Gut Churning

1 - Unexpected Circumstance

Staring at the clock, April watched as the long skinny hand of the clock counted the minutes away. Her need to leave class growing stronger by second. She was never a nervous person by any means, but after returning to school from the quarantine due to the corona virus, she felt very put off by her peers actions. Why was everyone so paranoid? We've been quarintined all Summer can we please just have some normalcy. April thinks to herself. She had noticed how they continued to keep up their social distancing... as if they were repulsed by each other. The normal chatter that filled the schools was absent and everyone seemed lifeless. But for some reason unbeknownst to her she got stared at more often... like a piece of meat, she could feel their piercing gazes and when she would turn to look, they didn't look away... like someone usually would if you caught them staring. They just would continue watching her with their penetrating gazes. She noticed how they seemed to forget their paranoia as they subconsciously inched closer to her, which was frighteningly odd. Seeing that it was usually the opposite. She shivered and tried to reject the odd feeling that resided in her chest ever since she returned to school. She glanced at her teacher sitting at his desk, an uncomfortable feeling creeping up her spine. There he was twitching once again, but no one seemed to notice, seeing that they all twitched occasionally now.

Paige?

Taking confident strides to her once best friend, she paused just before her.

Paige's back was facing her, she watched as chest rose up and down, her body shaking as if she were angry.

Bile rose up in April's throat. "Paige?"

As if snapping out of a trance, Paige turned to April, a fake smile plastered itself onto her face.

Concern swam in her chest, even though she was no longer her best friend, she still loved her as if she was.

"Are you alright?" April asked with concern lacing her voice.

There wasn't an answer. Just twitching.

The bell rung, and made April jump.

"Well, I gotta run... you know how important class is to me." April said in a sad tone. The longing for her friend to return and partake in their once normal banter.

Turning away, April paused at the door, and glanced back at Paige.

Her eyes were vacant and dark. Empty. Soulless. Almost... animal.

Shaking away her thoughts about her weird encounter with Paige, April looked back at the clock. A few minutes were left to complete the rest of her work.

She placed her pencil against her paper and continued writing. Lost in writing flowery bullshit that would please her English teacher, she heard a slight scraping.

Honing her focus back onto her work, the slow scratching sound disturbed her again.

Scrape.

Scrape.

Scrape.

Stealing a quick glance at the person at the desk nest to her, her mind quickly processed the blood all over their hands.

Scrape.

Scrape.

Scrape.

Slowly rising. April took in the broken nails scattered on the boy's desk, she reached out and touched his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

The boy's head snapped to look at her.

His eyes. Vacant. Like Paige.

He twitched. Not answering. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he just opened and closed his mouth like a fish. A low wheeze escaped his mouth and he latched onto her hand, with his own.