Suddenly she sat in her chair as the world suddenly seemed to swim for a moment there as she forgot to breathe, her pulse skipping several beats. Her eyes stared at the man as he went to shuffle casually through the papers on the desk as though he was already familiar with them. Her throat grew dry as she sat there staring at him in shock. She had finally convinced herself it was all a dream and now there he stood before her.
The room was the definition of silence as she watched him unmoving and hoping she wouldn't be noticed as she gripped the edges of the desk. Her eyes glanced to the closed door of the classroom, she tried to figure out if she could make it to the door in time before her gaze flicked back to him. Only now his eyes were on her, watching and it was clear he was waiting to see what she might try to do.
Moments turned to minutes as neither spoke and simply stared at one another. Slowly he moved to stand in front of the teachers desk and then leaned back half sitting upon it as he took her in. "Have you enjoyed the weekend pet?" He asked finally to break the silence between them and let reality truly crash down upon her.
"Y-you're not supposed to be real." she couldn't help but blurt out in response as she stared at him. She couldn't help the pure panic she felt on simply seeing him but after her first reaction she realized that he couldn't actually do anything to her here right? There was way too many people, the place was much too public for him to be a threat at the moment wasn't it?
A light chuckle escaped him at her words. "I think you mean you had hoped I was not. You're only seventeen. How could you possibly expect to know what is and isn't supposed to be real at such a young age?" he asked as he watched her seeming completely relaxed where he half sat at the front of the classroom.
She frowned a little at him and his words. They were rather condescending she felt if not insulting. "What do you want?" she asked finally and moved up to her feet, eyes looking at the door. "The teacher will be here any moment you know." She added as if expecting someone else to walk into the door, they were already late after all. Then she got a slight chill, had he done something to them?
"I am already here, After all someone had to replace your Mrs. Granger and who better then the man who helped her move on from this world?" He asked, his voice calm as well as somewhat cold. "Though I do find a slight irony for someone such as myself to be teaching science of all things." He said as he looked at the textbook on his desk, casually with a finger lifting the cover a little as if to peek inside before letting it fall closed again.
"The school was all too happy for a volunteer, and with my credentials it was quite easy to arrange." He continued before looking back at her. "I like to stay close to what is mine after all." Now he moved up, walking along the rows of desks towards her. She couldn't help herself as she backed up rather quickly to keep space between them.
"I'll scream." she said finally, despite the slight tremble she had she was determined to try and keep him from bullying her. Perhaps it was the fact it was in the middle of the day, or that they were in the school, but she had a bit more bravery in her then she had that night. "If you come any closer I'll scream and people will come running to see what is going on….I'll tell them everything." She said firmly.
His motions paused for a moment as he looked at her. "Will you?" he asked as he stood there watching her. Seeing he had stopped coming closer she relaxed a little feeling a moment of victory. She gave a sharp nod of her head feeling firm in her convictions and decisions. "Yes." she said as she watched him with a new level of fight and determination.
However instead of getting angry as she expected he simply smiled at her as if amused. She had a moment to wonder why he found that amusing before she felt herself pressed against the wall behind her. He was standing right there in front of her, hand upon her throat. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him and she immediately reached up to try and pry his grasp from her throat, his grip tight enough that she couldn't find any air.
"Are you sure?" He asked as he looked down at her. "You don't seem to be." He said calmly as his eyes studied her with a cold smile. She couldn't help the fear that rose in her as she desperately tried to remove his hand as she felt the pressure building inside her at the lack of oxygen while she tried to breathe.
The edges of her vision were darkening and she felt she was going to die right there before suddenly his grip lessened just enough for her to get some air. She couldn't help the small sound of fear that escaped her as she tried to breathe what little she could. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes from the stress to her body and the fear alone.
"Your mistake is thinking that this place grants you some form of protection." He said finally, unmoving and only allowing her enough air to stay conscious. "But I hold no qualms with burning the entire place to the ground and everyone in it if you decide to cause trouble." he said. "Then you will return home with me. If you want all these deaths on your consciousness then by all means, scream." He said and let go of her but did not give her any space.
She coughed a bit and her hand went to her throat as she breathed in deeper, looking up at him with a new level of fear and slight disbelief. He wouldn't really be willing to burn down an entire school. Yet meeting his cold calm eyes it sank in that he meant exactly what he said. She felt the blood drain from her face, staring up at the monster of a man, her sudden bravery leaking away from her.
She couldn't find the will to try and scream for help, fearing his threat that he gave out so calm and casually. As if he was saying he'd simply take a toy away from a disobedient child. As she didn't make a sound or scream when he let her go he gave a nod. "Good." he said as if they now had a clear understanding of the situation at hand.
