Ink on the Pages

5

The whistle blew, signifying the beginning of the match. Paranoid and unable to focus, Genesis ended up getting hit in the face by the ball—twice. Both times, she got back up after getting hit and prepared herself for the next point.

Unfortunately, Genesis swore she saw Nameless in the crowd. It couldn't have been him. She was just being paranoid. If he showed up with this crowd, everyone would be screaming and fleeing the scene.

Genesis felt so alone. She literally couldn't play the game of volleyball. Coming to this game was a mistake. The world had seemed to slow down. Genesis then faintly heard her coach calling her name.

"Genesis!" the man shouted. "Sub! Get over here!"

Genesis jogged to the sideline, switching places with a senior on her team. She quickly sat down on the bench, feeling dizzy. Her coach walked over to her and knelt down. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked.

"No, I'm not," Genesis responded. Her head was pounding.

"You look pale."

"I think I need to leave."

Her coach was stunned. "Go take a breather in the locker room or see the athletic trainer."

Genesis left the gym, exhausted and uncertain. She made it to the locker room and sat down in front of her locker.

"Gen," a familiar voice said from around the corner. Genesis hurriedly opened her locker and hid inside of it. Her paranoia was really getting to her. She really needed help. Nameless was destroying her from the inside out...killing her "mental self" first. Genesis' locker door abruptly swung open and a long arm reached in, grabbing her by the jersey. Nameless was now lifting her off the ground.

"You know this is the girls' locker room, right?" Genesis satirically growled. "If you're here to kill me, why not get it over with?"

"I like you too much to just kill you," Nameless chuckled. "Also, you have that journal on you. I want it. Is it in your bag?"

"You just want that journal because you know there's a way to destroy it. You were engulfed in flames the moment we tried to burn it, so you're obviously connected to it. Fire just didn't do the trick. There must be something specific that will work, and you don't want me to find out."

"Perhaps." Nameless then threw Genesis aside and began to dig through her bags. "Where is it?!" he growled anxiously.

"I swear it's in there," Genesis replied, feeling both confused and defeated.

"Well it's not!"

Genesis noticed a Calculus notebook Nameless had thrown out of her bag. She hesitantly crawled towards it. "I don't take Calculus," she said. "Ira takes Calculus. Did I put the wrong journal in my pack?"

"That clever bastard!" Nameless screeched.

"Hello!" a voice yelled from behind Genesis and Nameless. Ira stood in the entryway to the locker room, a huge smile on his face. "I told you I'd come to your game, didn't I?"

Genesis rolled her eyes. "Once again, this is the girls' locker room!"

"Hey, Nameless," Ira taunted. "You want this?" He revealed the mystical journal from behind his back. "Yeah, I may have secretly swapped notebooks with Gen. Even she didn't know!"

Nameless was looking extremely displeased. He launched himself towards the boy, claws extended. Ira barely dodged him, causing Nameless to ram into the locker room cement wall.

"Catch!" Ira shouted, tossing the journal to Genesis.

"I'm still mad at you," Genesis snapped, catching the mystical sketchbook. Ira ran over to her and helped her to her feet.