Yes. Friday has come. I seriously need a good rest after all the frolicking with the guys (and girls). They started giving us projects, groupworks, and assignments to be passed either next week or the same week. At first Levi joked that we weren't in high school but rather in college after all the difficult tests given to us. Sometimes our projects are submitted the same day it was given so as to reduce the queue of work to be done. Today we were given a break, with only two subjects to attend. The subjects are English Literature and P.E. We (including Rivs, Levi, and Yusuf) made our way to our classroom exactly before class starts. The girls were already there. Sarrah with her strawberry blonde hair sweeping the air as she turned to wave at me and Yusuf at the empty chairs next to them. Alexa who was talking to Sarrah turned to Yusuf and began a conversation with him.
RIIIING!!
Our teacher went inside. She clapped her hands, "Let's start. Rachelle, would you please pass this books to the rest of the class. Turn to page 33 for Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken." I chose that opportunity to look outside and sleep.
I dreamt I was in a prison cell. The dark walls were covered with some fungus eating away at the mortar which bounds the bricks together. Then suddenly the walls started closing in. I am claustrophobic so you know what happened then. I screamed for help but no one answered my pleas. Just then a sound perpetuated my pleas for help. A sound that corresponds to a stick hitting the metal bars that shuts every cell from the outside world. The sound came closer and closer as I yelled for someone to free me from this confining space. If only I had the power to bend this bars or punch a hole into the wall I would be free from this fear of mine, but I had none. I am powerless. I looked outside for a way. A key. A crowbar. Anything. None. But then something came into view, a wolf. What the heck is a wolf doing in a prison cell. But all i could think of is the need of help, of freedom. A voice spoke in my mind. "Do you want power?" I looked at the wolf. It hadn't budge from its position but the voice came from the wolf. How do I know? I don't know. But I know it came from the wolf. "Yes." The wolf grew into something that would be a candidate for The Most Scariest. And it pounced.
I woke up to hear a knock which sounded throughout the room. The door opened to our dean, Emmanuel Blackbourn and a girl about my age.
"Sir, what can we do for you?" The teacher asked.
"I'm here to introduce their new class mate. Everybody this is Renee Powell. Please welcome her as your new classmate. I'm aware you have groups. Now which group is willing to take her."
Whispered were heard throughout the room.
"Isn't she the one attacked by some monster?"
"I heard she was raped." No one was willing to take her. So I raised my hand.
"We'll take her."
"What? Are you serious?" Alexa hissed. I kicked her chair. "Shush." I whispered.
I gave her my seat and took another chair.
She looked at me and smiled, "Thanks."
I looked at her and found that she was pretty despite her size. A petite girl with strawberry blonde hair like hers would have been attractive to other guys had she not been involved with the attack.
"Hey Laurence, care to explain why you volunteered to take Renee in?" Alexa whispered.
"Because no one would take her. Anyway we could use an extra hand and after all I want to show people that despite what happened to her, she is always welcome here." I smiled at Alexa, showing that my reason is sincere.
"Seriously?" Alexa asked.
"Let it go, Alexa." Sarrah whispered. "At least you know that Laurence isn't that bad."
"Excuse me, but I'm here. I can hear you talking about me." I supplied.
"Sorry, Laurence." Sarrah smiled her best.
"Seriously?" I asked.
"Now you sound like Alexa." Sarrah laughed.
"Is there something funny, Ms. Carter?" asked the teacher.
"None, sir. Sorry for interrupting." Sarrah stood up to address the teacher.
"Okay. Now will you please turn to page 34 and read the poem there." said the teacher to Sarrah.
And that's how our conversation ended. After class we (Levi, Rivs and Yusuf) met up at the lobby of the boy's dormitory. Levi started the conversation by saying, "We'll be having a party for our Welcome Freshmen with Monster Mash as our theme."
"What?" The three of us said in unison.
"Yeah. They said that all these talks of monsters attacking our students are creating fear. They want to show that they should not fear. So by doing this, they would be able to create fearless surrounding."
"Where did you learn that?"
"Eavesdropping." Levi grinned.
"Where?"
"At the office when I was sent there for detention."Levi said.
"When?" I asked eagerly.
"After two months." Levi said.
"Monster hmm?" Rivs said.
***
It was Saturday and everybody was either at the mall or staying inside and watching movies at the lobby. As for me, I wandered along the edges of the woods. I wondered why does the school have woods in it. I went near one tree and saw it filled with the same fungus I saw in my dream. I went to another tree and to another until I found myself surrounded by them trees. I am lost. Dang. Maybe if I retrace my foot steps I would be able to find myself back at the school. I searched for my foot prints but to no avail. Only grass. Maybe that's the reason there are no prints. I remembered the TV series Man vs. Wild wherein Bear showed how to know which direction you can go. One is by being on top of a high point be it a rock mound or a tree. Since I am surrounded by trees, I could climb one and spy where the school is. I chose a tree and began climbing the dense tree. A little later I stopped for a little bit of rest. My fingers found some-- Oh shit, what the hell? Are these claw marks. Yes indeed. I found some scratches at the middle portion of the tree. Four long gashes embedded deep in the bark. Another one is found further down the tree. Five in all. what kind of animal would make scratches this long high in the tree. A bear. Not possible. The scratches doesn't match a possible mark from a bear. A bear scratch is supposed to form a triangle but this doesn't show a triangle rather it looked more human. But why would a human climb a tree and make these marks.
Suddenly a growl resounded in the night air. I looked for the source and found myself staring at a pair of eyes at another tree.
Oh shit. I lost my hold of the branch and fell. I landed on my back with a sickening crunch.
Ow. I heard another thump from somewhere in the dark. I saw a shape silhouetted against the dark. It was big, no not big rather ginormous. A single word ran across my mind. Run.
I turned my back from the monster. The monster who made the foot print in the gym. The monster who made the claw marks on the tree. The monster who attacked Renee. I have no intention of looking for the way back to the school. What I need is to get away from the monster. I look back to find it loping after me. I got a good look of the monster running after me. It's about my height but twice my width. It's face is somewhere between wolf and human. Its limbs all ended in claws. I knew I have no chance of outrunning him. So I stopped and grabbed a fallen branch and held it at arm's length waiting for him to reach me. It didn't take long for him to catch up with me. I knew that not even this flimsy branch would stop him. I am dead. Might as well to fight him to the last of my breath. I am not a fighter but I wouldn't go down without a fight. He came and even before I swing, it pounced. and that is how I died that day.
