Nethania

Chapter 20: Breathing Gehenna

AVIA

MY HEAVY eyelids unveiled my sight. I saw dried leaves scattered everywhere, several tall trees were present in the scene, and the wind was blowing hard. It seemed the sun was shy about showing his face to us. The sky was filled with gray, puffy clouds. A few dilapidated concrete benches were standing still in almost a ruined state. Leaves rustle on the ground while being blown by the wind. I could smell the fresh cold air hovering around the area.

The whole place was secluded and it was like we were...in the rear part of a building! I had no idea what building we were behind, but it clearly showed that we were in the farthest spot away from the main building.

I ran my gaze over myself only to find out that my uniform was full of dirt. I tried to brush it away with my hand, but to no avail. It was still there. I held my head when I felt a stinging sensation. I touched the right corner of my forehead and my mouth twisted in pain when I felt a piece of soft, sticky flesh that hurt my whole system. I checked my finger and I saw blood on it, definitely from the wound on my forehead. I wiped the blood on my face with my hand.

My gaze landed on a guy beside me. My mouth gaped and I could barely move my trembling hands to touch Austin. He was leaning diagonally against the wall. His head was hung low, nearly reaching my shoulder, and his body was slouching. He was out of consciousness. His body was soaked in blood.

What happened? My heart raced when events that happened awhile ago appeared in a slideshow in my head. No it can't be. I gazed at Austin and touched his shoulder. I shook it gently while hoping he would respond. "Austin? Austin, wake up," I said. He didn't respond, so I became f*****g worried. My eyes looked at his abdomen. I just hope he didn't lose much blood or else this would be the end for him.

This is bad. I must seek help now. I patted my pocket and my heart began to pump irregularly. I couldn't feel my phone! Where the heck was it? I patted my pocket again but couldn't find it. I brushed my hand on the ground to find it while my eyes were roaming around, but there was no trace of my phone.

"How much luck do you possess, Avia?"

My system stopped when her shrill voice hit my ears. She was standing in front of us and holding her long, sharp knife.

"Just enough to wake up from this nightmare!" I growled, clenching my fists.

She grinned. "Oh, how's your friend? Is he alright?"

Geez! How dare she ask someone for their health when she was the one who caused them to be in that state? This insane woman! I will kill her if I have a chance!

"He's absolutely fine because of you!" I bellowed with a sarcastic tone.

She smirked and sat on her feet. "You know what, you're so brave. You could even let yourself die just because of this," she said, holding a piece of paper.

My gaze was nailed to the missing page she was holding. I squinted my eyes to see the words imprinted on it, but she pulled it away from me. I gritted my teeth and punched the ground. I wanted to punch her in the face and knock her down, but I couldn't, because I was too tired and weak to move.

I breathe heavily. She was smirking and kept waving her knife back and forth in front of her.

"Give me my phone!" I shouted. I knew she took my phone because she knew that I would call someone for help.

She snickered. "About that, I threw it away. You won't be needing it anymore and Austin won't be needing his, so I threw it also."

My system was infuriated! I felt my blood boiling so badly. The veins in my head were throbbing. "You b***h!" I yelled. "You'll pay for this!"

Our phones were our only help! She really wanted us to die here. But I won't let it happen.

She giggled. "Me? Why me?" She jerked her thumb to her chest. "You should be the one who will pay!" She pointed to me. "You should pay for all your sins you committed against me!"

What was she saying? What sins did I do to her? The heck, I didn't even know her! I knew the people with whom I did wrong things, but I couldn't remember who was involved in my list!

My brows furrowed. "To you? Why? What did I do? I didn't even know you!" I thundered.

"Shut up! You stupid lady," she yelled back. "I won't be telling you what it is right now because I want you to discover it."

Geez! Was she giving me a mission to know what 'offenses' I did to her?I slammed my hand on the ground and looked away while rolling my eyes.

I glared at her. "You're crazy, cracked up! How dare you blame me for sins that I didn't commit? You're absurd! Don't blame me! We didn't even know you existed!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. After screaming, I felt my energy drained awfully, making me breathe hard.

She shook her head while sneering. "Fine, I cannot make you believe something somewhat true to me and a lie to you. By the way, you won't be reading this paper anymore."

She held the missing page up and took out a lighter from her pocket. I was just staring at it. My trembling hands were ready to stretch out and grab the paper away from her. My legs were eager to carry me to stop her, but I couldn't make it.

"No!" I belted when she lit up her lighter and positioned it below the paper. The fire instantly caught the paper and gradually turned it into ashes. I couldn't bear the sight anymore, so I gained strength and pulled myself up and leaped over her. The leaves rustled while rumbling with her. I was able to push her in the side hard enough that she rolled over on the ground.

I stepped on the burning paper, trying to stop the fire. The fire would end up bad when it caught the dried leaves. I kept stepping on it and when the fire was gone, I grabbed it.

"Ah!" I shrieked when she pulled my hair behind. "Oh, you're good," she whispered. I could feel her breath behind my ear. "Because of that, read it aloud, that even trees and walls can hear it."

I breathe heavily. My eyes were trying to look at her, but I could only see the trees at my side.

"Read it!"

I nodded and inhaled. "Headline: A student committed suicide. A student was found dead in an abandoned room. A rope was tied around her neck and held her body still at the center of the ceiling. A ball point pen remained pierced into her chest and thick blood was ozzing from it. The unnamed witness forthwith reported the incident to the administration and the authorities have taken action regarding the said tragic event. The student was identified as Nethania..."

