A cool, relaxing breeze flows through the air, moving each strand of your hair. The grass sways and the tree branches quiver.
“Why am I in the middle of a forest?” Standing barefoot in grass, surrounded by trees with no end in sight. The sky is a vibrant yellow orange with a hint of red; you can see the edge of the sun.
“Wake…” A voice carried by the wind. Faint, but able to hear. “Wake…” There it is again. Suddenly, the speed of the wind increases. The force from it is enough to knock you off your feet. In order to avoid falling, you run in the direction the wind is pushing you. Even while running, the wind is still too forceful and it’s hard to maintain balance. “…Up!” The voice is louder than before. You can see a bright light in the distance growing closer. The wind continues to propel you closer to it. Then, just as the light begins to engulf you, the wind comes to an abrupt halt. All you see is pure white slowly fading to…
“Come on _____, wake up!” Your eyes snap open from the loud voice and vigorous shaking. “Finally! You know how long I’ve been trying to wake you? Geez! What time did you go to sleep last night?” Listening to the ramblings, you sit up from bed, stretching every part of your body.
“I went to bed at a decent time,” you reply, “I don’t know why I overslept…”
“Hmph, well you’re lucky to have a friend like me! Otherwise you would have been late on your first day.”
“I know, I know,” You giggle for it’s not the first time she has said that. “Anyways, what time is it?”
“Oh, it’s… 5:30!” You stare at her in disbelief. “What?”
“I’m sorry, but doesn’t school start at 7:30?”
“Yes, it does, why?” The moment she said ‘yes’, you flop back into your bed. “Oh no you don’t!” She grabs you by the leg, dragging you out of bed and onto the floor.
“I wanna sleep,” you complain.
“You can sleep at the end of the day! Right now, breakfast is getting cold.” You sigh in defeat, protesting to stand but do so anyways. “Perfect, get dressed and come down to eat.”
“Okay, I will.” After she leaves the room, you begin changing out of your pajamas. She had already laid out your clothes for school. How thoughtful of her. After changing, you go down the steps, enjoying the smell of a freshly made breakfast. “Wow, breakfast looks delicious, Mom.”
“Hmph, being that I look after you so much, I guess I’m basically your parent.” She raises her head proudly with her hands on her hips. “I’d make an excellent parent if I do say so myself!”
“Really? You’re still in high school and already a mother… Tsk tsk, I expected better from you.”
“Oh shhh, eat your breakfast so you can finish getting ready.” Both of you laugh before you dig into Mallory’s breakfast.
|6:30 AM|
Even after you were ready, you both sat and waited until it was a better time to leave. “Come on, let’s start walking.”
“How long is the walk again?” You finish putting on your shoes and grab your bag.
“Only 10 minutes, so there’s no excuse for you being late!”
“Alright, Mom.”
“Good, and as your mother I demand more respect.” She spins on her heels, chin in the air, and begins walking with sass in her step. A giggle escapes your lips but it’s silent. Mallory has always been like that, all the way from elementary school.
Back in 3rd grade, you recently moved here with your mother. Because of family issues, you became ‘the quiet one.’ No one could hold a conversation with you because you would give one-worded responses. But, for some reason, that didn’t stop Mallory from trying to befriend you. After countless times of ignoring, avoiding, and rejecting her, that didn’t stop her from trying. There was only one reason you’d given her a chance. You found out she ditched her friends just to give you all her time. It was because of that kind act that started your friendship. Thankfully you did, you haven’t regretted it. Since that day, Mallory had always cheered you up, allowing you to open up more. She brought you so many laughs and happy childhood memories with her eccentric personality.
Then, you had to move with your father at the start of 7th grade. You still kept in contact with her though. Mallory would never run out of stories. Even over the internet it still felt like she was by your side. She even helped encourage you to make friends.
But Mallory has her times when she’s ‘persistent.’ One day, you told her about a reserved boy in your math class. Two hours. Every day. For a month. She continually kept bringing him up in your conversations. It all stopped when you finally talked to him. Though, it wasn’t easy since he constantly pushed you away. That only fueled you because you saw yourself within him. He only needed a friend. After 11th grade, you moved back with your mother — and back with Mallory. Now, here you two are, going to school together again.
“Hey, _______, you got your schedule in the mail, right?”
“Um, I don’t think so. My mother enrolled me kinda late in the summer so I should stop by the main office.”
“Ah, okay, we’ll go there first to get your schedule. Then, I’ll show you where your classes are.”
“Thanks, M! You’re always there for me.”
“What kind of friend would I be if I wasn’t? Anyways, here we are, welcome to Fate High School!” Following the direction of Mallory’s hand, your eyes fall upon your new school. It’s a shimmering new building. Students were still attending the old building while the new one was being built. It was knocked down around the middle of their school year. To be honest, it looks more like a work building instead of a school. The glass windows taking up majority of its appearance. Guessing it’s supposed to make students feel more grown and professional. “Done gawking at your new school yet?”
“Um, yea. Hey, M, all these buildings are…”
“Yep, there isn’t just one large building.” Your eyes are captured by the shiny, blue glass windows on the buildings before you. From what you can see, there are a few more buildings next to the main one. They’re connected by overpasses.
“Come on, let’s go grab your schedule and I’ll show you around.”
“Okay. Wait, they just built the school.”
“Yea?”
“You already know where to go?”
“Oh, do you remember when I said I was involved in some summer school activities?” You nod, remembering your past phone conversations. “They were in the new school building, not the old one.” At the end of her sentence, you enter the front doors. The inside is just beautiful. Shiny, clean marble floors, glossy tile walls, and neatly decorated with medium size plants. You take in the sight like a baby seeing their reflection for the first time. It’s nothing compared to the middle and high schools you’ve went to.
“Follow me to the office, it’s 6:42; I want to show you around at least by 6:50.” Mallory guides you to the Main Office. “Go in and ask about your schedule, I’m going to fill up my water bottle at a fountain.” You nod and enter the office. Approaching the front desk, the receptionist appears to be a woman around her early forties or fifties. She has a brown, bob cut hairstyle, pale skin, maroon matte lipstick and red acrylic nails tapping away on the keyboard.
“Um, excuse me.” She stops typing and stares at you with a smile.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you there! What can I help you with?”
“I didn’t receive my schedule in the mail; I’m here to collect a copy of it.”
“What grade are you in?”
“12th”
“Did you previously attend here or are you transferring?”
“Just transferred.”
“Alright, follow me.” She stands from her desk and, oh boy, she’s tall. She walks to the left side of her desk and holds open the swinging door for you. “Follow me down the hall and I’ll introduce you to your counselor.” You close the swinging door behind you and follow.
“Aren’t counselors chosen by last names?”
“It depends on when the student was enrolled and what grade,” she informs you. “The first one to two hundred students are assigned to one counselor and so on. It also depends on grade because some counselors specialize with certain age levels. The counselor you have has worked here for a year and he’s a favorite with 12th graders. He helped five students last year get into their dream college; he helped a few more with organizing their lives. He’s amazing.” You arrive at an office door labeled, “Mr. Bones,” on the semitransparent glass. Due to the voices heard on the other side, the receptionist knocks loudly.
“Come in,” a deep voice speaks from the other side. You notice the receptionist slightly gasps from it.
“Seems like someone has an office crush…”
She opens the door for you. “Sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Bones~, you have another student.”
“Definitely likes him. The way she dragged out his name shows she’s desperate.”
“Ah, come in.” He gestures you to enter his office. Sliding past the love dazed receptionist, you make your way inside. When you see the other student in the office, you assume he’s probably here for the same reason. Since there’s an hour before school starts. “If you could please take a seat, I’ll help you after I’m done with this gentleman.” Mr. Bones has a decent size office. It also has a comforting atmosphere to it.
Mr. Bones’ L-shape desk is on the right side of the office against the wall. Against the wall behind him are 3 filing cabinets, a printer, and a painting. On the left side is a large shelf next to a Starry Night painting. In the right corner is a small cabinet with 2 chairs on each side. The male student Mr. Bones is tending to, is sitting in the chair across from his desk and closer to the small cabinet.
“I guess I’ll sit in the chair closer to Mr. Bones.”
weezer weezer… whoosh!
A paper comes out of the printer. “Well,” Mr. Bones stands from his chair, “here’s your schedule Mr. Kaiser. If you need any more help, don’t hesitate to come down.” He hands the paper to the brown hair boy.
“Thank you, s-sir. Have a nice day.” He takes the paper from Mr. Bones and quickly walks out of the office. His eyes glued to his schedule.
“Now then,” he focuses his attention to you, “As you may already know, my name is Mr. Bones. May I ask for your name?”
“My name is _______.”
“Ah, I was waiting for your arrival.” Mr. Bones returns to his chair. “I’ll print out your schedule in just… a second.”
weezer weezer… whoosh!
“You made a good choice of coming here early.” Once again, he stands from his chair to grab the paper. “That tells me you’re an eager student who just can’t wait to learn!” Smiling, he holds out my schedule.
“Exactly… Not like someone woke me up early…”
You give him an unsure smile with a sarcastic laugh. “Ha-ha, it’s okay, I’m aware how students feel about school. How does it feel now that this year is your last year? Going to college or are you going to start working?”
“Well, I’m not sure yet. Still thinking about what I want to do.”
“And that’s okay but try to come up with something quick. My job is to help you with this kind of stuff.” You nod. “All right, you’re all set. Need help getting around?”
“No, my best friend is going to guide me.”
“Perfect, if you need anything, please don’t be afraid to come here. I’ll help you as best I can.”
“Thank you, Mr. Bones, see you later.” You both shake hands before leaving his office. “Have a nice day,” you wave to the receptionist. She smiles and waves back.
“You got your schedule?” Mallory asks as you’re exiting the main office.
“Yes, I did.” You hold out your schedule for her to see. She stares intensely at the paper.
“Nooooooo!” Mallory screams, throwing her arms into the air in defeat. “Wait!” Before falling to her knees, she takes one last look at your schedule. “Oh, I read it wrong. Yay! For this semester, we have Studio Art together for third block. Then, Global Studies in our 3rdsemester!” Mallory stands properly, fixing her shirt, and regains her cheeky smile. “You’re going to be lost if we don’t start our tour, let’s get started! We have 40 minutes until school starts!” Even though you were going to follow her, Mallory grabs your arm sleeve and drags you behind her at a swift pace.
“I’m most likely going to be exhausted for my first block class, but I think this’ll be an exhilarating experience.”
|7:24 AM|
“That should be enough for today. Those are the basic locations you’ll be utilizing the most for this semester. But, don’t let that stop you from exploring! You can still explore more of the school even without my guidance. This way you get a feel for it yourself. Also, getting to the cafeteria is easy. Once you’re in the Main Building, just follow the signs.” Mallory, for the third time, is guiding you to your first block class. “Do you remember how to get to your second block class?”
“Yep,” you reply confidently, though still bewildered by the school’s structure. “I take the overpass to the main building and then find my way to the science building.”
“That is not what I told you!” Mallory angrily pouts, puffing out both her cheeks and lips. You reassure her that you’re joking, and everything will be fine. The first class of the day is English, a corner classroom on the second floor in the LIT building. From what Mallory has explained so far, the school has 5 buildings, each with 4 floors. The 4 buildings attached to the Main building are named after their primary academic classes taking place: Literature, Science, Social Studies, and Mathematics. You have yet to explore the rest of this massive school.
“Well, here’s your class! Please don’t get lost on your way to your next class! See you later!” Mallory waves before taking off in a light jog down the hall.
“See ya!” You manage to yell before she’s out of sight. Nervousness slowly builds up as you glance at my classroom door.
“Okay _____, let’s get this day over with.”
As you open door, you expected to be stared down by a classroom full of students. Instead, to your surprise, there’s not that many students. For the ones present here are just eyeballing their phones.
“Wow, I’m surprised another student showed up.” A few students glance up from their phones. Looking to the left, the teacher is standing behind a podium. “I don’t do assigned seats so you can sit wherever. Just don’t start any problems and you’ll be fine.” Just like the students, the teacher pulls out his phone and starts tapping away. You scan the room for empty seats. There are a few front row seats available. The desk setup consists of 6 columns and 5 rows, each desk is in pairs. You choose the first-row seat in the 4th column. Not many students are on the right side of the room. The bell rings a few minutes after you take your seat.
“Hmm, well then…” The teacher scans the room. “Only 13 students here? I didn’t realize I had that many seniors with senioritis already.”
“How many students are in this class?” you ask.
“I’m supposed to have 25 students in this class.”
“Wow, half of the class…”
“Are we not going to do anything today?” A student behind me asks.
“It’s not like we’re going to do work. I have a syllabus you need to read over and have signed by your parent or guardian by tomorrow. I’m also going to give a brief summary of what we’ll be doing in class.” The teacher walks around the room passing out papers to each student. “Look it over and then I’ll start explaining. In the meantime, I’ll take attendance… for the ohso many students present right now.” Not too long after, the teacher, Mr. Turner, stands behind his podium and starts explaining our future assignments.
|9:01 AM|
“Have a nice day.” Mr. Turner says right as the bell rings. Now, onwards to the Science Building… if you can remember.
“Where is that building at…?”
You don’t see any signs around, so it just makes navigating more difficult. You ask fellow students for directions, but they just point you down a hall. Each time you reach the end of the hall, you ask a different student for directions.
“Go down this hall and make a left, you’ll be there in no time!” The cheeky boy directs.
“The first gleeful student to actually help me!”
“Thank you so much!” You thank him then speed walk down the hall.
“I need to hurry; I don’t want to be late.”
You reach the end of the hall, make a left, and… “W-what…” All you see is a janitor’s closet.
“He tricked me! That jerk just wanted to confuse me for fun!”
You’re slightly annoyed by the immaturity of some students. “I didn’t want to bother Mallory, but I’m lost. I hope she doesn’t turn her phone off during school…” Suddenly, you feel a hand tightly grip your shoulder.
“What are you doing!” The sudden booming voice causes you to jump, thus losing the grip on your phone.
“I’m not skipping class, I’m lost,” You scream out while fumbling to catch your phone. As you’re trying to catch it, you accidentally slap it higher into the air. Thankfully, the hand behind you swiftly catches it.
“I knew it was you, sorry about that.” Looking behind you, your heart jumps up in excitement!
“Noah!” You trap him in a firm embrace. “You transferred here as well?”
“Yea, my mother has been eager to move for a while. She found a house around this area at the end of eleventh grade.”
“Wait,” everything begins to process, “we were moving to the same area, you didn’t tell me, and then you surprise me by scaring me… You’re so mean!” You release him from the embrace to jab at his stomach multiple times.
“Hey, hey!” He covers his stomach and tries to avoid the jabs. “I said sorry already, _______! Plus, I forgot your mom lives around here.” It’s clear on Noah’s face he’s enjoying this.
“Well you don’t look apologetic! I thought you were a hall monitor or something!” You can hear Noah snicker under his breath. “It’s not funny! You really scared me for a moment…”
“Well, you should be observing your surroundings instead of being on your phone.” Noah waves your phone above your head. You glare into his bright amber eyes then jump towards the phone. Before grazing the corner of it, he pulls it away.
“Quit playing around, Noah, I have to ask my friend for directions.”
“Directions? What class are you heading to?” Noah holds the phone at a level you can grab.
“I have Computer Programming and I can’t find the overpass to the science building. The last guy I asked told me to go this way but it’s a dead end!”
“Hmm, yea, I saw that. What a cheap move to do to someone who’s new. Though, you’re in luck.”
“How so? Please tell me you know the way to my class!” You clasp your hands together and stare into Noah’s eyes with hope.
“It just so happens that I do.”
“Yay! You’re a lifesaver!” Excitement fades after checking the time. “Crap! I only have two minutes to get there! Which way do I go, Noah?”
“Follow me, I’ll show you.” Noah makes his way down the hall.
“You can’t, you’ll be late to your class…”
“Don’t worry about it, you’re the one who doesn’t know your way around the school.”
“Well… if you say so. I just don’t want to be a nuisance to you.”
“_______,” he stops to make eye contact, “you’re not and you never will be a nuisance to me.” Noah bestows upon you his gentle, warm smile. A major improvement from how he was in 7th grade.
“You know, you look breathtakingly charming when you smile like that. You should smile more often.”
“Meh, I’ll think about it.” You playfully punch his arm. The entire walk to class was filled with teasing, joking, and play fighting between you two.
|9:13 AM|
“Here’s the computer lab.” Glancing inside, it seems that the teacher hasn’t started anything. The class is full of students staring at the white board in front of them. After double checking the room number with your schedule, you’re ready.
“Thank you so much for your guidance, Wise Master.” You bring your hands together and bow deeply before Noah.
“It is my job to guide the lost ones to their destined path.” Noah places a hand on his chest and bows too. Once you’re standing upright, you both can’t help but laugh.
“I should be heading in now, hurry up and get to your class.”
“Don’t worry, I am.” You open the door to your classroom, catching every eye in the room.
“What’s your name?” The raspy voice of the teacher catches you by surprise. Even though he’s entering his elderly state of life.
“My name is _______.” The teacher looks over his attendance list.
“Alright, go take a seat. Please make sure you’re not late next time. Now, what’s your name?”
“Um… did he forget alre-“
“My name is Noah.” Hearing that name makes your heart jump.
“So, he has this class too… That’s nice to know now.”
“Alright, go take a seat.” The teacher shoos both of you away. Noah pulls your sleeve towards two empty seats in the front. He takes the seat beside the wall while you sit in between him and a blonde-haired student.
“Is there anything else you can tell me now instead of it being a surprise later?”
“Well, I’m full of surprises, you should know that by now.”
“Alright students, listen up.” The conversation is cut short by the raspy voice teacher. He goes over the activities and expectations he has for the class. Afterwards, he allows us to explore the programs on the computers. You and Noah open Photoshop and mess around with downloaded pictures. With all the jokes being made, class went by quickly. Noah guides you to the cafeteria. It was then you realized you forgot your lunch money. The kind gentleman that he is, Noah shares his packed lunch with you. Having to share lunch only continues the foolery. For thirty minutes. Afterwards, Noah walks you to your next class.
|11:15 AM|
“So, how do you think you’ll do in art class?”
“Pfft, I’m going to rock it. I’ll show you the hidden artist that dwells within me.” You sound confident as you can be.
“I’ll look forward to seeing a muscular stick figure.”
“Hey, have more fate in me!” You playfully punch his arm. In return, he playfully punches back. This exchange lasts until arriving at art class. “Well, this is my class. Thank you for gui-” Before you can finish your sentence, Mallory charges out of the classroom to hug you.
“Good job finding your… way to class.” Midway through her sentence, Mallory acknowledges Noah’s presences.
“My friend Noah helped guide me to my classes.”
“THE Noah?! The big catch I assisted you with?” You can tell Mallory is trying to whisper, but she’s failing miserably. “Hello there, nice to meet you! I’m _______’s best friend, Mallory.” She extends her hand out with a beamingly bright smile.
