perhaps you've been reading too much of those DC comics about the Endless. After all, I know how you enjoy those."

But it was pretty obvious that he was trying to hide something. But I couldn't push him. So, I pushed my disbelief away as I grinned and said, "You're probably right, sir. I have been reading too much of those comics." The conversation naturally shifted to the upcoming History assignment that Mr. Gadling had assigned the class earlier. 

As we joked around about the assignment, I couldn't help but notice Mr. Gadling's demeanour change. There was a flicker of unease in his eyes a fleeting moment of vulnerability that contradicted his usual confident façade. It was as if he wanted to say something, to share a secret, but was holding back for reasons unknown. 

I brushed it off and joked, "Can I get a better grade if I make something nice tomorrow for lunch, Mr. Gadling?" Mr. Gadling chuckled softly at my comment, but I could tell that his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. He seemed preoccupied, lost in his own thoughts. But Mr. Gadling joked, "That's determined by the quality of your work, Kiara. Though a delicious lunch would be appreciated." 

I grinned, brushing off my unease. After lunch, though, I headed straight to my dorm room, ignoring the fact that I was skipping Math class.