I woke up with a start, gasping for air.
The darkness of the room felt suffocating and my head throbbed. Fragments of the nightmare still lingered in my memory. Some clear. Some blurry.
A family SUV. A tranquil night-time road... And fire.
This was my first nightmare in weeks, and as far as nightmares go, this one was the most vivid I'd ever had. I took a deep breath and stretched my arm toward the nightstand to switch on the lights, accidentally knocking over a few objects in the process. I shut my eyelids tightly as the room was filled with bright light, and after a few moments, I slowly opened them again.
I nearly let out a scream.
The cover was smeared with blood. The stain was not of significant size, just about the size of my palm, but scared me nevertheless. I didn't expect to wake up to a crimson mess when I went to sleep last night. The atmosphere of the room felt heavier than usual, as if tainted with an unknown presence. The silence was deafening and my heart thudded in my chest.
I dragged myself from under the covers and took a hasty look at the bed, my heart racing with fear. Except for the bloodied sheet, there was not a single drop of blood on the bed. As I was figuring out the case, a sharp pain in my right arm caught my attention.
The source of the blood was right before my eyes, a cut on the underside of my forearm. It was tiny, no more than an inch or two in length. The blood on the cover had already dried up, so it meant that the cut wasn't recent. But surprisingly, the injury itself hadn't clotted. There was still a trickle of blood flowing down my arm as I took a closer look at it.
'How did that happen?' I muttered.
I was certain that the cut wasn't there last night when I went to sleep. I didn't even have any sharp objects lying anywhere around my bed. All of a sudden, my phone's alarm sounded, making me jump out of my body. The sudden sound startled me, and I couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that had enveloped me.
I turned the alarm off with a touch of my finger and headed to the bathroom with shaky steps.
The bathroom was chilly, and I shivered as I leaned against the sink. The tiles felt cold against my feet and the mirror fogged up as I opened the tap. Leaning against the sink, I opened the medicine cabinet, and took out a bandage and an aspirin.
After swallowing the tablet, I started bandaging the wound, which was still bleeding at a slow rate. Once I was content with my medicinal proficiency, I proceeded to wash my face and change into my school uniform. After a few minutes, my headache had somewhat subsided, however, there was still a feeling of unease building up in my chest.
After I had brushed my teeth, I made my way back to the bedroom and sank onto the couch. The sound of the clock ticking felt heavier than usual. The lingering headache
made it difficult to think straight. Finally, I took out my phone and checked the time.
7:43.
A sudden jolt of energy coursed through my body as I nearly took off from the couch, pushing the headache to the back of my head. Time had passed quickly without me realizing it. The usual time for the arrival of the local bus at the nearest stop was around 7:55, which was two blocks away from my apartment. I wouldn't be able to make it in time if I didn't hurry. I practically beamed into the kitchen and threw together a breakfast of cereal and milk for myself, which I quickly devoured.
Skipping the school was out of the question. My attendance for this month was already critically low and I was no adherent for Mr. Pierce's lectures on how consistency plays a crucial role in shaping a student. Besides, I had another excuse to visit school that day.
After taming my wild hair and putting on my coat, I flung the backpack onto my shoulders, took my bus card and left my run-down apartment for the desolate hell we refer to as school. Little did I know that I wouldn't be returning anytime soon.
Stellar Academy for Science and Technology- Stellar High for short- looked as imposing as ever. The daunting entrance of the institute and the absence of the Sun in the sky only intensified the lingering sense of unease in my chest as I walked through the gates. I couldn't help but reminisce about the arduous hours I had spent studying for the entrance exam, all in hopes of getting an admission to this place. Now however, I despised every moment spent within these walls. As my head throbbed with pain, I cursed myself for not bringing a spare set of pills, and headed towards my classroom.
Upon entering the classroom, I made a beeline for my desk and plopped down into my seat, avoiding any human interaction altogether. There was still half an hour left before the classes actually began, so I decided to take a quick nap, hoping to find some relief from my headache.
