Run. Run. RUN!!
My feet get stuck in a root and I fall. I'm confused, I look around me and I'm running through a forest.
How did I get here?
I look behind me and I'm being chased by shadows, they slowly get closer, and I run faster.
I keep running, my breath shallow and my side hurting but I don't stop. I look back and the shadows slowly take the form of wolves, black shadowy wolves are now chasing after me but before they can catch me, I hear a beep sound.
I open my eyes, waking up to the calming melodic sound of my alarm clock that seems desperate to crack my skull open and drive me insane.
That was a weird dream, normally I dream things like that when I'm about to meet a weird problematic ghost, but this dream feels different, those wolves didn't look like a ghost premonition. I turned off the alarm.
Wait a second, alarm? The alarm was supposed to sound tomorrow morning, to wake me up for school. I take my phone and I can't believe my eyes.
I slept the whole day… I missed a whole day. This is the first time this happens. Now I need to get ready for school.
Why does school need to be in the morning? I wish I could go to school at nighttime. I get up from bed and inspect the room. It's early but I don't know the way to school, is better if I just get ready.
I open a side door and realize I have a bathroom in my room, in our last house we had one bathroom for everyone.
I search among the boxes and find the ones with my clothes and bathroom supplies. I do my daily necessities and take a shower. I put my long blonde hair in a low ponytail, and I just wear black jeans, a blue t-shirt, and an oversize hoodie.
Once I'm ready I walk towards the kitchen, it's a big house but not enough to get lost, I just go down the stairs and enter the kitchen, I'm surprised to see my dad is already awake and making breakfast.
"Dad? It's alright if you're already awake?" I ask.
"Yeah, I can't believe we slept the whole day yesterday!" My dad laughs.
He was right, we both slept through the whole day. We were supposed to unpack yesterday but we were far too tired to care.
"Allie, it's alright If you want to can skip school today and unpack!" he offers but I shake my head.
I'm already starting at a new school, I don't want to miss classes, I want to keep my grades.
"Allie, aren't teenagers supposed to love skipping school?"
"I love not doing anything like any normal teenager, don't worry" I'm not lying, I love being lazy, I think my favorite activity of the day is sleep but if I stay, I will be unpacking, that's worse than going to school.
"Alright, eat your breakfast, I'll take you to school".
"Can't I go walking?" I enjoy walking, you can just listen to music, enjoy the world around you and ignore everything else.
"Allie, you would need to walk 30 minutes to get there, if you haven't noticed the house isn't exactly close to civilization" my dad tries to convince me but 30 minutes sounds perfect.
"I like walking" I say, and he sighs.
"Do you know how to get there?" he tries again.
"I don't" I reply calmly.
"Then let me take you and you can come back walking, how does that sound?"
I nod and eat my breakfast. I take my backpack and walk towards the car, I know how to drive but I don't like it, especially when a ghost just pops out of nowhere and makes me lose my focus.
My dad starts driving and smiles at me "Excited about your new school?"
I look at him confused, am I supposed to be excited? "I don't know".
"That's ok Allie, learn as much as you can, enjoy things and make friends at your own pace".
I love that about my dad, he never forces me to do anything I don't want, well, he does, like any normal dad but only things that need to be done, like the dishes, or my bed, stuff like that.
I look out the window memorizing the way back home. In the worst-case scenario, I'll use the GPS when I go back.
We finally arrive at school; I open the car's door and I wave my dad goodbye. When I'm about 10 feet away he shouts.
"LOVE YOU ALLIE!! BE GOOD AND HAVE A GOOD DAY MY BABY GIRL!!!!"
I smile, I suppose I should be embarrassed but I don't want to be, I enjoy these silly moments.
I normally don't do this, but I say screw it. It's a new place for my dad just as much as it is for me, he deserves someone wishing him a good day too.
"I'LL HAVE A GOOD DAY, HAVE A GOOD DAY TOO DAD, I LOVE YOU!" I shout in my monotonic voice; he smiles and drives off.
I walk towards the entrance, and everyone is looking at me. Don't they have anything better to do?
It's sad they feel such a display of affection is weird, I'm sad for their parents. I ask for directions from the teachers and finally, arrive at the principal's office.
"Alice Brown, right?" I nod. The lady at the desk gives me my books and schedule and I just stand there quietly.
She rambles about how lovely I look, how she wishes I feel comfortable in my new school, among other stuff. The students that walk past me giggle, mocking me.
I tilt my head and look at them confused, why are they laughing? Is it because of what happened at the entrance? Oh well, not like I need to care.
"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry for this old lady's ramblings, off you go, your locker is down the hall".
It finally clicks the students were mocking me for speaking with her, I think she realized that too because she looks sad now.
"…Thank you, I feel a lot better now that I know such a kind lady is here" I'm not lying when I say that meeting someone kind is always nice. I smile lightly at her, I'm not a person of big smiles.
"Well, I'm here whenever you need me" she says kindly, her happy mood returning.
I say goodbye and start walking towards my locker, I finally manage to open the locker and I just throw all my books there, they're heavy and I don't want to carry them if I don't have to.
I look at my schedule and select the book I will be needing for my first class.
While I close my backpack with the books a woman slams the locker next to me.
I suppress a sigh. What now?