"Alice! This isn't the time to daydream. Focus on the lesson!"
Gyaah!
The teacher's sharp voice snapped Alice out of her thoughts. All eyes in the classroom turned to her, some students smirking. Her face burned with embarrassment. She'd been trying to stay under the radar, but lately, it had become harder to ignore the strange, shadowy figures that seemed to follow her everywhere. If she wanted to avoid trouble, she needed to try harder.
She sat at the back of the class, near a window overlooking the school courtyard. It was easy to get distracted by what was happening outside. Just moments before the teacher called her out, she'd been watching something bizarre—a dark, twisted creature, a mix between an eagle and a bat, doing flips in the sky!
After the scolding, she glanced back discreetly, but the creature was gone.
It must've been my imagination, she thought. No need to overthink it.
She forced herself to focus on the history lesson. They were studying the Middle Ages, specifically the three social classes of the time. Alice listened carefully, but her mind kept drifting back to the strange creature she'd seen.
When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, the teacher reminded everyone to review the chapter. Translation: a pop quiz was coming.
Alice had 15 minutes before her next class—math, the most dreaded subject of all. Usually, she'd chat with Jade during the break, but Jade wasn't there today. Lately, her absences had become more frequent, and rumors were swirling.
Some said she had a job. Others claimed she was dealing with family issues. A few even whispered she was a spy for a foreign country! Alice didn't know what to believe. Jade's life was shrouded in mystery, and even though they texted regularly, Alice had no real answers.
One rumor, though, made her uneasy. It came from the group of girls who used to hang around her at the start of the year. They claimed Jade was cursed. They said it was only a matter of time before she disappeared completely, just like the truck driver who had "vanished" live on the news.
The disappearance had made headlines across France for weeks. Online, people argued whether it was proof of magic or just a cheap trick. Alice, ever the pragmatist, leaned toward the latter. After all, the only truth that mattered was the one backed by evidence.
But then it hit her—she couldn't explain the unsettling visions that haunted her. They couldn't be supernatural... could they?
Stop it, she told herself. Don't overthink this.
The bell rang, signaling the start of math class.
The next two hours were uneventful—until the end. As students packed up, Mr. Nguyen, the math teacher, held up a stack of papers marked in red.
"The results of your last test," he announced, his tone dripping with disappointment. "Let's just say the class average is... catastrophic."
A wave of dread swept through the room. Mr. Nguyen called out names and scores one by one, starting with the lowest.
"Bertrand, 3 out of 20. Salomé, 4 out of 20. Jérémie, 4 out of 20..."
The groans and cries of despair grew louder. "My mom's gonna kill me!" "My GPA is ruined!"
Finally, Alice's name was called. Her heart stopped.
"Alice, 17 out of 20. Excellent work. The rest of you, instead of playing GameBoy, try studying. Class dismissed."
Relief washed over her. She'd worked hard for that grade!
-:-
At lunch, Alice hurried to the cafeteria, eager to relax after four hours of sitting. The room buzzed with laughter and chatter, the air filled with the smell of pizza and pasta. Halloween decorations covered the walls—paper bats, plastic pumpkins, and even Bobby, the science room skeleton, wearing a witch's hat.
Behind the counter, snacks and cakes tempted hungry students. A special Halloween drink, the Jack-o'-Lantern Latte, caught Alice's eye—a spiced pumpkin latte with caramel, cinnamon, and whipped cream. She HAD to try it.
But first, she needed to find Martin. It didn't take long. At 16, he was already 6 feet tall, with messy brown hair and chill brown eyes. He wore a white T-shirt, a green hoodie, and faded jeans.
"Hey, Lili!" he called, waving her over.
She smiled. He'd called her "Lili" since they were kids. At first, it annoyed her, but now it felt endearing.
They chatted about their morning, then grabbed pizza and the Jack-o'-Lantern Latte.
"So, what do you think?" Martin asked after she took a sip.
"It's good," Alice said. "Want to try?"
He took a spoonful, made a face, then nodded. "Not bad. Jade would've loved this. Spicy stuff is her thing."
"Yeah, too bad she's not here," Alice said.
"She's missing out."
Martin sighed. "She's not coming to the movie tonight either. I wonder what's keeping her so busy."
"At least there will be the two of us, right?" Alice said, smiling.
Martin grinned back. His smile hadn't changed since they were kids playing tag in their old neighborhood. For a moment, Alice was lost in those memories.
"Hello? Earth to Alice?" Martin waved a hand in front of her face.
"Sorry," she reply. "Just thinking."
"You've been extra spacey lately," he teased.
"Hey, I'm not that bad!"
They bickered like little kids, laughing the whole time. Then Alice suddenly remembered the creature she'd seen earlier.
"I saw something weird this morning," she said. "An eagle with bat wings and teeth!"
Martin's eyes lit up. "You've got a supernatural gift, Lili. I know this lady who—"
"Stop," Alice cut him off. "You know I don't believe in that stuff."
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.
"See you tonight," Martin said. "Can't wait to see your costume!"
The rest of the day passed without incident. Alice left school, looking forward to resting before the Halloween movie night.
But as she walked her usual route, an uneasy feeling washed over her—like a wave of cold air.
She turned and saw a strange boy walking awkwardly, his eyes dazed, as if he hadn't slept in days. An unsettling aura surrounded him. As he got closer, Alice noticed something even more disturbing—a mark on his forehead, shaped like a rabbit's head!
Her skin prickled. When the boy turned toward her, she quickened her pace, reaching the bus stop two minutes early. As the bus pulled away, the oppressive feeling faded.
What just happened?
She shook it off, blaming fatigue. All she wanted was to forget about it and enjoy the night ahead, but deep down, she knew something sinister was Murlins around her hight scool.