“Oh no…”
“Hi.” Noah replies immediately after Mallory finished her sentence. He glances at her hand then her eyes. You notice Mallory flinch the moment she locks eyes with his. As warm as his eye color is, they give off an ice cold, menacing feeling. She lets her hand hang freely by her side.
“W-well, we should go sit down before someone else takes our seats, _______.”
“How smart of you. I’ll speak with you another time, _______, have fun.” Before Noah leaves, he gives me that gentle, warm smile he withheld from Mallory.
“See ya later.” You wave him farewell as you enter the classroom with Mallory. Of course, the first thing she asks about is his behavior. You simply tell her that Noah is like that to everyone; including you when you started talking to him. After that, you and Mallory have small chitchat. You both also experiment with art supply after the teacher gave permission. Then, it was off to your last class of the day… Human Anatomy. Luckily, Mallory has a class in the science building too. She’s able to guide you there, after a mini lecture about remembering where your classes are.
|12:57 PM|
“Here’s your last class of the day. Wait here when your class is over then we can walk home together.”
“Alright, see you soon Mallory.” Entering the classroom, the walls are filled with posters of the human body and organs. As well as human sized models. The classroom has eight lab tables, two in the middle and three on both sides of the room. Each table has four stools. If viewing the classroom from the front, you choose the front table on the right side. Students at the other tables seem to be saving seats for their friends. Plus, the brown-haired boy from your counselor’s office is sitting there.
“He seems like a shy type so I can possibly befriend him. I don’t want to go through another ‘Befriend Noah’ mission though…”
“Hello there,” you say to start a conversation, “mind if I sit here?” He seems engrossed in his book to pay you any mind. Listening closely, you can hear him humming a tone.
“I don’t see any wires; he probably has in Bluetooth earbuds.”
You lean over the table to wave within his eyesight. It’s confirmed that he sees you from the way he flinches back.
“S-sorry, I di… didn’t see you there…” His eyes jump around my appearance like a robot analyzing a subject.
“It’s alright, I apologize for surprising you like that. Can I sit here?”
“You… w-wanna sit with me?” His eyes widen to their fullest extent.
“Would that be a problem?” There’s slight disappointment in your voice as you ask him.
“N-n-no?! I mean… no!” First his voice was subtle, but now he turned the volume up midway. “I’m so, so sorry. I’m highly inexperienced with communicating with others… especially girls…”
“Ha, it’s alright. I promise you that I don’t bite, at least not that hard.”
“P-please don’t bite me… I don’t like pain…”
“I won’t, don’t take it so seriously.” The brown-haired boy allows you to sit at his table. You want to ask his name, but he seems more interested in his book and music. After three minutes, the teacher enters the classroom and begins speaking. He’s extremely talkative. Before you knew it, the school bell rings, signaling students to head home. The brown-haired boy zips out of the classroom before you can say goodbye. You can see Mallory standing at the doorway hand signaling you to hurry.
|2:33 PM|
The walk home feels like a pop quiz with all the questions Mallory is asking about today. You reassure her that you enjoy the school and look forward to future activities. You two say your farewells once reaching your house.
“See you bright and early tomorrow morning!” Mallory skips her way down the sidewalk. You giggle in response. You pull out your key to unlock the front door.
“Hey there sweetie, how was school today!?” You’re startled from your mother’s sudden voice. You rush down the foyer to the living room. From there you see your mother standing in the kitchen with a glass of wine.
“It went well, the school is confusing to get around though. I’m glad you’re here, I need you to sign some papers.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you caught me. I was called onto another business trip; I’ll be leaving in the next two hours.”
“Then please refrain yourself from drinking.” You take the wine glass from her and place it in the fridge. You hand her the papers as she’s retrieving a pen from her purse. When she’s done, she begins discussing how her previous business trip was. Since you don’t get to see her too often, you always give her all your attention when she’s here. Two hours fly by in no time. Just like that, she’s gone again for a couple days. You’re in charge of the house chores: dusting, vacuuming, laundry, mopping, dishes and trash.
“I knew I should’ve done all this yesterday…”
|7:54 PM|
You finish up the day with a shower. Double checking that everything downstairs is taken care of; you retreat to your bedroom. Exhausted, your body plops onto the bed. Within seconds, your eyelids slowly begin to close.
“It’s pretty early for me to sleep, but I’ll give my body the rest it needs.”
|~:~~|
“Hey, are you awake?” Your face cringes from the discomfort you’re feeling. “Hey, it must be uncomfortable sleeping on the ground like that.” You slowly open your eyes to a sunny sky.
“Am I… outside? How is it morning already?”
A slight shift creates a sharp pain in your neck. You find your body laying on its right side with your head facing the sky.
“Hey, that must be an uncomfortable position.” You shift your eyes to the direction of the voice. There’s a horse laying down, eating grass as it stares at you. You don’t see anyone else around.
“Did you just-“
“Talk? Yes, I did,” the horse replies then continues eating.
“Alright… I’m lying in dirt, I can’t move my body, and there’s a talking horse.” “She can’t move because her body is still asleep.” Something presses against your right cheek. Rotating your eyes again, you see it’s a black cat elevating its upper body on your cheek.
“Oh, I didn’t think of that. Hang on, I’ll help you up.” The horse stands and comes closer. The cat jumps away and watches from a short distance. The horse bites and pulls you up by your shirt.
“Wake your body up by wiggling.” You do as the cat says until it feels like you’re regaining control of your body. Once you’re able to stand, the horse releases. “Now that you’re up, I’m pretty sure you have some questions.”
“I do… I don’t even know where to start…”
____________________________________
Mallory: Hello there readers! It’s your host, Mallory Walters!
Noah: They can see your name you know.
Mallory: My special guest today is this grumpy mackerel, Noah Sushi Kuroo!
💢Noah: My middle name is NOT sushi!
Mallory: O-oh… my bad! That’s how I remembered it…
Noah: sighs Whatever, I’m done with this joke. Anyways, our job is to sum up the current chapter and give you a brief preview of the next.
Mallory: Hey, you’re stealing my job! I’m the host here!
Noah: This chapter, you’ve reunited with your best friend, endured your way through the maze-like school, and now it’s time for some rest. Oh, not to mention you got to see me again.
Mallory: Helloooooo, are you listening to me!
Noah: Once you fall asleep, you’ll wake up in a completely new world.
Mallory: That’s right, and in that worl-
Noah: There will be animals there so be careful not to get hurt. You’ll also befriend someone in one of your classes. Hopefully, they’ll be a better friend than someone…
Mallory: Huh?! First you won’t let me speak and now you’re calling me a bad friend! Did I do something to you!?
Noah: I’m just protecting my reader from future threats.
Mallory: Future threats?! I’m her best friend and I’ll be by her side till the end! You’re just a salty, raw piece of fish!
Noah: That’s it, you’ve pushed that joke long enough. *reaches for his back pocket*
____________________________________
—— We’ve reached some technical difficulties. Please stay tuned until the issues have been dealt with. Sorry for the inconvenience.——
“As you can already see, I’m a cat.” The cat replies while scratching his ear. “That thing next to you is a horse.” In front of you is a normal size cat, about nine inches tall. Despite his size, his body is similar to that of a bobcat. His fur and ears are black. His paws, belly, muzzle, and fur around his eyes and inner ears are white. A feature that stands out the most are his amber eyes.
“I know that, I just want to know how you can talk.”
“We can talk because you’re allowing us. I don’t know much about it myself, but this is a dream of yours. Many people don’t have control of their dreams so anything could happen.” The cat licks his paw.
“So, this is a dream… my dream. I assume I can’t pinch myself awake, huh?”
“Hmph, nice to know you have some humor.” The cat smirks from my question. “As for how you wake up, I’m entirely unsure. Mayb-“
“I know a way!” The horse that was previously laying down jumps up with energy. “All we have to do is find a white light; it’s like an exit.” Similar to the cat, the horse is also at a normal size. Standing at five feet tall, the horse has a beige coat. She has a mane and her tail is dragging along the ground. Both are a dark violet along with her hooves. She also has long, purple ankle hair.
“Wow looks like the horse can be useful,” The cat mumbles.
“I would appreciate it if you weren’t so rude all the time.” The cat merely looks away as a response. “Anyways, if we find the white light then you should wake up immediately.”
“Would you happen to know where this light is?” The horse tilts her head slightly.
“I’m not sure, the light moved from the last time you were here. Never fear though! I will gladly help you find it! With my speed we’ll find it in no time!”
“Don’t go looking for it this early,” the black cat jumps in. “_______, do you remember the last time you were here? It was yesterday.” It didn’t take much effort to remember the dream from yesterday.
“Yes, I was in the middle of the woods like I am now.”
“Any other details you remember?”
“Hmm… the sun was setting, the wind was forceful, and I could hear someone’s voice waking me. When I woke up it was my best friend calling out to me.”
“Alright,” The cat cuts me off, “The only part I needed to hear was the time of day. Take note, the sun was setting so that means the moon was coming. Where is the sun now? What color is the sky?”
“Oh, I know!” The horse is eagerly hopping side-to-side. “The sun is shining above us in the light blue sky!”
“Wow, you can actually be intelligent when you want to be.” The cat comments rudely. The horse pouts as she lays on her side.
“Why are you so mean to her?” Just as I’m about to comfort the horse, the cat jumps off the rock in front of me.
“It’s simple, she’s not bright so that means she’ll make dumb decisions. It’s best if you stay away from her or else, you’ll suffer her consequences.” The cat turns his head to glare at the horse. “Instead, follow me, walking around will waste majority of the day. Oh, I didn’t finish explaining. Ahem. When it’s daytime in here it’s nighttime in the real world and vice versa. If you were to find the light now, you might wake up earlier than usual in the real world. Understand?”
“Then can you explain the wind that was pushing me around the last time?”
“Hmm… I think I might know. As you said before, your best friend was calling out to you, correct?” I nod. “And you heard her voice…” The cat mumbles as he stares at the grass. “Was your friend making any contact with you at all?”
“Um, yes, she was shaking me like crazy.”
“That might be it! Since she was shaking you it was forcing you to wake up. As you were slowly waking up, you could hear her voice and your dream had to force you out.” Putting what the cat said into play, it does make sense.
“I think you may be right.”
“Hmph, of course I am,” The cat smirks with confidence, “You wouldn’t get high level of intelligence with this horse.” After he said that, the horse springs up and slams its hooves into the ground.
“I’m tired of you always picking on me! If I’m so much of a nuisance, why don’t you just avoid me!”
“Simple,” the cat takes a break to lick his paw, “if I’m not around you’ll get _____in trouble. So technically, I’m following _____and you just happen to be here.” The two lock eyes and glare at each other.
“Stop,” I step between the two, “You two obviously need space. Why don’t you guys go do something away from each other. Actually, what do you guys do when I’m not here?”
“Sleep, since you leave at night and there isn’t much to do.” The horse replies.
“I mainly travel around the forest.” The cat says.
“Wow, there’s no one else here?” The two shake their heads. “Since I’ll be staying here until sunset, let’s do something in the meantime. The horse perks up and begins bouncing in place.
“I have a great idea! How about we play tag!? We’ll be running around, and it might increase our chances of finding the light!”
“That’s a good idea. It’ll be killing two birds with one stone.”
“I know, right?! I’m glad you see it as a good idea unlike someone.” The horse side glances at the cat.
“I didn’t comment against it. Just know I’ll be following behind _____so she’ll be safe.”
“How much will you be able to do? I’m ten times bigger than you!” The horse stiffens her posture and holds her head up high.
“Technically you’re only about five feet taller than me. I’m sure I can protect _____better than what you could!” The cat enters a defensive stance. The two are staring each other down once again.
“Knock it off! Can we just do something to past time? What would I get hurt by anyways?” The horse relaxes but the cat is still on the defensive.
“Go on and play, just know I’ll be following behind you. I’ll never trust that thing with your safety.” The horse scoffs and the cat hisses.
‘I don’t understand why they hate each other… At the same time, I don’t want to get into it.’
“Alright, _____, let’s play hind-and-seek tag!” The horse begins bouncing in place.
“Umm… I think that’ll be too much of a challenge…”
“Why?” The horse mumbles in a pouty tone.
“If I’m it, it’ll be impossible for me to catch you… you’re a horse. If you’re it, you’ll catch me pretty quick because… you’re a horse.”
“Hmm,” The horse takes her time to think, “so if I wasn’t a horse we could play. How about I not be a horse?”
“You can change into a different animal!?” My eyes light up in fascination.
“Not physically, but I can pretend to be a bird if I wanted to!” At that moment, I could feel my excitement slowly crumbling. “Let’s get started! I’ll be a dog!”
“Dogs can also run quickly.”
“An ostrich!”
“Are you serious?”
“How about a lion?” Seeing how serious she is, you cover your eyes and slowly shake your head. “Fine! I’ll be a horse but… a slow one.”
“You went through all that when you could just avoid chasing her at full speed.” The cat speaks his thoughts on the matter.
“Just go away, you’re making this game unpleasant for both of us.” The cat scoffs as the horse stretches her hind legs. “I’ll give you twenty seconds of a head start before I come to get you! Get ready… go!” You jog off deeper into the woods. “You have to run faster than that!” You pick up the pace, breaking from a light jog into a full sprint. This activity is to pass time while searching for the white light. After 20 seconds have past, you could hear the pounding of hooves from behind.
“If I get tagged, I’ll never catch her, even if she isn’t running.”
Looking around, you notice a tall rock tipped over. It would be laying on the ground if it wasn’t caught on a tree. You decide to take advantage of the leaning stone. You carefully slide down the short, but steep, muddy slope and hide under the rock. A couple minutes go by, nervousness increasing, anticipating that the horse will startle you. Thankfully your patience pays off. Your ears pick up the familiar sound of heaving hooves slamming against the ground.
“_______, where are you~?” The horse whispers. She repeats multiple times; each time her voice quieter than the last. Peering from around the rock, you catch the sight of the horse slowly shrinking into the distance. You take this opportunity to run off in the opposite direction.
“Hopefully she doesn’t wonder too far, this would be too easy.”
After running for a few minutes, you lessen your pace. You hadn’t noticed before how soft the grass was against your bare feet. It was quiet. No wind blowing and no birds chirping. Hard to call it relaxing with the anticipation of the horse jumping out. Her hooves may be heavy, but she might try to walk lighter. You glance behind you to make sure she wasn’t in sight. “The main purpose of this is to find the light. Until she finds her way back towards me, I need to stay attentive to my surroundings.” Just then something with some weight to it lands on your shoulder. Out of surprise, you spin in attempt to get it off.
“Wah! Relax!” It was the cat. Even though he was just as surprised as you he still lands on his feet. “I wasn’t expecting you to react like that.” The cat regains his composure; extending his legs and arcing his back.
“What was the purpose of you jumping onto me without any warning?” You ask the cat as he finishes stretching.
“You looked lost in thought so I decided to give you a wakeup call. Plus, you’re on your own and I wanted this time to spend with you.”
“You want to spend time with me? Doing what?”
“It doesn’t have to be a child’s game, such as the one you’re playing. We could just… talk, get to know each other more. Oh, by the way, the horse is making her way back here so we should get moving. Follow me and I can show you to a trail. Might be able to find the light while we’re at it.” The cat hops into a cluster of bushes. You stare in his direction before climbing in yourself.
“This just might work out better. I should focus more on finding the light anyways.”
You and the cat were moving through the eight buses. “You’re lucky you’re a cat,” you comment. At first it was hard crawling through the bushes but walking through isn’t much easier. You struggle with the bushes hitting and scratching your face and hands. “Could you slow down, please.” The cat is having no problem with navigating through the dense bushes.
“We’re almost out, hang in there.” A few seconds after he says that, you notice the bushes beginning to thin out.
“Finally, it’s about time.” You quicken your pace to match the cat’s.
“Be careful, I don’t want you- ” You feel your foot slip causing your reflections to kick into action. Sadly, this is a force your body can’t stop. “_______!” You hear the cat call out your name as your body tumbles down the steep dirt hill. Your eyes shut the moment dirt makes contact with your pupils.
Splash!
Seconds ago, your hands were burning but now they’re cold. In fact, your body is cold. Unable to breathe, you identify the cold surroundings as water. You begin swimming to the top for air. You emerge from the water. Wiping the water from your eyes to look at your surroundings.
“Are you alright!? I told you to be careful!” The cat, pacing side to side from nervousness, looks down at you from the top of the hill.
“I’m fine,” you reply, “sorry, I wasn’t listening.” As you’re staying above water, you notice that you’re flowing away from the cat.
“Swim to the side or else the current will push you away.” You do as the cat advises. Being that the hill is steep the most you could do is press your upper body against the dirt.
“Any ideas on how to get me out of here?” You glance up at the cat for a response. You both lock eyes before the cat takes off. “Ah-” You stop yourself from calling out.
“I highly doubt he would just leave me here… I’ll wait.”
Until the cat returns, you focus on preventing your body from flowing with the current.
A few minutes feel like they’re turning into an hour. You shiver as your body struggles to create warmth. Your upper body wrapped in wet clothes as your lower body is still submerged. A few reasons as to why the cat vanished without saying anything pop into mind. None of the reasons you think of are relaxing. You look left and then right. Both ends of the river don’t have an end in sight. Now there are two options to weight out.
“Wait for the cat, whenever that’ll be, and have less time to find the light. Or, go with the flow, literally, and possible find flat land.”
The thought of getting out of the water is put on higher priority. You push your body into the water and start swimming. Thankfully there aren’t any rocks and the current aren’t too strong. It doesn’t take much effort to swim. You’re mostly riding the waves; like surfing but without the board. Glancing at the sky, you see it’s beginning to yellow.
“Seems like time moves faster in here. I feel like it hasn’t been that long.”
The sound of rumbling makes itself known. The current picks up speed; pulling you faster down the river. You panic as it’s difficult to swim against the current. As the current continues to accelerate the rumbling sound gets louder. Just as the river turns the corner you begin swimming with your remaining energy. The rumbling sound was coming from a waterfall. Not sure how high nor what’s at the bottom. Swimming proves to be ineffective. No matter how hard you kick and paddle you’re steadily inching closer to the edge.
“Hey! Catch!” A vine lands in front of you. “Grab it, _______!” You desperately reach for the vine, and successfully grab it. But the currents continue pushing you away. “Hurry up and pull!” The cat snaps at the horse. You can feel the tension from the other end of the vine. The horse reverses slowly, pulling the vine along with her. Even with a great amount of water hitting your face, you feel relieved. Your legs are able to recover from the amount of vigorous kicking you had done. You feel safe given the opportunity to get out of the water and away from the waterfall. “Come on, come on, pull faster!” The horse quickens her pace with a pained expression.
