Chapter 2
1697 Words
“Hey Blake, have you noticed how Ann has been acting um differently?” Asked Mia, “Like somethings changed?”
“She seemed fine to me, though she is a lot quieter then usual,”
“See! That’s not fine, something is wrong!” exclaimed Mia, running her hand through her black raven-haired locks. Why wasn’t everyone else worried?
“maybe she is changing her behavior, like you did in ninth grade, you became less violent,” said Blake, trying to calm the girls on growing temper.
“I did but, I’m truly worried about her, it’s this feeling I know that somethings off. Somethings happened to my Ann.”
Silence fell on the two as Mia’s words settled in, and as soon as they came, they were gone.
“Alright I have an idea, lets retrace Ann’s steps that way we will know what she did today, and we can actually see if something bad has happened,” suggested Blake, “Will that put your mind at ease?” he asked.
“Maybe, but its worth a shot yes!” said the girl, giving herself in to the little ray of hope – believing she could fix her, that there was still time.
“You know for a girl whom claims she doesn’t have feelings, you sure care for your friends a lot,” noted the boy a smirk playing on his lips, as the two walked out of the classroom to begin their quest to find what happened to Ann. (With a slap on his head from Mia for that rude comment)
~~~
As the two made their way down the hall of Liesel high, questioning each of their fellow peers on the whereabouts of Ann, and if they had conversed with her throughout the day, they weren’t getting the best of results.
Ann was the stereotypical “shy quiet, very quiet” girl in school, and the rest
of their grade in other classes didn’t even know who she was, well some of them didn’t. This resulted in a little bit of a damper in their plans, because even in a school as big as this, there was not enough people to question. They were at a dead end.
The cloud of despair had slowly begun to loom over the two, its rain of grief already showering down on Mia.
“Hey, wait, where was Ann before she came to talk to you?”
“The council room, it was her and her classes turn to go in there, and this time she decided to go in and waste time,” said Mia, “Why?”
“Dumb girl! Why was I following your dumb butt along, we should have started from there, come on!” Said the boy, his hands wrapping around the girl’s wrist as she tugged her along with him all the way to the witch’s cave. “We may find answers in there!” He exclaimed, halting the cloud of despairs movements in its place – for now.
1.
“Good morning Mr. Adams, Miss Blackwood, how may I assist you today?” Blessed the Witch on the two wandering souls, curtains of light framing her face, shadows soon following in their place, a smile as wide as the Sahara stretched along her face.
“Isn’t your classes appointment with me tomorrow? Oh, I see you both must be those impatient ones whom want to bask in the wisdom of my wonders, right~” she joked, her head tilted back in a silent laugh.
“Not really Miss... we were wondering was Ann acting strange today in your class?” Asked Blake- Mia seemed to have grown quiet suddenly, almost as though she had shrunk back at the sight of the woman. (I sure would)
“Oh? Miss Keys, no she seemed fine as a daisy, she was sitting in that very seat behind you Mr. Adams, quiet as a mouse as usual, and the girl said she had nothing to fear when I asked her what her greatest fear was, preposterous!” Exclaimed the witch with a scoff. “You lot are just kids, that’s why you need these lessons, so I being a good teacher kept her back after the bell rang, and waited patiently till she opened up to me, that’s all.”
Lies, lies LIES! Every single word!
Shut up you stupid wretched demon, monster! Lies!
Don’t just stand there and let her corrupt your brain do something.
She’s a liar! A cheat she hurt your friend! Screamed the voices in the quiet girl’s head as the woman kept going on about how perfect she is, how she wants the best for her students.
“I see. We are sorry for bothering you, goodbye Miss.”
With that the two left her web of lies, fleeing this time from her grasp,
“Maybe it was all in your head Mia, even Mrs., Clayton said Ann was fine so- “
“No.”
“No? Mia talk to me,” he said getting on his knees in front of the girl, taking hold of her hands.
“It was her, that darn teacher! I told you both she was dangerous and, and now she has done something to Ann I just know it!” Cried Mia, opening the doors of grief to stream down her cheek, as Blake supported her through it all, assuring her they would fix this, to not give up.
Don’t give up?
2.
While the search for Ann was going on, Ann herself was busy trying to find answers for some of her own questions, so she ran and hid in the one place she hoped her answers would be – the old school building, in the room of “wisdom.” There wasn’t much books in either of her schools’ libraries to begin with, and all the books that were there almost everyone had read them. The library in the new school building couldn’t even be accessed by some people – one of the many wonders of Liesel high.
Though the main reason she opted for the old school building, was because she knew that no one would think of looking for her there. Not many students go there anymore, neither do some of the teachers, its either the maids who usually venture in there, or examinees coming and going after finishing their exams. It was the perfect place for her.
A place where she could get lost in her own thoughts, questions swarming all around, wrapping themselves around her like a cocoon.
This was her happy place.
Yet today, as she entered the widely spaced rooms, making her way pass the desolate bookshelves perched high on the ground, she didn’t feel at peace here, it felt as though the room itself wanted her gone. Why? She did not know.
She ventured further in, until she finally came face to face – with a blank wall.
Her eyes gazed down, as she rested her head on the wall, face contorted with thought.
‘How long do you plan to be like that? ‘
Spoke a voice, though the voice could be heard all around the room, its main target was her. The words striked through her ears, down to her very core till she finally registered who had spoken. Once again with the same monotonous voice she replied.
“I don’t know what you mean, be like what?”
‘brain dead! dumb girl wake up already,” the voice said coming closer to the girl, still facing the wall.
“I am fine! I’ll tell you the same damn thing I told Mia I’m fine, there is nothing wrong with me.”
‘I will believe you once you say it straight to me.’ Stated the voice now pressed up behind her, its hands turning the girl around.
His eyes met hers in confusion, he could now see why Mia was running around mad asking about Ann, he too could see it; something was off.
Her eyes that once looked at him with love and joy looked dull, lifeless. Afraid.
‘tell me you are fine Ann’
“I. Am. fine. Fabian.” She spoke, her eyes never leaving the boys. “Now will you drop it and just leave me alone?”
‘No'
“Sure, you said you are fine I’ll take your word for it.” With that the boy turned on his heel and left – with no intention of letting this topic drop.
Once more the girl was left alone.
3.
“Well?” asked Blake to the fuming boy, “what happened in there.”
“Fabian?” he asked again.
“It isn’t Ann, it sure as hell doesn’t feel like it is. You should have seen her, her face, that expression, her eyes, she looked so afraid I could see it. As I was about to leave, I could feel her screaming on the inside begging me not to, to stay to not leave her with her demons. Something or someone has done something to her. Awoken something inside her.”
So, it wasn’t Mia being a big worry wart? Noted the boy as his gaze fixed on the girls sleeping form on the club room couch. She looked in pain. His heart ached the time she broke down in his arms, remembering her tears stirred something in him. The ones strong willed girl looked so vulnerable; her heart was open for all to see. Ann had broken down her walls, opened her up to the world, and Mia was certainly not going to lose the person she held most dear.
Little did Blake know that this may be the last time he would ever see her in such a state.
- Writer