"Now, answer my question. How did you enjoy your weekend?" he asked as he reached a hand up and moved one of the strands of hair that had found its way outside of her ponytail and tucked it behind her ear. His actions held no shame to them, nor shy hesitation at touching her.
Seeming to completely ignore the slight rise in tension she gave at his touch though she didn't move at all, afraid to try and stop him.
"It was ok." she said looking down and away from him now. She wanted to crawl into a deep dark hole and lose the interest of the monster before her. But there was nowhere she had to hide. "How did I end up back in my room?" she asked finally and looked at him again at least wanting to know the answer to that. How had he pulled that off, how had he even known where she lived. How had he known what pajamas….
Her eyes widened at the thought and she went a very deep shade of red as she stared at him now mortified at the thought of him undressing her and dressing her. Had he done anything to her? Had he...violated her while she was out?
He seemed to pick up on her thoughts while studying her expressions and gave a light laugh. "No." he said, shaking his head as he took a simple step away from her. "I have no interest in playing with what would equate a dead fish." he said. "You will be quite aware and conscious when first we embrace." he said, his voice soft as he said it while watching her.
She had a small hint of relief fall over her, yet it wasn't much of a comfort with how sure he sounded that they would one day be in bed together intimately. "You do have a lovely body, it's a shame your clothing does not accent your form at all." He said as he reached out to feel the edge of her t-shirt and a look of disdain for the fabric itself crossed his features.
There was no stopping it, she raised her hands to cover her face completely mortified by his words. Never in all her years had she let anyone see her naked and this man clearly had so casually. "I am not having sex with you." she said finally her face was now scarlet red.
He looked at her and laughed, the cold expression changing to one of genuine amusement. "Of everything you have witnessed thus far, that is what you really fear the most?" He asked as he watched her. "Not death, not torture, but sex? The more pleasurable of the three." He added as he chuckled some more.
"I will not violate you quite yet, you have much growing to do first." He said finally. Moving he turned one of the chairs next to a desk around and sat down facing her. He leaned back casually and watched her for a few moments before his eyes went up to the clock. "My my, only five minutes has passed. I wonder, what should I be teaching you before the bell rings." he said, his tone somewhat suggestive as he watched her.
Ashley started to relax a little as he said he had no plans to touch her currently, but then he went and said things like that and it caused her to tense all the more. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" she asked finally. "I haven't done anything to you."
His eyes watched her for a moment and he seemed to consider her questions. "I don't want to leave you alone. And you've done plenty, you peaked my interest. Honestly had you not you would eventually have been found in the murky waters along with your teacher." he said with a simple shrug. "Instead of feeling pity for yourself and your plight you should feel grateful for the second chance at life."
She couldn't help but frown at him. "A second chance where you own me and bully me and terrorize me?" She finally asked, unable to help herself despite her fear. "What sort of life is that for a person? How would you feel if you were in my shoes?" she asked seriously. As he tilted his head at her for a moment she couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret for her outburst.
"I have yet to really terrorize you." he said and gave a rather slow smile. "I've been quite generous allowing you to return home and progress somewhat normally with your life." He added pointedly. "Eventually you will have to bid this all farewell but I am not demanding it just yet. You have until I figure out what to name you to continue this path."
Getting up to his feet again he walked back towards the front of the class and looked through the grade book that was on the desk. "Of course I expect you to work hard, you can't let your grades falter simply because they don't really matter for you anymore." He said as he opened it all the way and to a specific page.
Ashley watched him and tried to figure him out. Yet she came up with nothing that would explain his behavior in a way that she understood. "I don't understand." she said finally and shook her head feeling somewhat lost and a little helpless with the given situation.
His eyes went back up towards her from where they were studying the grade book on the desk. "What is so hard to understand?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "You will continue with your life and I expect you to work hard and excel in all you apply yourself too. You are my property and your behavior is a reflection of myself." he said simply with his eyes on her.
She couldn't help the frown that fell over her features as he again called her his property. It was embarrassing and demeaning as she saw it. People didn't own people in this day and age, it was wrong. "You can't own me, it's illegal." she said as she stared at him. "How can you even think you can own someone in today's age?" she added pointedly.
He looked at her for a moment though seemed calm, even patient with her words instead of growing angry at her argument. "I will allow your poorly chosen words this once. However it would behoove you not to question it again from this point on." He said seriously as he settled in the chair behind the teachers desk looking quite comfortable there despite the fact it had once belonged to a now dead woman.
"Human laws are beneath me and my kind. We exist outside of them, so what you say is illegal I say is normal practice. There is one primary rule within the world I exist in and that is if you can take it, then it is yours." He sat up and put his elbows upon the desk as he looked at her. "Ask yourself, what is to stop me from simply taking you at any point?" He asked.