“Tis vine taste disgusting.” The horse complains.
“Then hold your tongue back!” The cat snaps, clearly irritated.
“You’re not ta one wit a vine in your nouth, are ya? I just need a wittle… break.” She releases the vines from her mouth.
“She’ll fall, grab them!” She reaches down to bite the vines.
Snap!
Out of rush, the horse bites down hard on the tangled vines. Her teeth cut straight through the vines.
“You idiot!” The cat screams. His expression towards the horse is anger, but towards you his face is filled with concern and fear. “Hold your breath, _______!” You inhale the max amount of air your lungs can hold. You feel your body being pushed by the water. Towards the waterfall at a rapid rate. There’s a mixture between cold water and cold air colliding against your body. Until…
Splash!
It’s nothing but cold water once again. Surprisingly, there wasn’t any pain. You open your eyes to the crystal, blue water within view.
“That wasn’t… too bad. But I need air!”
You swim to the top, breaking through the surface.
“You’re alive!” The cat cries out cheerfully. Not only is his voice more distant, it’s harder to hear because of the waterfall. You’ve landed in a large body of water. The best part is that the currents have significantly lessen and the ground is at an accessible level. Looking at the waterfall, you freeze.
“Sorry about that, _______, won’t happen again!”
“What do you mean ‘again?’ This won’t happen again and if it does, I won’t be calling you for help!”
“You’re a mean little cat! I believe black cats are bad luck, so this happened because of you!”
“I’m bad luck? Everything you interact with falls apart! Even if it was my fault she fell into the water, it would’ve been your fault if she’d gotten hurt! You had one job of pulling her out of the water and you failed.” While the cat and horse are bickering, you’ve gotten out of the water and started making your way behind the waterfall.
“Don’t you agree with me, _______?!” The two said in unison. They stop and stare as you slowly disappear behind the waterfall.
“_______, don’t drown!”
“Shut up, hoover-brain, she’s behind the waterfall not in it. If she doesn’t come out in a few minutes, then she probably found the light.”
“But what if she didn’t find the light?”
“Then she might be hurt. You’ll have to jump down there and see if she’s al-.” The horse picks the cat up by his neck and throws him to the bottom of the waterfall. On the way down the cat hisses until he hits the water.
“Nah, water isn’t really my thing! I think it suits you better!” Just then a bright, white light radiates from the waterfall. “Woah, the cat was right.” The grows larger by the second engulfing everything. The horse closes her eyes as the cat is flailing around in the water.
Your eyes pop open in a flash.
“Ahhh!” Mallory springs back from your unexpected awakening. “I knew you were awake! Your eyes and nose were twitching. I should’ve scared you when I had the chance.” Mallory made a pouty face from her defeat.
“Actually,” you stretch your way out of bed, “if you did that you would’ve made my dream so much easier.”
“Aww, did you have a bad dream?”
“You… could say that.” Mallory gives you a pat on the back.
“I think school will fully wake you up. Now hurry up so we can get there. Clothes are laid out and breakfast is ready.” You’re up preparing for school just about the same as yesterday.
|9:09 AM|
Following the same directions from yesterday was a little difficult. But you arrived at your computer science class only two minutes late.
“There you are, I was just about to come looking for you.” Noah smirks as you’re taking your seat.
“I’m getting better at navigating for my second day.”
“Really? So, should I just ignore the part of you following me?” You nervously laugh off your attempted sneaking. The teacher interrupts everyone’s conversation to commence class. He hands out assigned numbered books and instructs students to read chapter one section one to five. Ten minutes into reading, you notice Noah on his phone.
“Someone’s not doing their work~,” you whisper and tease. Noah quickly puts his phone away while glaring at you. You stick out your tongue as a way to pacify him. Five minutes go by and he’s on his phone again. From what you know about Noah, he always completes his work without distractions. Seeing him on his phone this much is out of character. You turn to look at him, but he raises his book to block your gaze. Another five minutes go by and Noah growls under his breathe. Out of concern you nudge him.
“I’m trying to work,” he says clearly irritated.
“Sounds like your phone is creating more work for you,” you try to make him smile. “Is everything okay? You’re getting upset.” Noah lets out a long but quiet sigh.
“Just my friend being annoying as usual.”
“You took my advice and made a friend!?” Noah places his index finger on his lips. A few students looked up to the noise.
“Just so that you’re aware, I’ve known him before I met you.”
“You said I was the only friend you’ve made.”
“That’s because you’re not annoying like he is. To make matters worse he’s trying to come here.”
“You do realize that he might not have the same classes as you?”
“I’m aware of that but,” Noah pauses, “I’m in control if he comes here or not.” Your face expresses your confusion. “He’s asking if he can stay at my house for a while. He doesn’t have a place to stay at so he could attend school.”
“Are you going to help him?”
“My mother isn’t too fond of him because he gets me into trouble. Plus, I don’t want to anyways.” Noah turns off his phone.
“You make him sound like a nuisance.”
“He is,” Noah says firmly, “everywhere he goes he brings problems with him. He leeches off of others and doesn’t pay them back. Don’t want to have that in my life nor at school.” Just the thought causes Noah’s fist to clench. The conversation falls flat with silence.
“You should start reading; you’re twenty minutes behind.” You smile but Noah’s expression doesn’t budge. Pinching his cheek does the trick though. His body seems to relax as you both lock eyes before continuing to read.
|1:00 PM|
Just as you’re making your way through the door, you spot familiar brown hair. But, also foreign red hair in the seat next to you. The brown-haired boy glances up and gives a slight smile. You take your seat which attracts the attention of the red haired.
“Why hello there. So, you’re my next seat neighbor. Nice to meet you my name is Lu.” He offers his hand for a handshake that you accept.
“_______, it’s nice to meet you. Did you just transfer here as well?”
“No, I live in this area I just completely forgot school started yesterday. I planned a family trip and the moment I remembered, we had to come back home.”
“Oh, that’s unfortunate to hear. How long were you supposed to be on vacation?”
“At least one more week. We only got to enjoy three days of it.”
“Wow, did you get your money back at least?”
“That’s why we pay day by day, just in case of emergencies like this one. Seems as though I’ve held your attention for too long. He’s eagerly waiting to say something to you.” Looking across from you, the brown-haired boy is fidgeting while avoiding eye contact.
“What, n-no,” he stutters as the attention suddenly shifts to him. “W-well, I mean y-yes, I just wanted to say h-h-hi, g-good afternoon. M-my name is… Samael” He stares down at the table as if he has been scolded.
“You have quite the stuttering problem. Is it hereditary or are you socially awkward?”
“He’s just shy,” you say in his defense.
“Socially awkward, understood. Have you known him long or did you just meet him yesterday?”
“I met him yester-“
“You feel comfortable speaking for him as if you know him? Does he?”
“I’m trying to know him better, plus I’ve dealt with this situation before.”
“Applying past experience with current experience, how’s that working out for you?”
“It takes time.” Your voice is stern, to enforce what you’ve said. Lu chuckles as you stare at him.
“Relax, doll, I’m only testing you. I recommend opening up to her, boy, seems like she’ll be an excellent friend.” Lu speaks to Samael, but he continues to stare at the table.
“His name is Samael. Good afternoon to you as well, Sam.” He continues to look at the table, but you see his cheeks blush and a smile.
“Nice to meet you Sammy, I hope we can be great friends too!” The teacher enters the classroom and asks everyone to settle down. You and Lu turn around to pay attention to the teacher. “My apologies again about that. Will you forgive me, _______?” He whispers.
“Sure, just don’t test me again, alright?” Lu smiles brightly from your response. The teacher explains the material the class will be going over. He begins assigning textbooks along with school laptops.
|2:25 PM|
Class went by pretty quickly. With five minutes left before the bell, the teacher allows students to start packing up. Afterall, today’s class was going over what websites everyone should utilize and formatting writing assignments.
“This school year is going to be an interesting one,” says Lu.
“How can you tell so soon?” You’re placing your bag on your back as you ask this.
“I foresee a possible future, a few actually. But I guess it is too soon to say. Either way… I look forward to the possible future I’m thinking of!” The bell rings at the end of his sentence. “Hope to see you tomorrow, Samael and _______!” With that Lu leaves the classroom.
“He seems… weird.” You’re surprised to see Samael still here.
“Oh, I thought you left already. I do agree with you about Lu. Could just be his personality you know?”
“You’re right. O-oh, and I’m sorry about yesterday. I only rushed out because I was scared of you. But you do seem to care. Well, unless you’re doing that to just win my trust…”
“Of course not, I’ve went through the same situation with another friend. He was quiet and reserved just like you, but I gained his trust. So, if you’d like a friend, I’m here.” His eyes lock with yours then nods. You follow behind Samael as you both leave the classroom.
“Ready to get going?” Mallory pops up beside you in the hall.
“Yea, ready to go home and relax.”
“Oh, please, you’re acting like today was filled with work. Today was just gathering information for our classes.”
“Now I need to go home and let it all settle.” With Mallory, both of you head home for the day. Mallory walks to your house before parting ways for the day.
|9:47 PM|
After eating some leftovers left by mother before she left, you finish the dishes and head upstairs. A shower is a nice, relaxing way to end the day. That is until you remembered the dream.
“That was the second time I’ve experienced that… hopefully it doesn’t happen again. If it does, what happens if I don’t find the light?”
The question lingers in your head as you stare at the ceiling from your bed. Feeling unsettled to close your eyes and sleep. But, eventually, drowsiness wins the battle.
“Welcome back.” Your eyes shoot open, nothing but a blue sky in view. The grass tickling your body is accompanied by the smell of water.
“And… it’s happening again…”
You lift yourself up from the grass to take in the familiar environment. All too familiar.
“That’s th-“
“Waterfall,” the cat finishes for you. “Yep, that’s the one you fell down yesterday. Now I discovered something after you left.”
“Wait,” you interrupt the cat, “where’s the horse?” Just then the horse springs out of the water.
“That was refreshing you’re just not loving it enough.” The cat hisses at the horse.
“As I was saying, ahem, the horse threw me into the water after you.” He glares at the horse. “But you already left when I entered the water.”
“When you went into the light, everything turned white! I couldn’t see anything!”
“Me neither plus you threw me into water! I should sound more freaked out than you!” The two are back at it again with clashing heads. You pick up the cat and start petting him to soothe his anger. After a few strokes, the cat closes his eyes and starts purring.
“Are you calm?” The cat nods to your question. You place the cat back on the ground so he can finish speaking.
“After the flash, I went behind the waterfall and found you sleeping. When I tried to wake you, I was blown back. When you enter the light, your body remains here but protected by a white barrier. We couldn’t make contact with you at all.”
“If I was behind the waterfall, why am I on land now?”
“I stayed beside you the entire night. When the sun started rising the barrier disappeared and you started fidgeting. That’ s when I told the horse to move you.” You ponder the new information given to you.
“Why are you making it seem like it’s important?” The horse asks as she rolls around in the grass. “I don’t see the importance of it.”
“That’s because you don’t see the importance in anything that isn’t fun. As it ever crossed your mind if there’s anyone else in here? Not only that, but are they friendly? That white barrier pushes away anything that tries to come in contact with her. What if that means something or someone might try to attack her?”
“Then we stop them!” The horse stands and puffs out her chest with confidence. “Don’t worry, _______, we’re your guardian spirits! We’ll protect you from anything! Am I right, cat?” You and the horse look at the cat that’s looking somewhere else. He’s staring intently at the bushes in a defensive stance.
“Are you alright?” His body doesn’t even twitch. You reach your hand out to touch him.
Rustle!
But you freeze. The horse puts herself between you and the bushes.
Rustle!
“Quit hiding and get out here already.” The rustling bushes stop. “You there?” The horse asks as she approaches the bushes with zero caution.
“Stop!” Not sure whether it was the horse approaching or the cat yelling, but the creature takes off deeper into the bushes. “Damn you, hoover-brain!” The cat darts off after the creature. The horse looks at you dumbfounded unaware of what she did.
____________________________________
Mallory: Hello, hello, hello! Welcome back to after scene clips! Well, I haven’t thought of a name yet… but I will soon! Today’s special guest is the shy boy, Samael!
Samael: *waves*
Mallory: You have to show some excitement!
Samael: *shakes head*
Mallory: Alright, I’ll give you show time to warm up. I like to think that today was pretty simple. Minus that scary event with the waterfall! I was so scared reading that part, were you?! I would’ve fainted before I fell over the waterfall… It did lead you to the light though. Make sure you don’t scare me again! Open your eyes slowly next time.
Samael: *looking around awkwardly*
Mallory: You learned three new things this time around. The light becomes body armor, you learned Samael’s name is Samael, and that *cough*Noah*cough* has a friend. I think it was in that order.
Samael: *watching in terror as Noah is sneaking up behind Mallory*
Mallory: You also met someone new, Lu! I wanna meet him too so don’t be stingy. I wanna get to know him… Anyways, you’re back in that dream. Better get used to it sooner than later. But I think your focus should be on what’s running around in those bushes! Cat! Horse! Protect my best friend with your lives! Wait, if we’re ending in the dream then that means the light barrier comes last. I’ll think more on it later. Oh, nearly forgot about the next scene! You’re getting use to your classes as time goes on. But you’re not getting anywhere with this guy from small talk. Samael, you better get ready because you’re gonna have a fun time! Have anything to add?
Samael: *stares at Mallory*
Mallory: *stares back*
Samael: *shifts view from Mallory to Noah and vice versa*
Mallory: *feeling uncomfortable from the staring*
____________________________________
— Cutting off due to excessive amount of awkward staring. —
“Should I chase after him?” The horse anxiously paces back and forth. “What if it actually turns out to be some huge monster that can shrink and grow!?”
“If that’s the case, I’m sure… Cat… can make it.”
“Thinking about it, don’t they have names?”
“Grr! This is so suspenseful!” The horse begins stomping her hooves, leaving U-shaped prints in the dirt. “I’m just going to charge in there!” The horse slowly backs up preparing to run in.
“No, let’s wait.”
“Why?! He could be in danger.”
“He could also have it cornered. If you go in there you might throw him off. He is a cat; they have hunting instincts.” The horse looks displease but unwinds.
“I’ll give him two minutes or else I’m going in.”
“Even though you two fight, it’s nice to see that you care for him.”
“It’s only because he’s the only one in here with me. If you could stay here, then I would only talk to you.” Just then a yelp echoes from within the forest. “Cat!?” The horse is on high alert. “We have to go in!” You quickly nod your head and run into the woods with the horse.
“Cat!” You exclaim. You stay close behind the horse, who’s maintaining a certain pace to make sure you keep up. The horse’s ears perking up indicates the horse spotted something.
“There you are! Are you alright?!” The cat is laying on his side, rubbing his face.
“Relax, I’m fine. That thing just caught me off guard.” As the cat is standing, he tumbles over. “Been awhile since I’ve ran so much…”
“You saw it? What does it look like?”
“Yes and no. There is something running around but it doesn’t have a solid form.”
“You must be dizzy from all that running,” the horse comments.
“What I saw was a transparent shape. Like a ghost but able to touch. The thing jabbed me in my eye.” You kneel down and softly rub the cat’s eye.
“If it’s a ghost… then… is it going to eat us?!” The horse frantically looks around. “_______, do I look tasty or do you think it doesn’t like horse?”
“That would be a blessing if it eats you,” the cat comments.
“How could you say that after I decided to come in here to save you! I just put my life on the line!”
“You could’ve stay behind if you were going to complain about it. All I need is _______.” He rubs his head against your hand, purring softly.
Rustle!
All three of you snap your heads in the direction of the noise.
“Oh no! It’s here! I don’t wanna be eaten!” The cat takes guard in front of you while the horse cowards behind. Time feels slow as you all wait for the creature to make a move. But nothing happens. “Is it still there?” The horse whispers with fear prominent in her voice. The cat takes a few steps, but you stop him. His eye grows wide as you approach the bush.
“Hello little fella, you are still there, right?” The slight rustle counts as a yes. “Please don’t be scarred. We don’t mean to scare you. We’re just curious as to what you’re doing.” You slowly kneel in front of the bush. “If you please come out, we can get to know you better.” Ever so slowly, a small, white paw pokes out of the bush. That’s all you can see. As more of the creature emerges, you understand what Cat was talking about. The rest of creature looks like the reflection of a bubble. It’s a being without a form. “Are you-“
“It’s an alien!” The horse scares the creature back into the bushes.
“What the hell is wrong with you!?” The cat furiously yells at the horse.
“It was slowly sneaking up to eat her!” You sigh and listen to the creature running deeper into the thick bushes. Just then, an idea pops into your head.
“It keeps running in that direction. Do you think it has a place it stays at or something?”
“Like a specific place it sleeps? Impossible. We don’t have a specific spot where we sleep.”
“Coming back here, I wasn’t too far from the light. Why did you two stay near it?”
“Well,” the horse starts, “when you went through the light, we got extremely tired.”
“I nearly drowned from this idiot,” the cat grumbles.
“So, when I leave you both get drowsy. The creature has to get sleepy too.”
“If it gets sleepy, then it has to sleep somewhere. But it can’t be near us since it’s scared of us. Mainly the horse.”
“Hey!” The cat ignores the horse.
“It seems comfortable approaching you, so its focus isn’t on us.”
“Really?! So, we’re safe?!” The horse jumps around in victory. “That’s bad for you, _______, but a huge relief for me!”
“Ahem, as I was saying. It’s probably stalking you and we’re just in the way. Once you leave, it has no reason to stay around.”
“So, it has to go somewhere away from you two to feel safe. I say we follow it.”
“You are out of your mind! It could be a trap!” Even though the horse protests the idea the cat steps closer to you. You smile at each other then pick him up.
“While we’re gone make yourself useful and find the light.” The cat instructs the horse.
“Pfft, that idea is dangerous. Why would… wait… I’m alone… what if this is a trap?! No, Cat said it wants _______… but we don’t know that! Wait for me!” The walk was long, filled with complaints and arguments between the cat and horse. Fortunately, it wasn’t for nothing. Following the direction of the rustling led you towards the light.
“I don’t hear anything…” After placing the cat on the ground, he cranes his head all around. Tail stiff, ears erect, and his body frozen except for his head. The horse is also observing the environment, but her shivering indicates it’s out of fear. “_______, you should hurry through the light.”
“Yea, you will be safe, right? You did say it’s after me.”
“True, but if you’re not here then we’re the only ones left!” The horse is quivering more than before.
“Relax, will you. For all we know that thing has probably been in here yesterday without us knowing. It hasn’t attacked before and it might not now.” The horse hangs her head out of defeat. Then, she jumps from the rustling of the bush behind her.
