Rose

Chapter IX: A Fire!?

Almost instantly, my head began ringing with pain, it was a very unpleasant experience. There was nothing around for miles!

It was dark, the moon was bloodshot red. The sky was so cloudy and there was not a single star in the sky, the gravel beneath my feet was flat and there were only dead bushes around. It smelled strange, I could smell smoke yet there wasn't any smoke clouds!

WHERE even am I!? The dark scares me, it gives me the goosebumps. I suppose that I should start walking and try to find something.

I slowly started walking towards a random direction. I started hearing grunting and the sound of blades clashing together.

Is someone there?

I started sprinting towards the sound but I was greeted with a not so nice scene. I saw father fighting against a woman. She was also a neko. She looked familiar somehow, I felt mixed feelings when I saw her. It made me fell sad and yet happy at the same time. Then I realised that she resembled me a bit. Perhaps a relative? But then why would she and father be fighting like this.

This battle was no laughing matter. Blood was dripping down from the wounds created by their swords. Bruises were all over their bodies as well as wounds. They both looked nauseated and fatigued, yet their strikes were so powerful, accurate and fast! Like lightning!

Standing there frozen, I wasn't sure what to do. But my body started to move when father held his sword to the woman's neck. I noticed that the woman's sword was on the ground, just a metre away.

I started running like there was no tomorrow.

Suddenly, my whole body went numb and my body fell to the floor, I couldn't prevent this. I couldn't feel the pain of the impact of my body with the hard cold ground. I forced my head to look up at the two, father started to move his blade closer to her neck. She looked terrified, whereas father was smiling! His thin grin made me shiver. I couldn't believe that he was capable of something like this. I guess otakus can even be mentally unstable like this.

I shut my eyes tightly and heard splatter.

I started to lose my consciousness.

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Gasping, I opened my eyes quickly and sat up. Something warm was running down my face and fell on to my hands. I gripped the sheets of my bed as hard as I could, I looked around and I was in my bedroom.

Another strange dream? Maybe I should tell mom about this. But this is only the second time that this has happened, I'll wait another night just to be sure.

That woman...

Where have I seen her before?

An image of the woman from the first dream flashed in my head. It's her! She's the same woman!

If she appears in another one of my dreams, I am telling her about these dreams!

Seriously though,, this is creeping me out.

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"Bye pinky." I mocked, making fun of my mom's vibrant pink hair.

"Haha." she laughed sarcastically. "Have a nice day, short stuff." she said, mocking me back.

I glared at her for a moment before stomping out the door and slamming it shut.

I started jogging to school, I really need to exercise more...

As I got nearer to the school, something caught my attention.

What is this smell? Is that...SMOKE!

I started running towards the smell. In the distance, I could see trails of smoke that was coming out of the school.

Is the school on fire?!

I kept running, not taking any breaks even though my lungs started hurting. I got to the gates but I was pushed back by a wind barrier.

Why is there a wind barrier?!

I looked around and saw that the whole school was surrounded by the wind barrier. I couldn't sense an opening to the school. The barrier is so strong, I don't think I can break through it even though I have exceptional magical power. Obviously one of the teachers, that actually have magical power, set up this barrier! Their magical power is definitely more powerful than the students.

I wonder what's happening? The school is on fire so the teachers are probably trying to stop any one from the outside to enter.

Maybe I should just wait outside.

I sat down at a nearby bench and waited for the barrier to be dispelled.

Suddenly, I heard a loud thump. On surprise I jumped up and my tail stood up.

At my feet there was a guy. He had long orange hair. It looked familiar. Have I seen this guy before? Oh wait I know him!

"Raymond!" I squeaked in surprise.

"Oh hey Rose. You can just call me Ray." he said as he moved his head up to face me.

"What happened?" I asked, concerned for him and confused as to why he was face down on the ground just moments ago.

"Well, I tripped on a weird small crack in the ground. Oh and also...um...how do I say this." he muttered.

"Say what?" I asked, tilting my head in in confusion.

"Well. I can kinda see up your skirt. Soz" he said casually.

"W-w-w-w-what?!" I stuttered, screeching.

"Um. Ow. My ears." he groaned while clutching his ears.

"Y-you..."

"What is it?"

Without a second thought, I gave him a swift kick to the head and ran off without looking back.

"Owwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!" he screamed in agony.

Hmph, he deserved it. Pervert.

Then I saw Polly walking beside a guy in in our class and talking to him. That's weird, Polly doesn't really socialise with anyone but on the other hand I don't really know her that well. I think his name was Randolph, but he told me to call him Randy.

"Hey Rose!" Randy suddenly called out to me. I walked beside Randy and started walking with them. "Well, now I have two beautiful little ladies next to me" he said under his breath.

"H-hi." I said quietly, while trying not sound embarrassed and pretending that I didn't hear what he said. My cheeks started to heat up.

"Hello." Polly greeted me, followed by a thin grin.

"So how d-did you g-guys start t-talking?" I asked curiously.

"Well, this idiot just started talking to me out of nowhere." Polly answered bluntly.

"Hey! I have at least an average grade in everything but P.E. because I dominate at sports." Randy said proudly.

Randy and I laughed joyously but Polly just kept walking normally, looking bored and unimpressed.