9th Life

9TH LIFE CHAPTER TWO (part one)

CHAPTER TWO ( DAY TWO )

Seth was the first to get up from bed in the morning. He couldn’t sleep again after the dream. It was the most scariest dream he has ever had and he knew it was something he wasn't going to forget anytime soon. He was using the bathroom when he heard his sister’s scream. He quickly finished up and rushed to her room, when he got there he saw her crying next to her dog puppy which was lying dead on the floor. Because of her scream Micheal also started crying. Seth was shocked to see the dog with the exact same bruise on its head like the one the cat from yesterday had when he dropped that couch on it.

The father was carrying Micheal on his arms to get him to stop crying while the mom took Eva up and asked what happened. Eva told them that she woke up to go kiss puppy good morning like she always do and found him dead, she looked really sad about it. Her parents told her they’re very sorry about it and promised to get her another dog but she kept crying and saying she doesn’t want another dog that she wants her dog “puppy.”

Seth looked at his father trying to see if he noticed the similarities with the way the dog died but he didn’t, and even if he did he sure wasn’t going to think it’s related. Seth was having a very uncomfortable feeling in his gut about this especially after what he dreamt about last night but he couldn’t say anything because he was more afraid of sounding crazy. It was clearly a mystery everyone wanted an explanation for, because a dog doesn’t just get a bruise like that on it’s own. So something must have happened. But now that no one is saying they saw or did anything, what will they make of it.

Eva was still crying and wasn't willing to stop until his mom told her that puppy is now in heaven with God, and that’s something to be happy about before she calmed down. The father mentioned again that they will get her another dog and that she can name it puppy too if she want. It wasn't much of a promise but it did get her to stop crying. Seth kept his suspicions about puppy’s mysterious death to himself for the same reason he didn’t tell his parents about his dream.

Before breakfast that morning his father had him bury puppy at the backyard, and after they were done with breakfast they all went out for the day. After dropping their mom at the clinic, Seth and Eva was to go get their registrations done at school with their father and start immediately. Micheal is starting primary class after this term, so for now the plan was to have him stay with the mom at the clinic since they have a playgroup their for the staffs with young kids.

As they made their way out to the car their immediate neighbor were standing outside their door just looking at them. It was an elderly man a bit older than Seth’s father and a lady almost the same age as Seth’s mom, standing next to a teenage girl who looks a couple years younger than Seth, probably their daughter from the look at things. Seth’s parents waved at them to say hello but they just kept staring with no response whatsoever. They looked like they were about to go out also with how dressed up they appeared, with the obvious briefcase on the man's hand and the school bag hanging on the girl’s back.

It was weird how they kept staring at them. Seth wondered which of them was looking through the window yesterday during the whole cat incident.

The mom told her husband that their neighbor doesn’t seem friendly as they got into the car. Her husband said well, that they’ve done their part by instigating a greeting gesture and that whatever their issues are is none of their business.

As they drove off they noticed the rest of the neighbors also standing outside their doors looking at them. It was the strangest thing. Eva asked her mom why these people were staring at them like that and Seth immediately said it’s probably because they’re all insane. His mom told him that that’s not a nice thing to say and in his defense he asked if he’s the only one that think this is not normal. His father said they don’t know anything to say for sure so until then they should just mind their business. Seth was quiet but he knew something wasn’t right about these people.

They dropped off their mom and Michael at the clinic as planned. As they got to the school it looked smaller than the one they were attending back at their former place which wasn't a surprise because that was the city and this is just a small town. As they made their way in, some students were already in their classes while some were just arriving. It was a mixed school with both primary and secondary students.

After their registration, Seth and Eva sat at the administrative block outside the principal’s office waiting for their father to finish discussing his working terms with the principal. Seth was not looking happy because he was told that he had to start from a class below the one he was already rounding up at his previous school, a decision he objected bitterly during the discussion with the principal but he was told that this is how it works with transfers here. He was supposed to continue from SS3 but because he didn’t get to complete it before they moved he had to start from SS2. Not like you will blame him because he was already writing his final year exams. Things wasn't going his way at all in this place and he was already sick and tired of it.

He knew that this was not going to be like his former school but it was obvious to him that the best he could do for himself now was hope that it's manageable at least with the plan to see this life sentence as he calls it through. It was the same for his sister Eva but she didn't have a problem repeating a class because for some reason she just like everything about school and learning. She’s as bright as they come and is more friendly than her brother Seth.

While they sat there waiting for their father they noticed a young girl almost the age as Eva passing in front of them crying. Eva asked her brother why is the girl crying and he told her he has no idea. Few minutes after she was gone another boy came in crying as well, he was a bit younger than the first girl. Eva's question was the same and so was Seth’s response. Just after the boy went by another girl walked past in the same situation. “Why’s everyone crying” Eva asked again but this time Seth didn't have any answers for that. It’s obviously not common for three students to be walking down the hall crying like that on a Monday morning. Everybody was acting weird and he didn't know why.