Chapter 10

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  I was very much aware of my surroundings, but I didn't want to dwell on it. Each step I took towards the pathway that lead me away from the house, chills ran down my body. I knew I was being watched, and followed. I just couldn't see because physically it didn't really exist. I should have been used to this. The feeling of me being on the center of a deep surveillance—it existed all my life.

There's so much I don't want happening right now. For example, going to school, and being followed all the way there. I'm okay with being brushed around, and humiliated there, but to have someone—something there to witness it...that didn't sit so well in my stomach. My footsteps become heavier with each step I take and I realize I'm not too far from school. There, I can only guess everyone is already waiting for me to show up. I'm sure the news have already spread like wildfire. I oddly wonder, for some reason, if Cole is going to be there or not. If he is then I should brace myself for it. There's nothing in this world that can stop him from finishing his job today.

A dreadful feeling sat in the pit of my stomach, and the blood in my veins froze over. It's not thing to be thinking about, but it have it actually happen...my feet stops from taking another step. A cold shiver passes through me. What if he kills me today? It's not like anyone would be there to stop it. Suddenly, I don't feel like getting my education today. But it's unfortunate that I can't skip classes. If I skip, and fail then I'll never get out of it. I don't have a fucking choice.

I continue my pace, passing through the streets with a heavy feeling in my body. When I finally get to the front of the school, my stomach drops. I expected this so why does this all of a sudden feel new? The news have spread like a wildfire that I somehow did something to Cole. I clutch my bag tighter to my body like it's going to protect me from their assaults. I look around. I could count but there's too many. By now, the whole school is outside staring at me like I've grown two heads over my body. I have learned to ignore their stares over the years but this feels different. This feels like I've murdered someone and somehow escaped the cops, and came here for a hideout. I'm not hiding from anyone. But that's not entirely the truth.

I start to walk past the crowd and towards the entrance, but that's when I hear it all. There's no sugarcoating anything. It's as raw as it gets. With a heavy feeling in my body, I continue to do what I do best. Ignore.

"What a freak."

"I bet she did something to Cole."

"She does black magic."

"What if she burns us too?" I stop, frozen in my shoes.

"I heard Silent Whispers was on fire."

"This freak did it." I walk away from the poisonous atmosphere around me and walk inside. Here, it's no different. It's worse. My steps falter as I get close to the one group of people I would never find myself associating with. Cole's girlfriend, and four of her friends gathered around by my locker. They waited for me, that much was clear. A glance towards my locker almost made me lose my balance. A big, red X was spray painted on my locker and when two teachers walked past by, they looked away like it didn't exist. Like I didn't exist for it.

My books were in my locker, and I couldn't go into class without my books. I took calculating steps towards my locker and the group of people surrounding it, and swallowed a dry lump down my throat, before saying "can you move please?". Cole's girlfriend narrowed her eyes at me.

"What did you do to Cole, freak?" When I didn't answer her, her gaze narrowed. I tried to ignore her too by stepping away from my locker, but all it took was a hard push from her on my back. I lost my balance and fell to the floor with a single, hard bounce, my forehead touching the concrete first. A scream died in my mouth, and instead I clenched my teeth so hard I knew it cracked a little. Violence was part of my life, but I didn't think it could play out so well in a public school.

"What is going on here?" Mrs. Garland, an English teacher comes from the room across from my fall. I keep my eyes to the floor.

"She fell." Blatant lies. It's all they could ever do when it comes to me. My forehead ached as I ran my hand over it, but I didn't make a sound. Mrs. Garland shakes her head in disbelief, and goes back to her room.

"You got a death wish on you, Watson?" Cole's girlfriend sneers. If it wasn't for my mother, maybe it wouldn't have been this bad. But, even after that I ended up making things even worse after the incident with Cole. It's like I couldn't catch a break. I was growing tired of this life. It made no sense. I chanced a glance towards the woman looming over me, and narrowed my eyes at her. The incident with Cole had nothing to do with me, and I wouldn't take the blame of that.

"No." Words failed me. I wish I knew exactly what to say, but in this situation it was best to remain silent, and not think. The whole world was against me not just one individual, and I didn't have it in me to fight the whole world. Apprehension twisted in my stomach as I waited for another crude reply from her.

"What did you do to Cole?"

"Nothing. I didn't even—" I didn't get to finish my sentence. No one ever lets me finish.

"Lying bitch. He's in the hospital because of you!" A sudden, solid kick to my ribs has me sliding back from the slippery slopes of the floor. I yelp as pain reverberates through my body, causing a little blackout spell to occur behind my lids. I shake my head to remain alert, and in that very moment, the lights start to flicker in the building. It catches everyones attention including mine, but I pay more attention to the growing bruise under my shirt. She's a soccer champion, so I knew it'd hurt. I just didn't expect it to happen this quick. Tears brim my eyes as I look up at the ceiling. The lights above me flicker with every painful breaths I take.

"Freak!" She says, sourly, before turning around to walk away with the rest of her friends. I stay, glued to the floor, as the atmosphere around me changes. Mrs. Garland comes back out of her room, and calls my name, but I ignore her. Every noise, every physical things around me gets blurred out the moment I close my eyes. Everything goes silent, and I become numb. And when I finally open my eyes, a sound gets trapped in my throat. There was a voice in my head, one I couldn't escape even if I tried.

All you have to do is say my name.

No. I could never say his name. I didn't need his help, just like I didn't need it for years from anyone. His deep voice taunted me in my head, but I knew better. He'd burn this whole school to ashes, and take everyone back to Hell with him.

I didn't need the devil to come rescue me.

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