"Everybody please turn to page 78, where we left off on Friday," Mr. Lemon announced as he paced the room, his sour fragrance quickly dancing around the room, "Can anyone remind me what we learned last class?" He asked, his voice sickening high.
No one dared to move an inch, not wanting to have to answer the question. "Crickets? Alright then, Amanda," he drew the attention to Amanda, pointing his wrinkly finger towards her, "Care to explain to the class what we learned that time?"
Elias watched as she wasted no time, clearing her throat, "Last period we learned about a touchy subject," she paused looking around at her peers with wonder, "The Atlantical War, a war dated back over a hundred years ago, this war was strictly seen as mythical due to who 'fought' in it." Amanda stopped, using air quotes on the word 'fought' as she turned looking at Mr. Lemon while students snickered.
Elias couldn't help but roll his eyes at Amanda's dramatic flair. She always seemed to make things more dramatic than they were. He rested his check against his hand, staring at the teacher with a blank glaze.
"Thank you, Amanda, I'll take it from there," he responded to her silent question, walking to the clack board. "The Atlantical War" he paused scraping his chalk against the board, "Is a controversial theory of war," he explained, his voice echoing across the room.
"This war was said to have been a long-term battle against the mythical," he continued receiving students' chatter as a result. He clenched his jaw but decided to ignore the students, "Many people believe this war never did happen seeing as most mythical beings you know are folk lore. However, according to recent findings, these mythical creatures are just living among us, as-" Mr. Lemon was cut off.
"M-M-Monsters!" a student shouted, jolting out of his seat, and pretending to be terrified, earning laughter from his peers. Elias snicked, finding it ever so slightly comical.
Mr. Lemon rolled his eyes with a small smile, "Alight Ben, that's quite enough."
"Whether you believe it or not You'll be reading about this theory for another 140 pages," Mr. Lemon Announced with a glint in his eyes, staring directly at Elias, as if he knew. He turned towards his desk as he listened to his student's groan. "Follow Along as it's read aloud."
Elias laid his hooded head on the creaky desk. Staring out towards the cloudy sky. If civics class wasn't enough, learning about 'mythical' species certainly was. Closing his eyes, he let his brain wander.
In a matter of minutes, he was reopening his eyes. Surrounded by a lively forest, vibrant green trees, birds chirping, the smell of fresh rain, he couldn't help but take a big gulp of air. "Don't you see this kid is bad news!" He heard a hysterical woman shout from the distance.
"Honey, relax," he heard a second voice a more sweet and low voice comfort, "Sometimes kids play rough, and he's a creature, it's in their blood."
Elias felt his heart drop at the mention of creatures. He wanted to know more; he needed answers. He ran in the direction of the voices, as they continued to argue about what he assumed was their child. More voice formed, calling towards him and shouting stories of their own, making it harder and harder to hear the couple.
"We should have never revealed ourselves" He heard a sobbed over cry out, sounding like it was right next to him. "If we just would have stayed to ourselves, we would have- "she was abruptly cut off.
"We would have died," an angered voice shouted back with venom, "If we continued to hide, we would have died, our whole species would have died!"
"What do you think is happening," The sobbed voice challenged, "They are dying, but by the hands of humans now!"
Not a second later he heard shouting from behind him, "We should have never befriended you," a voice hollered with pain. The sound of swords clashing, and the screams of soldiers rose. He continued to run, faster, trying to get away. Hoping with every step he would hear the couple once more.
Elias tripped, collapsing onto the damp dirt. His head was rapidly spinning in circles, trying to piece together what was happening around him. His heart pounding against his ribcage, leaving an aching feeling. His grey eyes darting around trying to find something to land on, to ground him. He watched transparent people in gold laced medieval armor charge at him with their weapon raised, mouths open in a scream. His eyes grew wide as he scurried to his feet. He raised his hands, his mouth open to say something to stop the man. Before he had the chance, he clenched his stomach preparing for pain, but watched as the transparent being ran right thru him and impaled a horrifying being behind him.
The being stood tall, its legs bent at an angle supporting feet lifted like it was wearing invisible heels. It was covered in thick grey and black spotted fur. Its eyes were a deep brown, nearly pitch black. The mouth large enough to bite right through him, holing teeth that were like mini swords of their own, covered in a mixture of saliva and blood. The head supported two dog like ears, that twitching on its head as it picked up the noises around, preparing its next victim without even looking.
Elias stepped back with a rigid breath; he watched the werewolf stared him down with rage. The wolf reached, its long-clawed hand back, "Watch out," Elias heard himself shout, trying to warn the man of the attack coming, but it was far too late. He clenched his eyes shut feeling blood splatter over his body.
He heard both the bodies collapse with a loud thud. His breathing became more labored at the death he just witnessed. His mind racing as he watched everyone around him slowly die. Creatures fighting for their life and humans taking the chance to dominate the world once again.
Elias couldn't grasp what was happening around him, his eyes couldn't focus, making everything on giant blur. His body shook with terrier as he began to hyperventilate. Watching death play out around him and hearing the screams of pain.
He took a shaky step forward, before weakly falling on to the floor, the world around him completely changing. He watched a brunette and lavender haired boy run into the forest he just came out of. Big smiles on their face. He reached out panicked, "Wait! Don't go in there! It's not safe" he shouted his waring to deaf ears.
Elias quickly followed the two, standing from a distance wanting to see what will happen to them but also be there is anything goes south.
He watched as the two laughed and shoved each other back and forth with bright smiles making Elias think back to the couple he heard earlier.
"Come on!" The shorter lavender haired boy yelled, turning towards Elais, giving him a clear few of the ears on his head. The kid grabbed ahold of the other dragging them along, "There's a deer by the river!"
Elias had a hard time keeping up with the two as the ran farther and farther away. It felt like no matter how fast he ran they were getting farther away. He could only hear their voices.
"I'm not drinking any blood," What Elias assumed was the blonde claimed grouchy, "It's gross, like a breathing juice box." He made an exaggerated gagging sound, making the other giggle. Elias was suddenly only feet away from the two. He watched as the brunette turned towards him, looking directly at him.
The same shade of cold grey eyes met. The kid having small deep red twisted horns on his head and matching red lengthy tail with a spear like end, swaying back and forth. Elias let out a shaky gasp, his eyes growing wide, before the two ran off again.
Everything turned into a warm black. It reminded him of his childhood self, when he would cover his blankets over his head and protecting himself with dark against the dark. It was as if Elias was in a relaxing coma.
"Mr. Anderson!" He heard a rough voice shout at him, drawing him back, he was about to open his eyes, before he felt a book fall next time him.
He abruptly opened his eyes, groggily sitting back up, "Hope my lesson isn't boring you too much," Mr. Lemon stated, clearly hurt at the lack of attention.
He heard the rest the class start to laugh as he left out a groan. He opened his mouth to explain himself or at least make it not seem as bad.
"Ah!" His professor raised his hand daring him to say another word, "Detention with Mrs. Lewis After school!"
Echoes of 'Ooo' let out around the class, making Elias either want to curl up in a ball or sock someone in the face.
Mr. Lemon rolled his eyes, clearly unamused with the classes' childish behavior, "Enough!" He paused letting the class quiet down slightly, "Unless any of you desire to join Elias after school." He raised one of his slender golden eyebrows, before clapping his hands.
"Very well then," he went to continue but was cut off by the hour bell. The students all quickly gathered their stuff, hurrying out the exit, "We'll continue where you left off on Wednesday!"
Elias rolled his eyes, they been covering the same topic for the past two weeks, with barely any progress. It made him question how hard it was to be a teacher.