Chapter Three: Something Feels Different
1824 Words
Elara woke up before her alarm.
For a few seconds, she lay completely still, staring at the ceiling.
Then she remembered the box.
Her eyes slowly moved toward her desk.
The little wooden box was still there.
She had spent most of the night thinking about it. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the strange symbol carved into its lid and the words written on the old paper.
If you need someone who will never leave you, call upon the shadow.
And underneath it—
Auren.
She sat up.
“What are you?” she whispered.
Of course, the box didn't answer.
Elara got out of bed and walked toward it.
She stopped in front of the desk.
For several seconds, she considered opening it.
Then she remembered what had happened the night before.
The lights had flickered.
The curtains had moved.
And she had heard someone say her name.
Maybe she had imagined it.
She had been tired.
That had to be it.
Elara quickly got dressed for school and left the room.
She barely made it downstairs before her mother's voice stopped her.
“Elara.”
She froze.
“Yes, Mom?”
Evelyn stood in the kitchen, staring at her.
“You're leaving without cleaning this place?”
Elara glanced around.
“I didn't know you wanted me to.”
“You're old enough to know what needs to be done without being told.”
“I'll do it.”
“You always say that after I've already had to tell you.”
Elara lowered her head.
“Sorry.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry. That's all you ever say.”
Elara picked up the dishes.
“I'll be quick.”
“You'd better be. And don't expect breakfast if you make yourself late.”
Elara swallowed and started washing.
She could feel her mother's eyes on her.
After a few minutes, Marcus walked into the kitchen.
He looked at Elara, then at the clock.
“She hasn't left yet?”
“No,” Evelyn replied. “And she knows exactly what time school starts.”
Marcus shook his head.
“This girl is becoming a problem.”
Elara's hands stopped.
“I've been doing well in school.”
Marcus looked at her sharply.
“Did I ask you to speak?”
Elara immediately looked down.
“No.”
“Then don't interrupt adults when they're talking.”
She continued washing the dishes.
Marcus sighed.
“Always something with her.”
Evelyn nodded.
“Her teacher called yesterday too. Apparently she's distracted.”
Elara looked up.
“I wasn't distracted.”
Marcus's expression hardened.
“Again?”
“I just meant—”
“Go to school.”
Elara stopped talking.
Evelyn pointed toward the door.
“And don't bring another complaint home.”
Elara grabbed her bag.
“Yes, Mom.”
She walked out without breakfast.
The moment she stepped outside, she breathed deeply.
School was supposed to be better.
It wasn't.
When Elara entered the classroom, conversations suddenly became quieter.
Then she heard someone laugh.
Vanessa.
Elara kept walking.
Vanessa leaned back in her chair.
“Look who finally came.”
Tara laughed.
“She looks like she didn't sleep.”
Chloe looked Elara up and down.
“Maybe she was crying again.”
A few students laughed.
Elara ignored them.
She walked to her seat.
Then she noticed something taped to her desk.
A piece of paper.
She pulled it off.
There was a cruel message written across it.
She immediately crumpled it.
Vanessa laughed from across the room.
“You saw it!”
Elara turned.
“Why do you keep doing this?”
Vanessa smiled.
“Doing what?”
“This.”
Vanessa stood.
“I didn't do anything.”
“You know you did.”
“Can you prove it?”
Elara went silent.
Vanessa walked closer.
“You're always accusing people.”
“I didn't accuse you.”
“You basically did.”
Tara laughed.
“She's getting brave.”
Chloe smiled.
“Give her time. She'll start crying.”
Elara's hands tightened around the crumpled paper.
She wanted to say something.
Anything.
But she knew what would happen.
They would laugh.
They always laughed.
Vanessa leaned closer.
“You know what's funny about you, Elara?”
Elara didn't answer.
“You act like everyone hates you, but maybe you're the reason nobody likes you.”
That hurt.
More than Elara wanted to admit.
She looked away.
Vanessa walked back to her seat.
The teacher entered moments later.
Elara tried to concentrate.
She really did.
But halfway through the lesson, Vanessa whispered something to Tara.
Tara suddenly laughed.
A moment later, she turned around and deliberately knocked Elara's pencil case off her desk.
Pens and pencils scattered across the floor.
“Oh,” Tara said, pretending to be surprised. “My mistake.”
The students around them laughed.
Elara crouched down and began picking everything up.
Then Chloe walked past.
She stepped directly on one of the pencils.
Elara looked up.
“Can you move?”
Chloe smiled.
“Oops.”
She moved her foot slowly.
Vanessa laughed from her seat.
Elara gathered the last of her things and returned to her chair.
She didn't cry.
She wouldn't give them that.
But her eyes burned.
When class ended, Kiara rushed toward her.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
Kiara looked at the floor.
“Why are your things everywhere?”
Elara hesitated.
“Tara knocked them down.”