“It’s nice you stopped by to say goodbye. When I come back, I hope you won’t be hiding in the bushes.” The white paw from earlier pokes out of the bush then quickly darts back in. “Take your time, I know it’s scary to leave your comfort zone. Just know that these guys don’t want to hurt you. They want to get to know you just like I do.” The bushes were still, but you know it’s taking in what you’re saying. You wave at the horse and cat before the light engulfs your sight.
|6:00 AM|
You wake to the sound of annoying beeping. Along with the smell of food traveling up the stairs into your room. Just as you’re throwing your legs over the side of your bed, you can hear the creaking sound from your stairs.
“_______, did you wake up from the alarm?”
“Yea, I’m up.”
“Good, hurry up and get ready!” Mallory heads back downstairs. Your morning follows through like the last two. Mallory’s babbling included. You can already feel the pattern of what your morning routine will be like. As well as your school pattern. Wake up, school, come home, then have a weird dream. You were kind of hoping you would catch a break from it. Sadly, the moment you closed your eyes in bed, they would open to the view of the sky. You can even feel the pattern in your dream.
Just like a blink of the eye, time flies by. You awaken from the in-depth dream once again. Mallory always there glaring down upon you. It has been like this for 4 weeks so far. Even with the cat and the horse there, it always plays out the same. Find the light while trying to find out what’s lurking in the bushes. Absolutely no progress has been made with that. Mallory is there to make breakfast while you get ready. If there’s anything that wasn’t same, it has to be your classmates. Noah, who’s still fun and kind to you, seems to be more irritated with each passing day. You’re sure it’s because of this friend of his. An upside is you’re getting to know Samael a little more. Even if Lu does majority of the talking, Samael feels comfortable pitching in small portions. As long as he’s not focused on his work. But he still dashes out the door at the end of class.
|11:14 AM|
It’s currently Friday of the fourth week. Nearly halfway through the first quarter. You’re at lunch with Noah. It’s understandable that he was getting irritated for the past weeks, but today… he’s quiet. He only hums as a response. When you try to cheer him up, he politely declines. Something happened with that friend of his to set him to this mood.
“Hey, Noah, I know this is a sensitive topic…”
“But it’ll help to talk about it?” He finishes the rest of the sentence. “There isn’t much to talk about.”
“If there wasn’t anything then you wouldn’t be bothered like you are now.” He simply stares at you. The bell rings and he stands, ready to leave. He may seem annoyed, but he’s still kind. Walking you to your class, Art, like he always has. “Thank you for traveling with me.” He hums as a response. “Noah, regardless of what happens, I’m here with you.”
“I know, thank you, _______.” Noah heads off to his class and you head into yours. Mallory always makes sure your entrance never goes unnoticed.
|12:31 PM|
“So, _______, how has your shy friend been?”
“Samael is still inside his shell. But, over the past two weeks, he started to notice my presence. Before he’d get scared because he didn’t know I was there.”
“Aww, he sounds like a frightened puppy.”
“Funny, Lu made the same comparison.”
“Who’s Lu again?”
“The happy boy I sit next to.”
“Oh yeah, what’s he like?”
“He’s nice periodically. He’s kind of trying to help Sam warm up. But sometimes he brutally honest and that upsets Sam. The little progress I make gets taken away when Lu jumps in.”
“Hmm, sounds like you’re socializing with Lu more than Sam.”
“I don’t think so. I got Sam to the point where he chips into our conversations, even if it’s a few words. It’s kind of hard since the only time I can talk to him is in class. It’s even harder when he focuses on his work until it’s time to leave.”
“Did you try to get his number?”
“I didn’t ask for it directly, brought it up in a conversation, but he didn’t like the idea regardless.”
“Invite him to hang out with you after school.”
“Where?”
“What about hanging out at a park or library? Those sound like places he’ll enjoy.”
“Those sound like places for him to get focused on homework or a book.”
“Hmmm, well there’s a carnival going on tomorrow. I was going to drag you along, but you can probably bring Sammy too.”
“I’m sure he’ll be uncomfortable around a crowd.”
“There’s always crowd in the hallways when switching classes.”
“Yea, but in order for him to keep his grades up, he puts up with it to get to his classes. School is mandatory to him while the carnival is optional.”
“Just try it! He probably never been to a carnival and he might enjoy it.” Knowing Samael’s personality, you can guess what will happen. But Mallory does come up with good ideas from time to time.
“Okay, I’ll bring it up but it’s no guarantee.”
“Hmph, we’ll see about that.” Mallory smirks with confidence.
|2:20 PM|
“Hey, Sam, I have a question for you.” Thankfully Samael looks up from his work. “Are you busy tomorrow?”
“Oh~,” Lu chips in, “how assertive of you to make the first move, _______.”
“You have the wrong idea, Lu.” Even after dismissing the idea, Lu continues teasing. “Anyways, there’s a carnival going on. I wanted to see if you’d like to join me and my friend Mallory.”
“O-oh, but m-many people will be t-there…”
“I knew you’d say that, but this’ll be a chance for us to hang out. I’ll be there with you through all of it. Just try to think of the people similar to the students you squeeze past on your way to class.”
“I don’t think Sammy could compare it to that. The hallways here are linear and narrow. The carnival is a wide-open area. It’s kind of like shoving every student in school into one classroom.”
“W-what?!” What Lu said scares Samael. “If t-that’s w-what it’s like t-t-then no.”
“It does get crowded, but if you don’t focus so much on them, you might have fun.” Samael stares down at the table and fiddles with his fingers.
“How about I join you instead, _______?” Lu gives you a wide smile. You sigh in frustration from Lu’s intervention.
“He’s always trying to make himself the center of attention and sabotage my efforts with Sam.”
“No thanks, I’ll pass on that idea. You know you can go to the carnival on your own time.”
“That’s true, but I’ll enjoy it more knowing you want me there.” Lu winks at you. In response you glare at him. “I’m joking. This is time you want to spend with Sammy, so he steps out of his shell. You’ll need to get out of it eventually, Sammy, so give it a shot. _______, has been working so hard to help you out.” Samael hums as a response never looking away from the table.
“I won’t force you, I just thought it would be a chance to connect.” Samael raises his head.
“W-why do you want to invite m-me anywhere? I-I mean, w-why do you want me to o-open up?”
“Back in middle school I met someone just like you. Quiet, alone, and didn’t socialize. Once I got him use to me, he turned out to be such a fun person. He was the only friend I needed for the rest of my time there. He’s always thankful that I befriended him. Seeing you reminds me of what he used to be like. If you open up more, I’m sure you’re a fun person too.” Samael is taken aback for a moment.
“W-well, I-I do w-want to b-be your friend. Y-you seem like a nice and fun person. I j-just don’t know how.”
“If it makes you feel better, I already think of you as my friend. We just need to get you use to doing friend interactions.”
“Right… t-then I g-guess I’ll try it.”
“Remember, if this seems like too big of a step, I don’t want to force you.”
“If you and Lu think it’ll help, then I’ll try my best.”
“Great, we can leave any time you feel uncomfortable.”
“U-understood… um, is your friend nice?”
“My friend Mallory is a kind, energetic person. Maybe too much energy for you so I’ll ask her to tone it down.”
“Sounds like you guys will have fun, I really want to go.” Lu makes a pouty face.
“Y-you can come t-too.” Lu gasps.
“You’re inviting me?! You’re such a kind soul, Sammy, I’ll definitely join so I don’t let you down!” Mixed emotions grow inside you, both happy and annoyed.
“W-what time tomorrow?”
“Mallory would prefer 1 or 2, is that okay?”
“I-I’ll ask my mom.”
“Are we going to meet you there or should we come grab you?”
“G-grab me? T-that’s k-kind of rude…”
“Not literally, I mean we walk to your house then we walk to the carnival together.” Samael apologies for the misunderstanding. He then pulls out a stinky note.
“T-this is m-my address…”
“But what if your mom says no? I’ll have no way of knowing.” Samael freezes again then continues writing.
“Oh~.” Lu elbow bumps you to which you ignore.
“Here,” he hands you the sticky note then pulls out his phone. “W-what is y-y-“
“He would like your number, _______.” Lu finishes his sentence. You read your number to Samael just before the bell rings.
“I’ll l-let you know s-soon,” Samael says before darting off.
“I can’t wait,” Lu stands behind you smiling, “I didn’t think I would have the chance of going. But I’m glad I looked into the activities of the carnival. There’s going to be a circus show, you should watch it with Sammy.”
“Good idea, see ya, Lu.” You wave at him before leaving. On the way home, you ponder with Mallory about games to try. That doesn’t last long as Mallory’s train of thought went towards carnival food. Just then your phone vibrates. A message from an unknown number saying, “I’m allowed to go.”
|Next day: 1:00 PM|
“Hur. Ry. Up. _______. We. Got. To. Go. To. The. Carnival!” Mallory is jumping around the front like a dog eagerly wanting to go outside.
“After we get Sam.” You grab your house keys.
“Yes. Af. Ter. We. Get. Sammy!” Mallory dashes out the door but stops. “Which. Way. Is. Sammy’s. House!?”
“It’s about fifteen minutes from here. When we get him, it’ll take us thirty minutes to reach the carnival.”
“I. Love. Exercising!” You leave Mallory to her silly game and head towards Samael’s house.
|1:17 PM|
Walking with Mallory is the exact experience of walking with a terrible three-year-old. Thankfully no one was around to witness her. If you were in a store, there would be a cleanup in every aisle.
“Mal, remember, he’s sensitive. I’m not sure where this energy came from but turn it down.”
“I’m only like this because daddy left his coffee behind. I didn’t want to waste it, so I warmed it up and… consumed it!” Mallory makes an impression of a t-rex.
“I’m going to ring the bell…” You take one step towards Samael’s door.
“I wanna do it!” Mallory sprints up the steps. She rings the bell and knocks on the door too many times. A long sigh later, the door opens. Standing there is a middle-aged woman. Green protruding eyes, dark freckles on her cheeks, and curly brown hair to her ears.
“Oh, are you here to take my son to the carnival?”
“Yes, it’s nice to meet you. My name is _______.”
“And I’m her wonderful accomplice, Mallory!”
“Hehe, such interesting friends my son found. You can call me Mrs. Kaiser. I thank you so much for getting him out of the house.”
“No problem, it’s in hope to help Samael open up.”
“I hope so. He could use friends…” Mrs. Kaiser’s expression saddens.
“Ahem,” Samael, standing behind his mother, clears his throat, “I-I will be going now.”
“Alright dear, have fun and be back before 8.” Samael’s mother pinches his cheeks.
“O-okay mom.” Samael prys away from his mother and slides out the door. “I’ll be back. Love you, mom.” After their farewell, the three of you start off towards the carnival.
|1:50 PM|
You asked Mallory to calm down and she does the opposite. The entire walk was you trying to pacify Mallory from bombarding Samael with questions. Questions he could never answer because she kept changing the topic every two seconds.
“That was an exciting walk! _______, meet me at food section when you’re done!” She takes off towards the food stands yelling, “Food!”
“S-sh-she’s-“
“Full of energy. I’m sorry. Hopefully a packed stomach will slow her down.”
“H-hopefully… um…” Samael’s eyes dart around the amount of people.
“Do you need a few moments to relax?”
“N-no… well… I-I’ll be fine.” You gesture Samael to follow you into the carnival.
“We have to stop by the ticket booth first. You need tickets to play the games.” Squeezing pass people here is the same as squeezing pass people in the hallways at school. Though Samael seems to be struggling with that. “Difficult to keep up?”
“K-kind of. But this is similar to school.” Samael observes his surrounding, focusing on the people and the stands.
“The ticket booth is dead ahead, we’re almost there.” There’s one more crowd to squeeze through, a line of people entering a pavilion.
“_______!” A tight grip grabs your wrist. “Y-you’re walking f-fast.”
“Didn’t mean to. Does this make you feel better?” You gesture towards him gripping your wrist.
“I-I’m s-s-s-sorry!” He pulls his hand away to stuff in his jacket pocket.
“If it helps you to relax then it’s fine. Plus, I don’t want you getting lost from all this.” He stares at you for a few seconds before holding your wrist. Your smile earns a smile from him. After buying the tickets, you walk with Samael to the food stands. Samael’s hand is soft and warm. There’s something calming about it. Looking at his face, he’s mesmerized by all the booths. “Just wait till it gets dark. All the booths will be lit up.”
“Like the n-night lights in the city?” His face is lit up with excitement. It reminds you of a child getting a toy they’ve always wanted.
“I haven’t seen you this happy before.”
“Oh, w-well my family used to g-go to carnival’s when I was younger. I enjoyed playing games and… eating but I loved walking around. Holding my mom…” The joyful expression on his face is slowly fading. “And… dad’s hand…” His eyes advert from the booths to the ground.
“Hey you two!” Mallory’s screaming catches both your attentions. “Get over here and sit down! I’m starving!” Mallory has been reserving a four seated table until you both arrived. Once you take a seat, Mallory vanishes. Sighing, you really hope food neutralizes her energy. On the other hand, Samael returned to normal, eyes fixated on the variety of game booths.
“Which one do you want to try?” Samael returns to reality and stares at you confusingly. “I asked which one you want to try.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if you picked one?”
“Mallory only wanted to come because of food. If it was just us, we’d only be eating. That won’t be entertaining for you. So, pick one you want to try.” While Samael is eyeballing the selection of games, you check your phone. There are two missed calls from your mother. Before you can call her, Mallory returns with a bang. She slams the tray of food she’d gotten onto the table, scaring Samael.
“_______, I know you are not playing on your phone at the dinner table!”
“Mom tried calling me a few minutes ago, Mal, I need to tal-“
“Is she calling back right now?”
“No bu-“
“Then she probably fixed the problem she was calling you for. Come on, we need to brainstorm what to do.” You and Mallory stare at each other for a minute before putting your phone away. “Good, now Sammy, do you have anything in mind?”
“Umm, I-I wanted to try t-the one with the water guns…”
“Oyo, that’s easy. _______, got your tickets?”
“Yep, let’s go try it, Samael.” Despite Samael’s mood changing awhile ago, his eyes light up again. Mallory says she’ll join once she’s done eating. As you two are standing in line, you explain to Samael how the game works.
“It sounds t-tricky…”
“It really isn’t. Once the water stream hits the red dot, lock your arms and don’t move them.”
“Who’s up next?” The booth manager calls up the next four people in line. Samael gulps as you nudge him towards the far-right seat. You hand a ticket to the booth manager and pat Samael on his back.
“Remember, once the water starts hitting the red dot, just hold it there.” You give Samael a smile of encouragement, he returns it with a wry smile.
“Ready… and go!” The water guns turn on. Even a simple game can be difficult to others. Samael is having a difficult time keeping the water in the center. Then again, the water pressure is more intense. Instead of a smooth stream of water, it’s spraying out like a geyser. The other three contestants already have their horses close to the finish line. Samael’s horse is one quarter of the way through.
Ding ding ding!
The little girl next to Samael screams in victory.
“Daddy! I won, I won! I want the pink panda!” The father lifts the girl up into his arms. The booth manager gives her the plushy she asks for.
“Would any of you like to try again?” The other two contestants leave but Samael stays.
“Do you want to try it again?” Samael lights up, only for a second, before letting his head hang.
“I do… b-but… the r-result will be the same, w-won’t it?”
“Well, let’s try it one more time.” You hand the booth manager another ticket.
“Thank you, ma’am. Three more challengers step up for a chance to win a prize!” Three more contestants take a seat on the stools. Next to Samael, someone of similar height dawning a red pullover. Next to that person, are young twin brothers. “Is everyone ready!?” Samael grips the handles of the water gun. “And… go~!” The water bursts out of the gun like it did before. But Samael is trying his hardest to keep the stream on the target. It’s proving difficult with the water gun repeatedly jolting back. You glance up at the manager to see him encouraging the little boys. You move closer to Samael practically standing against.
“Let’s make this a team effort, okay?”
“W-what?” You place your hand onto his right hand. You can feel the jolts from the water gun, but with you and Samael, it won’t be a problem. That is if it’s a problem now.
“Sam?” He’s turning his face from you. Even with you calling him, he won’t move. Not even his hands; they’re locked in place! “Sam, you’re doing great.”
Ding ding ding!
You look up to see the results. Someone else has won. The twin boys boo at the hooded person. Samael yanks his hands back to cover his face.
“It’s okay, Sam, at least you held your hands still.” You giggle, hoping to cheer him up.
“Congrats, sir, what would you like for your prize?” The booth manager asks the winner.
“It’s not…” Samael begins, “It’s not the game… I just didn’t expect you to do that.” He removes his hands and reveals a tomato face.
“Didn’t mean to get you all flustered.” Samael reverts his gaze to the selection of prizes.
“I-it’s alright, I appreciate the h-h-help…” Samael stands from his seat. “B-besides… there are more games to try. S-so, I’ll have more chances to w-win.”
“Exactly, so let’s go see if Mallory is done before taking off.” Samael nods in respond.
“Partners in crime.” You two look at the hooded figure. Taking the hood off, it’s Lu. “Don’t think I didn’t see your little trick there, _______. The first round was hilarious watching Sammy struggle. I was hoping to see it again, but you jumped in, cheating. You’re always there to help him.”
“Y-you actually came…”
“Of course, I did! You invited me, Sammy. I wasn’t going to let that invite go to waste. I wouldn’t have won this little guy if I didn’t.” Lu waves his prize, a red deer. “Isn’t he cute? I just need to think of a name.”
“While you do that, we’re going to check up with my friend.”
“Huh? You’re ditching me? I wanna come along, please? I’ll behave!” Lu stares at you with puppy eyes.
“H-he is here now. So, he can come along?” He wasn’t using puppy eyes, but Samael always has that sweet, innocent look when he stares at you.
“Of course, he can come along,” Lu yells in happiness while hugging Samael, who’s caught off guard. With the two of them, you head back to Mallory in the food area. Regardless of the increase of people, it’s not hard to spot Mallory with more food than last time. “You’re sharing, right?”
“Take anything expect for my wings, funnel cake, an-” Mallory stops when her eyes land on Lu.
“Hi there, it’s nice to meet one of _______’s friends.” Lu smiles and waves at Mallory.
“N-nice t-to meet you too! You must be Lu! I’ve heard so much about you from _______.”
“Hehe, all good things, I hope. Now, did you say the funnel cake was off limits?”
“Would you like some!?” Mallory grabs the plate of funnel cake and holds it in front of Lu. “Help yourself, I could always get another one!”
“Really?! You’re such a nice person! For that, I’ll leave this little deer in your care. I’m not one for keeping this kind of stuff.” They exchange the items they were holding.
“Aww, he’s so cute! Did you name him?”
“Mo(No).” Lu is already helping himself to the funnel cake. At least he’s sharing with Samael.
“In that case… I’ll call him Lu Little! He’s like a little version of you.”
“You think of me as the deer? Since you called it cute that means you’re calling me cute.”
“W-w-w-w-w-what!? N-n-no! Not no that you’re not c-cute. But I means you is um…”
“I’m only teasing you know. But if you are then you’re cute yourself.” Mallory plops down into her seat, covering her face with the deer.