The nap turned out to be longer than I had intended.
"Archie." Mr. Pierce's volume sounded from somewhere above me. With my shoulders still slumped on the desk, I turned my head up to have a look at the source of the voice.
I caught a close-up shot of Mr. Pierce's face, looking down at me with a curious gaze, as if I had piqued his interest. I groggily sat up, rubbing my eyes to rid myself of the sleepiness.
"Yes, Mr. Pierce?" I asked, trying to sound more awake than I felt.
"Enjoying your beauty sleep, Mr. Blackwood?" Mr. Pierce quipped, drawing out chuckles from other students in the room.
I sat up straight, feeling my face flush with embarrassment.
"Why were you absent from the class yesterday, Archie?"
My mind raced for an excuse, but I was unable to think of anything convincing. I hesitated for a moment before stammering, "Um, I had a headache and I couldn't make it."
Mr. Pierce raised an eyebrow skeptically. "A headache? That's the best you could come up with? You know Archie; consistency plays a crucial role in shaping a student. If you want to succeed in this field, you cannot let a little headache get in the way of your studies."
"Of course, Mr. Pierce. I'll keep that in mind."
I felt the weight off my chest as Mr. Pierce headed back towards his place near the podium, but the relief was short-lived. He turned and met my gaze.
"Archie, why didn't you attend the robotics meeting this week?"
The question hit like a ton of bricks.
I racked my brain for an excuse, but my headache wasn't helping. Thinking back, I wasn't able to attend the meeting because I totally forgot about it, but I knew better than to mention that to Mr. Pierce.
With a sigh, I straightened up in my seat and I replied, "I didn't make it, Mr. Pierce. My robot got lost on the way."
Fortunately, the joke landed and the class erupted into laughter, even Mr. Pierce couldn't suppress a small smile.
"Well said Mr. Blackwood. But you should be paying some attention to your extra-curricular activities too."
I simply nodded; somewhat relieved he took the joke in the right humor.
"And since you seem to be in no condition to attend this class, I suggest you head over to the infirmary to get a check-up done."
"Yes, sir. I'll do that"
I gathered my things and headed out of the classroom, still feeling a bit woozy.
As I walked towards the infirmary, rhythmic thumping of basketballs echoed from the nearby gymnasium. Curiosity got the better of me, and I peeked through the glass doors. To my surprise, it was the neighboring class, and in the far corner of the gymnasium, sat Grace. She sat all by herself, watching the game with a satisfied expression.
'Well, there sits my reason for attending school today.' I thought.
Grace was a transfer student, who had only joined the school around two months back. We'd had small talks almost every day during recess, and we'd gotten pretty close as friends, even though I knew very little about her.
Seeing her sitting alone, distanced from any other human in sight, a familiar saying crossed my mind.
Make hay while the sun shines.
Narrowly avoiding the basketball court, I made my way towards her. Upon seeing me, her face lit up with a bright and genuine smile, which I couldn't help but return with equal warmth and enthusiasm.
"Well well. Look who we have here, the one and only, Mr. Melancholy himself." Grace quipped, her sky-blue eyes glinting with mischief.
"You, a loner, should be grateful to have company." I said, half-chuckling.
"Shouldn't you be having your lecture right now?" She inquired as I took a seat next to her, her straight-blonde hair falling off her shoulder as she tilted her neck in my direction.
"Well, I got kicked out"
"I see." She said as she returned her focus to the game, the corner of her lips twitching into a weak laugh.
My heart was racing. What if she said no? My words held the power to easily shatter what we had built up until this point. I wouldn't want that to happen, would I?
"You're breathing heavily. Are you alright?" Grace asked, breaking me away from my thoughts.
"Just a headache." I replied.
"You're looking pale, Archie. Are you sure?" She asked again, concern visible in her voice.
That's when I noticed. My skin was really paler than usual and I was breathing way too heavily for a normal person. There was cold sweat on my face and the uneasiness almost made it difficult to breathe.
