Nethania

Chapter 22: Inches can Slice

AVIA

YESTERDAY was a totally shocking event for me, even though the only exception was our confrontation with Nethania. We hadn't yet started our class when another dead body was displayed in the middle of the field.

Hilary and Hannah told me that five students were found dead after the false alarm was executed. That was the time when we were confronting Nethania, and before I heard the ringing of the alarms, the publication staff were already dead and bathing in their own blood on the floor; and when Nethania smashed my head with a chair, the alarms went off and we were out of consciousness.

The gymnasium was filled with students. The whole place was filled with unnecessary noises, like the buzzing of multitudinous bees around the bee hive. We were wearing our complete uniform and wore a black wrist band to show sympathy for the loved ones of the dead. We, the section A senior high school, were situated in the right column in the last set of rows of the gym. Only Austin was absent from the class. The staff were gathering at the right corner of the stage, probably preparing for the commencement of the program.

I felt it chilling when I stared at the front. It was like we were attending a funeral. Actually, we were. There were six white coffins in front of us. The dead bodies of five publication staff and Jeromy Stardes were laying in it. Is it just me who gets the creeps whenever I go to an event like this? It was like...geez...I wasn't that comfortable sitting here.

I felt someone was poking my side. "Via, your dad is calling," Hilary whispered, and gave me her phone.

I turned to her. "What?" I said and accepted the phone. "Okay, I'll be right back."

Since the main door was just right behind us. I strode out, avoiding making any unnecessary sounds that could attract their attention. I turned to my left and stood behind a post.

"Hello, Dad?"

[What's going on, Avia? I've been calling you for the nth time since Monday and you're not answering my calls. I tried to call Austin but he isn't answering his phone too! What's going on with you two? I remembered Hilary, so I called her.]

Geez. It's early in the morning and the sermon I heard first was from my father.

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Dad, my phone's missing and Austin's phone was broken," I lied.

[You lost you phone? Why?Are you doing something in there, Avia?]

I crossed my arm across my chest and leaned against the post. "No, Dad, it's just an accident. I lost it and I didn't know where it was now. So I have no phone."

[Okay, you have to buy one. There are reports about multiple deaths happening in the academy. There was also a teacher involved.]

"So?" My eyebrows raised. "What are you planning to do?"

[I'm planning to send you back home.]

I stood up straight. "No way. I won't," I exclaimed.

[Why?]

"We're totally safe here and

Austin is with me. We're together."

[The reports telling me that it isn't safe there. When we go back from our business trip, you will live with us in the mansion.]

Geez. I stomped my foot on the ground and bit my lips. I rolled my eyes and heaved an exasperating sigh.

"Okay, but I'll stay here no matter what. Bye," I said and turned off the phone without waiting for his answer. The conversation would go round and round. I'd contradict him and he'd insist his what he wanted. No final destination had been set.

I marched my way down and sighed before going inside. I slipped in front of my classmates to reach my seat. I sat and handed Hilary her phone.

"Here, don't answer the call if he calls again," I commanded, without turning to her.

"Why?" she asked.

I moved my eyes to her direction. "He wants me to stay in the Mansion with them."

"So he wanted you to go back there. I'll guess, for your safety, right?"

I nodded. "Uh-huh, but I won't return there. The events here in school are getting exciting and I wanted to be part of it."

She held my arms. "Your safety still matters here, Via."

I eyed her intently. "Is the safety of students here much less important than me? We are all residents of this Academy, Hilary. My dad owns this property, and as his heiress, I will do my part to stay here. I don't want to put myself in safety while other students are prone to near death on our own property."

She sighed and nodded her head. "I got your point, Via."

"We will solve this mess, and I'm going to put that Nethania behind bars," I said.

"Guys, keep quiet," I heard Hannah reproved.

The staff were climbing up the stage and sat on their respective chairs. The Head Student, Alexandra, stood in front of the lectern. Tiny noises from the microphone were heard across the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, faculty and staff, our dear school head and administration head, good morning," she began, "We are all gathered here today to give our deepest sympathy and condolences to the loved ones of our deceased members of the Alviana Academy family. Our Administration Head, Ms. Nichole Destri will give her eulogy on behalf of Alviana Academy administration," Alexandra ended her introductory speech and left the lectern. Ms. Nichole stood up from her seat and faced the crowd below.

