Ana: Incipience

Chapter 7: The Black Hole

ANA'S PERSPECTIVE

The food hall was almost empty and the walk back to the dorm rooms would be quiet.  The time to myself was much needed,  the cold air cleared my head.  I was very happy with my new small group of friends.  Melody was like a warm light in the middle of a dark room, she was kindhearted and patient and she reminded me of my mother.  On the other hand If Melody was the sun then Jonathon was a black hole.  He too had a certain gravity, but instead of emitting a warm light, he was cold and sucked you in with his icy eyes. 

I struggled to understand him.  His actions made no sense to me, but I suppose the actions of a robot do not need to make sense, they merely served their controller's purpose.  Him and his friends had sat together across from me.  friends did not seem like the correct word for them.  They had sat in complete silence the whole time they were eating.  They weren't moping or sulking but they were purely indifferent.  Now that I look back on the memories, they may not have been friends at all.  All I knew is that I did not want to become like them.  I wanted to keep my candid nature. 

I looked up and stopped.  I had no idea where my dorm room was from here.  The grey buildings all looked the same.  In my thoughts, I lost count of the number of lights from the food hall.  None of my surroundings looks familiar.  I cursed myself. What good is a photographic memory if all the photos look the same. The florescent lights flickered as if to mock me as I tried to stay out of the shadows.  Suddenly, a noise from the dark caused me to stop.  My adrenaline levels spiked.  I quickly turned and walked back the way I had come.  I thought there were bound to be people milling around the food hall and maybe Melody would still be there flirting with Craig.  

Quiet footsteps followed me and I decided to walk a little faster.  If I could just make it back to the hall, everything would be okay.  I rounded another corner of a building quickly before hearing a shout.

"Hey! Where are you going?" A male voice, vaguely familiar.  The footsteps got louder.  There was a group and they moved quickly.  I did not stop; instead I broke into a sprint.  For some reason I knew I was in danger.  My palms were clammy and my heart raced a million miles an hour.  Fear clouded my mind, making me irrational. I ran aimlessly,  I knew I needed to get back to the hall but I could not remember the way back all I could think of was the voice and the edge of hostility which it held.  The group was getting closer, I could hear the grunts of exhaustion.  Night veiled anything of significance that I could use to differentiate the buildings.  It suddenly struck me where I had heard that voice.  The boy who had beat me in practice, Boris. 

shit, shit, shit.  My mind swirled uneasily.  I was very much out of breath,  I couldn't run any further.  Instead I turned on my heels and place my back to the nearby wall.  I couldn't speak, I knew this happened in the academy but I never thought it would happen to me.  Fear paralyzed me.  weak, weak, weak.  My mind decided to remind me. 

"Is that you C?"  The voice taunted.  A rumble was shared through the group of 3; I committed their ghoulish faces to memory.  "Tiny, Pathetic C." He seethed.

"You don't have anyone to protect you here.  You're all alone."  His voice was soft but frightening. "Scared? You gonna start crying?" The greasy boy came closer as he stepped out of the shadows. I was too scared to cry,  my hands shook and I snatched them behind my back so he would not see. 

"I know your secrets C, 89's are all cowards. That's why none of them make it here. Look at you! Pathetic.  You won't succeed; you know that right? I bet it hurt when I hit you today. That's just the beginning you know; my friends and I will be against you in every test." I groaned internally. My eyes were wide and I struggled to think of something to do.