"Did you injure yourself?" She asked, her voice startling me. Her eyes were trained at my right arm, where a trickle of warm blood was flowing out from underneath the sleeve of my coat.
I quickly stood up and took my coat off, revealing my shirt's sleeve, which was soaked in blood.
For some reason, my first instinct was to cover my arm with the coat, hiding it from the view of the other students in the court.
All of a sudden, Grace pulled me back down to the seat.
"How did this happen?!"
Her voice reverberated through the basketball court, startling a few players at the near end. They briefly glanced in our direction before turning back to their game, realizing it held more importance.
My eyes widened in disbelief as I gazed down at my arm. Just this morning, the cut had been barely visible, hardly more than a scratch. But now, blood seeped freely from the wound, staining my shirt and dripping down my arm. It was as if the injury had grown, multiplied in size and severity, without warning or reason..
As I opened my mouth to speak, Grace's hand darted towards my arm and deftly tugged my sleeve up. I watched in stunned silence as she revealed the true extent of my injury - a long gash that stretched at least four inches down my forearm. The numbness that had settled over my arm only amplified the shock of the sight before me. For a moment, I was rooted to the spot, unable to comprehend the gravity of my wound. The cut was barely two inches this morning, how the hell could it have grown this much?
For a moment, Grace's eyes widened and her pupils darted around, as if searching for something in the depths of my wound. But just as quickly, she regained her composure and spoke in a steady voice, "Archie, I think you should go to the infirmary right now."
"I don't even understand how-"
"Go to the infirmary now, Archie," she commanded, cutting me short with her unwavering tone.
I hesitated for a moment, my mind still grappling with the gravity of the situation. However, her unwavering tone left no room for argument, and I reluctantly agreed, turning towards the infirmary. As I walked away, a deep sense of unease settled in my gut, amplified by the strange change in Grace's demeanor. Her calm demeanor had turned upside-down, leaving me with a prickly feeling inside.
But for now, my priority was to get my injury tended before it worsened.
The moment the infirmary's attendant saw my wound, she let out a painful yelp, making me wonder if she was even qualified for the post. But as it turned out, she knew her tools well. She quickly directed me to a nearby bed and began cleaning the wound with a steady hand, her movements practiced and efficient.
When she asked about the cause of my injury, I quickly fabricated a story about accidentally cutting myself with a sharp tool during an Art and Crafts club project. That managed to convince her and once she was finished with the bandaging, she handed me an exit note with her signature on it, ordering me to take the day off for rest.
Thanking her, I left the room. Fortunately, she was so occupied with my injury that she didn't notice my uneven breathing and my wobbly steps, saving me a lot of questioning.
As I strolled past the gymnasium, my eyes instinctively darted around in search of Grace. Despite her class still being in session, I couldn't help but scan the surroundings in hopes of catching a glimpse of her blonde hair. However, she was nowhere in sight.
"How odd," I muttered.
Anyway, I made my way to the school entrance and handed the note to the guard, who promptly let me out through the gates.
After putting a considerable distance between myself and the school, I sat on a bench by the roadside, taking a moment to gather my thoughts.
Nothing made sense.
There was a fricking cut on my arm which seemed to be growing in size every few hours and my only friend and love interest was acting so weird and abnormal, it was almost creepy. The unease in my chest was making me feel sick, and the biting cold air did nothing to alleviate my discomfort. I watched as passersby hurried by, bundled up in heavy coats, scarves, and gloves. The chilly wind pierced through my shirt, but despite the shivers running down my spine, I couldn't bring myself to put my coat on.
Every single one of these thoughts was so overwhelming, my head felt on the verge of explosion, both literally and figuratively.
As if my life couldn't get any more chaotic, the gods decided to throw another curveball my way.
"You look like you've been through hell." A feminine voice called out.
I turned my head towards the direction of the voice, and there stood Grace with her backpack hanging from one of her shoulders, looking at me with an amused expression. Startled, I shot up from my seat, only to regret it a moment later. The sudden movement triggered a chain of pain in my head, causing me to lose my balance, and I began to fall towards the road.
