Last night was a real eye-opener for me. Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, the blaring sound of the alarm jolted me awake, nearly scaring me to death. After quickly freshening up, I headed off to school, but the entire day proved to be quite challenging. I found it incredibly difficult to stay focused during class.
I spent the entire day with my eyes fixated on Fredricks. Boy, oh boy, was he getting under my skin! My anger was simmering, just waiting for the perfect moment to explode.
And that moment finally arrived when I found myself in the canteen with Shawn, Cris, and Dominique. I spotted Fredricks walking by and couldn't resist calling out to him at the top of my lungs, "Hey Fredd!" Sure enough, he turned around slowly, wearing an innocent smile on his face. But his eyes told a different story, revealing his true vicious nature.
"Hey!" he forced a grin, trying to show off his fake politeness.
I slid back my chair and strutted towards him, stopping just three feet away. "Left without saying goodbye last night?" I asked, frowning and smiling simultaneously. Despite my burning desire to strangle him and unleash a torrent of angry words, I managed to stay calm.
"Yeah, I was..." he began, but I quickly interrupted him. "You were what? Busy laughing with your friend?" I didn't realize how close my face was to his.
Warm breath escaped my nostrils, as if I wanted to grab him by the neck and give him a good beating. And trust me, I would have done it if it weren't for the two hands that suddenly grabbed my shoulders and pulled me away.
It was Cris, staring me in the eyes and grunting, "What are you doing? He is..." She continued speaking, but I shook off her hand from my shoulder. "What is he? A captain? So what? And you!" I took a step back, glaring at her from head to toe "I can't believe how can you give away my address to him?"
Cris raised an eyebrow and stared at me, her expression filled with confusion. "What on earth are you talking about?" she asked. "Why would I ever give out your address to anyone?" Her words were sincere, and it only took a minute for her to convince me that she wasn't the one responsible for leaking my address.
As I refocused my attention, I noticed Fredricks turning away, seemingly ready to walk away from the situation. Determined not to let him escape, I hurriedly stepped in front of him, locking eyes with him despite feeling smaller in his presence. I wanted to show him that I wasn't backing down, that I was a force to be reckoned with.
"Where do you think you're going?" I demanded, my voice filled with anger. "You humiliated me, made a mockery of me, and now you're trying to brush it off like it's nothing?"
Fredricks seemed annoyed, his patience wearing thin. "Why do you girls always have to make such a big fuss about everything?" he retorted. "We all face bullying. They made me run naked around the entire school, and did I cry? No!"
His words only fueled my anger, and I felt my fist clenching, ready to strike. But just as I was about to lunge at him, Cris stepped in between us, blocking my path. "It's not worth it," she said, her voice filled with calmness and reason. She embraced me, and I could feel the tension in my hand slowly dissipating.
Taking a deep breath, I felt a sudden wave of relief wash over me. Despite the chaos of the day, there was one silver lining - I had made friends. Walking together, we exuded a sense of power and confidence that caught the attention of everyone around us. And for the first time in a long while, I found myself smiling.
As we made our way out of the school, a loud crash echoed through the halls, catching our attention. It was as if something heavy had fallen, adding an unexpected twist to an already eventful day.
As we turned around, our eyes were met with the sight of two men struggling to carry a table into the principal's office. Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain as they dropped the table, causing one of its legs to break. Amidst their quarreling, my gaze wandered through the slightly opened door and to the portrait hanging behind the headmaster, who sat calmly on his chair.
Without hesitation, I found myself drawn towards the door of the room. It was eerily reminiscent of the one I had discovered beneath the warehouse. However, the furniture had a modern touch, and the portrait on the wall mirrored the one I had seen before, except this time the man in the painting sported a beard. The name beneath the portrait read "Nile Paragon, founder of Mistwoods Highschool since 2002."
Confusion washed over me as I tried to make sense of the situation. Just as I was lost in thought, a hand gently rested on my shoulder, causing me to jump in surprise. It was Cris, seeking an explanation for my peculiar behavior.
I hesitated for a moment before finally speaking up. "Remember when I told you about falling into that hole? Well, I saw a picture of that man in the principal's office, but something doesn't add up," I confessed, fully aware of the potential criticism that awaited me.
Cris raised an eyebrow, urging me to continue. "He had a mustache in the picture, and his name was written as 'Xavier Paragon,' not Nile Paragon. Plus, the year was 1001, not 2002," I explained, bracing myself for their disbelief.
As expected, Shawn couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Come on, that's impossible!" he exclaimed, clearly amused by my story.
I shot him a glare, my frustration evident. However, Cris chimed in, adding fuel to the fire. "I mean, no offense, but this building doesn't look that old. And they even have pictures documenting its construction," she pointed out, shrugging nonchalantly.
Through gritted teeth, I insisted, "I'm not lying!" The weight of their skepticism weighed heavily on me, but I refused to back down.