Kiara's expression changed.
“She did what?”
“It's fine.”
“No, it's not.”
Nina came over.
“What happened?”
Kiara explained.
Nina frowned.
“They're getting worse.”
Elara looked away.
“Please don't make a big deal out of it.”
“Why shouldn't we?” Kiara asked.
“Because it won't change anything.”
Kiara stared at her.
“You shouldn't have to keep putting up with this.”
Elara forced a smile.
“I'm used to it.”
Kiara's expression softened.
“That doesn't make it okay.”
Elara looked away.
She knew Kiara was right.
But knowing something was wrong didn't mean she knew how to fix it.
At lunch, Elara sat with Kiara and Nina.
They tried to make her laugh.
For a little while, it worked.
Then Vanessa walked past their table.
She stopped.
“Oh, look. The three best friends.”
Kiara sighed.
“Keep walking.”
Vanessa smiled.
“I was just saying hello.”
“Then say it and leave.”
Vanessa looked at Elara.
“You know, your friends won't always be around.”
Elara's smile disappeared.
Vanessa walked away.
Kiara frowned.
“Don't listen to her.”
Elara didn't answer.
Because those words stayed in her mind.
Your friends won't always be around.
After school, Kiara offered to walk home with her.
Elara shook her head.
“You have to go the other way.”
“I can still walk with you.”
“You don't have to.”
Kiara sighed.
“Fine. But text me when you get home.”
“I will.”
Elara walked home alone.
The streets were quiet.
She kept thinking about what Vanessa had said.
Maybe that was why she wanted something else.
Someone who could always be there.
Someone who didn't have to go home.
Someone who didn't have another life waiting for them.
When she reached home, she immediately heard arguing.
Evelyn's voice.
Marcus's voice.
Elara quietly opened the door.
She tried to slip upstairs.
“Elara.”
She stopped.
Marcus was standing in the living room.
“Where have you been?”
“Coming home.”
“You're late.”
“I went straight from school.”
“Don't lie.”
Elara stared at him.
“I'm not lying.”
Marcus's expression hardened.
“Your teacher called earlier.”
Elara's heart dropped.
“What?”
“She said you're distracted in class.”
Elara looked at her mother.
“I wasn't—”
“Don't make excuses,” Evelyn interrupted.
“But I wasn't doing anything.”
Marcus stepped closer.
“You're becoming difficult.”
Elara's eyes stung.
“I said I wasn't doing anything.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“Always arguing. Always defending yourself.”
“I'm not arguing.”
“Then stop talking.”
Elara went quiet.
Marcus pointed toward the stairs.
“Go to your room.”
Elara picked up her bag.
“And don't come downstairs again tonight,” Evelyn added.
Elara stared at her mother.
For a moment, she wanted to ask why.
Why was everything she did wrong?
Why did nobody ever ask what was happening to her?
Why did nobody care that she was hurting?
But she knew the answer.
Nobody wanted to hear it.
So she went upstairs.
She closed her bedroom door.
Then locked it.
Elara dropped her bag onto the floor.
She sat on the edge of her bed.
For several minutes, she said nothing.
Then the tears came.
She covered her face.
She hated crying.
She hated feeling weak.
But she was tired.
Tired of Vanessa.
Tired of Tara.
Tired of Chloe.
Tired of being treated like a problem at home.
Tired of pretending Kiara and Nina could fix everything.
She wiped her face.
Then her eyes moved toward the wooden box.
It was still on her desk.
Elara slowly stood.
She walked toward it.
She picked it up.
Her fingers rested on the strange symbol.
The words came back to her.
If you need someone who will never leave you...
She opened the box.
The old paper was still inside.
She unfolded it.
She read the words again.
Then she stared at the name.
Auren.
“What if you're real?”
Silence.
Elara looked around.
“What if you really can hear me?”
Nothing.
She laughed quietly through her tears.
“This is stupid.”
She almost put the paper away.
Almost.
Then she remembered the feeling she'd had when she first read those words.
Hope.
Tiny, fragile hope.
She didn't want to be alone anymore.
She didn't want to keep being afraid.
She wanted someone who would stand beside her when everyone else walked away.
Someone who would stay.
Elara took a shaky breath.
She looked at the name one more time.
Then she whispered—
“Auren.”
Nothing happened.
She waited.
Nothing.
Elara frowned.
Maybe it really was just an old piece of paper.
She lowered her head.
“Please…”
Her voice cracked.
“I don't know who you are.”
The room suddenly became colder.
Elara froze.
The curtains moved.
The lights flickered once.
Then twice.
Her heart began pounding.
She slowly raised her head.
“Auren?”
Silence.
Then, from somewhere behind her, a calm voice answered.
“Elara.”
She froze.
Her eyes widened.
Someone had answered.
And she knew immediately—
She hadn't imagined it.
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