She sighed and began her speech. I just stared at her while the silent cries of our schoolmates echoed across the gymnasium. I glanced at Hilary and saw her wiping tears streaming down her cheeks with her handkerchief. Geez. I may say Miss Nichole's speech was quite touching, but not for me. I was barely touched by speeches and her speech doesn't affect me now. I was sad to witness unfortunate events in the academy and it was so depressing to know that we were not safe here anymore.

I stared at Ms. Nichole. I felt something strange about her. They said she was just a cafeteria staff member before but now she's standing before the students, speaking as an administration head. How unbelievable was that.

I grunted as I became bored. I was firmly restraining myself not to exit the gymnasium and stay in the dorm instead. But if I did, perhaps guilt will haunt me in my dreams. My gaze went sideways and landed on the phone screen of one of the students in front of our row. I like the design of her phone case, it's sparkling red. They weren't my classmates. They were the Grade 11 students.

She was scrolling something on her screen and I couldn't help not to read what she was reading. Good thing she was using huge fonts. I could see clearly the words that were written.

"Vain in words and in soul. A certified true fucker. Recalling my life's history, makes me sad. Every detail is worth the grave. Zealous people supported my death."

Geez! I twisted my lips like it was unbelievable and squinted my eyes. What was that? Was that even a story? It sounded more like poetry or something weird.

I glanced to my right and saw Vino staring at the student who was reading on her screen, and Jamsen was beside him. His eyes were drooping while staring ahead, ready to shut off and ignore the whole world.

"Hey, what are you looking at?" Hannah said, looking at me and then glancing at where I was facing. She turned back to me and raised an eyebrow.

I shrugged. "Nothing, something just caught my attention somewhere."

"You're weird sometimes," she commented.

"I am."

We went silent after that. I made myself focus on checking my nails. I glanced at Hilary, who was sniffling beside me. Earlier, she was just wiping off her tears and when the speech went deep and heart touching, she began sniffling like a child. What a soft-hearted girl.

The tedious speech was still going on, and I was getting bored. I heaved a long sigh. My eyes scanned the whole area. Other students were tempted to sleep and others were patiently waiting for the speech to end. My gaze went to the stage and still Ms. Nichole was speaking despondently to her subjects. She was picking up a tissue from its box and modestly wiping off her tears while speaking with her voice cracking up. Oh, people would definitely flow away in the scene she was making.

My gaze went still. My eyes widened and I began breathing hard. I placed my hands on both sides of the chair and began pushing myself backwards. I began to feel the creeps running down my spine. I averted my gaze when I couldn't bear what I saw anymore. I looked back at her to see if she was still doing it, but she hadn't.

Did she just smirk? No way!

"Hilary, did you see that?" I whispered.

She put down her handkerchief and looked at me with her tearful and inflamed eyes. "See what?"

My brows knitted and my body turned to face her. "She just smirked," I said.

She sniffled. "Smirked? You mean she smirked while speaking her speech?" she sniffled again. "You're kidding, Via. I've been watching her since her speech started, and this is the only time I disconnected my gaze from her. Avia, I didn't see her smiled or smirk. You're just seeing things and I know you're bored already."

Geez. It turned out I had become a lunatic lady who was just seeing things because of boredom, but I wasn't the lady who would tell you something I didn't witness or hear! I saw her smirking when she wiped off her tears and I was the only one who saw it. What was that?

"Hey, I'll go to the restroom, just a minute," the grade 11 girl said to her seatmate, probably her friend. Her seatmate just nodded and she stood, bending her upper body and slowly walked in front of her other classmates.

I followed the girl with my gaze until she was gone from my sight.

"Hannah," I called her. Only her eyes moved to meet my stare.

"What?"

"Did you see Miss Nichole smirking?" I asked, whispering.

She faced me and shook her head. "No, I was busy checking on my nails and thinking what clothes and nail polishes I should buy next," she replied.

I sighed. After all, she wasn't listening. That's her. What could I expect from her. "Wait, where are the guys beside you?" I asked, looking at the three vacant chairs beside her.

"They went to buy water at the cafeteria," she answered.

I nodded and reclined again on my chair. I looked below while thinking about the smirking of Ms. Nichole in front of us. This is the time to mourn, not to make fun of the situation.

But Avia, are you sure you saw her? My mind kept asking me. Of course... I did, but perhaps I was just too bored so my mind made an illusion or something that would distract me from boredom.

"...We may still be hopeful amid this unforeseen and unfortunate circumstance that befell upon us."

