Hell's Inner Circle Vol 1

Section 2

Prologue

"One! Two! One! Two!"

The morning activities on the school grounds are never dull. The sports teams often meet up and hang out around the field while the track teams walk and warm up for the day.

Students trickle in greeting one another as they pass. Teachers get to their classrooms as they get themselves prepared for the day.

It's just another morning at St. Katrin Educational Campus.

Part 1

Rush stood before the door to the clubroom early in the morning wondering if he had made the decision. His hand rested on the doorknob before he let it fall back to his side. He wiped his face as he turned away. His backpack was thrown over his shoulder as he walked across the breezeway to the other building.

It stuck in the back of his mind throughout the day. What was he going to do? What was going to happen?

At the end of the day, he hung around in the library as per his normal. Once it emptied to only the librarian, he took his leave. He walked down to the courtyard stopping only for a second as he was about to cross the threshold to the rest of the world. He could feel her eye on him but he wasn't ready.

He couldn't leave her hanging though. He looked over his shoulder with a wave before taking that next step. He couldn't see her but could sense her there—nothing more to do today.

Part 2

Even if he hadn't made his final decision, he should still drop by. It's the polite thing to do. He left his backpack in his locker as he forgo his routine to head to the room where she had beaconed him instead.

He hesitated last time when he reached for the door. Today, that wasn't there. He wasn't here to deliver an answer. Just to learn more about this ordeal.

The room had been rearranged since the last time he was here. The circle of desks was moved to the corner. The official desk that was in the corner was moved into the back center of the room with an extravagant-looking chair placed behind it. The couch that had made its home in the corner was in front of the desk with matching chairs on each side.

The door clicked behind him as someone else walked in. Her soft footsteps on the carpet let him know where she was. "Welcome. I'm glad to see you came back."

Marie walked up beside him putting her hand on his shoulder. "Please, be comfortable. Have a seat." She motioned to the couch while sitting down in the chair at the desk.

She looked at him as he sat up straight with all the room in the world to the left and right of him. "I wasn't joking when I said be comfortable." Her proper tone was eased. "It'll just be us and this isn't an official meeting."

Rush nodded. He rested his hands on the inside of his legs as he leaned into the plush back of the couch. Marie smiled at him, "Much better."

She stretched out in her chair leaning to her right. She looked much more relaxed than the last two times they had met. He couldn't help but think that there was some ulterior motive.

"I assure you there's not. Oh, a reaction." His eyes widened at her words and she caught him off guard. Her soft smile never left her face. If anything it grew as she laughed, "I would like to think I'm good at reading people. Sometimes I'm actually good at it but I assure you that I have no ill intentions. I do want you."