Tyranny

Nightshade

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Anaïs

" Don't leave me with him Anaïs, you don't know him like me."

I can't go home. No way. It was rapidly approaching 3 and I had to find a way to stay away from my house till I can figure out who the hell it was. It. Them. Whatever the hell they are.

I quickly shot Dahlia, Kat and I's other best friend, a text asking her if she wanted to hit the club tonight. Fake ID and all. She replied instantly with an enthusiastic yes.

“ That would do for now.

Satisfied, I left Spanish and met Dahlia at the gate. We went back to hers and chilled for a while before getting ready.

" You told your parents that you're staying at mine?”

“ Dahlia when have you ever seen my parents?" I said with a chuckle.

" What's that supposed to mean," she said hitting me playfully.

" They snort coke and stick needles in their veins for a living and you somehow believe that they care? My dad calls me by the name of the woman he's slept with the most," I stated shaking my head.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder.

" My parents love you so whenever you need it, I’ve got a spare bed."

I gave her a curt nod, not wanting to be all sentimental and s**t.

She let me borrow a black dress of hers for the night, seeing as I'd come empty handed.

When we were sure her parents were sound asleep, we climbed out of her window down the ladder she'd set up and made our way to the bus stop.

Once we caught the 4, we talked as we waited to get to town. When we'd arrived, we managed to slip into the club without being detected.

Nightshade

The name had a ring to it. Immediately, Dahlia pulled me along with her and soon after, we began dancing to the house music that bounced off of the walls. After a while she'd gone off to get herself a drink. I didn't plan on getting drunk that night. I just wanted to stay away from home.

I felt a hand take my own, stopping me from leaving the dance floor and within seconds I was dancing with someone. I had absolutely no clue who it was, but it was just a dance. Just a dance.

The rest of the night flew past in a blur. I could barely remember what had happened from the dancing up until we woke up and got ready for school.

Dahlia was telling me about how she got the number of the guy she went off with and asked if I talked to the man I had been dancing on all night. I threw her an incredulous look and shook my head in response. She laughed and we picked up our bags and set off to school.

...

It was Tuesday and I was sat in the trenches of history class. Mr. Johnson's history class to be exact. The best way I could describe it was that it was a bore. As his voice rang out, the only thing I could liken it to was the sound of chalk on a board.

I was doing the usual. Staring out of the window. Not doing the work. Thinking about Kat. All in a day's work is what I repeated to myself. So often, it was practically a mantra.

The bell went off and I walked myself off to computer science. After signing myself in, Dahlia plopped down beside me. We talked some more about the previous night's events. Nothing new. It's not like we were new to this as much as we'd never like to admit.

I was in the middle of some coding when I got a text. Dahlia went to the toilet earlier so I was on my own in the back of the class. I pulled my phone out and clicked it. Another unknown number. Not the same as last time though. I shook my head in doubt and tried to calm my racing thoughts. After I'd managed to convince myself it was the same person, I was met with another video.

It was the club. Nightshade. Last night. The view was zoomed in on me. I was dancing on someone. When I looked at the individual, I lost it.

I couldn't breathe.

It was him.

The black hooded, masked face. Holding my waist as I danced, blissfully unaware. I replayed the video. Once. Twice. Thrice. Each time the same thing. My eyes hadn't failed me as I had wanted to believe.

I couldn't breathe.

He knew it. He found me. How did he find me? My thoughts quickly paused as another message was sent.

A new video. I clicked it.

Me.

Again but this time...

It was right now. Me in this seat, clicking on the video and my face twisting in confusion and then the setting of the panic.

What the f**k. They were here.

I had to find them.

I swiftly stood up and asked to go to the toilet. After I collected my pass, I all but ran outside. I walked through the hallways like a madwoman. Turning around in circles every so often, making sure I wasn't being followed. As I did another turn I walked straight into a person. When I landed flat on my ass, I looked up to see who I'd walked into.

Low and behold, Mr. St James.

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