Hollow's Grove (The Revised Version)

Chapter Nine: The Discovery

The footsteps faded off into the distance and I was left alone with my thoughts. My back was pressed up against the bathroom door, my face was covered in sweat and my hands shook with fear. My mind was overwhelmed with many different questions. I sat there for another few minutes before I decided that whatever it was had gone off. I got up off the cool tile floor and turned for the door. I wanted to open the door, I wanted to be certain that whatever it was had gone.

With my still trembling hands, I reached out for the door handle and turned. The dark hallway greeted me, I cautiously poked my head out of the door and glanced around, the uneasy feeling I had earlier was gone. I realized that I was completely alone. I swung the bathroom door shut and turned the lock, I wasn't taking any chances. Once the door was locked, I turned to the washroom's interior. There in the far back of the room were several showers.

I glanced down at the bundle of clean clothes and toiletries that I had left on the floor, sighing I knelt down and picked them up. I hoped that the floor was clean, the last thing I wanted was to thrown on my clothes that had been possibly sitting in urine. I had to be sure, I brought the clothes up to my nose and sniffed, luckily they still smelled of laundry detergent. I gave a sigh of relief, my clothes were okay. I made my way for the back of the room, I needed to calm down.

The cool water rushed over my body, I had gone into the nearest shower. My clothes and toiletries were placed on the large marble counter that stood only a few feet away from the showers. As I washed, I took long, deep breaths, trying to relax and forget all that happened. I was trying to rationalize the situation, it had to be a mere prank, Marcus had said that I wouldn't last a month, I guessed that it was probably him and some friends trying to scare me.

I didn't want to admit it, but it had worked, he really scared me. I really thought that there was something coming to get me. I sighed, feeling the tension leave my muscles as the water slowly went from cool to warm. Showers were always a good way for me to get back my inner peace. Once I had finished cleaning, I turned off the water and got out of the steamy shower. I quickly grabbed my towel and wrapped it around me, the heat from my shower was now trapped and I felt warm and cozy.

Once dressed, I hurried to brush my teeth and style my messy hair. I no longer was feeling terrible about what had happened, I was feeling much better. I wondered if there was a clock in the bathroom, I needed to know what the time was. Luckily after I wandered around the vast room, I found the clock in the far back of the bathroom. It read that it was already half-past seven! I knew that I would have to go back to my room and grab my school stuff. Classes began at exactly nine in the morning.

My stomach growled, announcing to me that I was hungry. I groaned, I didn't want to go into the cafeteria, not after last night and earlier this morning. I knew that Marcus would be laughing at me as soon as he saw me. Finally, I was ready to go out of the washroom. Before I left I took one last look in the mirror that hung across the wall over the marble counter, I looked much better then I thought I would.

My auburn hair was spiked, my teeth glistened a pearly white under the soft light of the washroom, I wore an all black sweater, black jeans and black socks. I knew that most people would think I was an odd person, I didn't care, this was who I was. I needed to accept that and I knew that once I did accept it, then maybe I would feel better about everything in my life. I headed for the entrance of the bathroom and quickly unlocked it, my hands trembled ever so slightly as I pushed the door open.

To my great surprise, it seemed that I was still the only one up. I frowned, maybe I had been wrong about the time that classes began, or maybe they were all having breakfast in the cafeteria. I decided that I would head for the cafeteria before going back to my room and see if I could find anyone. As I headed down the narrow hall, I thought that I had heard something, it sounded almost like a muffled yell. I stopped short, my ears were perked.