“Ahem,” you grab everyone’s attention, expect Mallory, “what would you like to do next, Sam?”
“Oh! Sammy, we need to go watch one of the circus performances at some point. There’s one at three and another one at 5.”
“I-I’ll keep that in mind.”
“They have a bean bag toss! If you get three out of five of the pouches in the cup, you’ll get a fish!” Samael eyes sparkle in excitement. “They also have a balloon popping game, hoop toss, and rifle shooting.”
“Rifle?! There are kids here!”
“They’re not real, Sammy.”
“O-oh…”
“Alright!” Mallory yells, jumping out of the chair holding the deer above her head. “We’re going to play every game tonight! Sammy, you better be ready for a fun time!”
“Aww, you call him Sammy like I do?” Mallory falls back into her seat and covers her face again.
“Ready to try everything we can?” Samael nods before eating a piece of funnel cake.
____________________________________
Mallory: Wel. Come. Back. To. Mallory’s… BABBLING SHOOOOOW! I didn’t agree on that name so don’t get use to it! Ahem. Today’s special guest is… our author!
blank: Hello, just stopping in to say thank you for reading this far. I’m excited that this story has gotten some views recently. I didn’t plan on cutting the story off where it did. I went over the word limit, so a cut had to be made. Anyways, I’ll let Mallory take over.
Mallory: Mighty kind of you, Author… blank. Let’s recap today’s chapter. You’re continuing off from the previous chapter, there’s a monster in that bush! A tiny one… but you never know! Looks can be deceiving! Don’t think its little paw means it’s innocent, stay sharp! Thankfully you made it to the light and back to our reality. A reality that’s repetitive. You wake up, go to school, then have a strange dream. Good thing you didn’t have to read all that boring stuff since the author skipped over it.
blank: Huh?
Mallory: It has now been four weeks since then. Four weeks of my company and you struggling to get Sammy out of shell. That’s where I came in and helped you out of that vicious cycle. Sammy seems to be enjoying himself at the carnival. Minus that one part where he got upset from the mention of his parents… Hopefully everything is okay with him there. The greatest thing that happened was seeing Lu for the first time! Aww, his nice red hair, gorgeous smile, adorable freckles…
blank: There’s a reason I called this the babbling show.
Mallory: Fine, I’ll get back on track. Next chapter will be wrapping up our time at the carnival. Something odd happened to Sammy! And something unexpected waits for you at home! Join me and my future love in the next chapter! In the meantime, I’ll keep thinking abou-
blank: We’ve heard enough, please.
Mallory: Alright, alright. Before you leave please think of a name for my talk show.
blank: I think it’s fine the way it is. It suits you.
Mallory: I do NOT babble. I demand a name change! If I don’t get one, I will quit this book and g-
____________________________________
— Cutting off due to excessive babbling. And she’s still going —
Roommates
|2:00 PM|
“All you have to do is land the ring on the bottle.”
“It’s much more difficult than how you’re making it sound.” You, Samael, Mallory, and Lu are standing in line for the ring toss game mentioned earlier. Lu is explaining the game to Samael.
“It’s all about experience in the end, _______. Just get a feel for it, Sammy.” Samael nervously nods his head.
“You got this, Sammy, I believe in you!” Mallory only adds onto Samael’s nervousness.
“Next in line please!” The booth manager calls up the next person in line, Lu.
“Watch how it’s done.” Lu steps up to booth, hands the booth manager a ticket, and is given five rings.
“Get three rings and you win candy. Get four rings and you get to choose a stuff animal. Get five and you can get a fish!” Lu smirks and tosses the first ring. It lands! He tosses and lands the next two rings. “Impressive,” the booth manager comments.
“Oh my… if he gets the next two…” Mallory is in awe. With that, Lu lands his last two rings with ease. Mallory gasps in excitement.
“Color me surprised! That’s a first I’ve ever seen someone get all five in one turn.”
“Hehe, I have some experience with all of this.” Lu says confidently while running his fingers through his hair.
“Good show, now, what prize would you like?” Lu looks from the stuffed creatures, to the fishes, then to the candies.
“Hey, Mallory,” Lu calling for Mallory surprises her. “Do you like licorice?” Mallory nods without hesitation. “I’ll take some licorice if you don’t mind.” The booth manager gives Lu a red licorice stick. Lu holds the candy stick triumphally as he walks towards Mallory.
“Next, customer!” The booth manager calls out.
“I-I don’t know about t-this. It looks hard.” Samael tries to leave the line but is pulled back.
“Remember Lu said it’s about experience. It can’t hurt to try regardless of the outcome.” Samael stares at you for a few seconds before stepping up to the booth; you follow close behind him.
“Ticket, please.” You hand the manager a ticket and in exchange gives you five rings.
“Just one at a time, alright?” Samael smiles sheepishly as he gets ready to throw the ring.
Miss.
He tries it again.
Miss.
“When you’re throwing, throw it like this.” You demonstrate how to throw the ring before letting him try again.
Miss.
“I-I lost…” Samael hangs his head in defeat.
“Cheer up, young man. I’ll make you a deal. If you score one of your rings, I’ll give you some candy.” Samael’s head pops up.
“You heard him; you have a chance. Throw them like I showed you.” You hand Samael his last two rings. He takes a deep breath before he prepares himself.
Miss.
Samael cringes at the thought of missing his last ring. You pat him on the back for reassurance. He inhales once more and tosses his last ring. His breath holds still as he watches the ring fly towards a bottle. Sadly, it hits the rim of the bottle and bounces off.
“I-I was s-so close…” Samael frowns as if he’s going to cry. The booth manager smiles as he approaches Samael.
“No need to be upset, you could try again if you like.” Samael shakes his head.
“Yep! He’ll try again!” Lu pops up and grips Samael’s shoulders. “You almost had it there at the end. Try it again and I’ll give you some tips!” Before Samael can respond, you hand the booth manager another ticket.
“Here you are, young man.” He hands Samael five rings.
“You have to focus on the bottle you’re aiming for. How about you aim for a bottle in the first row.” Listening to Lu’s directions, Samael prepares to throw a ring. “Since, you’re aiming for the first row, don’t throw too hard. Hold the ring gently and throw it underhand.” Samael takes a deep breath then tosses the ring.
Score!
Samael’s face lights up in excitement.
“Look at that, you did it! I can’t believe you were going to quit. Go again!” Lu’s encouragement seems to fuel him. Samael follows the same steps but aims for a row farther back.
Miss.
“Woah, where were you aiming?”
“A-a little further back… I w-wanted to c-challenge myself.”
“I get that, but it’ll be an easy win if you stick to the front row.” Samael pouts but goes with Lu’s suggestion. He tosses the ring towards the front row but misses. “Focus, Sammy.” Samael takes a deep breath before throwing his next ring. This time he scores. “Your last ring, you have to make this one count.” Just looking at Samael’s face is enough to tell that he’s stressed. Just as he’s throwing his last ring…
“You got this, Sammy!” Mallory screams out, throwing Samael off track and missing the bottle. Samael stares widely at his fallen ring.
“It-It was… t-there but…” Along with Lu, you pat Samael on the back.
“You did great your second time, that’s what counts.” Your reassurance does little effect.
“You have yet to pick your prize, young man.” Samael stares at the booth manager baffled. “I said as long as you scored one then I’d let you pick some candy.” Samael scans the collection before making his choice.
“Well, that was my good deed for the day.”
“T-Thank you, Lu.” Samael picked a few pieces of hard candy. “Thank you as well, _______.” He offers a few pieces to you.
“Don’t mention it, putting a smile on people’s face is the greatest form of thanks.” Lu bows to both you and Samael.
“An act of kindness deserves a reward.” Mallory holds half of the licorice stick towards Lu.
“Why thank you, kind lady.” Mallory expected Lu to take it instead he took a bite of it. He flashes a smile to Mallory causing her to fluster.
“N-next game!” Mallory marches off with Lu giggling behind her.
“Ready to go, Sam?” You notice Samael focusing on a father calming his crying son.
“Sammy!” Lu and Mallory say in unison. Samael snaps back to reality in a panic.
“S-sorry, s-side tracked…” Samael looks down at the ground as Lu and Mallory usher him to follow. You notice families starting to leave as a new crowd is picking up. High schoolers, college students, and groups of rowdy adults.
“Alright, let’s head to that dunk game!” Mallory leads the way to the game. Checking on Samael, it’s evident that he’s beginning to feel uneasy. His eyes are darting to each movement a person makes. Each time a person looks back, Samael jolts and looks away.
“Sam, we can leave if you want.”
“Huh?! N-no,” Samael shakes his head then takes a deep breath. “I w-want to k-keep going.”
“Hmm… alright, please don’t push yourself.” Both you and Samael smile at each other in assurance.
“Yea, you have to be careful, Sammy. Don’t want you having a panic attack now do we?” Lu grins.
“I-I w-won’t. I want… t-to have fun!”
“Look at you go, Sammy, acting all strong!” Lu stops and pulls Samael into a headlock.
“Psst, _______,” Mallory leans towards you, “are you sure this isn’t a double date?”
“Mallory, I’m doing this to help Sam.”
“While bringing along a guy that peeps my interest?”
“Samael was the one that invited him. I honestly didn’t think he was going to show up.”
“Hmph. Regardless, I’m going to seize this moment to get closer to Lu. While he’s with me, you can get closer to Sammy.” You roll your eyes and Mallory snickers.
“Are you ladies going to be joining us?” Lu flashes another smile as he’s walking towards the next game. Mallory gasps while your focus is on Samael who’s struggling to get out of the headlock. Hours go by as the four of you did four more arcade games, two rides, and then made it to the five o’clock performance. Any time Samael looked frantic, you and Lu were there to pacify him.
|6:34 PM|
“Such a nice day it was!” Lu exclaims as he stretches.
“Y-y-yea…” Samael is slightly shaking.
“Why are you nervous now?”
“W-well, people have b-been staring because you’re b-being loud…”
“Sam,” you begin but Lu interrupts.
“I got this, _______.” Lu pulls Samael to the side.
“_______, this is totally like a date!” Mallory is fawning over the prizes Lu won and gave to her.
“Would you quit bringing that up?”
“I know, I know… but I can’t help it! Remember, this was so you and Sammy could get along better. With me tagging along, I would’ve felt like the third wheel. But then, in my world of loneliness, a freckled boy of happiness arrives. I…I think I’m in love!”
“Huh?” You stare at Mallory in disbelief. Mallory has always been the type to crush on boys easily. That was one of the traits you picked up on her quickly. Even if they were to share a crayon with her, boom, she had a crush. One good thing about her, if you can call it that, is that she remains loyal to her feelings. Upon gaining a new crush, she doesn’t discard the feelings she holds to her previous crushes. She had a crush on five boys in middle school at once… yikes.
“Ahhhhh!” Your attention shifts to the scream. It’s from Samael. He’s quivering, tangling his fingers in his hair. “I-I ca-can’t!” Samael takes off through a crowd of people.
“Uh oh, looks like lil’ Sammy finally cracked.” Lu doesn’t seem a bit concerned for Samael’s reaction. Casting a quick glare at Lu, you take off after Samael. “Aww, look at her chasing after her loose puppy.”
“Um, we should go help her.”
“You should go help her; I’ve had enough fun for today. Ciao!” Lu waves farewell to Mallory. She pouts disappointed with Lu’s departure. But she snaps out of it once she remembers Samael.
You lose sight of Samael through the crowd but you’re certain that he hasn’t turned anywhere.
“I’m so sorry, Sam, I knew we should’ve left earl- Wait.”
“Sam!” You spot his brown, bouncy curls running up ahead. He’s nearing close to the exit. You push your way through the last heap of people. “Sam!” The moment you’re out of the crowd, you spot Samael on the ground. A hooded person is standing above him reaching down. “Hey!” The person looks at you. The most prominent feature visible through the hood is anger. Samael takes advantage of the opportunity and quickly crawls behind you.
“If you’re his mom then you should get him glasses.” The boy sounds calm despite his facial expression. “Little bi- brat can’t see where he’s going.”
“Do I look like a mom? Besides, he was in a hurry to leave. If you didn’t see him running, then you need glasses.” Your reply seems to have hit the jerk’s nerve. The expression on his face intensifies as he takes a few steps toward you.
“Back off, bully!” Mallory jumps in between you and the boy. “You’re not goi-“
“Fuck off!” The boy’s voice booms with a slight growl.
“N-no…” Mallory, who was previously in front of you, whimpers behind you with Samael. He stops only one footstep away from you.
“You really ne-,” he stops himself and squints, “wait, what’s your name?” The anger is plastered on his face, but his voice is calm again.
“Why?”
“Just tell me your damn name. It’s important.”
“How is it in this situation?”
“Name, woman.” The irritation in his voice is growing.
“If I tell you mine then you have to tell me yours. That seems fair, right?” He doesn’t reply, only glares. “It’s _______, your turn.”
“Awwwww, fack.” His head leans back, and he covers his eyes. He groans for a few seconds before walking away. You try to say something, but Mallory covers your mouth.
“Let’s just go home, _______,” Mallory pleads.
“I-I-I-I’m so s-s-sorry,” Samael whispers. His voice is shaking along with his body. Tears are forming at the rim of his eyes. He softly wipes them away with his sleeve. “I-I ruined your t-t-time because I… I’m sorry…”
“You didn’t ruin our time at all!” Mallory chips in excitingly. “Are you forgetting we had a blast for three hours before you panicked? You were out of your comfy bubble and had fun, right? We brought you here, so we’ll take the blame. Hopefully you forgive us.” Mallory gets down on one knee and lowers her head.
“Yea… I’m sorry about this, Sam. This whole event was a push too far. There’s no need for you to apologize for acting the way you normally would. Once you calm down, hopefully you won’t be too… distant from me.” There’s a brief moment of silent.
“No!” Samael’s raised voiced causes you and Mallory to jump. “Yes, I am very unnerved from today’s event. But I wouldn’t want to ignore you because of it. You’re trying to help me, and I agreed to come along anyways. So, there’s no hard feelings. I was scared at first, but I did have a fun with you. This is the first time I’ve had fun with a friend.”
“Don’t you mean… friends?” Samael stares at Mallory confused. “Don’t think you’re only _______’s friend! I wanna be your friend too! And I’m sure Lu is your friend.” Samael struggles with smiling and frowning at the mention of Lu.
“You, perhaps, but Lu is something else.”
“Well you invited him, didn’t you?”
“I did, but that’s only because I’ve seen him before. Not enough to call an acquaintance but he talked to me a few times.” Samael shakes his head. “That’s enough for one day, could we leave now? I promise to do better next time.”
“Next time?! So, that means you don’t mind going out with us again?” A smile pops onto Mallory’s face.
“Um… as long as it’s a smaller event?” Mallory jumps to her feet with her arms in the air.
“You may think this is a fail, _______, but I think this puts us one step closer to victory!” Mallory captures you in a tight embrace. “One small step for Samael and one leap for us!” Samael stares confusingly at the two of you.
“Okay, Mallory, let’s go home already.” Giving Mallory a quick pat on the head signals her to loosen her grip.
“Oh, you right, daddy should be home now. I need to make a quick dinner.”
“Let’s get going, Sam.” He nods in response. You help him stand to his feet. “You know something, Sam. You didn’t stutter while you were talking.”
“Really?” The information seems to shock Samael. “That means I’m doing g-good, right?”
“Yep, that’s a slight improvement already. Though, I think it only happens when you’re worked up.”
“I-I think you’re r-right.” Samael hangs his head as he realizes his stutter returning. You pat him on the back to cheer him up. Mallory is shouting up ahead eagerly waiting to get home. The walk home would’ve been quieter if Mallory wasn’t spouting random things.
“I’m going to make a list of activities and you choose one you’ll feel comfortable with, alright?”
“S-sure…” Samael still isn’t sure how to respond to Mallory’s energy. It feels bad to leave him to defend himself, but it’ll count as his growing exercise.
“Well, this is my stop.” Samael stops to look at your house.
“O-oh,” he sounds panicked, “you live closer t-than I thought.” It’s obvious he’s upset with being left with Mallory.
“You okay with walking ho-“
“We’ll be fine!” Mallory grabs Samael’s arm. “Let’s go, Sammy, this’ll be a great opportunity to know me better.” His eyes shoot back in your direction, pleading for help. You wish him luck as Mallory drags him down the street. “Don’t forget to check your phone, _______!” Your eyes widen. You can only imagine how angry your mom will be for avoiding her messages and calls. Part of it is Mallory’s fault but you’re the one getting scolded. You quickly make your way to the door and unlock it. You’re thinking of what to say in your defense as you take your shoes off.
“You were so scared to talk to him!” A voice other than your mom’s. “Luckily, I was there for you. He may not be here now but at least he was.” Quietly walking down the foyer, you peak around the corner.
“Look who’s finally home.” You flinch at how fast your mother notices you.
“Hello there!” The unfamiliar voice was coming from a woman sitting with your mom. She has long, wavy blonde hair and round, blue eyes. What sticks out the most is her sheer red dress with white heels.
“Are they going to a party? Mom isn’t dressed though…”
“I should get going now. Thank you so much for helping me. You have no idea how much stress this lifts from me.” The two exchange hugs before the stranger leaves.
“An old friend?” You ask once she leaves.
“Yep, but that’s not important right now. We have to talk.”
“Mom, listen, I was doing nothing bad or-“
“I know that, you were at the carnival.”
“Um, how did you know?”
“I had someone go find you.” Heavy footsteps make their way down the steps.
“This was the only towel I found in the closet.” It’s the same boy who knocked Samael over.
“You again?!” Your disbelief annoys the boy.
“This is what I was trying to tell you earlier, but you weren’t answering your phone. My friend, Camilla, is struggling at the moment. So, until things get better, Griffin will be staying here.”
“Struggling? Financially struggling? How when she was wearing a dress like that?”
“Mom, he nearly hurt one of my friends at the carnival.”
“He bumped into me and I was trying to help him up,” Griffin says in his defense.
“You looked too pissed off to be ‘helping’.”
“I’m sure you’d be agitated if you were walking around the whole city looking for a specific person.”
“I’m so sorry about that, Griffin, but I thank you for doing that.” Griffin’s eyes look in a different direction. Your mother explains what had happened. “I tried contacting you. I drove around the area a couple times while Griffin was on foot. All to find out that you were enjoying yourself at the carnival.”
“I’m sorry, mom. Mallory convinced me to ignore my phone. But, why wouldn’t that have been the first place to check? Mallory told you abou-“
“Just, please, always check your phone. What else am I paying the bill for?”
“At the end of the day it was only 3 to 4 hours…”
“Won’t happen again.” You give in to dismiss the issue.
“Good, now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to be finishing the guest room.” The main issue pops back into your head.
“Um, how long is he staying with us?”
