Science or Shadows

Chapter 9

It's been weeks, and everything has been going smoothly. I haven't noticed anything mysterious happening around me.

But those pictures I saw, maybe it was just my imagination playing tricks on me.

I wonder if I'm missing Haden?

No, I shouldn't miss him!

I took my seat in class, but Livia wasn't there. I wanted to visit their house, but I never had the chance. Manong would always remind me to go home because my parents were waiting.

I texted Livia, but she hasn't responded.

I'm starting to worry because she's my only friend.

I sighed and looked around at my classmates. They were chatting with their friends while I had no one other than Livia.

Although I usually enjoy being alone, the thought crossed my mind: What if I had other friends?

I sighed once more and grabbed my pen to doodle.

There was no quiz, and that made me happy.

Glancing to my side, I noticed someone sitting in the empty seat next to me. It was a man.

I wanted to ask him why he was sitting in Haden's chair, but the professor arrived, so I let it go.

During the class, I couldn't help but glance at the chairs. The only empty one was Livias' chair, and questions started to fill my mind.

Did Haden transfer somewhere else?

I sighed, and when recess came, I approached my classmate sitting in Haden's chair.

"Hey," I called out to him.

He looked around, a bit confused, as if unsure if I was talking to him. I moved closer and asked, "Did Haden transfer?"

He glanced at me, still puzzled, and replied, "Yeah?"

Despite his confused expression, I left him and headed to the cafeteria to buy some snacks.

Even though it had been weeks since the incident at the library, I still felt confused.

I realized I had been hallucinating, and what Haden said about seeing ghosts was all a lie.

I felt foolish for believing him, stupid for trusting him.

I must have looked like an idiot for believing in it!

I even got suspected in Thomas's death.

Thinking about Thomas, I sighed as I recalled what happened three days ago.

Thomas had really committed suicide, which was the initial assumption, but doubts arose when they found bruises on his back and reviewed the CCTV footage. They started to think I was involved because of an anonymous message.

How foolish of them.

To believe an anonymous message?

I finished my chocolate bar and headed back to my room.

As the class began, the teacher announced that we wouldn't have a lesson, but instead, it would be a reading time. Perhaps they noticed that students nowadays don't read books as much.

Suddenly, we found ourselves in the library. I walked through the aisles, searching for a book.

I moved to the next aisle, then to the one after, and again to the next.

Nothing caught my interest.

With a deep sigh, I simply grabbed any book.

When the time was up, I noticed a shadow at the end of the last aisle.

Initially, I thought it was just a hallucination. But then, my heart began to tighten, and my pulse quickened.

I felt like I couldn't breathe...

Why was I feeling this way again?

All my classmates had disappeared.

There were no other students around because they were all in their classes. The librarian was also nowhere to be seen.

I wanted to leave, but it felt like my feet were glued to the floor.

A shadow passed by in the bookshelf aisle, sparking a surge of courage within me. Slowly, I stood up on my seat and approached it.

It felt like my breath and heartbeat were echoing throughout the room.

As I reached the aisle where the shadow had passed, a strange feeling enveloped me.

I looked closer and saw it was a portfolio.

My eyes widened as it opened on its own.

With cautious steps, I moved closer to take a better look.

It was a picture.

Me and Haden...

I blinked to make sure it wasn't a figment of my imagination.

I gasped for air when I realized it wasn't just a hallucination.

I held onto the photo.

"Kasalanan mo!" a whisper screamed.

I covered my ears as the whispers grew more intense and painful.

Unable to bear it, I covered my ears once more.

"I couldn't take it anymore..."

"Ah!" I screamed, and the whispers abruptly stopped.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly removed my hands from my ears.

"You can't be with that guy!" Mom raised her voice.

I looked at my mom. "Why, Mom? I love him!"

"What do you know about love?"

"More than what you know, Mom," I answered back.

I could see disbelief in my mom's eyes.

Was she shocked that her daughter was no longer the passive girl she once knew?

As I waited for my mom's response, I felt a hand on my cheek.

A slap.

"Is that what the guy does to you?" Mom's eyes glinted with anger.

I couldn't understand what was wrong with falling in love.

I should have been okay with that slap because they had done it before, but the realization hit me hard.

They never wanted me to be happy.

Facing my mom, I said, "Will you imprison me under your control, Mom?"

And then I left.

"Ah!" I screamed.

A scene flashed in my mind. I couldn't recall when that had happened.

I held my head; it hurt.

I touched my cheek; it hurt.

I could still feel the sting of Mom's slap.

Then I wondered, when did that happen?