Three black cars
1166 Words
"What do you want from me?"
Claire stopped running and turned to face the monstrous beast.
The creature came to a halt a few feet away, its glowing eyes locked onto hers. Instead of attacking immediately, it slowly circled her, growling low in its throat.
Claire tightened her grip on her sword and pointed it toward the beast.
"Stay away from me."
The beast let out a deafening roar and lunged.
Claire rolled to the side just in time. As it flew past her, she swung her sword with all her strength.
Slash!
The blade sliced across the beast's side.
The creature roared in agony, its cry shaking the entire forest.
Before Claire could attack again, the beast swung its massive arm.
The impact sent her flying.
She slammed against the trunk of a tree and crashed to the ground.
Pain exploded through the back of her head.
Everything around her spun.
As she struggled to stay conscious, thick black smoke suddenly rose from the beast's body.
It staggered backward.
Its growls became weaker.
Claire frowned.
"What's... happening?"
A loud cracking sound echoed through the forest.
Crack.
Crack!
The beast's enormous body began to change.
Its bones twisted unnaturally.
Its shape slowly shrank.
The smoke swirled around it, hiding whatever was happening inside.
Claire's heart pounded.
"No..."
"That's impossible."
The beast let out one final, agonizing roar before collapsing to the ground.
Silence.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Claire stared in disbelief.
The smoke slowly began to clear.
Then...
Footsteps.
Someone was walking toward her.
Claire's breathing hitched.
A... human?
Her vision blurred.
She tried to make out the stranger's face, but everything faded into darkness.
Her eyes slowly closed.
---
"Claire..."
A distant voice echoed through the darkness.
"Claire..."
Someone gently shook her shoulder.
"Claire!"
Claire's eyes flew open.
"Jessie?"
She blinked several times before realizing she wasn't in the forest anymore.
She and Jessie were walking to school.
Claire had insisted they walk instead of taking a taxi.
"It's good exercise," she always said.
But today...
She hadn't heard a single word Jessie had been saying.
"You've been spacing out this whole time," Jessie said, studying her face carefully.
"Are you okay?"
Claire forced a smile.
"I'm fine."
Jessie raised an eyebrow.
"No, you're not."
Claire looked away.
"I'm serious, Jessie. I'm okay."
Jessie folded her arms.
"Claire... is there something you're hiding from me?"
Claire sighed.
"Jessica..."
"No."
Jessie stopped walking.
"I'm your best friend. We tell each other everything."
Her voice softened.
"Every time I look at you, I can tell something's wrong. You keep pretending you're okay, but I know you're not."
Claire felt a lump form in her throat.
"I'm sorry..."
"I just don't want you to..."
"What?"
"...to think I'm crazy."
Jessie couldn't help laughing.
"Claire, you've been telling me about a giant beast chasing you in your dreams for seven years."
She smiled.
"I crossed the 'crazy' line a long time ago."
Claire let out a small laugh before her expression became serious again.
"But last night was different."
Jessie's smile faded.
"What do you mean?"
Claire took a deep breath.
"The beast..."
"...turned into a human."
Jessie blinked.
"...What?"
"I'm serious."
For the first time, Jessie didn't know what to say.
"Claire..."
"I don't know what's happening anymore."
Claire's voice trembled.
"I feel like I'm losing my mind."
Jessie immediately grabbed both of Claire's hands.
"Hey."
She looked straight into Claire's eyes.
"You're not losing your mind."
Claire gave her a doubtful look.
Jessie smiled sheepishly.
"Okay... maybe what you're dreaming sounds impossible."
"But that doesn't mean you're crazy."
Claire managed a weak smile.
By then, they had reached the school gate.
Students hurried past them in every direction.
Jessie squeezed Claire's hand.
"Listen to me."
"It's just a nightmare."
"It can't hurt you."
Claire looked ahead.
"It feels real."
Jessie frowned.
Before she could respond-
HONK!
HONK!
HONK!
Three sleek black SUVs pulled up behind them.
The girls quickly stepped aside as the expensive vehicles drove through the school gates.
Jessie rolled her eyes.
"Seriously?"
"Who brings cars like that to school?"
Claire smirked.
"Let's go find out."
Curiosity got the better of them.
***
The loud honking drew everyone's attention.
Three sleek black SUVs rolled through the school gates one after another before coming to a smooth stop in front of the main building.
The once-noisy courtyard fell silent.
Students abandoned their conversations and hurried toward the vehicles.
"What do you think is going on?"
"I heard we're getting transfer students."
"Three of them?"
"No way..."
The driver of the first SUV stepped out and respectfully opened the rear door.
A polished black shoe touched the ground.
Then a tall boy stepped out.
His neatly styled chestnut-brown hair danced gently in the morning breeze. He adjusted the cuff of his blazer before flashing the crowd a bright, confident smile.
The girls immediately burst into whispers.
"Oh my gosh..."
"He's gorgeous!"
"He looks like a model."
The boy chuckled as if he was used to the attention. Catching a group of girls staring at him, he gave them a playful wink.
A chorus of squeals erupted from the crowd.
Jessie blinked.
"...Okay."
"I can already tell he's trouble."
Claire couldn't help smiling.
The second SUV door opened.
Another boy stepped out.
Unlike the first, he didn't seem interested in the attention surrounding him.
He smiled politely at the driver.
"Thank you."
His voice was calm and gentle.
He slung his school bag over one shoulder before quietly looking around the campus with curious eyes.
"He seems nice," someone whispered.
"I like him already."
"He looks so sweet."
Jessie folded her arms.
"Now that's more my type."
Claire laughed softly.
The final SUV door opened.
Silence settled over the crowd once again.
The third boy stepped out without a single glance at the students watching him.
He straightened his blazer, slipped one hand into his pocket, and walked forward with an unreadable expression.
No smile.
No greeting.
Nothing.
Yet somehow...
He commanded everyone's attention.
"Who does he think he is?" one student muttered.
"I don't know..."
"But he's unbelievably handsome."
The whispers followed him, but he acted as though he couldn't hear a single one.
Jessie leaned closer to Claire.
"That one looks like he smiles once every ten years."
Claire let out a quiet laugh.
"I was thinking the same thing."
Just then, the first boy threw an arm around the second boy's shoulders.
"Try not to scare everyone with that serious face," he teased, nodding toward the third boy.
The gentle boy sighed with a smile.
"You know he doesn't care what people think."
The cold boy didn't respond.
He simply kept walking.
Jessie watched them disappear toward the principal's office.
"Well..."
She let out a dramatic sigh.
"Our school just got a whole lot more interesting."
Claire nodded absentmindedly.
"I guess it did."
Neither of them had the slightest idea...
That meeting those three transfer students was about to change their lives forever.
- Writer