“Until she can get on her feet.”
“Am I going to be left here with him when you’re at work? I don’t know him, and I can’t trust him.”
“Then start right now. I don’t want to hear any complaining. It has been a long day, I’m tired and I want to go to bed.”
“But, mo-“
“Zip it, no more complaining until this whole situation is done.” She heads upstairs without another word.
“A crybaby with terrible hospitality,” Griffin comments from the kitchen. He’s sitting at the island eating a piece of fruit. “Stood there and said all those rude ass things in front of my face.”
“Given your whole attitude, I doubted something like that would’ve hurt your feelings. If you have any…”
“I’m still a human regardless of how much of an asshole I am.”
“It’s surprising you can recognize that feature but won’t do anything to change it.”
“It’s an inconvenient to you, not me. Why don’t you go to bed already, you’re obviously cranky, crabby, whatever you call it.” Annoyance is building at a rapid pace, but to avoid any issues with your mother you ignore him.
“Out of all things to happen… why this?”
Griffin gets up from the kitchen stool and heads upstairs. Starting today you won’t be the only one in the house anymore. A roommate you never asked for with a terrible attitude. You let out a sigh as you see a couple of dishes in the sink.
“Let’s get this out of the way and go shower…”
After washing the small number of dishes, you head upstairs. What catches your attention is the sound of the shower.
“Mom?”
“I’m in here.” Hoping for no reply, her voice comes from the, previously vacant, room next to yours.
“He got to the shower before me…”
“Did you need something?” Your mother comes out the room with a broom and dustpan.
“I thought you were in the shower, but I guess I have to wait till he gets outs.”
“Use the downstairs one.”
“That shower acts weird plus my towel is in this bathroom.”
“Give him some time and then he’ll be out. I’m sure he needs a relaxing rinse.” She passes you to head downstairs. Annoyed, you head back to your room and wait for Griffin. For 20 minutes you’ve been texting Mallory, making sure to inform her that you were scolded. No longer hearing the shower, you head towards the bathroom. Upon arriving, the door opens and emerges Griffin with a towel on his back and around his hips. Could you blame yourself for letting your eyes wonder a bit? Griffin has to be or has been in sports to have a defined, athletic build.
“And you’re perverted.” For a few seconds you were caught off-guard by his figure, but your eyes fall to the towel around his hips. Your towel.
“Why do you have my towel?”
“I needed a towel to dry off, duh.”
“What about the towel you have on your back? That’s a new towel.” He rolls his eyes before going into his room. “My towel was hanging up so that meant it belonged to someone!”
“_______!” Your mother stands in her bedroom doorframe with her arms crossed. “What is the problem now?”
“He used my towel.”
“Go check the dryer, it should be finishing up soon. You can grab a new towel from there. I guess Griffin needed another towel.”
“If that was the case then he should’ve waited for a new towel and my shower would be done.”
“_______.” She says with a growl, indicating you to stop. Without another word you’re off to the laundry room. Just like your mom said it’s almost done. You lean against the folding table and wait. Your phone vibrating catches your attention.
From: Unknown
– No hard feelings from today? I really thought I could calm him…
A message from an unknown number. Though, you can guess who it is from the context of the message.
From: You
– Lu? How did you get my number?
He replies within seconds
From: Unknown (Lu)
– I remembered it from when you told Sammy. Hopefully you’re not mad at that too… I like talking to you and I knew it’d be ages till I could get your number. I just wanted to apologize about today. No need to reply! See ya!
Ding!
The dryer is finished with the load. You grab what you need and head upstairs.
“First Griffin and now Lu has my number… I’ll fold the laundry later.”
“Hmm, hopefully that works.” Lu, leaning on his hand, is watching you through the backyard window. “I have a little bit of fun and you take it away from me.” Lu watches as you grab a towel from the dryer and leave the room. But you stop in the doorway, groan, and go back to the dryer and begin folding the contents. Lu giggles as he takes a few pictures of you. “I’m surprised that you’ve caught my attention, _______. Now, let’s see how long you can keep it.”
|8:53 PM|
After your shower you lay in your bed recalling today’s events. Thinking of Mallory said, the festival was a little victory. Samael is slowly but surely warming up. Your mind drifts away, slowly falling asleep. There’s a tickling sensation on your cheek.
“W-wake up… please…” The sensation moves from your cheek to your neck; causing you to jolt awake. “Ahhh!” An unfamiliar scream fades into the bushes. You sit up from the tall grass you were resting in. Cat nor Horse are anywhere in sight. Not even the voice you heard but it’s definitely in the bushes.
“I know you’re there.” It doesn’t respond. “You… wanted me to wake up. I’m here but you’re in there. The other two aren’t here so, what are you afraid of?” A few seconds of silence are followed but slight rustling. The first to emerge from the bush is the white paw you’ve seen many times. Attached to it is… a bunny! It’s brown except its paws, muzzle, and ear tips are white.
“S-sorry, I get easily f-frightened.” The bunny hops over to you. “I-I’m glad y=you’re awake.” You’re lost in his large, emerald eyes before realization hits.
“So… Bunny, do you happen to have a na-“
“Found you!” The horse comes charging out from behind the trees. The bunny screams and hides behind you. “You finally showed yourself, monster! Prepare to be-“
“Shut up, you’re too loud!” The cat hops off her back. “_______, are you okay? Is it hurting you!?”
“I’m fine! He’s not doing anything to hurt me. You two are scaring him.” The cat hops onto your lap. He attempts to peer at the bunny behind you, but he avoids the cat’s sight. “Alright, I need the two of you to back up for a bit.” The cat stares in disbelief as you remove him from your lap and shoo him away. The horse takes a few steps back then lays down.
“I-I’m sorry.” You can feel the bunny shaking against your back.
“I got them to calm down, you can stop hiding.” The bunny peeks from behind you, seeing where the others are. “This has been on my mind for a while that none of you have names. You only call each other by what animal you are.”
“You just now noticed this?” The horse asks while burying her face in the grass.
“She just said she was already thinking about it. Pay attention, Hoover-Brain.” The two begin bickering like usual. You shift your gaze to the bunny who looks back puzzled.
“His fur and eyes are the same color as Samael’s. The same with the cat and horse. Not only that, they show similarities with personalities. The energetic horse, the stuttering bunny, and the, mostly, composed cat…”
“Listen everyone.” Surprisingly the two stops. “Do any of you have a name? An actual name?” All of them stare blankly.
“A name…” the cat mutters.
“That never crossed my mind,” the horse comments.
“I d-don’t know…” the bunny hides his face beneath his paws. They all deny having a name and any memories of one.
“Well,” you begin, “starting today you will have real names. Maybe the names I give you may jog your memories. Cat, your name will be Noah. Horse is Mallory and Bunny you’re Samael.”
“Those are specific names you thought of so quickly.” The cat, now Noah, tilts his head.
“Actually, it wasn’t hard. After meeting the bunny I’ve put some thought into everything. He acts exactly like someone I know in the real world. Same goes for you two. I guess this dream changes people I know into animals…”
“I’m sure you know more than us. Why aren’t they here?” You shake your head. “Hmm, well until yo-“
“Can we change our names?!” The horse pouts. “I like the name, but I want a better one!”
“I agree, I vote for Hoover-Brain.” Noah snickers.
“That will not be my name! If anything, I would want my name to be… Sakura!”
“I always knew you were hopeless…”
“Why that name?” You ask.
“It’s a flower, right? I love flowers so that should be my name! And since you’re a cat, you should be called Sushi!”
“Sushi?!” The cat takes guard, claws and fangs out.
“Cats like fish. Be grateful I’m calling you a food instead of an actual fish. Or do you want me to call you Salamander?”
“That’s not even a fish!” You and the bunny watch as the two verbally attack each other.
“Um, can I call you Sam for short?”
“S-sure. I-I don’t mind t-the name. G-glad I’m n-not like t-t-them…”
Thud!
The sound catches your attention.
“-it” Another voice can be heard.
Thump!
The sound was louder.
“Y-you okay?” Sam notices your attention elsewhere.
“Do you hear something slamming… or a voice?”
“O-only theirs.”
“Crap!” The voice was clearer that time. Now all you hear is incomprehensible mumbles. You leave the two to argue as you follow the sound. Sam looks between you and others before trailing behind.
“W-ere I- mo-” Only fragments of the voice can be heard.
“W-what can you h-hear?”
“Only bits and pieces. Not enough to form a sentence. You really can’t hear anything?”
“N-no, s-sorry.”
“It’s okay, you did nothing wrong.”
Slam!
The sound was louder than before.
“Light?” The bunny takes off ahead. Considering what he said there isn’t another option but to follow.
“A-and ah… y-your,” the horse, Sakura, stops to catch her breath.
“You agree with me, _______?” The cat notices a missing girl and bunny. “You idiot! You got me so caught up in a stupid argument that I lost _______!”
“You’re an idiot… ahh… for staying in it!”
Rustle!
Rustling coming from the opposite direction you ran.
“Bah… Bunny?” Sakura’s voice trembles.
“Why would he be hiding in the bushes again?” Whatever was in the bushes starts running. The cat frowns then chases after it.
“S-sushi! Don’t leave me!” Sakura follows behind out of fear. While they’re focused on one thing, something else is watching from the trees.
|??:??|
“F-found it.” Sam sits in front of the light as he waits for you to catch up. There was no denying that the sound was coming from it. Even with Sam next to the light he’s unfazed by the unexpecting sounds. “It-it’s still early. Will you g-go in?”
“I want to know what that sound is. Plus, I’ll see if time of day in here affects out there.”
“B-be careful.” You give the bunny a quick, but gentle rub on the head. One foot into the light and you’re already engulfed.
____________________________________
Mallory: Welcome back! Are you still with us?! Hope you are! As for today’s, ahem, guest…
Lu: Take a sip of your water if you have a dry throat.
Mallory: N-no, that’s not it. I’m just… a little…
Lu: Frazzled? Flustered? Embarrassed? No need for you to feel like that around me. I’m easy to get along with. *places hand onto Mallory’s hand*
Mallory: WAAAAAAAHHHHHH! *falls back in chair*
Lu: Hehe, such a funny girl. Now that we have some alone time, I hope you’re doing well. Things are going by quite slowly… But know that something has to be built before it gets knocked down. Now you have another person entering your life, I’m jealous. Don’t let him distract you from me or Sammy. I wish you luck with dealing with him; I’ve heard he’s tremendously difficult. Good luck!
Mallory: Ow, my head… H-how much did I miss?
Lu: Welcome back, Mello! That was a quick nap.
Mallory: M-M-M-M-M-M-Mello?!
Lu: Nice nickname, right?
Mallory: *passes out*
____________________________________
— Currently experiencing host problems. We’ll keep our audience updated on her condition. —
Awake, or so you think, but your eyes won’t open. They’re heavy. With more force, you manage to open them.
“I… I can’t move.”
Only the ceiling fills your field of view. Your body remains idle even though your intention is to movie. Your breathing accelerates causing your lungs to grow tighter. Your lungs feel as though they’re shrinking by the second.
“Relax… Relax. I’ll give myself time till I move.”
After a few minutes you manage to steady your breathing. All you can do is dart your eyes around the ceiling. There’s no sound. No movement. You’re idle like a statue. The only indication of time is the light from the window. Even that seems like it’s frozen. You try to go back to sleep but to no avail. No matter how long you close your eyes your mind won’t shut down. Hours go by, sadly that’s not an exaggeration. The sunlight slowly shines through the window. You can feel yourself regaining control of your body. Then you spring up checking every part of your body for movement.
“I never thought I would experience sleep paralysis…”
You recall all moments prior to the new day.
“Going into the light early causes… sleep paralysis? Never going to do that again. But that sound…”
You look around the room, but nothing is out of place to your memory.
“Hearing things? No, it definitely was a person.”
To take your mind off what happened, you go downstairs.
|9:48 AM|
A bedroom door can be heard opening then closing. Following it is the sound of the stairs creaking.
“I’m surprised you’re down here before me,” your mother comments. You’ve been watching tv for an hour or two. Mother steps into the kitchen humming a tune.
“I woke up early and couldn’t sleep again.”
“At least you’ll be the first one to eat. Has Mallory’s cooking been improving?”
“Yea, she’s gotten better since she cooks dinner all the time.”
“How is John doing? Or is that a private matter between them?” You leave the couch for the stool in the kitchen.
“She doesn’t talk much about her dad. The only time she mentions him is when she has to cook.”
“Hmm, well I hope he’s doing well. Losing a wife and a mom isn’t easy.” No words are spoken as the atmosphere thickens from the topic.
“Switching topics, did you hear anything last night?” Your mother looks at you with an eyebrow raised.
“As in something in or outside the house?”
“In the house, upstairs.”
“I slept like a bull last night, so I didn’t hear anything. Is that why you woke up early?” You nod. “Well you’re alive so whatever ghost you heard isn’t dangerous.” She laughs at her own humor.
“Hey mom,” she hums, “did you talk to Griffin about rules? Will he have chores to do?”
“Well I told him to help you out if you need anything. He also has to be home at a certain time since you have the key. Other than that, his mom left him with rules to follow. Oh and…”
“And…?”
“I’m deducting the amount of money I’m leaving with you.” You stare.
“Deducting how much?”
“Katherine has been putting Griffin through lessons and doesn’t want him to drop out. I already planned out how much I need when I’m out working. I don’t want to take any more money out of the bank either. So, I’m leaving you with one thirds-“
“One thirds. Not even half?”
“The lessons he’s in take up most of his portion. After paying for his lessons he’ll have as much spending money as you. This will also be a great opportunity for you to space out your money. Knowing what to buy and what not to buy is key to saving.”
“But snacks are a necessity…”
“They aren’t if you cook when you’re hungry.”
The two of you chat away during breakfast. After breakfast she needs to go shopping. You decline stating that you want to talk with Griffin for a bit. Before entering the garage, she tells you not to make conflict with him.
|11:30 AM|
Back on the couch watching tv.
“I wonder if he knows I’m waiting for him. If that’s the case, then that raises the possibility of him being in the room.”
The doorbell rings.
“That was a quick shopping trip.”
You quickly rush to the door.
“Why didn’t she come through the garage do-“
You freeze as the person you encounter isn’t your mother, instead it’s Noah.
“Noah… um, how did you…”
“This… is your house?” Noah is just as confused as you. You nod which causes Noah to bow. “I’m so sorry, I believe I have the wrong address.”
“It’s okay, do you need help finding out where you’re going?”
“No, I can find it on my own. I probably just put the address in incorrectly. Sorry to disturb you.” He bows again then turns.
“Where the hell are you going?” The voice catches you and Noah by surprise. Griffin is approaching the door fully dressed to go somewhere. He’s wearing white, low top sneakers, blue sweatpants with white stripes on the sides, a white shirt, and a blue jacket. “Are you bailing out on me?” His attention is on Noah.
“Why are you here…?” Noah flips the table by catching you and Griffin by surprise. Just a minute ago he sounded like he was back to his old self. Quiet but filled with emotion. Now, his voice dropped to a menacing level.
“Did you not sleep last night or something? You need some coffee.” Griffin moves past you to step out the door but Noah cuts him off.
“Why are you in this house?” Noah asks again sounding less menacing than he did before.
“I told you in the text that I’m staying here.”
“Temporarily,” you add on.
“Shut your damn mouth,” Griffin snaps.
“Don’t talk to her like that.” Griffin scoffs from Noah’s menacing voice.
“Woah, when did you become a defender for the weak?” Griffin teases.
“Weak,” you repeat, “how do you know if I’m weak?”
“Sounds to me like you want to test that out.” Griffin turns to you. However, Noah puts himself between you and Griffin.
“If you so much as put a finger on her…” The two glare at each other in silence. The tension is heavy in the air.
“Pfft, haha!” Griffin starts laughing. “Glad to know you haven’t changed, Noah. Come on, I wanna get out dis house.” Griffin leaves still giggling to himself.
“Glad he hasn’t changed? So, they know each other, and this is how they normally act?”
Glancing at Noah’s face it doesn’t seem like he took that as a joke. He’s glaring at Griffin as he’s walking.
“Noah,” you whisper and poke his arm. Hearing your voice softens his expression. His threating look changes to concern.
“Why is he in your house?”
“From what I know his mother needs help, so my mom is helping her out by letting him stay here.” Noah’s expression deepens. He looks sad, hurt, and concerned about the whole situation.
“Hurry up, Noah, I’m hungry!” His eyes dart in the direction of Griffin’s voice. His eyebrows furrow and his teeth clench. Yet, when he looks at you… his expression saddens.
“His emotions change fast…”
“If he does anything to you tell me right away. No matter what time or day.” With that Noah closes the door on his way out. From the glass panel next to your door, you see Noah and Griffin talk for a bit. You can only see Griffin’s face. He laughs, gets serious, then laughs again. He stops the moment he sees you staring. You back up, not from Griffin’s glare, but for your phone that’s going off in the living room. There are five unread messages. As you look closer into it you’ve been added to a group by the number from last night, Lu. The others in the chat are Samael and Mallory.
Unknown (Lu): Welcome! Welcome! WELCOME! To our little circle! Sorry about what happened at the festival, Sammy, I ask for your forgiveness!
Sam: Um, it’s okay. I pushed my limit, so I panicked… Why am I here?
Unknown (Lu): This is our group! I think we had a fun time on Friday, don’t you think? So, whenever we want to hang out, text here! This way we can all bond and become close friends!!!
Lu adds a heart and a smiling emoji to the end of his message. Samael replies with a fearful emoji.
Mallory: I WILL TOTALLY POST ANY HANG OUT DATES HERE SO WE CAN ALL HANG OUT!!!
Sam: Please stop yelling…
Unknown (Lu): Alright! I’m counting on you Mello!
You: Mello?
Unknown (Lu): That’s the nickname I’ve decided for Mal! She’s the opposite of mellow and always jumping around like jiggly Jell-O. So, MELLOOOOOOO!
Sam: An odd thought process for thinking of names…
Mal: That’s such a wonderful nickname! I’LL CHERISH IT!
Each person on the other end of the screen gives off a different reaction. You sigh, Samael’s confused, Lu laughs, and Mallory fawns over her new name. Then Samael texts.
Sam: _______ wasn’t given a nickname.
Unknown (Lu): You are right! I want to call _______, princess?
You: Princess…
Samael: Why?
Unknown (Lu): I’ve always liked fairy tale stories growing up! _______ reminds me of a princess from a story book I read as a child. She’s the princess, Mello is the friend of the princess, and Sammy is the pet!
Sam: I’m the pet…
Lu replies with a dog emoji.
Unknown (Lu): Oooooooh, who am I in the fairy tale!?
You: The jester
Sam: Dragon.
Mal: A red prince!
Unknown (Lu): I like Mello’s idea, you two make me sound evil! I have feelings, you know. I just don’t show them much. Well, have to go, Ciao!
