The Absent Years

Chapter 3: Encounter

Damn, guess not today then, it's alright as long as I can chill in the library it's all fine. I adjusted the strap of my bag and walked to the library.

"Hello Jason, remember me?" I stop at the door about to enter, I turn around and there was this dude who has brown hair and he's wearing a flannel polo with black skinny jeans and converse, good sense of style I suppose. I looked at him in confusion.

"Uh, I'm sorry but... who are you?" I asked as I tilt my head a little bit.

He smiled and pointed to himself

"I am Daniel" he growled.

His eyes went dark as dark liquid flows down his eyes, Daniel falls to the ground and grabbed his stomach, he slowly looks at me and cried

"LOOK WHAT SHE DID TO ME"

He rips open his shirt to show me that there's a gaping hole in his stomach as his innards go out. He tried to reach out and I walked backward and hit the library door. I turned my back to see people's bloody handprints on the glass door and blank eyes looking out the glass door. I quickly shifted my gaze to Daniel who grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him. My head was throbbing and I can't take it anymore, I pulled my arm free from Daniel's grip as I crawled myself away from him. This is not happening.

"Stay away!" I screamed and bolted from the library to outside of the campus, I didn't look back.

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I stopped in front of our school's hostel and leaned up against a wall to breathe. Who's Daniel and who did that to him? Why was nobody around at that time? I swear I saw people behind me before I saw Daniel... was he a student here? and who were those people behind the glass door? What's happening to me?

I slid my back against the wall to sit down, I can feel my heart throbbing still, I need to talk to someone about this, but it seems a little crazy already than my first weird experience. I never believed in spirits or the supernatural before but I couldn't explain that, it's like everything was at a standstill when that happened, I felt like I was the only one in that school. I looked around to see if there were students just walking around, and that made me feel relieved. I sat there for a while and calmed myself. I didn't care when a passerby looked at me while I looked at the ceiling. I was really in a place where I don't feel anything is real anymore.

after minutes from calming myself, I felt something stinging on my arm, I rolled up my sleeve to see a black handprint where Daniel grabbed me a while back, I tried to rub it off but it won't rub off, I ran to the faucet in the restroom to remove it but it's still there as a tattoo. My head throbbed again and I went outside for a breather. I didn't feel like going to my other two classes today, so I left campus and drove home.

On my drive home I was thinking to search for a murder case based on the name of Daniel, I didn't know his last name but maybe it help me understand what's going on. My phone vibrated in my pocket, I got surprised for a little bit but I managed to keep it cool. I felt a little bit paranoid at this point. I stopped by a cafe on the way to my house and planned to get some coffee.

I closed the car door and locked it. I checked my phone to see who messaged me. It was Nancy.

[ Hey Jay, where are you? I went to look for you at the library but you weren't there. Ms. Jeena said you acted weird a while ago so I had to check up on you. are u ok? call me please. ]

Weird? How weird is she talking about? Was I being delusional? I hope I didn't creep out Ms. Jeena. I didn't want to talk to Nancy on the phone cause I don't feel like speaking anymore, I can't even open my mouth at this point, thank god that the employees in the cafe know me and know my order every time I go there. I sat on the seat and held my phone and sipped coffee.

I managed to lift my thumbs to type something. I replied

[ Hey babe I’m fine, I wasn't feeling very good. I didn't get to sleep soundly last night so I had to go home and rest. I'll text u when I finished my nap. ]

"Sorry to worry you, Nancy..." I talked to myself under my breath as I placed it down on the table. I looked at my arm again examining it, did I do this unconscious? cause why would I do this to myself? Was I drugged? I shook my head and managed to smile a bit. I looked around me and saw people talking to each other normally and sipping their drinks. I feel calmer every time I’m here, but from my experience a while back, I'm happy I stopped by here and saw actual real people going on with their lives. I scanned the place again and stopped to see Valerie sitting alone at the corner of the cafe. Is she here often cause I swear I haven't seen her here at this cafe, but then again people always go to whatever cafe they want to go to, and coincidentally Valerie is here. I wonder what's her schedule? Nah, I don't care, honestly. I stood up, grabbed my coffee, and headed back to my car.

I sat in my seat and heard my phone in my pocket. I checked it and it was the random number again, I don't want to look at it until I'm in the safety of my home. I shoved my phone in my bag and drove away.