'Tak, Tak, Tak.'
The echoes—sharp, insistent—reverberated through the room, each staccato beat like a warning—a disruption in the otherwise tranquil air.
The classroom, once a haven of hushed whispers and drowsy stillness, now held its breath.
Who dared to intrude upon this delicate balance?
Eleonora Romano....
A name that danced through the hallowed corridors—a tempest in human form.
As she moved, the very air shifted, acknowledging her presence. Her shoulders remained squared, neither slouched nor rigid.
The heels of her black lita boots, polished to perfection, clicked against the marble floor like soft piano notes, leaving no trace of haste. Each step was a ballet of poise—a choreography—adding a touch of edginess to her ethereal appearance.
Her height brushed the edge of tall. The sleeveless dress—fitted black bodice adorned with a delicate bow at the neckline—hugged her lith and elegant figure. The flared skirt featured a sheer overlay patterned with black butterflies on a pale background.
Black waves cascaded down, secured in a high ponytail, ending just below her shoulders.
Her skin, flawless and pale, was untouched by the mundane world—an otherworldly canvas. Yet, beneath it, ambition pulsed, the hunger for more. Her high and sculpted cheekbones, , framed her face like delicate architecture.
Her lips, neither too full nor too thin, curved into a subtle smile with measured grace, revealing glimpses of the fire within.
Ignoring the slumbering Lyraea, her eyes remained fixed on the spot where her bag should have been. But it had vanished, as if spirited away by a ghost.
Annoyance flickered across Eleonora's features. She scanned the room, her almond-shaped slate-gray eyes narrowed when they locked onto her bag, lying tantalizingly close to Lyraea's desk.
Eleonora's anger simmered beneath her skin, threatening eruption.
With a swift, purposeful stride, she closed the distance, snatching up the bag. Her fingers closing around the strap like a vice, knuckles white with suppressed rage.
Rouge Allure Velvet Extrême lipstick, Shade & Illuminate Blush, and Lash Idôle Mascara were her secret weapons, her lifelines.
Her bag had been violated by that trespasser!
The thought of those careless fingers riling through her belongings, sparked a fury within her. She longed to scream, to unleash mounting volcano of her wrath.
Yet, she stood there, bag in hand, her eyes boring holes in that sleeping beauty.
Then, with a deliberate slowness, she turned towards Lyraea who slept blissfully unaware. The sway of her hips was subtle, a gentle waltz beneath the tailored fabric of her knee-length dress.
She moved like a prima ballerina, adding an edgy undertone. Eleonora's voice dropped to a venomous whisper, slicing through the room like a blade.
"May your cursed being rot in hell." Her voice, when it came, was as cutting as her footsteps—a command, a challenge.
The room sucked in the air.....
"Idiota!" She spat, her scornful utterance echoing as she strode out of the room.
Perhaps curses were unavoidable. The room concealed yet another secret.
As the click-clack of her heels resounded down the hallway, mingling with rain, silence settled. Yet, the lingering echoes of her anger clung to the walls, a shadow cast upon the quiet.
An ominous aftermath...
Anger... a double aged sword. Sometimes, a tempest within us—a storm that rages, demanding release. We clench our fists, grit our teeth, and let the words spill out like shards of glass, emptying a boiling kettle, the steam hissing and swirling. It consumes, yes, but afterward comes a hollow quiet with vulnerability seeping through the cracks.
In that fragile moment, we lie down—our bodies weary, our minds unraveling. Whether it's a classroom, a bedroom, or the corner of a park, the place cradles us.
The World?....A silent observer to our vulnerability.
We close our eyes, surrendering to fatigue, because answers await us in slumber....
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She walked along the beach, the sun casting a warm glow over the sea. Gentle waves lapped at her feet, sand shifting beneath her toes. The seagulls cried overhead, and the salty breeze enveloped her.
She closed her eyes, savoring the moment, feeling the surrounding with all her senses.
As she wandered along the shoreline, the familiar cool splash tenderly kissed her cheek. Innocent, ordinary.
'Water...' She thought.
She recalled how standing beneath the cascade always evoked tranquility—a relief from unbearable melancholy and searing memories.
The single droplet journeyed down her cheek, meandering towards the corner of her mouth.
She relished the damp embrace upon her skin...
Without thought, her tongue flicked out, anticipating the customary chill of the droplet.
But this time, it bored an unexpected taste. Metallic, like iron.
Her eyes flew open, realization dawning. Blood. The scent of blood assaulted her sense.
The sticky warmth spread across her skin like a seething mass of writhing maggots, the blood smearing until it encased her face like a macabre crimson mask.
Her heart raced with primal fear. She clawed at her face. A desperate effort to rid herself of the suffocating mask. Her nails dug deep into her skin. Fresh wounds mingled with smeared blood, dripping down in rivulets, tracing her features.
Her stomach churned. She looked up in desperation, hoping for escape.
But the sky had darkened....
The once gentle waves turned violent, crashing against the shore with a deafening roar. The air grew cold, a thick fog rolled in, obscuring her view.
Every nerve in her body screamed in fear. Her mind was consumed by the chaotic whirl of horror.
She turned back, seeking refuge on land, only to find it undulating like waves, surging toward her with an alarming speed.
The impending doom loomed, and she was trapped—an unwitting player.
Beneath her feet, the ground stirred—the motion unsettlingly serpentine that defied stability. She felt the earth ripple, as if moved by the coils of an immense serpent.
Panic surged, and she stumbled back, a terrified scream escaping her lips.