Sam: Wait! I’m so sorry! Didn’t mean for it to be taken the wrong way. You can be a good dragon, protector of the village! I don’t want to sound mean…
You: Just call it getting even.
Sam: I’m not a person to do that. I never get back at people for being mean because I’m sure they went through or is going through something. Something happens to a person to make them mean… I have to go too, bye.
Mal: Aww, Samael is so sweet. Forgive people, _______! I need to make something for lunch, see ya!
Everyone went off to do something.
“Nice to see that Mal isn’t oblivious to what Lu did. But she forgave him, and it seems like Sam has too. There’s just something off with him… and Griffin.”
You think about what Samael said and sigh.
|10:41 PM|
Throughout the day you’ve been entertaining yourself in the house. Once your mom got home you helped her put away the groceries then watched tv together. Now you’re upstairs. Griffin has a curfew at 9 but an hour or more as past. Your mother is sitting downstairs waiting for him to come back. Thanks to Noah you were able to confirm that he was coming late.
“Took you long enough to get back.” You left your door open to hear what your mom would say.
“Sorry, I haven’t hung out with my friend in a while and lost track of time.”
“It’s okay, just make sure to come back on time, please. I’m going to have _______ send me texts from now on so I know you’re safe.”
“I’ll do better, ma’am.”
“Great, now I’m going to finish up your laundry.”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
“The more lenient she is towards him then the more he’ll act up. Once she’s back to work what makes her think he’ll listen to me?”
Griffin is coming upstairs.
“Being nice to mean people… I’m going to be stuck with him for a while so I might as well… apologize.”
“Hey, Griffin.” He stops and stares at you.
“Noah isn’t here to protect you if you start something.” He takes a few steps towards you. “I’m curious on what you’re gonna say.” He crosses his arms, grins, waiting to hear what you’re going to say.
“I’m sorry.” Griffin’s eyes widen; grin disappearing from his face. “My first impression of you was that you were a jerk, a bully. But I’m sure you don’t mean to be that way. You’ve gotten used to being that way that it’s second nature, right?” His eyebrows furrow.
“What’s the point of this?”
“We got off on the wrong foot starting with the festival. Since we’re going to be in this house together, it’ll work better if we communicate. You show me respect and I’ll show it to you. Let’s start over. Hello, my name is _______.” You extend your hand out for a shake. Griffin stares at your hand then locks eyes.
“For your information, I’m only here because I have no choice. You don’t like it and neither do I. There’s no point in playing nice. You’ve shown your colors back when I was trying to help your friend up. I don’t need a huge, creepy ass smile to help someone.”
“I misunderstood what was going on. Besides, he was scared so my focus was helping him.”
“Yep, and you were still rude to me when you got home. Not to mention earlier today.”
“That’s why I’m apologizing so we can let go of the past hostility and fix it. Please?” You extend your hand again.
“Smelly.”
“What?”
“Your towel was stinky as hell. If I shake your hand, then you’ll pass it to me.”
“First of all, I do not stink. Second, sounds like you’re the pervert for smelling my towel.”
“Ha! As if I wanted to smell it. It was protruding off your towel. Fix that and maybe I’ll consider.” Griffin proceeds to his room. “Pervert? Who was the one staring at me?”
“Listen!” He closes his door before you say another word.
“I guess things kind of smoothed over. Wait.”
You knock on his bedroom door.
“Aren’t you done talking for today?”
“Just one question, did you hear any sounds last night. Or, perhaps were you in my room?” The door flings open.
“If you’re missing panties then that’s bold of you to accuse me. But, no, I didn’t hear anything, and I wasn’t in your room.” He closes his door.
“If it happens again after mom leaves then it’s obvious who it is.”
Returning to your room, a text message comes in. You brace yourself thinking it’s Lu but it’s Noah asking if you’re okay. He sent a similar one earlier, but you didn’t notice. You reply with a yes then go to sleep.
|??:??|
You arrive in your dream with Sam nuzzled by your side. It doesn’t last long as Mallory, or Sakura, is screaming in the distance. Her and Noah are running towards you. They inform you that there’s something else running around in the bushes. Noah prefers to find the light and avoid the unknown creature. Meanwhile Sakura thinks you confronting the creature will satisfy it and leave her alone.
The sun has started setting by the time you’ve found the light. Throughout that time, you haven’t encountered any creature. The only thing off was Noah. No matter how many times you’ve told him to stop, he kept rubbing against your legs. Nearly tripping over him multiple times. Even after picking him up he wouldn’t stop rubbing against your neck.
“W-well the sun is s-setting. Y-you should go.”
“I would like to, Sam, but…” Noah is preventing you from getting close to the light. He jumps in front of every step you make.
“I have an uneasy feeling of you going in there.” Noah is on his hind legs begging you not to go.
“We don’t know what’ll happen if she stays here. What if she never wakes up if she stays? Or if the monsters come out!” Sakura sends herself and Sam into a state of unease.
“Then I’ll protect you, please stay…” Noah is staring at you with his large amber eyes. But Sakura is right, it’s unknown what’ll happen if you stay too late.
“I’m sorry, Noah, I don’t want to know what’ll happen if I stay too late.” He pounces onto your foot and latches on. “Noah, off. Please.”
“Y-you can g-go in. He w-won’t be able to leave.”
“_______, I have a bad feeling! Don’t go!” You ignore his cries, and his pulling, and go into the light. “Don’t leave me!”
|7:18 AM|
After waking up you stay in bed for a bit.
Bzzt Bzzt!
“A message this early?”
Noah: Hope I’m not waking you up. Would you be free around 9 or 10? It would be nice to hang out for a bit.
You: Don’t worry, I’m awake already. It would be fun to hang out! Where are we going?
Noah: There’s a new café downtown; took Griffin there yesterday. If you’re ready I can come by now. The sooner the better.
You: I’ll text you when I’m ready.
Your mom barges into your room and pulls you out of bed.
“Breakfast!” She leaves you in front of your bedroom then goes into Griffin’s.
“What the!”
“Breakfast!” You giggle from Griffin’s frightened reaction. She pulls Griffin out of the room by his arm. He’s wearing a white undershirt and black shorts. She drags him downstairs and you follow behind.
“I put extra love into this, so it’ll taste wonderful!” She has gone above and beyond on breakfast for two people. Fruit salad, eggs, bacon, waffles, pancakes, sausage, oatmeal, and smoothies.
“There is going to be a lot of leftovers…” you comment.
“What isn’t finished now can be saved for later. I love having breakfast for lunch and dinner.”
“Unhealthy,” Griffin mumbles.
“You’re not a sweets person are you, Griffin?” He shakes his head. “Well then eat as much as you can now, and I’ll make a hearty dinner for tonight’s event.” You and Griffin look at her confusingly. “To help you two connect, I plan on playing some games and watch movies. I think that’ll be a nice bonding moment.”
“Highly doubt it…”
Griffin starts making himself a plate.
“Go on, _______, I put a lot of work into all this.”
“I know, but I’m going to hang out with a friend in a bit. We’re going somewhere to eat.”
“But, but, but… I made so much food.”
“I’ll eat some when I come back.” Your mother pouts but she’s okay with it. You head upstairs to get ready since Noah said he was on his way.
|8:04 AM|
“_______, your friend is here!” Your mother yells.
“Alright!” Tucked between the headboard and your mattress, you pull out an envelope sent from your mom.
“After this I need be mindful on what I spend money on. I should save up for when I invite Sam out somewhere.”
You pull out a small amount then stuff the envelope back.
“Why do I get stuck with boring classes?” Griffin is talking with Noah at the front door.
“You could join a club or play sports.”
“You know I don’t like that stuff.”
“Could help you with talking to other people.”
“Care to take that advice for yourself?” Griffin laughs.
“Ready to go, _______?” Noah calls attention to you.
“Yep,” you take notice of his apparel, “you always dress nice to every occasion.”
“Is it too much?”
“No, I like it.” He’s wearing his signature black turtleneck, a tan trench coat, light blue jeans, and white low tops. “Let’s get going!”
“Have fun, don’t soften Noah up too much, _______.”
“_______!” Your mother yells. “Don’t stay out too late!”
“Okay! Don’t forget you have to eat all that food.”
“Huh?!” You close the door before Griffin has a chance to lash out. The walk downtown is quiet except the surrounding sounds. After leaving your house Noah hasn’t said anything. You try to start a conversation, but he ends it quickly.
“Here it is,” Noah suddenly speaks. It’s a modern café with large glass windows. Not many people are sitting but there’s a line at the cash register.
“For a new café they’re getting good business.” Noah hums is response. You take a seat at a table in the corner while Noah went to order. Noah joins you not too long later.
“So,” you start, “what’s been bothering you?” He darts his eyes out the window. “You can’t keep things away from me for long.” He sighs.
“I know. Can I ask you something first?”
“Always.”
“How do you feel about Griffin?”
“He’s a jerk and I wasn’t too happy finding out he’s going to be staying with me.”
“Wasn’t?”
“Someone brought it to my attention that a person goes through something to make them the way they are. So, I have to accept he needs help and tried to make amends with him. It kind of worked but I won’t know for sure until my mom leaves for work.”
“Leaves as in you’re going to be alone with him?” You nod. “Do you plan to make friends with him?”
“Befriending you took some time but Griffin… that would take years.”
“Would you look forward to having him as a friend?”
“I don’t know. What’s with you and Griffin? He sees you a friend, but I don’t think you do.”
“It’s difficult. Remember I told you about a friend I met before you.” It clicks.
“He’s the one you were talking about!?”
“Yep. Instead of staying at my house he made his way into yours.”
“You called him a leech before. Is he… using my mom?”
“When Griffin acts on his own he’s a leech. You said yesterday that his mother needed help, so he won’t do anything that’ll affect her. He’ll behave for your mom but when he’s alone is the problem.”
“How bad of a problem?”
“I haven’t hung out with him for some time, so I don’t know how he is now. In the past he was a delinquent doing all sorts of devious things.”
“For a delinquent, Griffin makes it sound like you were friends for a long time.”
“We have been, since elementary. He left some time after high school.”
“So, you hung out with him during middle school. You never mentioned him.”
“Wasn’t necessary.”
“Why did you hang out with him at all if he was a problem.” Noah takes a moment to think. A café employee stops by our table with two beverages. “Ooh~, what surprise is in my cup?”
“Taste it, I will tell you that it’s tea.” You take a sip and hum in satisfaction. “What you’re drinking is Royal Milk Tea. It’s quite popular in Japan. When I asked the worker what ingredients they use, they actually get their ingredients imported from Japan.”
“I keep forgetting about your Japanese side. I really want to meet your mom.”
“You will soon.” He takes a sip from his cup. “To answer your question, I guess I took pity on Griffin to stay by his side through all the trouble.”
“Spoken like a true friend.”
“That doesn’t mean I enjoyed it. He irritated me then and still does.”
“But your patience for him is better than how mine would’ve been. If he wasn’t such a troublemaker, I’m sure you two would be great friends.” Noah adverts his eyes to his cup. “Is that why you’re so bothered? Think I’m going to steal Griffin from you?”
“No, the other way around. You’re the only one I see as someone I trust and care about. If your focus is on others, then I fear you’ll leave me.”
“Noah, I worked hard to earn your friendship and you think I’m going to throw it away?” He refuses to make eye contact. “No matter how many people I make friends with, I won’t forget you.”
“You won’t leave me?” Finally, he locks eyes with you. He looks vulnerable pledging for reassurance.
“I won’t ever leave you. Would you leave me?”
“Never, that possibility would never cross my mind.” You both giggle. The employee from before comes by again with a tray containing an assortment of foods they have.
Bzzt Bzzt!
You pull out your phone to check your messages.
Jester: Let’s hang out before we have to return to our torturous school life!!!!
Mallory: I’m ready to go anywhere!
Sam: _______, are you available?
You: Sorry, I’m busy all day
Sam: I won’t be hanging out today.
Jester: WHAT!?!?! All because Princess won’t be joining?!?! Sam, how could you!
Sam: Sorry… I’ll be going now…
“Everything alright?” Noah grabs your attention again.
“Yea, just some friends wanting to hang out.”
“You’re gaining some friends from school…”
“Only two so far. Well, I should be saying one since he just appears everywhere. But the one I do think of as a friend started because he reminded me of middle school you.”
“Oh…Really?”
“I’m still working on getting him to open up, but so far he’s a shy, sweetheart.”
“Oh, that’s nice of you.” From his tone it’s obvious he’s not interested. Time to change the topic. You bring up his mood by cracking jokes. He goes back to the Noah you got to know in middle school.
|9:54 AM|
After a joyful time at the café, Noah wanted to take a walk around town. That’s the repayment he would accept for taking care of the café bill. Unlike the walk earlier, Noah is more talkative this time around.
“Have I ever told you my mom is stripping away all snacks from the house?”
“Why? Doesn’t she know how tortuous that is?”
“Exactly! She’s also cutting back how much money she leaves me, so I won’t be able to get any…”
“Are you saving the money for something else?”
“Yea, in case I hang out with anyone I should have some money.”
“You’re hanging out with me and you haven’t spent a single dollar.”
“It’s because you won’t accept my money!” He laughs and stops you from pulling out your money.
“We’re passing by a store you can get snacks from. I’ll get you some.”
“I feel like this is a trap just to get money out of me in the future.” He scoffs and enters the convenient store. He grabs himself a bag of chips while you’re deciding.
“Grab as much as you like.”
“Can’t do, I won’t be able to hide it from my mom.” You grab a snack and head towards the cash register. You take note of the help wanted sign while the cashier does his part.
“This wouldn’t be so bad for a first job.”
“Here ya go, have a nice day!” The cheery cashier hands Noah the bag.
|10:30 AM|
“Here’s your contraband.”
“Thank you, hope it wasn’t a hassle delivering it.”
“The only problem with delivering was someone bugging me every second to have it.”
“Every two seconds.” You two can’t help but laugh. Noah saved the snacks until you both arrived at a park. Now you were sitting at a bench staring at the pond. Noah catches you off guard by placing his head on your shoulder.
“_______.” You hum. “Please… Don’t leave me.”
“I won’t, I meant what I said earlier.” No words were spoken during your time there. Simply enjoying each other’s presence. Noah enjoying it the most.
“You won’t replace me?”
“Nope, I only need one Noah in my life and that’s you.” You can tell he’s smiling without looking at him. Another surprise comes from the other side of the pond where there’s a familiar red head. He waves at you then turns his attention to Mallory who’s running to catch up to him. She doesn’t take notice of you due to Lu leading her in the opposite direction.
“I hope they’re just hanging out… Then again Mallory won’t see it that way.”
After spending about thirty minutes at the park, Noah walks you home. He thanks you for spending time with him and looks forward to doing it again.
|3:46 PM|
“I think that’ll be a great opportunity. You’re going to have to work sooner or later so why not?” As your mother is cooking dinner, you mention the help wanted sign at the convenient store. “I’ll come back Friday or Saturday and get your working papers. Make sure you keep your grades up.”
“Don’t worry about me, I will.” She carries out her plan like she wanted to. She has a few movies to watch and a couple of games. While you ate dinner, she brought out Uno. Griffin made sure to bobbared you with cards even when his hands were full. After dinner and a couple rounds of utter defeat from your mom, she put on a horror movie. She sat in the recliner by the window while you sat on the couch with Griffin– on opposite ends. During which Griffin kept scaring you when the suspense grew. Your mother grew engrossed in movies and decided to keep watching the list she set up.
|10:41 PM|
“She’s knocked out.” Attention shifts to your sleeping mother. She’s cuddling one of couch pillows in a fetal position.
“We should go to bed, school tomorrow.” Griffin rolls his eyes and groans.
“School crap…” He grumbles on his way upstairs.
“Goodnight, Griff.” He stops and leans over the railing, staring at you. “Does saying goodnight piss you off?” His expression softens, a turnaround from his intense expression.
“Thanks,” he starts, “if Noah likes you then I won’t be so much of an asshole…” You’re in shock. You haven’t known him long, but you weren’t expecting this so soon. “If you’re going to stare at me like that then forget I said anything! No, don’t forget it. But… ugh! Goodnight!” He darts upstairs and slams his door, waking up your mom.
____________________________________
Mallory: Another month, another chapter. I’m your host, friend, and most important part of the story, Mallory! We were supposed to have a guest today, but he decided not to show up.
*Commotion backstage*
Mallory: Or should I say, he’s a little shy.
*Yelling and screaming intensifies*
Mallory: I’ll be on my own for this one. Ahem… Next! Chapter! Will be a new experience! But let’s sum up everything before you proceed. You’ve found out that waking up early put you through sleep paralysis. But it will last for hours! But once that was over you had a chat with ya mom. She informed you that you’ll be having a budget cut. Thankfully you found a job opportunity at a gas station! You better save so we can go to an amusement park or something!
???: I already gave you my answer! Back off!
???: No need to be so mean. It’ll make you look better if you did.
???: He won’t do it.
Mallory: Ah, stop! I’m the only dialogue here! Back to what I was saying… Time to work! Well, if you get the job. Then mom goes shopping, Griffin hung out with Noah, and you got added to a group with me! As well as Sammy and Lu the Prince. Your relationship with Griffin seemed to improve! But that only happened thanks to Noah. Speaking of him, you got to spend some time with him! And much more in the next chapter… I wish you luck…
???: Do that one more time and I will strangle you!
???: That’s a threat! I can report you to the authorities.
Mallory: -_-
???: C-can we please calm down?
???: Save your breath.
Mallory: I think I covered everything. Welp, hope to see ya next chapter! Bye-bye!
*Griffin chasing Lu in the back with a chair*
____________________________________
— Cutting it off here before things get violent —
You help your mother up to her room. The moment she enters she plops onto the bed. The real struggle is getting her under the covers. After finagling for thirty minutes you head to bed. Drifting to sleep within no time.
|??:??|
“G-good morning!” Sam is first to greet you.
“Good morning,” you gently pet him as you sit up.
“You’re awake!” Noah yells, jumping down from a tree to be by your side. “I missed you.” Rubbing against your thigh a low vibration can be felt. You place your other hand on his head. Only Noah’s enjoyment is audible between the two. The absence of a third voice raises a question.
“Wait, where’s… Sakura?”
“Hoover-brain,” Noah starts, “ran off because she didn’t want to be attacked. See how she is? She left you behind so that she could live. Ungrateful.”
“W-well, some can’t h-handle scary s-situations.”
“Compare your size and personality with hers. It should’ve been you running, not her.” Sam nuzzles closer and shivers from Noah’s glare.
“That’s how she is, but she always comes running back.” Sam looks at you, head tilted.
“Is that y-you saying you w-want to wait for her?” He asks.
“I don’t want to waste time sitting here. We still need to look around. Heh, we might find her hiding behind a tree or something.”
“Or she’s long gone because she doesn’t care about you,” Noah comments.
