FLOATERS

How It All Started!

"Josh!" my mother's loud voice travelled across the stairs, through the hallway and right into my room jerking me up from sleep. I groaned and yawned tiredly looking around my room although I still stayed in bed.

My room wasn't a typical example of the average teenager's room. There was no posters or stickers or game consoles or desktop or laptop,it was plain. All that was in the room was my bed, obviously. Some old boxes which were neatly arranged by the corner of the room. My shoe rack which was about six feet tall though they were only about five shoes in it. A chair and table whick had a desk lamp on it and couple books and stationaries. There was my wardrobe which I always kept closed for reasons unknown to everyone,even me. The room was painted cream. Not a big fan of the colour but I don't think there was anything I could do. My parents wouldn't approve of the colour I wanted and I don't blame them, colour black is maybe not the best colour to paint a room. There was nothing attached to the wall,no poster or anything as I have said earlier except a pendant that was hung on a nail few feets away from my bed. It was a gift from my grandmother for my fifteenth birthday,she passed away just two months ago.

I was still on the bed staring at the ceiling contemplating on if going back to sleep would be the best idea or if getting up would. After giving it some thoughts I decided to go back to sleep. I stretched my hand to the rear end of my bed and took my phone. It was few minutes to seven. School wasn't going to start till about an hour. I still had some time left, sleeping for about ten to twenty minutes wouldn't hurt,I thought to myself and closed my eyes.

"Josh!Come on get up!it's almost time for school!"my mother barged into my room. I should really start locking that door,I thought to myself.

"But mum I have like an hour before school starts"I said still dizzy.

"Mr Josh Isreals.."she addressed me by my full name which she normally did anytime she was serious."Don't make me repeat myself. I must see you downstairs in twenty five minutes"she walked out of my room leaving the door open.

Reluctantly,I got up and headed to the bathroom to take my bath. I was still brushing my teeth when I remembered something very important.

"Charlie's English assignment!"I exclaimed. I quickly ran out of the bathroom back into my room then opened my wardrobe taking out my school bag . I took out a note book with the name 'Charlie George'. Clearly it wasn't mine?,it belonged to a classmate of mine, Charlie. Charlie wasn't my friend,infact we've never actually had a friendly conversation since we became classmates two years ago. The only relationship between us was that he was the predator and I was the prey. He was the bully and I was the bullied. He was the biggest kid in the class and everyone was scared of him. There are rumours that he once hospitalized someone with a single punch. I don't know how true the rumours are but I wouldn't want to find out. For some reasons he unfortunately developed interest in me,by that I mean he's been picking on only me for quite some time. I was the timid looking kid and he was the huge monster of the class,I had no choice but to bend to his will.

Two days ago we were given an assignment by the English teacher to write a five hundred word essay on 'Safe School Environment'. We had no idea how to go about the essay but we dared not to complain. Our English Teacher,Mr Sylvester was a very harsh young man and wanted everything to go the way he wanted. Yeah,I won't forget to mention that he had this hatred for me,maybe I'll tell you why some other time.

Just like every other kid who spends their time picking on other students,Charlie wasn't too sound academically and so he dumped his assignment with me.

"Isreals.."he called me by my last name which he was very fond of"Get it done by Friday. Oh God if you fail to do so..."he chuckled shaking his head while maintaining direct eye contact with me"You'll regret."he shoved me aside and walked away briskly.

We were supposed to submit the assignment today and I haven't made any attempt to so it. Don't get me wrong, I was done with mine but not his. For a second I wished I had some his own assignment not mine. I placed his book on my desk with a pen. I would take a shower,go down to eat then return to do the assignment before going to school.That would result in me going to school late,but it was a risk I was willing to take.

I quickly showered then went downstairs to get breakfast. My parents were already at the table eating when I got there. I stood still for a while before sitting.

"Good morning dad"I greeted.

"So only your father is worth greeting?"my mother asked even before my dad could answer me.

"I already greeted you when you came to wake me up"I protested

"Did you?"she gave me a stern look.

"Of course..."no of course. I didn't greet her earlier,I thought I did but I didn't."Sorry ma,good morning"

My dad laughed aloud then choked on his food,my mother mocked him before offering him water. My mother was a nurse,she worked at a hospital not too far from the house. It was the same hospital I was given birth to in. While my dad was a lawyer,he owned a very big law firm and had many attorneys working under him. We were way past comfortable,infact my parents were making enough to feed six children,still I was the only child. When I was little I'd ask them to get me a kid brother. My mother would smile and tell me that he was on the way. Now I'm older I understand that they tried to get another child but it didn't work out. They lost hope after about seven miscarriages.

"Aren't you going to eat?"my father asked.

"Oh yeah,I will"I chuckled nervously,still worried about Charlie's assignment.

"I'm off"my father gulped down his glass of water and got up.

"Can you drive me to the hospital?"my mother stood up as well.

"What about your car?"he had a frown on his face

"I told you already,it's giving me problems."

"Then get it fixed"he still had a frown on his face

"I will,this weekend. Come on brighten up. You look ugly with a frown on and by the way do you know that many husbands will be happy taking their wives to work"

"Clearly I'm not one of them"my dad handed me some money pat my head gently then walked out of the h goodouse.

"Be a good boy. Love you."My mother went out as well.

They were both gone,it was perfect. I ran back up to my room to get the assignment done but to my greatest surprise the book wasn't on the desk where i left it. I stood akinbo,very confused. I was very sure I left it on the desk and still it wasn't there. I opened my bag and poured out everything in it down on the floor,the book wasn't there. I ransacked my wardrobe checking it carefully,the book wasn't there. I went back to the desk and checked it again,the book wasn't there. I checked my bag again,the book wasn't there. I checked the whole room,the bed,under the bed,in the boxes,the bathroom,the book wasn't there. Maybe I took it out with me,I thought to myself and walked out of my room. I walked to the living room and stood there without a clue of where to check next. I looked over at the wall clock that was hung few feets away from me,it was about twelve minutes to eight,I was running out of time. Maybe my parents took it,no they couldn't have. They didn't even go upstairs. I started checking the whole house. The living room, kitchen,bathrooms,all the rooms,the book wasn't there. I went back to my room feeling uneasy and tensed,not doing the assignment was one thing,but misplacing Charlie's book was an entirely different thing. I took my phone,there was already four missed calls from Stephen,my closest friend. I called him back.

"Where are you?"he asked as soon as the call went through"Charlie is already looking for you. You need to get to school quick before he gets angry"

"That's the problem. I-I can't f-find the bo-book"my voice quivered.

"You can't find what? Charlie's book?How?"

"I don't know,it was here just a while ago and now it's not"

"You have to find it. I'm coming over right now. We'll look together."

"No it's already past eight,they won't let you leave. Stephen I'll talk to you later"I hung up and tossed my phone on my bed. I wasn't too sure if I checked the dinning table well. After all that was where I went when I earlier left my room. I broke into a run heading towards the exit of my room. Immediately I left my room I had a strange feeling to check my room one last time. I don't know if it was instinct or not but I obeyed it and turned back to my room.

Whatever feeling I had was accurate. When I got back to my room I saw my book,but it wasn't the only thing I saw. I saw something else, something scary, something dreadful, something evil.