September 17th: The haunted dream

chapter2

My soul left my body and came back. I swear it did.

My face must have shown pure terror, the kind you cannot hide. My heart leaped straight into my throat. How do I even describe the fear choking me right now?

Mr. David's eyes were white. Completely white, except for a tiny black dot in the middle that I think was his pupil. His bones made a sickening cracking sound as he bent his body in a way no human should bend. His lab coat was soaked in blood.

And on the floor, Mrs. Mary, his lab assistant, lay motionless. Her lab coat was covered in blood too.

I stumbled backward, screaming at the top of my lungs like a madwoman.

Footsteps thundered toward me. Students and teachers rushed in from every direction.

Julius, a senior from Grade 11, was the first to arrive. Mr. David, who had been standing just seconds ago, was now on the ground, convulsing violently.

Julius, the captain of our school basketball team, walked straight to Mrs. Mary, who was lying unconscious on the cold floor. Her hands were covered in bite marks and deep scratches. Her eyes were shut tight.

"I'll take her to the infirmary," he said quickly.

"You students should go back to class. Everything will be handled here," Mrs. Rita ordered, her voice sharp.

I went back to class. Not because I felt reassured, but because I needed to be prepared.

Prepared for what, you ask?

I am Yvonne. I always prepare for the unknown. That is why I will never die when I do not want to.

I walked into class. The other students had already returned to their schoolwork, pretending like nothing had happened.

Rose was now sitting in the third row instead of the fifth. Closer.

"Yvonne, what's going on?" Her calm voice came from behind me. Too calm.

I ignored her. I strode past the fourth desk, my desk, heading straight to the back of the classroom where the lockers were.

No. 8. There it was. My locker.

It was covered with sticky notes, cute stickers, and lucky charms. Just like every other teenage girl's.

I unlocked it. Inside were all kinds of safety materials: an inflatable life jacket, a flashlight, a thin self-heating blanket, supplements and snacks, a bottle of antibiotics, and a mini first-aid kit. I had packed it because I was terrified a flood could happen at any time.

After checking through everything, my breathing finally slowed. I felt relieved. Even if anything happened right now, I would be able to survive it.

I walked back to my desk and sat down. Ethan kept staring at me.

Mr. Lemuel walked in. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience," he said. "The incident in the lab has been taken care of."

Just at the mention of the lab, my stomach tightened. I felt strange, like something unpredictable was about to happen. And I think it was not only because of the lab incident, but because two cheats would not stop staring at me.

Rose passed a folded paper to me from the third desk. Inside it read:

_"Don't be upset, I really don't like Ethan. I know he is your boyfriend. And pls don't be too upset with him. WE ARE JUST FRIENDS"_

I could picture her fake innocent expression while writing that stupid crap. The thought of it made me feel sick.