"Thank you for that wonderful speech you have given to us, Miss Nichole Destri..." Alexandra spoke after Ms. Nichole left the lectern and went back to her seat. She was holding a box of tissue and her hand was wiping her tears off.

After several minutes of silence and the final speech by the school head, the program ended. We stood. The screeching legs of moving chairs echoed across the whole place, and the aisle was filled with students exiting the place. No words came out from our mouths. We really paid respect and sympathy to the funeral. When we were away from the gymnasium, I noticed someone who was missing in our group.

"Where's Vino?" I asked. I only saw Jamsen and Nico.

Hannah nodded. "Yeah, where's he? He was with you earlier, right?" She faced the two men.

Nico scratched his head. "Yes, sorry we forgot to tell you because we were so carried away by the speech. When we decided to get back from the cafeteria, he lost his phone. We tried to find it but we got caught by the Student Council, so he decided that he would be the one who would find it," he explained.

"Poor him," Hannah commented.

"You let him do that?" Hilary asked. "What if he didn't find it? It would be better if you just helped him out," she said, pointing her index finger at them.

Jamsen stepped forward. "We got scolded by the Student Council, Hilary. And it was his decision to leave him there."

Nico nodded his head, confirming Jamsen's statement. I sighed and was about to turn my back when someone approached us.

"Hey, is the program already ended?" We all turned to Vino, who asked when he reached the spot. That was a long time to find his phone.

"Why are we here if the program isn't finished yet?" Of course, the program has ended. Try to see what's obvious, Vino," Hannah chided, folding her arms across her chest and frowning.

Vino sighed.

"You lost your phone?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes, I didn't know I lost it. I remember putting it in my pocket. But I found it," he recalled, holding his chin.

Hannah scoffed. "Sometimes pockets are jerks, Vino, and sometimes the owner is stupid," he smirked.

Vino's face became serious and I saw he clenched his fist. "What do you mean, Hannah?"

Hannah shrugged. "Nothing, just sayin'." She turned her back to us and began walking. Jamsen patted Vino's back, trying to calm him.I flipped my hair and watched the students go to their respective classes.

"Ahhh!"

My feet stopped stepping forward and I turned to them. They halted also and we eyed each other when we heard a scream from somewhere.

"What's that?" Hannah asked, roaming her eyes around.

Students nearby also stopped walking and wondered about the noise.

"Ahhh! Somebody help!"

Geez, that's it.

"Where did it come from?" Hilary asked, clutching my uniform behind me.

"I guess it is from the restroom," I said.

They looked at me. "You sure? I heard it was coming from that way," Hannah opposed, pointing her forefinger to the other side.

"Ahhh!"

"No, it is in the restroom!" I yelled and ran along the hallway. The students began to rush along with us until we reached the restroom. Fewer students had already arrived, and some of then were crying and wailing in the corner.

I observed their reactions and concluded that someone perhaps died inside the restroom. Things like murders were becoming relevant in this place, and whoever shouted and screamed, meant death.

I pushed myself into the crowd and the stench of rusty blood and toxic smell of cigarette smoke filled my nostrils and I saw blood on the floor. I exited the group and went to Hilary.

I held both of her arms. "Hilary, stay here. I know you won't like what you will see in there," I said.

She nodded. "Okay, just tell me. I just can't bear the sight of blood," she said.

I went back to the restroom and pushed myself again into the crowd. All of us were present at the scene, except Hilary.

When I got closer to the victim. I gasped and quickly covered my mouth and my nose when I saw the grade 11 girl who was sitting on the toilet bowl. Hands were dangling from both sides, legs were straightened, and the head was perched above the toilet tank. I recognized her because of her phone that was on the floor beside her. She didn't return until the program ended after she went out to go to the restroom.

It's because she's dead.

A steel ruler sliced her flesh. The steel ruler was still embedded in her neck, more than three slices on each side of her arms, several marks of slices on her legs, and one huge s***h on her torso. The pool of blood had formed below the toilet bowl and its body was still bleeding. Her mouth was wide open and her eyes were round and lifeless, like she saw a ghost. There were small circular burned spots, which I guess were cigarette marks, on any part of her body, most on her cheeks; cigarette butts were scattered on the floor.

There was a message written just a foot above her head.

I'll do what you did to me.

Those words were written using blood, and it was difficult to identify the penmanship. Yeah, the blood was still dripping on the wall, fresh and rusty.

I knew someone who surely did this.

Nethania...