My heart raced even more. I remembered the story of Vino when he told us about the student who committed suicide. I totally forgot that information and it vanished from my mind.

"See the name below?" she whispered again. "That's my name, Avia, and from now on you have to engrave that in your infinitesimal mind." She pushed me so strenuously that I nearly slammed my face on the ground. I turned over and sat on my back while my hands supported my body behind me.

I stared at her. "A-Are you the student who committed suicide four months ago? How come you're alive?" I asked.

I wasn't even sure if she was the suicide victim who died four months ago. The headline had no date indicated and the student who died four months ago wasn't identified.

She stood and began stepping her feet toward my spot. "Do you really think I died from hanging and stabbing myself with a ball point pen?" She asked, grinning. "You serious? What if I escaped, how's that?"

This is a dream, Avia. You're in a nightmare! You will wake up soon only to find out that you're laying in your bed sweating. No, this isn't real!

"N-No, it c-can't be," I stammered while moving slowly.

"It's real, Avia. This is not just a nightmare, this is a breathing gehenna." She crouched down to align her face with mine. "My name is Nethania and I will turn this academy into a living hell and everyone of you will taste the bitterness of my revenge," she stated, her shrill voice turning into a cold, deep, and hoarse voice.

I shook my head rapidly while not taking away my gaze from her. "No, you can't do this."

She raised an eyebrow. "Unfortunately, I can. Only you know my name and maybe, Austin, if he isn't dead beside you."

"Screw you!"

She laughed. "No, Avia, you will be the one who gets screwed. Bye, I hope you will reach the clinic on time," she sang and left us.

The real agony starts now. When Nethania is alive, this school will be in deadly chaos. She was serious, dead serious. How come she escaped? She was hanged and a ball point pen was pierced through her chest!

This isn't the right time to think about it now. I needed to bring Austin to the clinic before he died.

I held his wrist and searched for his pulse. I placed my two fingers on his wrist and felt the beat of his pulse. I breathed a sigh of relief when I felt his pulse pulsing under my fingers, but it was weakening. He was still alive and had only a few hours left before his demise. I stood and tried to carry him, but I wasn't able to do it. He was so heavy and he was much taller than me.

I made him lean against the wall and had my hands on the wall to support my body while walking away from our spot. I'll be back, Austin, I'll seek help from someone out there. I made a turn only to find out that we were at the rear part of the storage building. The biggest storage building in the academy. No students were found here, and only maintenance staff were allowed to go here.

I reached the hallway and no one was found lurking around the area.

"Somebody here?" I screamed. I turned my body around to find someone, but no one appeared.

"Somebody here? Please, I need help!" I screamed again, but still no one heard my call.

"SOMEBODY CAN HELP US! PLEASEEE!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. That was my last blow. I didn't have the strength to yell again in a loud voice. I already gave it up.

I fell on my knees and my tears began to strem down my cheeks. I was looking at the ground while thinking about Austin. He badly needed help, yet I couldn't even walk for a long time. My body was hurting and I didn't have enough strength to carry myself. My tears fell down, drenching the pavement. I wiped off my tears and sniffled.

"Avia! Avia!"

A familiar voice reached my ears. My hopes began to fill up. I lifted up my face to see who called my name. My eyes widened to see Jamsen running toward my spot. Along with him were Hilary, Vino, Hannah and Nico. They were running to me.

"Avia! What happened? Are you okay?" Jamsen asked as soon as he kneeled in front of me.

"Austin needs help!" I exclaimed, pointing behind me. "He's wounded and he needs immediate aid!"

"Where is he?"

"At the back of the storage building! Go now!"

Jamsen, Nico and Vino rushed to the place where I told them Austin was laying down.

I smiled at Hilary and Hannah when they were near me. "Via! What happened to you?" Hilary asked when she kneeled beside me and began examining my state.

"Looks like you escaped from a killer," Hannah exclaimed as she assisted me in standing.

You're right, Hannah. We could barely escape death.

I was so grateful that they found us.

"I'll tell you later, but we need to go first in the clinic," I said, holding their hands to gain my balance.

Vino, Jamsen and Nico went out of the passageway carrying Austin's body. Hilary and Hannah gasped when they saw his situation. They even covered their gaping mouth.

"I know what happened to you was totally insane, Avia. Let's go. We need to bring you both to the clinic," Hannah said, and we began walking.

"How did you find us?" I asked, looking at them side by side.

Hilary looked at me. "We noticed that you and Austin were out of sight, then we thought of finding you. I felt that something bad happened to you."

Girl's intuition never fails.

"We already searched the whole academy and this place was the last place we checked. I heard your scream from afar, so I told them to go that way, and we found you," Hannah added.

"Thank you guys," I said, "You saved our lives."

"What are friends for, Avia? We're glad to help," Hannah replied.

Our situation caught the student's attention. They began gathering around where we were walking and they began murmuring about us.

I saw Alexandra approaching our spot. Her brows were furrowed and when she saw me, she strode our way.

"What the freakin' happened?" she asked.

"Later, Alexandra, I'm really tired and drained," I said and left her hanging on the pavement.

We reached the clinic and I could barely stand. The clinic staff panicked when they saw us, especially Austin's state of health. They laid him on a bed and rushed him to the emergency room. I was brought to a room, leaving Hilary and Hannah behind, and they began treating my wound.

I would never forget you, Nethania.