Latching firmly to one of the bars in the overloaded train, a faint memory nudged at the edges of Vaelin's consciousness, a faceless figure whispering a cryptic message. He quickly thinks about something else, driven away by the fear of unraveling the mystery that haunts his dreams.
Yet, Vaelin's mind wandered. It used to be just dreams, but seeing that man, seems to have worsened his situation. Now his nightmares were vivid visions, and no amount of blinking them away was working. He could see his surroundings changing, as though he had been teleported elsewhere.
The visions led him to a secluded alley, concealed within the labyrinthine maze of a city. The air was thick with anticipation, the silence unnerving. Every step seemed to echo loudly in the stillness, alerting unseen eyes to his presence.
Suddenly, a cloaked figure emerged from the shadows, their face hidden beneath a hood. The figure's eyes sparkled with recognition, as if they had been waiting for his arrival. Vaelin's heart pounded in his chest as a shiver ran down his spine.
"Vaelin," the figure murmured, their voice laced with bitterness. "You cannot escape your past. The shadows will always find you."
Fear clawed at Vaelin's chest, but a steely resolve burned within him, he refused succumb to fear. From nowhere, a fountain of knowledge of combat techniques siphoned into his being, while a short scabath housing a dagger, appeared strapped to his side. With a swift movement, he unsheathed the hidden dagger and lunged at the figure, seeking answers in the only way he knew how.
___
During lunch break at school, amidst the hustle and bustle of the cafeteria, a series of hilarious moments unfold. Jenny, with trembling nerves, musters up the courage to approach her long-time crush, Nick.
"Hey, Nick!" She called out sheepishly, "So, I was wondering if you'd like to go to prom with me?"
For a moment, this coaxed an awkward laughter from Nick, "Umm... Jenny, you're a great friend and all, but I kind of already promised my mom I'd take her."
Laughter erupted among Nick's buddies.
Jenny felt bewildered by his reply "Your mom? Nick, we're in high school!"
"Yeah, well, she's been practicing her dance moves, and she's surprisingly good, so I can't let her down. Sorry!" Nick crackled, zooming past her as if a minute around her was lethal.
Jenny, who had just being rejected, walked away feeling embarrassed and disappointed, avoiding eye contacts with the stares of background dwellers.
Meanwhile, Samantha, determined to break out of her shell, approaches Mike, the class clown, with a prom proposal.
"Hey, Mike, I was wondering if you'd want to go to prom with me?"
"Oh, come on, Samantha!" Mick chuckles. "You know I can't turn down an offer like that!"
"Really?" Abruptly, Samantha's face lights up as Mike playfully accepts her offer. "That's great, I..."
He interrupted her, "But before we get too excited, I should mention it's against school regulations for clowns and cheerleaders to attend prom together. Sorry, Sam!"
Another loud laughter crackles from the clown's henchmen. Samantha's smile fades as Mike walks away, leaving her feeling foolish.
In another corner of the hallway, Eric, the science enthusiast, meticulously analyzes his chances before approaching Melissa, the popular cheerleader.
"Hey, Melissa! I've been analyzing the data, and it looks like the most logical outcome for prom would be you and me going together." He blurted out, feeling proud of his ground breaking estimation. "What do you say?"
To his surprise, melissa breaks into a fit of hysterical laughter. "Oh, Eric, you always crack me up!" She said, "But seriously, prom is all about popularity, and bringing you would definitely ruin my reputation. Sorry, nerd alert!"
"Let's roll, girls" she signaled, fleeing the scene with her cheerleading squad, leaving Eric utterly crushed. Eric stood watch, as they saunters off.
Amidst all these rejections, Alex, a shy but talented musician, also gathers the courage to ask the class rebel, Sarah, to prom,
"Um, Sarah, I was wondering if you'd go to prom with me? I could even write a song for you!" He spoke up with an ounce of fright in his voice.
Sarah, with an eye-roll, douses Alex's hope, "A song? Really? Look, Alex, I prefer tattoos and wild adventures over serenades and slow dances. Besides, our styles just don't match. Sorry!"
