You're Undead

Chapter 1

I stood in the cemetery, one foot on someone's gravestone. The cloudy sky and light fog made this calm place frighten with its gloominess. Despite the low temperature, I didn't shiver. I stared at the two people in front of me. One of them was my childhood friend Lexi. Her fair hair was much shorter than usual. She looked older, although her perfect olive complexion said otherwise.

"Anna."

When she said my name, her voice broke. The other character, who was too blurry for me to recognize, caught Lexi and did not want to let her go. Tears ran down Lexi's cheeks, soaking into the stranger's hand.

"... Trust me," she said.

I wondered what was happening. Why did we stand here? Why was Alexis crying? I raised my hand and large pieces of marble fell off the graves around me. They flew straight towards Lexi and her companion. And I couldn't do anything. The stranger fell to the ground screaming. Their leg lay at an unnatural angle. Lexi was saying something to me, but I didn't hear her.

Everything went quiet. I saw blood under my body. The mysterious character tried to get up, but each time another portion of pain overpowered him. I saw the suffering and fear on my friend's face. I couldn't do anything.

I lost my balance as if someone had pushed me. And when I was about to fall on one of the graves, I sat up abruptly on the bed.

My pajamas were sweaty, even though I slept under a blanket and the window next to me was open. Summers in Riverfolk have been tiring. I grabbed my blue pendant, which I got form my parents for my seventeenth birthday. It helped me relax and gather my thoughts. Even now, when the terrible dream has disappeared into oblivion. Fear and helplessness stayed with me. I should be used to this by now.

After a few breathing exercises, I took the phone out from under the pillow and unlocked it. It turned out that I had fifteen minutes before the class starts.

"Damn," I cursed, throwing my cell phone over the mattress. I got up faster than ever and started looking for clean clothes. "Damn, damn it. Why didn't the alarm wake me? Why didn't grandma wake me up? Damn it! Where's the other sock?"

While putting on pants, the phone rang  It took me a while to find it underneath the blanket. A picture of my friend appeared on the screen, so I answered, trying not to show how late I was.

"Hey there. Where are you?" I started while  going to the bathroom to get ready.

"Where am I? I've been waiting at school for twenty minutes. I was supposed to ask you, where have you gone? You didn't reply to any of my messages!"

"Would you believe if I said that I am entering the school?"

After a deep sigh on the other side, I guessed not.

"Move your flat a*s. Right the moment." ordered Lexi. In my mind I could even see her foot stamping. "You don't want to start your senior year late, do you?"

"Sure, sure. I only have a small request. Could you call me like that an hour before school? Thanks i love you."

And I hung up before I could hear Alexis complaining. It wasn't my fault that I was a heavy sleeper.

I was going down the stairs, jumping two at a time. I quickly put a bruised apple in my backpack, put on my sneakers, and left the house. On that day, my grandmother took the car I usually drive to school. Apparently, she had important things to do. A bike that I used in those circumstances, was waiting for me right in front of the garage. The street was still decorated with colorful chalk drawings. Some neighbors went to work or watered flowers in front of their buildings. I greeted them, pedaling as if a pack of wolves was chasing me.

Having entered the school yard, I parked the bike in the right place and ran towards the door, which should have been renovated for a long time, but the school staff had other priorities. Fewer and fewer people were strolling down the corridor. I took my cell phone from my bag, checking where I had my first class. I was too caught up in staring at the screen that I didn't notice the person walking opposite. We hit each other's arms. An unpleasant shiver went through me and I dropped the phone. The boy grabbed the falling object and gave it back to me.

"I'm sorry" I said quickly, while blushing. "Sorry, I didn't see you."

"It's okay. Nothing happened."

The boy stared at me with eyes so dark that it was difficult to find the pupils in them. They seemed so dangerous. They were hiding a darkness that every now and then wanted to get out. A small voice in my head told me to run away. But I stayed for a while for an unknown reason.

"I'm Chris." He gave me the hand I shook. More chills. "And I'm new here."

A second bell rang.

"Anna and I'm late."

 I quickly added "nice to meet you" and ran to the right class. Along the way, I turned my head, hoping Chris was still around. He was not.