Set in Stone

Chapter 12 - This is your last chance

I feel the need to warn you; this chapter contains blood and descriptions of graphic images. If you are sensitive about these things, I suggest you not read the chapter.

All you need to know, if you do decide not to read the chapter, is that something happens to Mr. Henderson.

For you venturing ahead, well. Don't say I didn't warn you.

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Zane woke up late, which meant no breakfast and that he had to rush out the door. He nearly fell down the front steps but managed to regain his composure and rushed toward the school.

When he got there, the bell rang almost immediately and he rushed to his homeroom. He wondered if those people were talking in that room. Who would they go after next? Did they see Zane or Kawaii~Chan?

Zane pushed all of these back as he pulled out his notes. When the class was finally over, he figured it couldn't hurt to check the classroom those people had been in the last time. So he went down the hallway as the rest of the students headed to their classes.

When he peeked in the room, it was empty. The desks sat collecting dust and the teacher's desk, which usually had some books or papers on it, was completely devoid of anything.

He decided to look in the drawers for any paper or anything at all that might help him. He opened all the drawers, and finding nothing, closed them and deleted any evidence that might suggest someone was there.

He left the room. He was late for his English class, but he didn't care. He walked in as the teacher was reviewing some of the stuff they'd gone over the previous day. She raised her eyebrow. "Nice of you to join us, Zane," Ms. Arthur said.

"Sorry, Mrs. Arthur, it won't happen again."

"Right. You know as a teacher, I hear that a lot."

'Well, what am I supposed to say?" Zane snapped. He'd had a rough night and a troublesome morning. "Well? Do you expect me to tell you your life is in danger and I'm trying to find the people responsible?"

Zane realized what he said as soon as he said it, and the students laughed. Ms. Arthur gave him a panicked look, one that wasn't panicked because she believed him. Panicked because he shouldn't know that.

"Alright, kids, settle down, I'm talking," Ms. Arthur said. The class settled down and started listening as Ms. Arthur started the lesson.

When the lesson was done, she called Zane to stay. "What were you talking about at the beginning of class?" The question seemed off as if she was asking him a different question through that one.

Her tone was confusing and he answered her truthfully, "I apologize. I had a rough morning, and I was impatient. I'm sorry."

"I don't care about that," she said. She pulled her hand through her hair and mumbled something.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing. Go to your class. Sorry about that," she said, waving him toward the door. He left, looked back at her, and kept walking.

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Zane sat down at the lunch table. Only a month into the school year and all this nonsense was happening.

As he looked around the cafeteria, he noted that the faces of the students looked anything but tense. They were carefree, relaxed.

He was still watching them when he realized Kawaii~Chan had come in. 'Odd' he thought. He would've seen her at least once this morning, but it was then that he realized he hadn't seen her until now.