Edge of the Sky

Chapter 9

grey (adj.)- of a colour intermediate between black and white, as of ashes or lead.

Dean's P.O.V

As much as I didn't want to leave Zahra alone, I had to. Her outburst must have disrupted the neutral aura of the school because they were here. The hunters. I could almost smell them. That or I could smell the cafeteria waste bin. Similar scent really.

Walking fast, I made my way through the halls, trying to get some searching done before the halls flooded with students rushing to class. My never-been-polished school shoes annoyingly squeaked on the tile, ruining any hopes of being inconspicuous. I halted in the center of a forked path. The traces were getting thinner and thinner. I was running out of time.

On a whim I skidded down the left hall, my shirt untucking under the strain. It was definitely getting stronger.
I stopped again to read the air for any sliver of grey, closing my eyes and stretching my hands out to feel the room. The aura was definitely there and it was strong.

"Mr Blanchard I assume you have an explanation for this strange behavior. And I'd implore you to tuck in your shirt," came a shrill voice from behind me.

I jumped, eyes now wide open, arms now retreating to my side. I heard her footsteps echoing through the hall as she moved towards me.  Cursing undet my breath I turned slowly to deliver my well- formulated excuse only to be met by a greyscale image.

Instinctively I took a few steps back, blinking to maje sure my powers and my eyes were working together properly. Hirsch's colour began glitching between real and grey, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Mrs Hirsch cocked her head to the side slightly, her frown deepening the lines on her face.
"Mr Blanchard?" she questioned, taking equal steps forward as I stepped away. I did my best to seem unphased by her presence and hold up a fake smile.

"You know I was just walking by and-and I caught a wiff of a smell that reminded me of horse riding in the fall during my youth and I-I," I stuttered, my tongue now refusing to act as my heart beat a million miles per second. What in the world was I thinking? There was no way I could track and take down a hunter like I was chasing rabbits! Especially if it was none other than Mrs Hirsh!

"Ah I see," she nodded, he thin,crusty lips forming a ghost of a smile.She took a sniff at the air. "Floor polish and textbooks reminds you of horse riding?"

I rubbed my neck sheepishly. "Well no, not that, it could have come from a locker or something. I don't know." I was starting to panic. This was bad.

Mrs Hirsch looked around the hall, her finger on her chin mockingly. "There are no lockers in this hall Mr Blanchard. Are you alright?" She asked, now walking closer to me, arms out.
The smell came back again and even without concentrating, I could see wisps of grey effervecence throughout the hall. If it wasn't Hirsh then the hunter was a ghost because they just had to be in the vicinity.

Hirsch was going to end me then and there. She knew. She knew and she was going to kill me and dump my body then come after my family and take us all. I couldn't move. It was like she had paralyzed me and was going to make it all look like an accident.

Suddenly the bell rang out, echoing through the hall followed by the rumbling of footsteps and chatter causing us both to look up. Taking her distraction to my advantage, I turned, more like drifted on my heels and sped off mumbling about being late for a chemistry practical. And I don't even take chemistry.
The influx of students spilling into the hall combined with her old age delayed Hirsch's pursuit and earned me enough time to disappear out of view and sprint off to my final lesson for the day-which was actually History.

I couldn't believe it. There were hunters in town and they were here, in my school, looking for Zahra and me and any other freak we don't know about.
And one of them is probably my English teacher.