Dullahan [ COMPLETED ]

The Rumor

CHAPTER 1: The Rumor

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It was a strange rumor, really. And a bad, misunderstood timing too. Or maybe it was just my paranoid yet overly curious self trying to come up with something to beat this boring life to a pulp.

"Have you heard about the headless rider?" Asked Klyde during one particular lunch time, and the monotony was broken.

Adam was first to react, "I did," He swallowed the food in his mouth before continuing, "They say he's actually here,"

I choked on my water, but I managed to hold it in. Penny and Julia shot me questioning looks but I laughed and dismissed it with a wave, "The headless rider, also known as a Dullahan, is an Irish mythological creature, as in from Ireland," I stated as I plopped my chin on my hand, giving Klyde a glare, "And you're telling me that it's here, across the globe, in Irisan?"

Klyde could only shrug, but I swear I could've sworn I saw him roll his eyes if it weren't for his bangs, which if I remember correctly, needed a good haircut. I should tell Maam Julie about it later. The topic was dismissed and an air of ennui resumed. I watched the sky outside the window with a small amused smile and closed my eyes.

I looked into the rumor the following day through a reliable source, even going as far as to put up a thread in the Dollars website where I got even more things about it. I was smirking the whole time as I scrolled across the replies that I had received. As far as I know, 70% of them were just made up, 20% was mistaken, 8% was just to go with the flow, and 2% was actually sensible answers and detailed events regarding it.

"I'd love to meet him," I whispered to myself as I typed it into the thread and after that, decided to turn up for the night.

The following morning was like something out of a black and white motion film. The weather was damp and the fog was everywhere. The school looked lifeless if it wasn't for the crowd gathered by the gate. There were around 4 police cars and an ambulance. 'A crime scene?' I thought. Jelenger and I stood amongst them, trying to gather enough phrases to process a full statement about whatever the hell was going on here.

"It was here,"

"Poor guy...shouldn't have looked for it,"

"Really? Are you serious?"

I looked at everyone curiously, until I found Patricia standing infront of the yellow tape, looking shaken as she watched the police bring in a large cloth and cover whatever was supposed to be there. I tapped her shoulder lightly and she looked at me with a blank face.

"What happened?"

Instead of replying, she led me out of the crowd and into the canteen where the rest of our class were at. The moment I sat down with them, the air went tense.

"I told you it was real," Adam said with a glare.

"What? The headless rider?" I huffed, crossing my arms. But before I could continue, Julia and Chrischelle, who were beside me, clamped their hands on my mouth.

"Shhhh!! Don't say it so loud! He'll hear you!" Chrischelle didn't seem to be joking, and I took that as a sign when I noticed how her hand was shaking over my mouth.

I moved their hands away, nodding in understanding and then looking at our adviser, "So...uhh, what happened?"

"The kid was loitering around here last night," Maam Julie explained uncomfortably, "The police says it's murder but people around the area says that...it's the headless rider,"

I found myself smiling as I continued listening to her.

"Though I want to say that it doesn't exist, a lot of people already believe the friggen' rumor!" She sighed as she rubbed her temples.

"It's the mark," Francis added, head turning to eye on the scene outside, "The headless rider's mark,"

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TBC