{Mia}
I couldn't breathe, I was scared , running for my life , a dark figure behind me .
I could hear his footsteps, strong and persistent. I looked around, but it was pitch black. I couldn't see anything, and fear gripped me. The ground beneath me felt soft , like a bed . I knew I couldn't keep running for long . I could hear the panting of the man behind me , it grew louder every step I took .
" Stop running Mia ." He said sounding concerned.
" I'll never stop !" I said my tone defiant.
" I'm warning you !" He said sounding serious.
I just kept running. Then , I felt a strong arm on my shoulder, stopping me .
I screamed terrified. ' what was he going to do to me ?'. ' I wasn't ready to die , not yet ...'
Then , I woke up with a start, panting hard.I gasped for air, struggling to catch my breath as panic surged inside me .
" Mia ? Are you alright? " I heard Scarlett's concerned voice while handing me a cup of water .
" No Scarlett, I'm not !" I said frustrated." Another nightmare." I sighed.
"Your blood pressure was dangerously high, Mia," Scarlett said, her tone tinged with worry despite its usual precision. "What happened in the dream?"
Before I could speak I heard my mother's voice ." Time for school girls wake up !" She said enthusiastically.
" I'll tell you later " I sighed getting of my bed .
I had breakfast and headed to school .
At school
As I stepped into the school, the familiar smell of freshly polished floors and chalk enveloped me. But something was off. The atmosphere was heavy, charged with tension. Groups of students huddled together, their voices hushed but urgent.
I scanned the hall and spotted Emma leaning against her locker, arms folded, her face betraying a mix of annoyance and curiosity. I hurried over to her.
"Hey, what's going on? Why does everyone look so tense?" I asked, trying to piece together the situation.
Emma raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "What? No 'good morning'? No 'how are you?' Just straight to the drama?"
I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Hey, Emma, how are you? Now, tell me what's going on!"
She smirked, clearly enjoying this. "There was a fight before you got here."
My eyes widened. "A fight? How did I miss that?!"
Emma's smirk deepened. "Seriously? You're upset about missing it?"
"Of course I am! What happened? Who was involved?" I pressed, the excitement bubbling in my voice.
Emma leaned in closer, her voice dropping conspiratorially. "Well, rumor has it that two brothers enrolled into our school because they were expelled from their last one . They were fighting over who was the reason they got expelled... And then .... One of them threw a punch and a fight broke loose ." She explained.
I sighed." Ugh! " I said frustrated. " Why didn't I arrive earlier." I said feeling disappointed.
"Where are they now?!" I asked eagerly, practically bouncing on my toes.
Emma's grin widened as if she were enjoying this way too much. "Taken to the principal's office, of course."
I didn't wait to hear the rest. My bag swung behind me as I bolted down the hall, weaving past startled students. I caught a few murmurs "What's her rush?" but I didn't care. I needed to know more.
As I arrived I was trembling , excited to see what was going on .
I peeped through the door , looking around .
I could faintly hear the voice of the principal scolding two guys . " What's wrong with you two !" She asked her voice rising higher by the word sending shivers down my spine .
Then suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder, I screamed. Only to find Emma standing behind me a knowing smirk on her face . " You really like gossip, don't you ?"
Before I could answer the door flew open, the sudden movement making me jerk .
I felt the color draining from my face as I stood there horrified staring at the principal's face .
The principal's sharp eyes bore into me. "What do you think you're doing here?" she demanded, her tone leaving no room for nonsense.
I gulped, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. My mind scrambled for an excuse, and before I could stop myself, I blurted, "Uh... I was just here to welcome our new students! You know, as part of the... uh, student... welcome committee?"
Both brothers watched me with curious eyes and amused looks as I tried my best to fool the principal. I glared at them .
Her brow shot up, unimpressed. "There is no welcome committee, Mia."
"Right! Which is exactly why I thought I'd start one!" I said, flashing a nervous grin. "I mean, these guys are new, and I just wanted to make sure they felt... uh... at home."
I felt nauseous trying to cover up my tracks .' why did I have to be so curious !' I scolded myself.
The principal's sharp gaze pinned me to the spot, her posture rigid and unyielding. Her heels clicked against the floor as she stepped closer, each step like a command. "Get in my office!" Her voice cut through the air, sharp as a blade, and the weight of her stare made it impossible to disobey.
As I stood there not moving she screamed." NOW !!"
I whimpered. I could hear the voices of my schoolmates criticizing me . " Look at her , she's such a troublemaker" she said shaking her head .
As I stepped into the office I gulped, my fingers trembling . The door slammed shut behind me and I winced at the sound .
" So , we have another troublemaker at our school ." She said sounding annoyed.
I was offended , ' I'm not a troublemaker !' I thought.
" Miss Veronica told me your behavior was unacceptable, but I didn't believe her . I guess I should've."
Curiosity got the better of me and before I could stop myself, I blurted, "Who is Miss Veronica?"
The principal paused, her lips curling into a tight smile. "Don't tell me she's one of your... imaginary friends?" I said, my eyes twinkling with mischief.
I felt the brothers behind her stiffen, and their eyes flickered between me and the principal. There was an awkward pause before she finally answered.
If looks could kill I was sure I would've been dead by now .
"Your history teacher. The one you laughed at for being slapped."
The brothers behind her exchanged glances one of them, the taller one, wore a grin as if he were enjoying the chaos, while the other, shorter one, looked genuinely confused. "What's 'the box'?" he asked, his voice betraying a curious edge.
" Miss " I started sounding apologetic.
But then she continued ." I heard you fainted while in the box ."
" What's 'the box' ?" He asked again .
The principal who seemed to have forgotten their existence stated . Then she stated "Somewhere I should put all of you in right now. "
My eyes widened in shock and tears stung my eyes . My well built facade was cracking. I turned around not letting anyone see my tears. But the principal didn't let me . " Turn around , NOW !!"
I turned around, forcing my hands to stop shaking, but the tears were already streaking down my cheeks. I could feel the pit in my stomach tightening, but I couldn't stop them. No. I'm not going to break down. I won't let them see me weak. But the words wouldn't stop coming. "Please... not that again. P-please."
The room turned silent for a moment, everyone seeming surprised ,and I knew why . No one had expected me to cry . I could see the worry and interst in their eyes as to what happened in ' the box ' that was so terrifying.
" I don't want to go there again. Never again . " I stated sobbing hysterically.
Then darkness .
I lost consciousness again !