Afraid Of The Dark ✔️

6: Back To School

The cellar was cold and damp. Attached to the stone walls were two sets of metal chains. They bit into her skin like the jaws of a shark.
The pain was excruciating but she had grown accustomed to it. A candle stood on a small wooden shelf by the padlocked door. It was the only source of light that she had in this hell hole.
A plastic bucket sat beside her for when she had to relieve herself.
Any moment now the door would be unlocked and he would enter.
She counted to sixty and as if on cue the padlock rattled from the other side.
Her heart raced and she took in a deep breath of stale air. When the door opened the light from behind it blinded her.
But it wasn't him standing before her.
The figure was too small.
It walked towards her and shut the door behind them.
The person just stood there.
It then giggled and blew out the candle.
The darkness consumed her and she felt hundreds of small nails clawing at her skin as if they wanted to devour her.
She opened her mouth to scream but was stopped as something reached down into her throat.

Katya awoke to the ringing of her alarm. She bolted upright in bed drenched in sweat. That dream felt so real. It felt as if she was in someone else's body experiencing what they had been through. But why?

"Jacob?" She looked to her side but he wasn't in bed.

Katya got out of bed and hurried downstairs. A note was on the table.
It read 'Hey baby. Sorry I'm not there for your morning cuddle but I had to go into work earlier as it's my first day. I'll see you tonight. Love you.'

She sighed. It wasn't often that she had nightmares. They were much more frequent when she was younger because of her traumatic past but if she had one now she could always rely on Jacob to soothe her.

After she read the note she had a shower and made some breakfast. She was due to go to the pre school in town today at noon so she dressed smart and tied her long hair up into a bun.

Jacob had got a lift to work so Katya could use the car today. She checked the map on her phone and set off for the school.

It was another cold day and the air had a bite to it. The drive was stunning. She was excited to go outside and see the surrounding area. Trees whizzed past her coated in snow and she spotted a pair of deer grazing in a field not far from her home. It was a twenty minute drive to the school and suddenly she felt nervous as she pulled up inside the gates.

She was allowed to use the staff parking and to her luck there was one space left. After she parked she entered the school. It was quite small compared to the school she worked at back in Stockholm. This town had a smaller population so she'd expected classrooms with less pupils.

A woman with black short hair greeted her as she walked towards the reception.

"Hello, you must be Katya. I'm Grace, we spoke last week." She smiled and extended her hand.

"Hey, yes I am. Nice to meet you." Katya shook her hand.

"And you. I'll show you around and then you can meet your class."

Grace led the way down the hall and Katya followed. The school seemed welcoming and she felt more at ease with each step she took. She was glad to be out of the house and getting back into work excited her.

The tour Grace gave her only took half an hour. Afterwards she introduced Katya to her new classroom and children. The walls were painted a light lilac and there were large windows which let the light in. Katya liked the feel of the room.

There was a man in the classroom sat at the front with his feet up on the desk reading a newspaper. When Grace cleared her throat he quickly put them down and faced the class.

"So class. Here's Grace with your new teacher. She will be taking over your lessons whilst I retire."

The class erupted in a sequence of dismay.

"But Mr Wilson you've taught us for two years." One boy with blonde hair cried.

"I know I have Oliver but I'm an old man now." Mr Wilson laughed.

"You can all say goodbye to Mr Wilson tomorrow when he picks up his belongings." Grace smiled as Mr Wilson left the class.

"Look after those children. They're good kids." Mr Wilson whispered to Katya as he passed her in the doorway.

"I will I promise." Katya replied as she watched him walk down the corridor.

Katya joined Grace at the front of the class. Ten small faces stared back at her.

"Now everyone this is Miss Mills. She will be your new teacher starting from tomorrow. Give her a warm welcome."

The glass slowly said altogether "Hello Miss Mills."

"Hey everyone!"

Katya spent the next hour introducing herself to the class and getting to know them all. She had never taught a class with only ten pupils. The class consisted of four girls and six boys. They all ranged between the ages of six to eight and seemed friendly. Some were more shy than others but they were all polite.

When the clock turned two thirty the school day was over so she headed back home with a spring in her step. She was looking forward to starting her new job. Before she returned home she explored the town. She found many small and interesting shops to browse in. After wasting an hour looking through a clothing store for items she couldn't yet afford she got some food to take back for her and Jacob. Little did she know that when she got back to the house she'd have an unwelcome visitor.

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