She had suspected he wasn't human. That moment before where he had suddenly been there in front of her choking was an excellent reminder of how fast and strong she had seen him and others from that night. But to have him admit it so openly now made her even more nervous and afraid of what she was dealing with.
At his question she tried to come up with something, a reasonable excuse for why he couldn't just take her away. People would notice, someone would say something, people would look for her. However it dawned on her, him and his kind had managed to make a complete school bus full of popular and well off kids look like they had all died in a tragic accident. No one suspected anything unnatural or out of the ordinary with any of it. As she stared at him she realized there was literally nothing to stop him.
Seeing her expression change as she seemed to realize the answer to his question he gave a small nod of approval. "That is how I am capable of owning you. It has nothing to do with laws or what is and is not morally right by human standards. It had everything to do with the fact that if I want to, I can. The sooner you come to accept your new status in life the easier it will become for you." he said simply.
"Which brings me to my other expectations of you." he said while watching her. "Besides continuing with your studies, I expect you to continue to take care of your body. Do not allow poisons into it like these other ants that mill about around you. The fact you have not as of today gives you a lot more freedoms than you are aware." he added seriously.
"You will start dressing in better apparel, I will provide you with what I expect you to wear. If I see you in any of your old clothes once I have provided you with suitable clothing you will be punished." He said as he looked her over carefully, however she was relieved he seemed to be sizing her instead of imagining her naked from the expression he had.
"I expect you to let me know of your whereabouts at all times. I will be providing you with a phone that is not limited in minutes like your own. I expect you to use it to text me where you are or plan to go." His voice was calm and casual, as if he was simply dishing out homework. But his tone said he would not tolerate arguing or not following through with what he said.
"If I tell you to do something, you are to do it." He said and looked at her, his expression growing serious now. "I don't care if it conflicts with your parents or any other authority figure. You will do as I say. If you want to continue having the freedoms I am giving you, disobey me enough and you will not like the consequences. No excuses for disobeying me will be tolerated. Do you understand what is expected of you?"
Ashley stared at him for several long moments. Her eyes had gone wide in a level of shock as well as embarrassment as he essentially proclaimed he was going to choose her way of dress from now on, and the fact he wanted to know where she was at every moment. He was overly controlling with his demands of her.
"How....how am I supposed to explain to my dad how I suddenly have a whole different wardrobe?" she asked suddenly. "You don't really expect to control how I dress and what I do….do you?" She asked and she was careful to make sure her tone wasn't overly argumentative, she didn't want to risk making him mad, but she didn't see how it was going to work.
When she didn't argue with his demands exactly he studied her for a few moments as if considering which way to take the moment. Finally he seemed to decide on a kinder approach instead of threatening her again. "I will provide the necessary explanation for where the clothing comes from. I do expect to control how you dress, however I am allowing you freedom to go where you choose as long as you notify me as to where you are going. Should I find out you have not kept me updated you will not like the end results." he said as he watched her.
Ashley stood there staring at him for a few long quiet moments. Her eyes glanced to the clock to see only fifteen minutes had gone by, there was still another thirty minutes of class left. What other expectations was he going to pile on in that time. Her eyes went back to him for a moment or so as she seemed to consider her options. She felt rather out of her depth though and she didn't see any other option that wouldn't result in pain or death other then to agree to him.
"Fine. I understand." She said slowly as she watched him. Half wondering if she tried to run away would he really be able to find her again. Maybe that was the only option she had to keep herself and everyone she knew safe, to just run away and never come back?
"Good girl." he said and gave another smile. "Now how about you have a seat, let us discuss the state of your studies." he said motioning for her to sit in the front row nearest his desk. She looked at the desk then to him before she slowly picked up her back pack and made her way towards the front and slowly sat down.
"You have excellent scores in Science and Literature. With time I know you will show improvement in physical education." he said almost with a knowing tone as he looked at what seemed to be his own notes on his desk. "I see you use a free period to work in the Library, I approve of this." he said nodding. "It seems though that you have low scores in history, and you are failing math. Looking over your past scores it seems math is a problem for you, this is your second time taking that particular class?" He inquired his voice down to business it would seem.
She sat there and stared at him for a few long moments. He had essentially stated her life was not entirely her own, that he was taking claim and control. Her world turned upside down as she sat there staring at him and he wanted to focus on the state of her schooling as if everything was perfectly normal.
"Yes." she said slowly as she watched him and gave a frown. His eyes went to her for a moment or so. "Why is that?" He asked and he laced his fingers in to one another as he sat at the desk and looked at her with calm patient eyes once more. "Do you find the elements of Algebra hard to understand?" He inquired and there was no hint of insult or malice in his voice, just simple curiosity.
