School days went by quickly, and before we knew it, the mid-semester's break is just around the corner. As well as the ever so famous Pleasant Hills Academy's Anniversary Ball held every year. Although this year is different and more special, as the school is celebrating its 60th golden year in giving Pleasant Hills quality education and service. Usually this ball is held before Summer break, but since the school calendar changed so as the alignment of events.
Professor Orlando started writing on our board just before our dismissal time. "Alright class, for your term paper, I decided to make this project by pairs." Leonara immediately raised her hands.
"Sir-" But before she could even continue, Professor Orlando turned to her while raising an eyebrow and said, "And no, I made the pairing's list and decided, as always, to separate the two of you Leonara and Seraphine."
I heard Leo's silent murmurs of disapproval and annoyance. She always wanted to be paired with me as she doesn't really like being paired with others, she can't tolerate plasticity. Not that I can...
"Beatrix and Marxibal, Monte Rigeo and Salvatore."
A sudden cold breeze of air once again tickled my neck as I realized that I will be paired with Kieran. "Oh, that's great." Leo looked at me, "Want to switch?"
I shooked my head as I gestured no, "All's good, Leonara." The feeling of being stared at suddenly struck me, I turned and locked eyes with Kieran.
I bit my lip and turned away, I never liked the feeling his gazes give me. It felt so unnatural, a mixture of danger and comfort. And those two aren't really the best combination. I shrugged the thought off my head and focused. If there's one way to get Kieran off my sleeves easily, that's to finish this History paper as soon as possible.
The bell rang, a sign that weekend has finally started. As we were walking down the hall's stairs, Leonara's phone tinged. Her face grew serious as she stared at her phone's screen, "What? What is it?" I asked, and before I could even see what she was looking at her screen turned black.
Leonara shuffled and smiled before shooking her head, "Oh it's nothing, just business. I actually have to go somewhere, to check on it. You know, my cousin's are not in town which leaves me to handle the family business."
I remembered that aside from the schools, Leonara's family had other businesses in and outside Pleasant hills. Though, I'm not really sure what business it was, aside from it being about medicines and herbs.
I smiled and nodded, "I see, are you sure that you're okay? I can come with you if you like?"
She smiled reassuringly, "I'm okay, Sera. Just irritated, I mean I got plans to have my nails done but this thing came up." She rolled her eyes, as usual, which lessened my worry.
"Alright, take care, Leo." She waved her hands while walking straight to the parking lot doors. I decided to head towards the ground floor hall's main exit.
I remembered that I haven't texted our driver to pick me up, so I tucked my hands inside my bag's side pockets but realized that my phone's not there.
"What? I'm sure I put it in here." I whispered to myself. The halls were easily deserted, of course, almost everyone was already on the run home. I sighed and quickly went back to check if I left my phone on my desk.
At the middle of the ground floor's hallway, just in front of the stairs leading straight to the hallway of our room, resided an old grandfather clock. I looked and saw that it was almost 6pm. I decided to hurry to our room as it was already getting darker. Lights started to dim, since it was designed to do so every after school hours. To conserve electricity, as Engineer Del Fredo once said before.
I wasn't the type to get spooked so easily. My grandmother would often tell me stories that other children would often cry about, but I actually slept more peacefully after hearing those spook-full stories.
The moment I laid my foot on the last step at the top of the staircase, I immediately felt cold. I looked around and saw that the hallway was empty. Though I could still hear the people from just outside the school's window, as well the different cars just passing by, it still felt eerie.
I opened our room's door and immediately saw my phone on top of my desk, I went and checked if there were any messages from anyone. Aside from my driver's last message that he was already there, and Leonara's 6 messages, there were none. I put my phone inside my bag and decided to head back.
But then, the back of my head suddenly felt as if someone was staring. I turned and saw no one there, aside from the empty seats and the violet pink sky just outside the window. I opened the door and went to the staircase as quickly as possible.
Last few steps, and yet the stairs felt endless. Now, almost running down, I realized that the grandfather clock remained its distance. I realized that while running the endless stairs that actually felt like a loop, I wasn't getting anywhere. I turned around and saw that I was still on the top part of the staircase.
Chills went down my spine as the temperature dropped. I heard a sudden laughter that echoed around the hallway, and before I know it, everything went black.
"Sera..."
I opened my eyes when I heard someone calling my name but saw nothing, everything was pitch-black. I tried blinking twice but still, nothing. My heart was beating fast, and I tried recalling what happened that led me here. I was at school, wasn't I? I can't remember. My head was spinning, and I was perspiring in the middle of the cold temperature.
"Sera..."
The voice echoed, it was calm but something about it made it peculiar, considering the situation I am currently in. I tried screaming, but not even a whisper came out of my voice. That's when I began to panic. I gasped for air even though I was not being strangled, the darkness of the place, was like staring at Vantablack, the blackest black paint that creates a void wherever it is applied. Then I remembered something I watched about a Russian experiment, about putting a person inside a pitch-black room. It makes them question their sanity and the things they might hear or see. Is that going to happen to me too?
I froze when I felt a swift rush of air run behind my neck, I may not see it, but I knew someone was standing right behind me, breathing heavily just right behind my ears.
Then I felt it, at first, I couldn't figure out what exactly it was. But it was painful, the excruciating kind of pain.
It was biting me. Whoever or whatever this was, is biting me. I couldn't move, "What are you?" I asked weakly, though I couldn't really hear my voice. I felt the life slowly drain out of my feeble body, when suddenly, I saw a big beam of light slice the darkness away.