But before I could hit the ground, a firm grip on my hand steadied me. It was Grace, standing right beside me now, leaning her body forward to balance us both.
My heart was pounding, and I was still trying to catch my breath from the shock of the fall. I looked up at Grace, and for a moment, our eyes met. There was something in her gaze that felt unfamiliar, almost like a hint of amusement mixed with coldness.
"You okay?" Grace asked as she pulled my back onto the pavement, her voice soft and concern etched on her face.
"How did you get here?" I asked, my tone unintentionally stern as I withdrew my hand from hers.
Her expression dimmed at my question and I almost felt bad, but she quickly reverted to her amused self and replied, "I was feeling a little under the weather, so the infirmary attendant allowed me the day off."
I didn't buy that.
The gears in my head spun as I took a look at the time on my watch.
It had barely been 5 minutes since I had left the school. She wasn't in the infirmary when I was getting my wound tended, and if she had visited there after I had been treated, the infirmary was situated at the end of the corridor in the building. She couldn't have made it there without encountering me on the way.
There was a three-minute walk from the school to my current position. It was unlikely that she could have had a check-up done in two minutes.
She was lying.
As I opened my mouth to question her response, she grabbed my hand and began walking, pulling me along with her.
"You're going to catch a cold like this. Let's get to the bus stop first," she said, cutting me off in a casual tone.
Her grip was surprisingly strong for a slender teenage girl. I couldn't say a word as she pulled me up from my seat, her fingers feeling like ice against my burning skin.
As we walked the rest of the way, I found myself unable to speak. She strode ahead, leading the conversation in a new direction every time I attempted to ask her something. It felt like she was purposely avoiding any topic that could lead to a meaningful discussion. Her demeanor was aloof, almost as if she was on a mission and I was merely an obstacle in her path. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't break through her guarded facade, leaving me feeling frustrated and uncertain about the situation. After a minute or two, she released my hand and I was able to match her pace.
After a while, we rounded a corner, and after walking for a few seconds the sound of only my footsteps made me realize that Grace wasn't next to me anymore. Confused, I turned back and saw her standing at least twenty meters away, right where we had made the turn. She was looking down at her feet, her hair obscuring most of her face.
It just didn't make sense. We were walking side by side mere moments ago. I didn't even realize when she had stopped.
"Grace? Are you okay?" I asked, a hint of hesitation in my voice as I took a step in her direction.
No use. She looked as if lost in thoughts, almost as if she was...sad.
I took another step in towards her, but then, she suddenly spoke.
"Why did it have to be you of all of them, Archie?", she said in a voice which was almost a whisper, her tone grim.
I froze in my tracks. She was still not looking away from her feet.
"What do you mean? Grace?", I asked, my voice louder than before.
She let out a breath of exasperation and lifted her head to look at me.
"I'll make it quick for you."
And with lightning speed, she lunged at me like a ballistic missile, brandishing a knife that seemingly materialized out of nowhere. In a split second, she was upon me, and my body was frozen with fear. I watched in horror as she raised the blade high above her head and brought it down with a deadly force aimed at me.
Just as the blade was about to skewer my head, something inside my chest shifted, and the cut on my arm burned with a whole new intensity.
Time seemed to slow down as I felt the heat from the cut spread throughout my whole body, soothing the headache and repelling the cold. I could feel my heart thumping wildly against my chest. I could see my warm breath condensing in the cold air.
I could make out the motion of Grace's knife slowly moving towards my head, just centimeters away from the kill, and then everything returned to normal. But...
My body moved instinctively.
I pivoted on my toe, narrowly avoiding the knife as it swiped past my shoulder. Without hesitation, my left hand shot toward her forearm, grabbing at it with a firm grip. My right hand grabbed the back of her neck, forcing her head down. With a swift motion, I kicked her foot off the ground, bringing her down to the concrete with a loud thud.
