Huxley Academy

Cold air blew through the forest, the trees danced at the rhythm as the whistling sound echoed across. Another chug of the bitter colourless liquid brought warmth down her body from the toes to her head, a tingling sensation flowing in her, allowing her to withstand the winds. The bright orb was now replaced by the blood colour, the darkness shinning from the sky. She stared at it, her feelings relating to that of the celestial body, dark and alone. Closing her eyes, she chugged some more of the alcohol recalling why she'd gone back there in the first place. "I don't believe in you," she glared at the moon, her eyes surveying the massive self luminous rocks that shone from the sky. Stars. How can one say they love you then just leave for you to suffer on your own. Is that what love is? "You lied to me, you don't love me," her voice broke and a tear slipped from her eyes. "You said you'll always watch over me, where are you now huh-" another chug from the almost empty bottle, "you lied. You are not with me, you are just like the rest." Angry tears made there way out, her hand losing grip of the bottle, it made contact with the ground pouring the remnants on the grassy ground. Doing the same, she sat resting her back on the tree bark. The tears staining her face were rubbed using the sleeves of her cloth, it pained her too much that even on her birthdays she was always alone. She wanted the loneliness, it consumed her like a void that she yearned for. "Why did you leave me ma- I miss you," she whispered more emotions taking a toll on her, "I'll never even have a mate, what kind of life is this huh-?" She curled up, knees to her chest as she rested her head on them. Maybe life would be better if her mother was around, she would stop feeling alone. Unbeknownst to how long it had been since her arrival, she got up rubbing the dirt off her jeans and walked down the path she'd learnt to memorize for the last eleven years since her arrival in Eastwood. It was dark and she could barely see the path, her life in Eastwood was a rollercoaster, one that had dinosaurs lurking around aiming to tear her apart especially when they knew she wasn't one of them. Gia was the trouble child in the Harrison family, she was well aware. In a family where everyone had abilities, she was the only one left out. Gia never felt normal even though she was, wasn't she? No supernatural abilities meant she was normal. Being human was great. A groan escaped her lips when she slipped landing straight on her butt. Gia cursed trying to shake off the pain, "f*****g woods" she muttered under her breath. "You look too young to curse out right in the middle of the night." "Jesus!" Gia screeched frightened at the sudden voice. Her heart raced before turning to look at the intruder, his pupils were filled with blue, hair black as coal that twisted at the ends, some of it covering his face. He was dead gorgeous. "She's also a saint it seems," he chuckled. He wasn't well known to her but Gia already found him annoying. "Buzz off." Gia got up rubbing the dirt off her jeans and hands. Her day was bad enough, she didn't need a stranger seeing her state. She turned to face the strange man before her, he was in black leather pants with a wool blend jacket that had inner viscous lining that Gia could see thanks to the little light passing through the trees. The little details and button up not going unnoticed to her. He looked resembled some kind of stand-up medieval actor. "I'm sorry I don't understand your words," he spoke confused. Was he serious? Choosing to ignore him, Gia set off walking opposite his direction towards the main road. Her head was light due to the alcohol in her system, her vission blurry, it was also getting more chilly and her denim jacket wasn't much of a help. The road was silent with no cars passing through it only the howls of the wind passed her ears. Maybe it was the fear, there have been cases of attacks in the forest by what seemed like a dark figure, that is according to what she's heard from students in her school, mostly those who liked to gossip. The night was eerie, the distance to her house usually short felt rather long this time, it's like the road had been stretched. Gia folded her arms rubbing them against the biceps of her arms, the wind whipped her hair from all sides as she walked at the side of the road. The sounds of footsteps bothered her as her attempts to completely turn a deaf ear to the fact that a complete stranger has been following her every step continuously reached her ears. "Can you just stop. Stop following me," she turned to look at the man her voice firm and full of fury. "Um.." he awkwardly rubbed a hand through his hair, "I can't." "Follow someone else," she told glaring at him. "Don't you want to know why I'm following you?" he asked continuing with the same pattern, her on her steps while him tracking them. "I don't care," It's not like he would stop if she knew and probably he might be one of Huxly student's. Did James put him up to this, he was now keeping a babysitter to watch her. This irked her more. She wasn't a child. "I do." She rolled her eyes increasing her pace. "I want to know why I'm here," he stated catching up to her, he faced her blocking her way which peeked her irritation to him, the damned day and to her supposed father. "How am I-" she stopped staring past him a shadowy figure was drawing towards them she blinked looking at the shadow, was it the alcohol or was she really seeing clawed hands reaching out towards them? Her neck hair stood forming goosebumps her heart beats kicking off. It had to be the alcohol. But she needed to be sure it wasn't her hallucination. "Are you seeing that?" The man turned to look at what she was pointing. The figure was so close to them, the claws about to reach for them. "Gia." A voice, familiar to what she could only tell was James's called her name, she turned to see a running James panting, his hands on his knees then standing up and walking towards his daughter who had a frightened look on her face. His hair was messy due to the marathon he'd been doing seeking for the girl. He was worried for his daughter whom he hadn't seen since getting back from the Academy. Gia saw what she knew as The look plastered on his face, he wasn't pleased. She'd given her something somewhat to that in their previous encounter but what was showing on his face told more than his words could. It made her look down, disappointment washing in. "Gia oh god Gia," he pulled her towards him when he was close enough wrapping his arms around her, "I've been so worried when I couldn't find you." "I'm fine dad," She reassured pulling away, her attention back to the ground. The shadow. "Gia-" "Dad," she cut releasing herself from his grasp, "there's something over there, a shadow or someone I don't know," she hurriedly spoke pointing at the spot where the monstrous claw was sighted. Her thoughts ran to what was no longer there, it had disappeared. The sudden departure making her doubt her sanity, was it there? Gia walked for the path. Nothing. There was nothing. No claws. But she saw it! James sniffed the air at the strong smell of alcohol. His eyes scrutinized the girl, her clothes were disorganized filled with different stains, her eyes, bloodshot. "Dad something-" "Was there?" James added his arms flexed together bulging the bicep on his arm. He surveyed the dark forest, an owl stood at one point of the tree much further away from them, but nothing, no human silhouettes. The cold was getting to Gia and so was the alcohol, it took all her strength to support her weight. Gravity felt stronger, it was attacking trying to weigh her down. James glanced back at his daughter. The last couple years weren't all easy on either of them, Gia had grown beautifully, she was rebellious but that was a phase that James hoped would wear out soon. He'd hoped he would protect her but seeing her drunk. "Have you been drinking?" he asked the obvious. "Dad, that's not-" "Answer me Gia?" He held his voice but the authority in that statement weighed more. His question sent a trigger to the anger she'd forgotten, how can he be upset when in one of her important days, he was no where insight. He had no right, no damn right to be questioning her. However, what she saw. "Dad, something was there, I'm not the only one who saw it," she turned to the stranger from the woods, his silhouette closer to where James stood, "he saw it too," she pointed. James searched confused at what her daughter was pointing to. No one was around except them. No figure. Gia watched as James searched. The guy was just in front of him how the hell was he not seeing him. Curious, the guy waved his hands close to his face and shockening, he phased through him living both Gia and him in consternation. What is going on? "Gia, what are you talking about?" Not wanting to seem crazy she walked towards him grabbing his shirt, Gia eyed him then her father, could he really not see him? "Dad, here he is." James in all his years of being the principle of a school full of teenagers has never seen any of them drink to the point they couldn't recognize real from what's not real. She was drunk. She had to be. He looked at her, Gia was holding nothing, her hands were curled tightly grasping the air.