Science or Shadows

Chapter 1

I let out a breath, feeling uneasy.

Nowadays, people do a lot to hurt their enemies, wasting time for no reason.

I'm sure it's Thomas behind this.

I took a step closer to the mirror. How did I miss this before? Maybe my mind was too busy.

I touched the mirror with the words 'Help me' written on it.

It's blood.

I was startled when the lights flickered on and off.

"Enough of this," I muttered.

The door closed, frustrating me.

I approached the door.

"Open this door!" I yelled.

The lights flickered, making my hands tremble.

Not now, please...

A shadow appeared in front of me, the same one I saw before.

I squeezed my eyes shut, grappling with the notion that my mind was playing tricks on me. Ghosts couldn't possibly be real.

Or could they?

No, it's a prank.

When I opened my eyes, everything was gone. I breathed a sigh of relief. It was just my mind.

There was a knock — A knock interrupted me. I composed myself before opening the door.

"Okay ka lang?" 

It was Haden.

"Sorry, 'di ko nagkita nag-lock sa iyo," he said, holding a mop stick in his hand, which could have been the tool used to lock me in.

"I'm okay."

I watched as he inserted the mop stick.

Should I wait for him or head to our classroom? He did help me, so... waiting seems appropriate.

Observing his slow movements, I realized he was taking his time.

"Hylen," he called out to me.

I looked to him as he approached slowly.

"Um..." His eyes showed a flicker of meaning, hinting at an unspoken message.

Yet, the expression swiftly disappeared from his eyes.

"Tara na?" he said with a smile.

I nodded in response.

As we walked together, there was a sense of silence between us. We weren't particularly close.

"May quiz daw bukas," he mentioned, his gaze shifting towards me.
"Sa Science," he added.

I looked at him, feeling puzzled. I couldn't quite grasp the message he was trying to say.

"We quiz yesterday. And now?" I asked, baffled.

"May bagong lesson, eh."
"Nag-lesson si ma'am."

I glanced around, noticing the sudden rise in temperature, a significant change from the earlier coolness. The students had already headed indoors.

"What's the time?" I directed my question to Haden, my heart pounding in my chest.

Haden met my eyes with a puzzled expression before checking his watch. "It's 2 p.m.," he responded.

My eyes widened in shock. "What?"

Had I really been in the comfort room for an hour and a half? My heart started pounding again, the feeling of tightness returning.