Boarding School Connecticut

Chapter 12

Surprise Guests

The air feels thick and heavy, each breath a sticky struggle in my lungs. Witnessing these figures contort their faces in that unholy chant makes my head pound like a trapped bird.

This is so wrong.

It has to be some twisted dream, a cruel joke my mind is playing on me. A desperate plea forms on my lips, a silent wish whispered to a god I barely believe in anymore: please, don't let this be real.

But a cold dread pools in my stomach, a chilling certainty that this is no figment of my imagination.

The purple fog recedes, its menacing presence slowly lifting from the campus. As the tendrils of gas dissipate, the guttural chanting abruptly ceases. I blink, my eyes stinging, and in that blink, it's gone. The thirteen figures, shrouded in black,have vanished like smoke on the wind. Poof. There's nothing left but the lingering stench of sulfur hanging heavy in the air and the eerie afterglow emanating from every window in the dorms. Panic claws at my throat, a cold terror that constricts my lungs even tighter than the oppressive air.

What have they done?

The silence that follows the chanting is deafening, broken only by the frantic pounding of my own heart. The world seems to hold its breath, waiting for the next horrific act to unfold, while mind replays the events with a daunting feeling growing with every passing second.

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School stretches on like molasses in slow motion. Every second feels like an eternity, every minute an hour, every hour a decade. The school day drags, and when the final bell rings, we scatter like startled birds, each grappling with the experience of yesterday. A shared sense of helplessness hangs heavy in the air. Exhausted and confused, I even cave and take the bus to school this morning, but the sterile environment offers no solace. Walking home, I crave the familiar embrace of the forest. Its dappled sunlight and earthy scents have a strange calming effect on me, a brief respite from the swirling chaos in my head.

Now, I crouch in front of the closed oven, staring blankly at a defreezing pizza. The cafeteria was an option, but the loneliness gnawing at me is a different kind of hunger. I enjoy solitude, but there are times, like now, when I yearn for the easy camaraderie of friends, the shared laughter over cafeteria trays, the company outside of school hours. I see Josefine and Luca around, sure, but our interactions remain hesitant, a tentative dance around friendship that hasn't quite blossomed yet. Maybe it's because we aren't truly close.

A sigh escapes my lips as Pearl brushes against my leg, a soft purr rumbling in her throat. These thoughts, coupled with the whirlwind of the past few weeks, do little to ease the knot of tension in my stomach. A million questions swirl in my mind, a relentless storm I can't seem to find shelter from. Just as I retreat deeper into the labyrinth of my thoughts, the sudden, jarring ring of the doorbell shatters the fragile peace.

Who could this be?

The oven heat clings to me as I scramble across the kitchen to the hallway. Ocean, ever vigilant, sits on the stairs, gaze fixed on the door. Reaching the doorknob, I peek through the viewer. A girl with long blonde hair stands with her back to the door, seemingly surveying the deserted campus.

I creak the door open a sliver. Pearl darts out, brushing against the girl's leg in a silent welcome. "Josefine?" The name tumbles from my lips as she turns, scooping up Pearl.

She offers an awkward smile. "Hi." My eyes can't help but drift to the five massive silver suitcases dominating the porch.

"I spoke with Mrs. Tenpa," Josefine begins, placing Pearl back on the floor who promptly slinks back inside. "She said I can leave my dorm, but only if someone from another dorm accepts me as a roommate." She scratches her arm nervously,and I stare, a flicker of confusion crossing my face. Finally, she meets my gaze. "So... I was wondering..." she stumbles over her words, "would you be willing to let me move in with you? As your roommate, I mean."