Hidden In The Shadows

2. The First Day

The trees guarding the sides of the road stood tall, proud and mighty, yet the visible evidence of the decaying colourful debris showed that inside they were crying. The grey clouds, showing no evidence of a silver lining, hung over the city, towering over me almost enough to make me turn back and hide under the sanctity of my bed for the rest of eternity.

Though it was clear that nature seemed to have teamed up with my parents, I was determined more than ever to enter into a closed environment which exposed me to heights I had never reached. I was here to broaden my mind. I wanted to live the life I had dreamed up inside my head at 4am on a Sunday morning and no matter how anxious I felt at this moment, I knew this was the only way to do it.

Caustiously, as if someone was watching me, I stepped into the dangers of the college following the actions of my soon to be peers as they laughed, chatted and sauntered through the gates.
Was I the only one feeling the nervousness which choked me like an invisible noose?

I wandered along the path grabbing onto the end of my sleeve and praying that the fear was all in my head. "It's all in my head" I chanted and repeated. "It's all in my head."

Unknowingly, while my head and mouth were preoccupied with keeping me busy, I walked too far onwards and ended up being nose-to-back with another pupil. The collision jerked my brain and I fell backwards causing everyone around to point and laugh at the girl who was now lying helpless on the floor. The pupil who I had walked into turned around and it was a boy. My eyes widened with shock, fear, apprehension, confusion and whatever other emotion my body could muster up. "I..I'..m s..s.o.r..r.y" I stuttered not knowing what to say or expect with my first encounter with a person of the male gender.

They smiled, a supposedly genuine small yet I detected a hint of amusement lacing through their face. "It's cool" they replied and stretched out an arm for me to take and help myself up. I froze. Staring at the hand. I could not move, speak or respond to anything that was happening around me. I couldn't possibly take his hand. I was too modest, too independant, too shy to reach out and heave myself up with their help.

"Heelllooo!" They shouted while waving their hands in front of my face. I had zoned out. I looked up and felt red colour creeping to my face. My stomach butterflies whizzed around as though I had had to much caffeine this morning. I didn't think 4 mugs was that much. The male towering proudly over me had jet-black hair just about sweeping their forehead, chocolate brown eyes with a rim of hazel outlining them and light, delicate olive skin which seemed soft to touch with just my eyes. Noticing my reluctance to accept his hand he stood back and allowed me to stand up by myself.
"I'm sorry for startling you like that. I'm Joshua by the way, but you can call me Josh."

Josh.Josh.Josh the name ringed in my head like sirens telling me to beware approaching, yet the only way I would know how the world was, was by holding a needle to the bubble I had been born into.

"Hello Josh, I'm Emi nice to meet you." The words trembled out of my lungs, but I stood proud not revealing the terror that lived within me.

Josh nodded and turned around along with every other pupil who managed to make their way over to witness the spectacular falling girl and walked through the magnificent doors that led to the college. "Wow!" I stood breathlessly taking in the enormity of what was going to be the home of my education for the next two years.

I would have been left to marvel over these buildings if it wasn't for the yellow strips of tape that caught the corner of my eye. They read 'crime scene do not enter' all around what seemed to look like a cafeteria. The crowds of people stumbling over each other around the tape was enough to get lost in, swarming like wasps at a nest or in this case teenagers to crime.

I sneaked away from the giant line of new students waiting to register at the main desk and made my way to the scene. I could hear the whispers clealy now. "It's so tragic she was a good person." "I hear it's the work of The Unknown Terror." Looking over the side of people I caught a glimpse of what everyone was whispering about.

I wish I could unsee the trauma that I just witnessed. My whole body paralyzed at what my innocent curiosity had led me to and at that moment my views on adventuring outside of the walls my parents had built did not seem like a good idea. There lying on the floor in a crooked position surrounded by a pool of blood was the corpse of a pupil. She had stab wounds around the heart and stomach and her lifeless, bloodshot eyes remained wide open as if she was staring at someone.

A single tear rolled down my cheek; shivers ran up and down my spine. At that moment I realised that the college was a pen, the students: cattle. Life was more dangerous than I had thought.