"Ahhhhh!"
The world melted—the horizon blurred, sea and sky dissolving into a swirling mist. The rhythmic waves vanished, replaced by rustling leaves and the distant hoot of an owl. Saltwater mingled with the earthy decay of leaves and moss. She looked down, grains transforming into cold, loamy soil.
'Why is this happening?'
Confusion and fear pulsed through her heart. Disoriented, she tried to comprehend the impossible transition.
'Punishment.'
The thought hit her forcefully, leaving her feeling choked.
The vast ocean had vanished, swallowed by towering trees stretching endlessly into the sky—ancient sentinels guarding a dark, mysterious woodland.
The air thickened—an unspoken threat that whispered of unseen horrors. Malevolent energy pulsed through the forest, shadows dancing around her. She attempted to run, but the path twisted, defying logic.
She was trapped, lost in a dark.....
"You cannot escape."
The cold hiss brushed her ears. Her cries for help choked, swallowed by terror, a relentless force that gnawed at her sanity, leaving her trembling and broken.
Dread—of death, of unseen—fractured her soul.
The whispers grew louder, more insistent, echoing in her mind. She covered her ears.
''Stop...ss stop. I don't want to hear you. Stop!!''
The ground beneath her continued to shift, each tremor intensified its snake-like motion.
Suddenly, it gave way. She fell into a dark abyss, free-fall overwhelming her senses. her stomach lurching as she plummeted into the void.
Just before impact, a blinding light erupted, accompanied by a deafening roar.
"Wake up!" The command echoed.
She jolted upright, drenched in sweat, her heart pounding in her chest. Her cheek pressed against cold wooden surface, her eyes fluttered beneath the shelter of her folded arms.
'Where am I?'
Groggy, she tried to make sense of her surroundings. The remnants of her nightmare still clung to her mind, vivid and terrifying. She tried to dispel the fog clouding her thoughts.
A razor-edged intrusion sliced through the silence.
"Miss Pastorio!" Urgency dripped from every syllable.
Lyraea's eyes snapped open. She lifted her head from the desk. Her eyes met a flashlight beam on the very next second.
She flinched, lifting her hand to block the glare of the flashlight.
The light danced across her face like a sinister grin, piercing through her foggy brain, casted eerie shadows on the wall behind her.
The voice, a man's, echoed again, this time with a harsher tone.
"Miss wake up!'' His unsympathetic words hung in the air ''You need to leave now!"
'Leave?'
She immediately withdrew her hand, her mind besieged by confusion. The flashlight's glare suddenly intensified, blinding her once again.
She pushed herself upright, legs wobbling. The chair protesting with a creak. The room spun, and she clung to the edge of the desk. The nightmare's tendrils threatened to pull her back.
She took deep, calming breaths, trying to steady herself. She struggled to find her footing.
Within the room, illumination blazed—a searing brilliance that flooded every corner. She squinted, pupils contracting, desperate to pierce its veil. Who stood behind this blinding curtain? She strained to see beyond the light, to glimpse the room's interior.
Yet, the figure remained elusive-a fragment dancing at the edge of her vision.
The radiance played tricks, holding its secrets close. It revealed nothing, swallowed everything else.
In that moment, her senses faltered. She teetered on the precipice of revelation.
''Wh... o....Who's szs there?'' Her whispered question echoed back.... unanswered.
The oppressive silence clung to her like a shroud, wrapping her in a cloak of fear.
But what was she afraid of? Darkness?
It wasn't the darkness creeping through cervices that gripped her. It was the light itself. The dazzling glare-dancing at the edges at her consciousness.
It was the unseen, elusive yet inescapable. Her mind conjured the half-remembered faces, the distant laughters-horrors that lurked just beyond reach.
She remained motionless, her gaze locked on the glowing light. She watched as the once steadfast light stirred, advancing. The shadows, once mere silhouettes, now writhed and twisted on the wall like flames.
'Is this a nightmare woven from my own mind? .... or...'
'Thud'
The floor trembled—a thunderous impact. Her breath hitched, her mind halting on the spot. The light persisted, moving toward her.
'Thud, Thud, Thud' The relentless rhythm of impending doom marched on.
''...or... madness?''
Words scraped from her trembling lips, leaving them battered. Panic gnawed at her insides like a ravenous beast.
She retreated, yearning to break free from this confine of reality and imagination. The air thickened, dread palpable. The room pulsed, anticipating the next advance, awaiting her next step towards the abyss.
And then, the light faltered—a flicker, a hesitation....
The room plunged into nothingness, a canvas of fear and unseen threats.
In that momentary darkness, something slithered across the floor-a figure. The cloudy moonlight, once obscured by the intense light, bathed it in silver, yet it remained indistinct.
She blinked, hoping for a glimmer, a hint of shape or movement. Nothing, only emptiness pressing against her eyelids. The absence of vision was suffocating—a vacuum that swallowed her senses.
She longed for light... for the return of clarity.
She blinked again, and this time, she felt it—a subtle shift, yet a quicker one than before.
THUD, THUD...THUD THUD
Her hair stood on end, a fight or flight triggered by the threat she felt... leaving her defenseless.
''Now what...'' The words painted the silent night bleak.
The darkness shifted, coalescing into a shape—a silhouette framed by moonlight...
The window rattled, as if urging her to look. The moon's glow wavered, veiled by the clouds, as if uncertain whether to reveal the intruder. The room held its breath too, waiting for the next act in this play. A cold breeze swirled through, silencing them all.