She approached me once more, wrapping her arms around me from the side. "I'm not accusing you of lying. I'm just suggesting that maybe... maybe when you fell, you hit your head and dreamt up all those things you said?" Her words sounded utterly absurd.
"So you're implying that I had a vision of the future in my dream?" I retorted, a hint of sarcasm in my voice.
She recoiled and stared at me with wide eyes. "No!"
"You're crazy," Shawn shook his head.
"Listen, I know what I saw! If you don't believe me, you can come with me," I challenged, looking at them all.
"She must have seen something, guys," Dominique stood by my side, providing some much-needed support.
"Wow! So now we have two crazies in our newly formed power group!" Shawn chuckled and turned away.
"Are you coming, Cris?" I asked, fixing my gaze at Shawn. "It's fine if anyone is scared and doesn't want to come. I don't know how to handle heart attacks," I smirked.
Shawn slowly turned around and walked back towards us. "Challenge accepted!"
I had issued this challenge, but now I regretted it, especially after the terrifying night I had experienced. I was hesitant to venture out in the evening, especially to that particular place.
However, when the time came, I mustered up the courage to step out of the door. Countless thoughts raced through my mind. "What if they don't show up?" and "What if this is just another prank?" I was filled with fear until I arrived and finally saw all three of them waiting for me.
"See? I told you she would come," Dominique stepped forward, a smile on his face.
Whenever he looks at me like that, my nerves get the best of me, causing my words to stumble.
"Where are your flashlights?" I successfully diverted his attention.
As we entered, I couldn't help but be awestruck by what lay before me. The floor was immaculate, perfectly fitted, as if untouched by time. It was as if everything had been frozen in that exact moment before I pressed that mysterious plank.
"I swear, it was right here!" I exclaimed, rushing towards the spot where I had fallen.
"Hah! You almost had us fooled!" Shawn scoffed, placing his hands on his hips and giving me a disapproving look.
"Wait! There was a switch or something that looked like a plank," I said, sitting down to gather my thoughts.
"Now you're just making things up because your trick failed," Shawn smirked, clearly enjoying his victory.
"Here it is! Everyone, stand back!" I warned, determined to avoid another mishap.
With caution, everyone took a step back as I pushed the lever. Just like before, the ground beneath us opened up, revealing a hidden passage.
"I told you so!" I exclaimed, raising an eyebrow at Shawn.
"Holy... now I'm intrigued," Shawn muttered, his eyes wide with astonishment.
Without wasting any time, we ventured into the hole, finding ourselves in an exact replica of the principal's office.
"Whoa! You were right!" Cris exclaimed, staring at a portrait on the wall.
"What kind of door is this? There's no lock?" Dominique questioned, inspecting every inch of the door.
I reached into my purse and pulled out a key, inserting it into the keyhole of a first aid box. To our surprise, the door swung open.
The place was just as I had left it, with leaves scattered along the sides of the road.
"It's chilly out here!" Shawn shivered, rubbing his shoulders.
We continued walking until the path led us to our school, only this time it resembled a grand castle, adorned with statues at each corner.
And to our amazement, it had more floors than the original building, with a magnificent bird-shaped fountain at its center.
"Wait, so our school has a twin?" Shawn's eyebrow shot up in surprise.
As we approached the main gates, an eerie feeling washed over us, causing Cris to instinctively reach for Shawn's hand. He was more than willing to be there for her, but it was clear from the look on his face that he was secretly enjoying the closeness.
Shawn had always harbored a deep crush on Cris, although she had never noticed. Nevertheless, he remained a loyal and supportive friend to her.
Stepping inside, we were greeted by a familiar reception area, but upon closer inspection, it became apparent that this school was vastly different from our own.
Beyond the reception area, a grand hall opened up, with a wide staircase splitting into two directions - one leading to the left, and the other to the right.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I couldn't resist venturing down the right hallway, much to Cris's concern. "Are you sure about this?" she whispered.
I shrugged, flashing her a confident smile. "What's the worst that could happen?"
With that, the rest of the group followed me, and we stumbled upon a door with the name "Dominique Rodriguez" written on it. We all stared at it, as if we had caught someone in the act of stealing.
To our surprise, as soon as Dominique touched the door, it swung open. "What?" he whispered in disbelief. Inside, we found a cozy room, complete with a comfortable bed and elegant curtains adorning the long windows.
And there, amidst the room, stood a desk adorned with Dominique's cherished family photographs, each capturing the essence of a little girl. "She is so beautiful," I couldn't help but exclaim, captivated by the innocence radiating from the images.
But then, his voice trembled as he picked up one of the photos, his fingers delicately tracing the contours of the image. "She was..." he whispered, his voice heavy with sorrow. "She was my sister, and she tragically lost her life in a car accident." A glistening tear formed at the corner of his eye, reflecting the pain etched deep within his soul.