Two years later...
"Guys, let's play pass the message!" Eunice's voice cut through the air. She clapped her hands, as the class inside the room scrambled into a mess.
Harriet innocently blinked, her eyes scanning the room. She was confused thinking how'd she gotten here. Her mind was misty, as if there was something she had forgotten. The faces around her were familiar, but they felt... distant. The air inside was somehow thick and everything seemed a little too sharp. Harriet wasn't sure if she was really here.
"You are in this too, Harriet. Hell no if you are backing out."
Harriet was taken aback when her friend suddenly showed up in front of her. Missle was staring her down as if declaring a war.
She was about to protest, when out of nowhere everyone started playing the game. Of course, she was included, lining up in a circle with the rest of the class.
"I'll start!" Her friend Missle declared, her voice full of exaggerated drama as she clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. Without waiting for anyone's approval, she leaned toward one of their classmates, cupped her hands around her mouth, and whispered something.
The room exploded with giggles, and the message began its journey.
As the whispers passed down the line, Harriet still couldn't shake the weird tension inside the room. Everyone was laughing and talking, but why? They were all felt... off. The room seemed dimmer, their laughers were suddenly too loud, and the smiles just a little too wide.
Harriet shrugged it off, trying to push the feeling away. Maybe it was just her mood making everyone seem so annoying.
The message finally got to Harriet.
The guy next to her leaned in, doing exactly what Missle did earlier. His whisper came out fast, "The crimson shroud looms above, an unyielding witness to secrets untold."
Harriet froze, her eyes widening slightly as the words sank in. It didn't make sense, especially she remembered Missle was the one who started that message. It sound nothing like something Missle would start.
The guy raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely confused. "I'm just passing the message, bro," he said with a casual shrug. "Isn't that the whole point of the game?"
Harriet bit her lip, heat rushing to her cheeks. Great. Now she sounded like an idiot. Of course, that was the rule of the game. Why did she have to make it weird?
But she paused, thinking about the message. The crimson veil? Watching? Unyielding? It still didn't make sense. She swallowed before turning to the next person, repeating the words.
When the message reached the last person, Missle clapped her hands, her grin widening. "Alright, what's the message?"
The last student, a girl with a nervous laugh, hesitated before speaking. "The crimson... um, the crimson veil... is watching?"
The laughter up burst as the girl stated it incorrectly.
But Harriet's chest tightened, and her gaze flicked instinctively toward the window. Her breath caught in her throat.
Outside, the sky wasn't blue anymore. It was a strange shade of red, streaked with dark, swirling lines. They twisted in unnatural ways, like something alive. The sight made her pulse race, a cold knot forming in her stomach.
Hadn't she felt something off earlier? Harriet's thoughts scrambled. The game, the weird feeling that had been nagging her... Was this all somehow connected?
"What's going on?" she whispered to no one in particular, barely able to get the words out.
Harriet scanned the room again, everyone didn't seem to notice what was going on. She had expected chaos, a ripple of confusion or panic, but instead, they were just laughing at the girl who had made the mistake.
Then, suddenly, Missle stood up and rushed out of the room, leaving the door swinging behind her. A tightness spread across Harriet's chest, as if the air itself had become harder to breathe. Did her friend see it too?
Her gaze flicked to the door, heart racing. Harriet hesitated, torn between following Missle and staying behind.
But since Missle was her friend, she stood up quietly, deciding to follow her out of the room. She couldn't shake the worry that something was off, that something might happen to Missle if she didn't follow.
As she walked down the hall, the presence around was making her step feel heavy. She looked up once again and her breath hitched. It was way different from the view inside. It was even stranger when Harriet was out. The swirling lines seemed to move, almost like they were coming closer, as if the sky itself was alive, watching her.
Her thoughts scattered. She couldn't think straight, as if everything seemed to be moving spiral.
"Harriet?"
The noise around her faded into nothing. It was like the whole world had paused, holding its breath same as her.