Alex watches as Sarah joins her leather-clad friends, feeling rejected and deflated. There were those who just blended into the background of it all, vying as spectators to the proposition contest going on. And everything was humiliation so far.
The comical lunch break reaches its peak as David, known for his awkwardness, nervously approaches the stunning and popular Lily.
"H-Hey, Lily! I was wondering if you'd...uhh...perhaps be my prom date?" He uttered, somewhat knowing what was coming next. However, in a surprising twist, Lily smirks and confesses. "Oh, David, you're so sweet!"
David's heart went numb for a moment, thinking that maybe he wasn't a weirdo as others made him out to be.
"But I already made a bet with my friends that I could get you to ask. Looks like I win! Sorry, loser." Lily's final words slams the gavel against his numb heart.
At this moment the flood gates of laughter had given in, and the entire cafeteria erupted with laughing as David stood there, feeling utterly humiliated.
As the lunch break wraps up, the cafeteria echoes with laughter and humorous anecdotes from the failed prom propositions. Although their attempts may not have been successful, these funny scenes add a touch of hilarity to an otherwise ordinary day at school.
The grand double doors to the bustling cafeteria were suddenly pushed open, revealing the presence of a disturbed but good-looking teenager. The usual symphony of conversations, laughter, and noise abruptly froze in a moment of suspended anticipation. All eyes turned in unison, drawn to the magnetic presence that exuded from Vaelin.
___
Back in the train, his visions have faded before he could beat any tangible information about his past, out of this stalker. He had eventually made it to school looking disturbed.
___
Late for lunch, he spared no one a glance as he confidently strode towards the counter. His Native heritage was evident in the strength of his features and the subtle hints of spirituality that emanated from his being.
"Greetings, good friend!" Vaelin calls out the waitress, who smiled upon arrival.
"How may I be of service?" She asked
"Would it be possible for me to partake in a heaping mound of nourishing grains, adorned with a savory blend of herbs and spices? And if possible, an abundant array of verdant flora to accompany this humble meal, please" Vaelin declared, his words laced with the cadence of his ancestors.
Placing a modest order for a simple meal, he leaned against the counter as he waited. Amidst the faint clattering of cutlery and hushed conversations, faint whispers began to arise from behind him. The voices grew in volume, filled with excitement and anticipation, as they gossiped about the arrival of this enigmatic newcomer.
Curiosity sparked within Vaelin, and he turned to face the commotion. Much to his surprise, he found himself encircled by a flock of seven mesmerizing young women, each vying for his attention, among which stood Jenny, Samantha, Melissa, Sarah and Lily. Their eyes alight with hope and longing. Each one bore a different charm, a unique energy that called out to him and whispered promises of enchanting moments.
The teenager, caught off guard by this unexpected turn of events, found himself momentarily speechless. He felt suffocated by their attention, their auras intertwining and enveloping him in an impenetrable web of desire. They stood before him, their hearts exposed and vulnerable, each professing their desire to be his prom date.
"Hey handsome, would you be my prom date?" Lily was first to ask, to which the rest followed.
Silence hung heavy in the air, as he searched for the words to respond. His eyes wandered from one hopeful face to another, their expressions pleading for an answer. And yet, at the core of his being, a growing sense of confusion and unease gnawed at him.
Finally, his voice, laden with hesitation, broke the silence. "I..." he began, but the words died on his lips. The weight of their expectation bore down upon him, burdening his every thought. The only escape seemed to lie in fleeing from the suffocating attention that threatened to overwhelm him.
"There you go, youngman."
His food arrived, interrupting the tense atmosphere. Without speaking a word or accepting any of their proposals, he calmly grabs it and walked past the infatuated girls, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and disappointed hearts. He sought solace amidst the chaos, desperate to find a moment of clarity away from the cacophony of fervent admirers.
And as the doors swung shut behind him, the cafeteria slowly returned to life, albeit with a lingering sense of unfulfilled longing. The girls, stunned and disheartened, were left to grapple with their shattered dreams. And the enigmatic teenager, burdened by a sense of duty and confusion, retreated into the depths of his own solitude, in search of an answer that eluded him.
***