Trapped In A Mystifying Fictional World (ONC 2024)

Chapter Two

Noah was driving his car along a bustling road, with Amelia sitting next to him in her school uniform. Her eyes were filled with delight and a wide smile graced her lips as she looked forward to reuniting with her friend who had just returned from a family trip.

Noah glanced at Amelia and felt relieved to see her excitement. Today, he was scheduled to perform a crucial surgery at the hospital, which made him a little nervous.

"Honey, are you excited to meet your friend?" Noah asked as he drove.

"Yes, Dad. I can't wait to see Sophia after a whole week!" replied Amelia cheerfully, turning her attention to the passing scenery outside the car window.

Suddenly, Noah's phone began to ring, grabbing both of their attention. He pulled over to the side of the road and answered the call, feeling a tinge of nervousness.

"Hello, Ron, what's up?" Noah inquired anxiously.

"Nothing much, just wanted to inform you that the patient's parents would like to meet before the surgery," Ron replied over the call.

"But why? We already discussed everything with them," Noah asked, puzzled.

"No idea. Please come here quickly," Ron urged.

"Okay, I'll be there after dropping off Amelia at school," Noah assured.

"Alright, see you soon, Noah," Ron said before ending the call.

After hanging up, Noah placed his phone back on the dashboard.

"Dad, what happened?" Amelia asked eagerly, grasping her seatbelt.

"Nothing, dear," Noah replied, starting the engine and driving towards the school.

They reached the school in ten minutes. Noah swiftly took her school bag from the back seat, helped her put it on, and planted a kiss on her cheek before leaving for work.

Amelia made her way through the school corridors, the sound of her steps echoing against the walls. The familiar scent of chalk and children's laughter filled the air as she approached her destination - class 3rd section A. Upon entering the classroom, she exchanged a warm smile with her class teacher, who was already standing in front of the class, ready to commence the day's Math lesson.

As she was about to sit at her desk where she spotted her friend, Sophia next to her desk.
As she walked towards her desk, she noticed her friend Sophia seated nearby.

"Sophia, how was your trip?" Amelia asked cheerfully as she settled into her seat.

However, Sophia seemed uncharacteristically distant and responded with a noncommittal "Hmm."

Amelia was taken aback by Sophia's unenthusiastic reply. Expecting her friend to share about the trip, she was surprised by the lack of response.

"Are you okay?" Amelia asked with concern.

Ignoring her, Sophia gave her a cold stare and snapped, "It’s none of your business. Stop bothering me!"

Tears welled up in Amelia's eyes, and her smile faded as she was caught off guard by Sophia's harsh words. Sensing her distress, a girl, Sara sitting beside her came over, patted her on the shoulder, and whispered, "Amelia, Sophia has been acting strangely since she got to school."

"But why is she acting like this? This isn't like our Sophia!" Amelia cried out.

"I feel the same way! Let's focus on class for now, and we can talk about this during the break," Sara suggested before returning to her desk.

Amelia struggled to concentrate on the maths lesson, her young mind was flooded with worry and numerous questions.

What's wrong with Sophia?

Two hours after the morning classes ended, the school bell rang, signalling the start of the lunch break. In the sunny playground, Amelia, Sara, and two other girls huddled together under the shade of a large oak tree. Unlike their usual cheerful expression, today they wore expressions of concern, deep in discussion about their friend Sophia's recent strange behaviour.

"Our Sophia has never been like this before," Amelia murmured, her brow furrowed with worry.

"Yeah, something must have happened to her during the trip," another girl chimed in, her voice tinged with sympathy.

Amelia nodded thoughtfully. "I think we should talk to her again," she suggested, her concern evident in her voice.

Just then, they spotted someone who stepping towards them and it was Sophia, a radiant smile lighting up her face. The girls exchanged bewildered glances, surprised to see such a sudden change in Sophia's demeanour.

"Hey guys! What's up?" Sophia greeted them cheerfully as she settled down beside Amelia.

The group stared at her in amazement, struggling to reconcile the serious discussion they were just having with Sophia now in a completely different mood.

"Um, Sophia, are you okay?" Amelia asked with confusion, placing a comforting hand on Sophia's shoulder.

Sophia looked at her friends with genuine surprise, unable to process why they all seemed so serious. "I'm perfectly fine, Ame!" she reassured, throwing an arm around Amelia with a wide smile.

"Good to hear," Amelia replied hesitantly, unsure of how to interpret Sophia's sudden change.

The other girls, catching on to the shift in mood, attempted awkward smiles to convey that everything was okay and their conversation hadn't been as serious as it seemed.

The playground buzzed with the usual sounds of children playing and chatting, oblivious to the small drama unfolding under the oak tree where Amelia, Sara, and their friends navigated the complexities of friendship and concern for Sophia.

Amelia and Sophia strolled out of the school together with Sophia's never-ending conversation which kept going. As they rounded the corner, they noticed Noah approaching. Sophia's excited chatter came to an abrupt halt as she fixed her gaze on Noah. Amelia rushed towards Noah and she threw her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"How was your day?" Noah inquired with a warm smile.

"It was good," Amelia replied, her mind racing with uncertainty about whether to confide in her parents about Sophia's peculiar behaviour or to let it go.

"Nice," Noah responded, glancing back at his daughter to find Sophia gazing at him. "Sophia, how are you, dear?" he asked, smiling at her.

Sophia's face lit up once more, and she cheerfully replied, "I am doing great, uncle."

"Fantastic!"

With a parting wave, Amelia and Sophia went their separate ways as Amelia climbed into the car with Noah. He turned the key in the ignition, and the engine roared to life as he steered the car away toward their home.

Meanwhile, Sophia remained at the school gates, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips. "Finally found you, my dear Alex," she murmured to herself.

To Be Continued...

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