"Harriet?"
The voice sliced through the silence, pulling Harriet back. Her scattered thoughts slowly began to settle as her gaze focused on a familiar face.
Kyle stood a few feet away, worry etched across his features. His voice carried a distant edge, like he was grappling with the same confusion. "Are you okay?"
Harriet opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her gaze locked on the sky still pulsing like it was alive.
"Look," she whispered, her voice trembling as she pointed up. She couldn't pull her gaze away from it, couldn't wrap her head around what she was seeing.
Kyle's eyes followed her finger. At first, it seemed like he hadn't seen it. Then his eyes widened, and his breath hitched. He mumbled something that was too low for Harriet to understand. But the look on his face said it all. He saw it too.
Wasn't she the only one to notice it at first? Was it a trick of the light, or had she been wrong all along? But now, Kyle could see it. Even the students stopped and looked up, their faces filled with fear upon seeing above. Some gasped, others screamed, and a few fainted. The chaos around grew louder.
Harriet's gaze darted around, her thoughts spinning. Was it just because she pointed it out? Did they only see it after her? Or had it always been there, waiting for the right moment to be noticed?
Suddenly, Kyle grabbed her wrist, his grip firm enough to make her yelp. "We need to move. Now."
Her brows knitted in confusion. "What's happening?" Harriet's voice trembled, her eyes locked on Kyle's face.
He looked like he'd seen something... something worse than the crimson sky.
Yet, despite the fear flickering in his eyes, his voice came out flat, almost too calm. "Creatures... We're hiding from them."
Her eyes widened in horror. The crimson sky was terrifying enough... and now this?
Harriet locked her gaze into his silver eyes. "Creatures? What kind of creatures?"
Kyle's expression hardened. "I saw them watching you."
Her stomach lurched, and a cold shiver ran down her spine. Watching her? Her pulse quickened. What did he mean by that? What kind of creatures would be watching her? Why?
Before she could ask more, a sharp pain shot through her head, more intense than any headache she'd felt. It was as if something was trying to force its way into her mind, pressing against her skull trying to tear through it. Harriet gasped, her eyes squeezing shut, her hands flying to her head as the pressure built
"Kyle..." Her voice was weak. Everything felt wrong. Her vision blurred, as if something foreign was clouding it. Her knees wobbled, and she nearly collapsed.
"Harriet?" Kyle's voice sounded muffled as if underwater. "Are you okay?"
She couldn't answer. The pain pulsed through her skull. Harriet gritted her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut harder. Please, make it stop.
Gradually, the pain began to fade, its grip loosening just enough for Harriet to blink rapidly. "I—I'm fine," she whispered, though her voice didn't sound convincing.
Kyle didn't waste any time. He yanked her hand again, pulling her into a fast-paced sprint. "Good. Now, We can't stop. They'll find us."
Harriet bit her lips, embracing herself. She had no choice but to follow. Her legs moved on their own, her body running on pure instinct. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like them.
As the two ran, everything around them grew darker. The red sky deepened into a blood-like hue, casting an eerie vibe over the landscape. The air chilled, pressing in on her and Kyle, and their footsteps felt distant, as if they were fading into nothing.
She didn't know where they were going; they only had to keep moving and running. Every step felt heavier, every breath harder to take.
"They're here," Kyle whispered out of nowhere, his voice so soft the oppressive silence almost drowned it out.
Harriet's eyes darted around, searching for any sign of movement, anything to explain what he meant. But all she saw was emptiness, the stillness creeping over everything like a thick fog.
Who are they? And how could he tell?
The question burned inside her, but she couldn't voice it. Harriet wanted to scream for answers, but Kyle pressed his finger to his lips, signaling for silence.
She swallowed her thoughts, forcing the questions to stay buried for now.
Then, out of nowhere, they heard it. A faint and distant sound of something stirring in the shadow. Harriet froze, a chill running down her spine.
Was it them? The creatures Kyle had warned about?