For Everything

Please Don't Hurt Us

The next morning I woke up, put my clothes on, cautious to put on a plain grey top and a pair of black skinny jeans with my black converse. I sling my backpack over my shoulder, remembering to put my locker info in my pocket, along with my phone. I look at it, one text from Felicity from last night around the time I woke up from my dream. She said she wants to talk to me today, it's urgent. Oh no. That can't be a coincidence. I reply with a short, ok. I have to talk to you as well. See you soon. I put my phone in my pocket and grab a biscuit that my mom made for breakfast. 

"Aren't you going to stay for breakfast honey?" my mother says, sitting at the dinner table in her robe and glasses reading the news app on her phone.

"No, don't have time," I say, "I, uh, I have to get caught up on my science project and it's at school."

"Don't they give you the choice to not do it since you're so new?" my mother looks up from her phone and takes a sip of her coffee.

"Yeah, they did, but, uh, I chose to do it anyway. It gives me something to do."

"Okay honey. That's very responsible of you. Well have a good day at school today, and make some friends!" 

"Okay. I will, bye mom."

"Bye honey." I almost didn't hear the last part since I was at the back door of the shop when she was finishing talking. I really didn't have to do my science project. My mom was right, the school gave me the option to opt out of it, and I actually said I didn't want to. No one wants to waste their time working on a plaster volcano or how different plants grow. I have better things to do. No, I just wanted to get to school early so I could talk to Felicity. I had to talk to her. I round the corner, munching on my biscuit, as I see a figure in a black hooded sweatshirt standing across the street, staring. I stop in my tracks. I study the figure, I still can't see the person's face, their hood covers it. The figure just stares at me, and then does exactly what it did last night. The figure turns around and removes the hood. A waterfall of turquoise hair cascades down the figure's back. By now I realised the figure was a woman, tall and pale. Almost as soon as she removes the hood, the woman starts running away from me. 

"Hey! Stop! Stop right there!" I yell, and then I start running after her. I run as fast as I can, but she's so fast. Faster than anyone I've ever seen. She rounds a block and I follow but then stop. She's gone. The woman with the blue hair is gone. I curse and look around, breathing heavily. I look where I am, the park is across from me, just a couple kids are playing together. I realize the park is right next to the school, and soon enough I see the giant flagpole. I walk towards it, checking my phone for the time. 8:35. I left my house at 7:45. Either I must have gotten lost on my way to the school, but I don't remember getting lost. That only leaves one other explanation, I must have been chasing the woman for over half an hour. Impossible. I could have sworn it was only a matter of seconds, a couple minutes max. Well, maybe it could have happened, after I saw the woman last night, I don't remember going up to the house, eating dinner, or getting in bed. I could have been just hallucinating chasing after the woman. Last night's dream was only a couple of minutes but clearly was longer than that. I don't have time to figure this out. I have to get to Felicity. Now.

I enter the front doors of the school, walking along several more staring eyes. This time I don't make eye contact. I walk straight to my locker. Now that I mention it, I don't remember where it is. I look around, I can't see anything over the heads of all the staring students. Suddenly, I see a head that stands out, turquoise. No. I ca't deal with this anymore. I look the other, but the turquoise head is still there. It slowly gets closer, making its way through the crowd, toward me. I turn the other way, the same thing happens. I begin to panic as my pulse rises, I frantically turn anywhere I can, but now all I see is blue. The heads start to whisper, then speak, then seem to chant. Hunter, Hunter, they say. I cover my ears and close my eyes. No. No, this isn't happening. I can't handle this. Hunter. No. Hunter. No. Hunterrrrr. NO! I scream as I open my eyes and uncup my ears. Felicity stands in front of me, shocked that I just yelled at her. All of the students are stopped and staring at me. No blue heads anymore. They're all gone.