It all happened in less than a second, and just as quickly, I twisted her knife hand behind her back, wrenched the blade from her grip, and threw it away.
My mind reeled as control of my body was returned to me, clarity and rage slowly seeping in.
Half–dazed from the weird experience I had, I glared down at the blonde-haired girl, pinned to the ground by my hands. One side of her face was pressed against the concrete, while the other stared up at me with cold and calculated rage.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" I shouted, my voice dripping with rage. The words came out like a vicious growl, and my grip on her arm tightened.
"What's going on? Answer me, damn it!"
"You are only making this difficult for both of us, Archie," she said, her voice steady but filled with simmering anger.
"Answer my bloody question! I've got you pinned down here," I shouted, my anger rising.
A small smile crept across her face as she spoke in a sugary-sweet tone, "Oh, have you now?"
As I was processing the meaning behind her words, a man's voice suddenly echoed in my head:
"Get away from her."
My attention quickly snapped to Grace's hands, which were now crackling with tiny tendrils of electricity. I felt my hair stand on end and the realization hit me, and I leaped away from her to put some distance between us. In the next instant, bolts of electricity shot off from her hand in all directions, striking anything and everything in their vicinity.
The air was filled with the acrid smell of ozone and the sound of sizzling electricity. Every object in the immediate surroundings, including parked cars and streetlights, seemed to vibrate and shake under the force of the electrical current.
I stood there, dumbfounded, as the girl got up from the ground with surprising ease. Her school uniform was now charred and singed, but she appeared to be unscathed. I couldn't wrap my head around what had just happened. My eyes were fixated on her, trying to decipher the situation. And then, I noticed her expression - it was one of melancholy and sorrow, a stark contrast to the rage and hostility she had displayed just moments before.
"I didn't want to do it like this, Archie. You leave me no choice," she said as she took a menacing step in my direction.
Then, the man's voice spoke in my head again, urgent and panicked:
"Run."
Without hesitation, I turned on my heels and bolted away with astonishing speed. As I ran, the air crackled with electricity and the sound of thunder boomed in my ears. Behind me, I couldn't hear her steps following me. Still running, I took a glance back.
Grace remained stationary; her gaze was glued to her hands as they moved with otherworldly grace, weaving an eerie pattern in the air. It was as if she was in a trance, or some sort of altered state of consciousness. In an instant, her head swiveled towards me and a sudden burst of energy radiating from her hands came shooting my way. I tried to dodge the attack, but it was too late. Then suddenly, her head turned in my direction and a bolt of lightning shot off from her hands, towards me. I tried getting out of the way, but it was too late.
My limbs convulsed and I felt like I was being ripped apart. The sound of thunder echoed in my ears and my body shook uncontrollably. It was as if every nerve in my body was on fire and my lungs were struggling to catch a breath.
The pain was unbearable and I wanted to scream, but no sound came out. My mind was a blur of fear and confusion, and I couldn't make sense of what was happening to me.
Finally, the shock subsided and I lay there, gasping for air, my body twitching involuntarily. The metallic taste in my mouth lingered and my head throbbed with pain.
As my vision slowly cleared, I saw Grace standing over me, her hands still crackling with electricity, the look in her eyes neutral.
She extended her palm toward me and said, "I'll end this now."
Tendrils of electricity started dancing around her fingers, eventually coalescing into an orb.
But just as the orb fully manifested, it broke apart into tendrils once again, disappearing into the air harmlessly.
Confused and somewhat relieved, I looked at the girl's face to see what was going on. She was staring distantly into the direction my head was pointed in.
Her eyes widened.
In a desperate tone, she muttered uncontrollably, clearly panicking;
"No no no! They aren't supposed to know about this."
I couldn't look at what she was so scared of, since my head was turned away from it.
In the next moment, her attention snapped back to me, tendrils of electricity dancing around her palm once again, their speed growing exponentially. She was panicking, but just as the orb of light manifested itself once again, our world was surrounded by pitch-black darkness.