FROM HELL

CHAPTER 2

The sky is dark. It's always is. Everything was shattered, buildings, roads,

 and everything. Things crawled in the shadows. This place reeked evil but I knew, I live here and it's forever.

The giant monster moved slowly. Must be a burden to move all the mass. As small as I am, following it without getting caught was easy but stealing the food in its hand was hard. It was flesh. Must be some other smaller monsters. It's been days since I last ate. I ran toward it when it started to stop. Its back was facing me so it couldn't see my approach. Getting enough close I leapt and grabbed the flesh and started to run when a large and powerful hand wrapped around my head lifting me off the ground and the next moment I was face to face with the monster. It was holding my head that high up. It grinned at my vain struggling and said in the deepest nerve-wracking voice
"Well well if it isn't the half breed"

I yelped and sat up. Each one I mean each and every pair of eyes in the class was focused on me and I felt myself shrink.
Seeming to notice me for the first time Mrs Benson cleared her throat
"Ms. Bingsley, could you enlighten us on why you are making weird noises in my class"

"Sorry, I... I saw a... a cockroach?"

She looked at me and then at Nate who was sitting next to me
"A big cockroach," he said with a matter-of-fact voice and shrugged. The class laughed at that and he looked at me and smiled. I didn't return the gesture but looked at him. He was handsome. Not just handsome, deadly handsome. He had the bluest eyes I had ever seen. Lean but I could see there were defined muscles underneath his shirt. His hair was deep brown almost black. He was beautiful in a supernatural way.

"Thanks. I guess.." was the only thing I said but never took my eyes off him.

"Okay. So.. Am I that unconditionally handsome that you keep staring at me?"

"What? No.. I was... I was looking into the possibilities of you bailing me out"

"You are bad at lying isn't it?"

"No, I'm bad at being nice"
The bell rang Mrs.Benson said her goodbyes.

"So what's your next class" Nate asked following me while ignoring the class full of staring students. Girls and some boys too who are admiring his features and all the other boys' looks where completely filled of hatred because he stole all the female attention. I noticed some of the the girls giving me bad looks too. Ha! nicely done Robin. There goes low profile plan.
"I'm off to biology"

"Oh I'm calc" he laughed at the hurt expression I made.
"Oh calc is calc alright and so nice meeting you Robin Bingsley"

"Nice meeting you too Nate"

We parted ways looking for our respective classes. The rest of the day went without any incident managed to befriend Ashley who I think is a nerd. At lunch, I sat with her and her friends, Jack and John the identical twins, and Cody a complete nerd with his large glasses and bookish attitude. I think the twins were not so nerdy but just chose to sit here.
Something about Ashley being their childhood completely. Sympathetic, I'll say.

"Guys stop staring at her you're creeping her out," Ashley said saving me from the awkwardness.

"I'm John, you know?" Jack said to Ashley

"What?" Was the only thing Ashley managed to say before I interrupted

"No, you're not. You're Jack"

"You're joking, right? I'm John and how the hell would you know"

"Yeah. How?" John asked now completely interested. Cody never said a word from the moment I sat with them but curiosity was written all over his face.

"Because you're lying and that's why it's simple if you're lying when saying you're John then who are you? Jack." I said matter of factly

"How are you so sure"

"When people lie there are slight indications like movements of your eyes etc. And despite having the same face, hairstyles, and clothes. Your mannerisms are completely different"
And I can't tell them that their body temperature and scents are giving different signatures.
It was one of my alien powers. Besides picking up body temperatures and scents, I had inhuman strength and speed, magic never affected me, and had quite a metabolism.

"No one could distinguish us," John said from his seat and I made a face at him.

"She just did. Is she right?" Cody asked talking for the first time.

"Oh, you can talk, do you? I thought being near another human being stripped you of your ability to talk"
Ashley said.

"Haha.Not funny"
Ashley ignored Cody's reply and turned to the twins expectantly
"Did she?"

"Yeah. She did" Jack said giving me a shy smile and John was studying me curiously.

I ignored them and went back to my lovely food. They did give me raised eyebrows when they saw the amount of food but I ignored the stares as I always do.

"So what's going on with you and Nathaniel Walker" Cody asked getting comfortable with the fact that I'm the new person on the table.

"As in the Nathaniel Walker?"
Ashley chimed in. The twins were watching me completely interested. I think they never stopped studying me after our small play.

"Who, Nate?"

"First name basis? And yes Nate"
Cody said the name like it's some foreign language.

"Umm.. we are... acquainted"

"He won't do random acquaintance"

"And he ignores everyone other than his friends," Ashley said with a slight shrug. Could she have a crush on him?

"I never got that kind of vibe from him," I said in defense

"Oh everyone gets a vibe when he's around. Thinks he's too good" Jack said

"You're jealous"
Ashley stated

"No, I'm not. Just look at him"
He turned and looked at a table right at the center of the cafeteria. Nate was sitting there deep in conversation with someone at his table. A beautiful girl sat so close to him. I noted that if she got any more closer she would be in his lap. Right on cue he looked at me and gave me a wink. Now everyone on that table and my table was staring at me. Ohhh Goody this is sooo not happening

"I should go" dumping my food in the waste bin. I fled.

The rest of the day I avoided Ashley, her group, and Nate.

The drive back was quiet. Stepping into our cottage I noted that something was different. Lynn was missing and I felt a familiar presence. The energy signature is of another powerful person, but familiar.
Ohhh goody. The old man was back. How splendid a day can get.