The Book of Mysteries

An (Extra)Ordinary Day

Sunshine poured in through the open window. Anna had just woken up, brushed her teeth and got onto the school bus. She chose her seat next to her best friend Luna, and the bus started. They stared at each other for a moment, the started chatting.
'Hey! What's up?' asked Luna.
'Bieber Fever!' replied Anna.
Anna had been a fan of Justin Bieber for as long as she could remember. Her room had his posters on the walls, and she was very proud of them.
The two girls talked happily about their new favourite songs till the bus came to a halt. They had reached. As Anna got off the bus she heard something above her. As she looked up she saw a bird fly out of a tree. The bird's face had looked like that of a wolf's , thought Anna as she stepped into her classroom.
'It must be your imagination.'said Luna , who was right behind her and they sat down together at the last bench.
'Probably ' answered Anna.
The first period was English in which they studied Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Anna had revised this chapter at home and was able to answer all the questions without any problem.
'Very good, Anna.' complimented her English teacher as she turned a shade of pink. The bell rung and the period finished. More subjects followed but they were all boring and Anna even slept through Biology. As school finished she'd she descended down the steps and waited near a rose bush for her car to come. After a minute or two of waiting, her mom arrived in her red BMW.
Anna stepped into the car and kissed her mom on the cheek.
'Hi mom'
'Hi. How was school'
'Fine, I guess.'
'Did you have your history test?'
'No, it's been postponed to Friday.'
'Ok. Wait.'
Beth's phone rung and she picked it up.
'Hmm. Yes. Ok. I think that they have done it, I'll just re check but can you....'
Anna stared out of the window and saw a huge bird ?'with red wings and a yellow body flying close to the car. Suddenly Anna realised that this was the same bird she had seen before, and the bird looked back at exactly the same moment. This time there was no mistaking its sharp features and with a sudden jolt Anna screamed. It's piercing eyes were red in colour and it had the grey face of a wolf, with legs of an ostrich. It's tail looked like the tail of a dinosaur and it's sharp teeth glinted in the harsh sunlight.
Suddenly the car jerked towards the right and spun 360 degrees round. Anna could get her mother screaming and the screeching of tyres. The car skidded of the road and bumped into a tree. The impact knocked all the breath out of Anna and she lost consciousness. The car was now just a blur and darkness was coming into the scene. And then her vision turned to black. She woke up in her bed, with a man dressed in white sitting by her side.
He was speaking to her mother in hushed tones, as if he thought she was still asleep.
'She'll be alright , she's only hurt her foot a bit. She'll need to rest, and then it will heal in no time. Though she won't be able to walk for some time.' said the doctor.( He could only be a doctor, decided Anna.)
He smiled at her mother and turned to leave. Beth thanked him and looked at her daughter. Anna opened her eyes and her mother took her hand.
'What happened Anna?' asked Beth, wiping tears from her eyes.
Anna considered telling her mother what she had seen, but then discarded that thought immediately. She knew that not just her mother, but no one, not even Luna would believe what she had seen, and would say that she must have got hit on her head in the crash.
'I, I don't know. I just, I was just... I really don't know.' replied Anna.
'It's ok' whispered her mother, and sat down beside her, clutching her hand as if to never let it go.
Her dad entered the room, and hugged Anna as tightly as possible. He too sat down beside her, and was gently stroking her hair.
Anna eyelids were heavy, and suddenly she closed her eyes, engulfing herself in darkness.