She shook her head. "Algebra is easy." She said and crossed her arms as she became defensive and started to frown as she looked at him. She couldn't help it was a sore spot with her and she expected him to be just as infuriating on the subject as her math teacher was. After all he seemed so sure of himself and full of himself how could he not be of the same
"And yet you are failing, are you trying to save face with me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as he watched her. "You should know better then to try and lie to me." he said with a tiny quirk of his lips as though he was toying with her.
Now that he was accusing her of lying she actually found herself getting angry. "Fine, put an equation up on the board." she said as she settled back in her seat with her arms crossed while looking at him then nodded to the board. "We're currently multiplying binomials but if you want to do something more complicated and learned later in the year by all means." She said her tone was angry.
For a moment he just looked at her before he chose to get up and go to the board. "Very well, I will oblige you with the ability to prove me wrong, but now if you fail to get the answer correct you will be punished." he said looking back to her after picking up the chalk. "Are you sure?" He asked.
She looked at him for a few long moments and seemed to hesitate. He was going to punish her if she got it wrong. Suddenly she was a bit uneasy as if he expected her work to be shown then she would be doomed regardless. She couldn't help squirm in her seat and seeing that knowing look come from him, he could see the sudden doubt that she had instead of her angered confidence.
"I'm sure." she said finally despite her fears she couldn't help but be stubborn. She sat there with the tension laced up her back as he gave her almost a disappointed look before he went ahead and wrote an equation on the board. Going over to her he offered her the chalk. "Then show me." He said motioning to the board as he held it out to her.
She looked at him before she looked at the board. She didn't move for a few moments as she studied the letters and numbers, having them move about in her own head as she did so then looked over at him. "X equals twelve, Y equals negative three." she said looking at him without taking the chalk at all.
He looked at her now a little perplexed. "Is that so?" he asked looking over to the board then back at her. "You plan to make a wild guess at it?" She looked at him as she sat there. "It's not a guess, that's the answer." She said rather confidently which caused him to frown a little at her, he seemed now to be considering something as he watched her.
Then he turned and worked out the equation himself. Writing each step with ease and coming to the same conclusion she did. As he finished writing the answer he paused then gave her a curious look. "Alright." He said and he moved to write another equation, this one more difficult then the first. He stepped to the side and pointed to it. "Solve." he said.
She looked at him hesitant as he didn't immediately jump to a conclusion that she some how cheated. Of course it was only the two of them and to make such a claim would have been a bit ridiculous, yet she had expected it. Especially after seeing him have to work it out on the board himself. Her eyes went to the next one and she paused before giving him the answer.
He wrote her answer above it but didn't work out the problem just yet. He instead did three more and told her to solve them. After she gave him the answers he would write them above as if for reference before he then quickly went back and worked them all out. He gave a small frown after he finished the last one seeing that each time her answers matched his own.
"How are you failing if you are capable of doing these without even pen or paper?" He asked looking at her now with a frown upon his features. "Are you skipping the classes because it isn't challenging enough for you?" He asked.
She shook her head. "My teacher gives me zeros for everything because I don't show my work." She said as she watched him, for once a little intrigued now. He wasn't frightening in this moment, there was no threat and he seemed to be genuinely puzzled as to why she would be failing a class she clearly had ease with. "He says because he can't do them in his head then no one can, and that there is no excuse for not showing my work. I tried to explain to him that the way it works out in my head I don't know how to break it down into the steps but he's just convinced I'm cheating."
Nathanial slowly set the chalk down on the tray along the bottom of the chalkboard and then casually dusted off his hand. "I see." he said though the frown was still there on his features. "And History, what is the reason for your poor scores there?" He asked and looked at her. She hesitated as she looked at him for a few moments.
"American history is boring as hell…" she said, going a little red with embarrassment though as he heard that he gave a small chuckle. "I expect you to work harder in that class, history is fundamental to the future even if it may seem boring." He said with a small nod. "As for your math, I will address that myself." He said before looking at her again.
She stared at him in surprise and blinked. "What are you going to do?" she asked unable to help herself and he gave a dismissive wave of his hand as he went to the desk and closed the notebook he had opened prior. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Pet." He said simply. His eyes went to the clock above then back to her again.
"The bell is going to ring soon, I expect you to remember my expectations." He said firmly. "I suspect you plan to go to the memorial, when that is done, meet me back here. There is more for us to do this day." he said with a nod almost to himself before his eyes went back to his desk as he moved to sit down casually once more as the bell rang.
She stared at him for a few long moments before she slowly picked up her backpack and then headed for the door. She glanced back towards him as she left but he seemed as though he was more interested in what he was looking over instead of her. She wasn't sure what more he could want to do with her after school. She knew she couldn't linger too long or she would get in trouble for being late home.