“S-so negative…” Sam mumbles. Noah hisses causing Sam to jolt.
“Let’s not cause any tension, alright?” You dart your eyes between the two. Giving Noah a longer stare down until he hides his fangs. “Let’s start walking; I need to stretch. Laying on the ground is uncomfortable.” You hoist yourself up and wipe away any dirt particles from your sleepwear.
“Y-yea… walk.” Sam’s voice shakes. He makes the effort of hugging your leg as you walk. Even though there’s a dirt path, you stay in the grass—the grass is much softer anyways.
The silent walk is soothing but a little unsettling. In the real world, there would be a breeze, birds chirping, and sometimes small insects flying around. In here, there are no other animals, no insects, or a slight breeze. The only sound is the grass crunching under your feet. Not much sound coming from Noah or Sam due to their light weight.
Suddenly, Sam and Noah halt. The lack of warmth against your leg catches your attention.
“What’s wrong?” Your eyes observe the static two.
They dart their eyes around the environment. Their ears perk up. Still except for slight twitches. You can’t hear it but there is something moving in the grass. A quick dart of a dark figure puts them on guard; eyes lock on the same spot. A tree. Noah claws emerge then he approaches the tree. Sam, on the other hand, is slowly backing towards you. You take one step and…
“Rawr!” Something jumps out from behind the tree and pounces onto Noah. Sam yelps and jumps onto your leg. As Noah tussles with the creature, you lift Sam into your arms. You pay close attention to the creature engaging Noah.
“It looks like… a lion cub?”
“I win!” The cub pins Noah to the ground. “Come on, you weren’t even trying!” Noah, who was previously on guard, relaxes. He pouts and darts his eyes.
“I would’ve hurt you, but something held me back.”
“You mean what I’m doing now?” The cub holds his chin high puffing out his chest with a smile.
“No, now get off of me.” The cub obliges. Noah gets up, shakes, then starts walking.
“Huh, where ya goin’?!” The cub catches up to Noah’s side in a second. “We can have a rematch if it bothers you that much.”
“No, now quit following us.”
“Sounds like someone’s grumpy from their loss. Let’s play again!” Noah growls but the cub continues to bug him.
“Very friendly with Noah means he’s…”
“Griffin?” He snaps his head in your direction and jumps. He takes a defensive position with his teeth baring added with a low growl. Sam yelps again and curls into a tighter ball. Noah rushes to put himself in front of you. He challenges the cub with his hissing.
“Touching her will be the biggest mistake you could make.” The two stare each other down. The cub looks at you—earning a growl from Noah—then back to him.
“You win… pfft.” The cub falls on grass laughing. “Even if you’re serious I can’t help but laugh!” His laughing lessens to the point he’s able to stand again. “I’m trying so hard to remember you.”
“Hard to think I’d associate with someone like you,” Noah says with an eye twitch.
“Then explain why you’re the only one I feel comfortable around. Her scent is familiar too, but I don’t like it.” Noah turns to you, eyes narrowed.
“Do you recognize him?” He asks.
“He reminds me of someone named Griffin.”
“Griffin,” the cub repeats, “Sounds like a cool name for someone as cool as me.” He puffs out his chest and holds his chin high again.
“Overly confident? I haven’t seen it, but it seems like a possible trait Griffin would have…”
“What are you staring at me for?” Griff snaps.
“I was just comparing you to the Griffin I know so far. I think you match him perfectly.” He raises one eyebrow higher than the other.
“Ahem,” Noah draws everyone’s attention, “we have a light to find. _______, we should hurry.” Noah paws at the back of your leg before taking the lead.
“I’m not staying behind!” Griff runs up to Noah’s side. “Since we both seem to be having memory issues, let’s try to bring em back.”
“You make it sound as though it’s necessary.” Annoyance is evident in Noah voice.
“Come on, don’t you wanna remember how we know each other?”
“Like I said before, hard to think I’d associate with you.”
“Hard to think but we might be friends. If you didn’t think so then you would’ve fought back.” Noah goes quiet.
“In the real world, you two are good friends.” The felines turn their heads to you. Noah’s eyes are wide as Griffin’s are narrowed.
“Impossible,” Noah says.
“Thanks for the input, eavesdropper,” Griff says. He laughs it off when Noah glares at him.
“I’m just trying to help… Believe it or not, Noah, you and him go back to children from what you told me.” The two stare at each other. Griff smiles while Noah’s flabbergasted. “Though, you said it’s out-” You stop.
“That’s something Noah didn’t tell Griffin… Even for a dream, I’ll keep quiet.”
“Out of what?” Griff’s eyebrows lower.
“Don’t mind me, I’m just mumbling about something else.”
“Liar, you were gonna say something. So, say it.” Noah hisses for Griff to stop. Focus returns to walking though Griff glances at you on occasion.
The sun is now halfway through its setting process.
“W-what if w-we don’t find it in t-time?” Sam begins to shake.
“You found the light in the past, why don’t you find it now?” Noah hops and sits on a rock. You and Griff stop walking as a response.
“O-only when it’s close by, I can sense it.”
“Great, that just means it’s nowhere close…” Noah ponders. His eyes close, his foot taps, and nose scrunches.
“Why don’t you split up,” Griff recommends, “There’s three of y’all so it’ll go by quicker.” Griff’s form gives off a sense of boredom.
“Then it’ll be more work to find _______ and lead her back to the light,” Noah says.
“But at least you’ll find the light.”
“I think we should try it,” you speak up. “I don’t want to find out what’ll happen when the sun sets.”
“Then I’ll accompany you.” Noah dashes to your side.
“That defeats the purpose.” You place Sam on the ground. “You all can run faster than me, so it’ll make this process quicker. Let’s just focus on finding the light as fast as we can.” Noah groans.
“Fine but stay here! I’ll be back for you.” Noah darts off.
“Hey! Wait up!” Griff yells out then takes off after Noah.
“D-don’t worry! W-we’ll find the light… t-together. I-I’ll be back s-super fast!” Sam takes off in a different direction.
“Noah wants me to wait here… But there’s a chance I could find it too. I’ll wait for a bit, so they don’t worry.”
With that you sit in the grass and wait. Thankfully, time goes by quicker in here than in the real world. You try not to notice but you give quick glances to the sky. Each time the sky is warmer than the last. Added with the noiseless surrounding, you can’t stop your body from shuffling.
“Should I wait any longer? I haven’t heard anyone run by. They could’ve gotten lost…” You stay for a few seconds then stand. “I know they said to wait but I rather take my chances before it’s too late.”
You take off in a sprint. Head looking left and right along with frequent turns. Running and running through an endless space of trees. Nothing changing except the sky. Its warm hues slowing turning cool. Exhausted, you push through.
Until you trip.
You huff and puff for air. You roll onto your back and watch the last bit of orange fade away. You steady your breathing. Laying in anticipation for something. But nothing happens. You check your body—everything is still there. You run your hand over the grass; it feels the same.
“Nothing happened… What was I expecting to happen?” You stand. “What would hap-“
Rustle.
You follow the sound to a tree towering you.
“Sam?” No response. The rustler doesn’t reply.
“Can’t be Sam anyways, why would he be in a tree?”
“Noah, did you find it?” The rustler doesn’t reply. “Is that you, Griff? Come on, no jokes, I need to get out of here.”
Fast, something jumps down and lands perfectly. You stare in shock as it isn’t a small animal you were expect; nor the large animal you were missing. It’s a cat, a big cat, a black panther.
It lays low to the ground, slowly approaching you with its mouth slightly agape. Its amber eyes are wide, dilated. You take small, slow steps back. You’re unaware of the its true intents.
Run? Your eyes dart in all possible directions but your body won’t stop shaking. The panther must notice because it lowers its guard. It sits, head tilting and purrs. You proceed to take more steps back until it starts whining. It crawls a few inches towards you with its ears lowered.
“Is it docile?”
“Do you speak at all?” The panther responds in a loud whine. “You won’t attack me if I get close?” It doesn’t respond verbally. Instead, it rests its head on the grass. Eyes closed.
“It’s just a dream… my dream. Don’t be scared.”
You kneel down in front of the panther. Slow and gentle you run your hand across its head. The panther doesn’t suppress its purrs. It lays on its side inviting you to pet more.
“You look intimidating, but you’re actually a big softie.” One hand petting the head and neck while the other rubs the belly. The panther’s body begins squirming; its tail swinging in happiness. “Intimidating but kind… wonder if Griffin’s like this.”
Slash!
It happened so quick you didn’t process it, but your body did. One second you’re petting a panther and now you’re looking at the sky again.
“What…” You whence from a sharp pain on your waist. The whiplash settles as you come to realize the situation. You place your hand on the pain then look at it.
Red. Blood. Your blood.
Your body starts shaking again and your vision blurring. But those eyes are clear as ever. The panther—with its dilated eyes and teeth showing—looks down on you. You look away and it growls. The panther presses its paw on your wound. You bite your lip to muffle your cry. Its growling grows louder, and the pressure increases. You try to push the paw off but the panther roars at your attempt.
Your eyes return to its. Then to black smoke emitting from its body.
“Get off her, monster!” Sakura comes running to you. “If you wanna eat someone, eat me!” As she gets closer the panther roars. She yelps and backs up.
“Sa-” The panther presses down again. His attention shifts between you to Sakura. Each time she approaches, it roars. Each time you move, it reminds you of your pain.
“If I distract it…”
When his focus is on Sakura, you reach up to yank its ear. It strikes back, sinking its teeth into your wrist. You scream in pain and the panther releases, a look of satisfaction in its eyes.
“Beep beep!” Sakura rams into the panther, alleviating you from the weight. The panther hits a tree. “Oops, sorry. Hope you got insurance.” The panther roars. “Uh oh, _______, run!” Sakura dodges a pounce then starts running from the panther. You manage to get up and go the opposite direction. Your light jog devolves into a sluggish walk from.
“This hurts… so much… How am I not awake?”
The pain becomes unbearable, and the blood flowing out is getting worse. You fall against a tree then to the ground; landing on the front side of your body.
“It should be morning already… Where’s Mallory? Please… wake me up! I don’t want to find out what happens if I bleed out…”
You tighten your grip on the slash, but the pain stops you. Even worse, that growl is behind you. Your body locks up. The sound of it moving above you makes your heart drop.
“If I can feel pain… please…”
“P-please…” you whimper. The creature remains quiet. The black smoke from before is increasing. “Mallory… wake… me…” The sight of the lush green forest disappears behind the thick, black smoke. You try to cough it out of your lunges but to no avail.
It gets harder to breathe. Gasping for air only to be left disappointed from the results.
The only sound audible is its purring.
The only sense of touch is its tongue scraping the side of your face.
Everything else… black.
|??:??|
You jolt up gasping for air. Your heart is racing, and your chest tightens. Your eyes frantically scanning your surroundings. Your body relaxes after confirming it’s your room.
“Dream… Dream… It was just a dream… A dre-“
You stop at the sight of the full moon. The sun set in your dream, but the moon is still up in reality.
“You’re awake.” You quickly turn to the sudden voice. Your mind fills with confusion.
“Noah… Why are you…” Noah stands at your doorway, leaning against the door frame.
“Did you get enough sleep?”
“W-why are you here?”
“The moon is beautiful, isn’t?” His eyes appear empty as he looks to the moon. Yet, his smile is genuine.
“Please answer me, Noah.” Then his smile fades and his eyes lock onto yours.
“We’re never going to leave each other, right?” He pushes away from the frame to enter your room. “That is what you said to me.” Your eyes watch as he sits close to you. “You look so confused, so frightened.” He grazes his hand across your cheek. “It’s okay.” A shiver runs through your body as those amber eyes grow closer.
You jump out of your bed.
“I’m sorry, Noah, but I need you to go home.”
“You want me to leave? But you said we would never leave each other.”
“Noah, please, go home.”
“You. Said.” He stands, looming over you as his voice deepens. This Noah different, off, scary even, causing you to take a few steps back. Noah takes notice and breathes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude. Could you walk me to the door?” You walk sideways out your bedroom door, keeping eyes on Noah. When you reach the stairs, you rush down. Noah is following with a smirk on his face. Through the living room and down the foyer, you stop at the front door.
“Goodnight, Noah…” You turn to see Noah, not standing behind you, but at the other end of the foyer. You motion him towards the door, but he just stands there.
“Could you open it for me?” You stare at him, confused about everything that’s happening. He takes slow steps to the door. You open the door when he’s close to you.
Your heart drops.
Not only your body, but your mind feels like it stops. The only thing to take in is that you’re looking into your house, not outside. Not just your house, but at another Noah standing there. You look at Noah behind you. His smile clear as day and his eyes squinted. The other Noah does the same. It’s almost as if the doorway has been replaced with a mirror. You reach out, expecting to touch it, but there’s only air.
“It’s better for you to see this so you give in faster.” The other Noah grabs your hand, his grip firm.
“I just want to see where your loyalty lies,” Noah says. Arms tightly wrap around your waist from behind. You squirm turning your body in every direction to break free.
“Relax, be honest, and we’ll be gentle.” The other Noah smiles at your attempt.
“What’s your relationship with Griffin?” Noah, head pressed against yours, says into your ear.
“He just lives in my house.”
“Do you like him?”
“He has his moments where he’s a jerk, but he’s human.”
“So, you have feelings for him?”
“As in a crush? I just met him you know.” The other Noah frowns, eyes narrow.
“Don’t lie,” his voice deepens. His grip on your wrist tightens. “Would you ever replace me with him?”
“We had this talk before! No matter what no one’s going to replace you.” His eyes soften.
“I was just making sure… I’m sorry for this. Allow me to make it up to you.” The other Noah litters your hand with kisses, slowly making his way up your arm.
“I apologize as well,” Noah says. Turning your head to face him as he leans in.
“Get off!” You kick the other Noah and shake off the original. “I don’t know what’s with you and all these questions. I answered them now leave!” You back further down the foyer away from them.
“I’m sorry if that was sudden, I’m just trying to make this up to you.” The Noah’s smile at you.
“Leave, Noah.” He scoffs.
“I get it, I pushed it. But if I wanted to leave, which I don’t, I can’t. You’re in my world so it’ll help if you behave.” Noah approaches with his hand open. You shake your head.
“I don’t want to know what that means. It’s clear that I’m still dreaming. Since you can’t leave then I will.” Noah dashes in front of you as you turn away.
“This the only moment I have to enjoy you.” His eyes gaze into yours. “Please don’t ruin this amazing time.”
“Sounds like… this is for your own enjoyment than mine.” Noah steps towards you, backing you towards the other Noah. “Listen, I need to be somewhere else.”
“I told you not to lie, didn’t I?” Noah grabs your wrist. “You said… And now you’re trying to leave. I said I wanted to make up for my questioning. But it seems my feelings aren’t being heard either.” Noah pulls your wrist, grabs your cheeks, and lands a quick, rough kiss. “I love you, _______, and I want us to be together.” You stare into his eyes. You’re frozen but not from shock. Something’s preventing you. “I want you by my side at all times.”
“I… I’m dreaming… but I felt his kiss… and the attack from earlier…”
“L-let me go, Noah… I need to go to sleep and hopefully wake up from the dream.”
“You still don’t understand? After what I just said?! Or… do you not accept me?”
“Let go,” You repeat. Sounding sterner than the first time. “I’m not going to waste any more time dealing with a Noah of my imagination.”
“Imagination?” Noah’s expression grows dark. His amber eyes grow wide and his lips frown. He places his forehead against yours. “You can leave if you move within five seconds. 1.”
You try to move but nothing happens. Your eyes dart anywhere else besides his.
“2.”
No matter how hard you try to move and yell at yourself, your body remains a static.
“3.”
“You’re cheating,” you yell, “you did something to me!”
“4.”
“This isn’t fair!” The other Noah snickers.
“5.” In a quick move, Noah’s hand grabs and squeezes your neck. “Let’s see how much of a dream this is.”
|6:30 AM|
His eyes bolt open to the view of the ceiling.
“Not again…” Griffin sits up from his bed; running his fingers through his hair to massage his scalp. “Please don’t start… please.”
Grumble!
His thought process is interrupted by his growling stomach.
“It might help if I eat something…” He gets out of bed with the kitchen being his destination. The smell of food has made its way up the steps making Griffin’s stomach furious.
“Didn’t she say see had to leave for work early? Or is it the girl?”
He takes notice of your closed door. He opens your bedroom door to see your figure sleeping; unaware of your rapid chest movement.
“Not much of a morning person… lazy girl. Then the lady didn’t leave for work”
He makes his way to the kitchen to end his stomach’s lashing. He turns right once he leaves that last step. Confusion dominant on his face from the unfamiliar purple head of hair. Mallory, cooking breakfast as always, checks the time on her phone.
“Geez, did you have a nightmare to be up this early?” She glances behind her then back to the food. It takes her a few seconds to realize it isn’t you behind her. She spins around, back pressing against the counter as she stares at Griffin in fear. “W-what are you doing here?!”
“I think that question applies to you more.”
“Where’s _______?! _______!” Mallory screams out as if she’s being attacked.
“She’s still sleeping, be qui-“
“What have you done to her?!”
“I just said she’s sle-” Mallory quickly grabs a kitchen knife and points it at Griffin.
“I know how to defend myself so don’t try anything!” Griffin’s eyes narrow and his teeth gritting.
“Listen. I. Just. Said. She’s. Sleeping.” Griffin says each word slow to mask the frustration in his voice.
“How do I know she’s not hurt up there?!” Mallory’s hands shake as if they’re jelly.
“Then. Go. Check. You. Dumb. Ass.”
“You’re setting me up for trap you have upstairs. What’s your purpose for being here?! Are you robbing this house!?”
“Oh wow, you figured out my plan! I would totally rob a house in a damn tank top, shorts, and no shoes! Just go upstairs and look in her room!”
“I am not gullible!”
“Fine! I’ll go wake her up!”
“No! You’re gonna go up there and do something worse to her!” Griffin internally screams and clenches his fist. He runs upstairs, ignoring Mallory’s threat to call the police.
“Yo, _______, go get your friend!” He stands next to the bed paying close attention to if you’re responding. “_______, get up, your friend is annoying as hell! Deal with her!” He takes note of your twitching as a sign of you waking up. He grips and shakes your shoulder.
|??:??|
The house shakes throwing you and the Noahs off balance. You gasp for air and take advantage of them being off guard to run to the living room. Sadly, Noah grabs your foot and you slam to the floor. The house stops shaking giving Noah an opportunity to straddle you.
“That voice was Griffin! You lied… to me!” He grips your neck again, both hands this time. “I don’t like the thought of you being with him.” You kick your legs, squirm your body, and claw at his face. None of which is loosening his grip.
|6:40 AM|
“Damn it, _______, wake up already!”
“Stop touching her! I knew you did something to her!”
“I did not! She’s a heavy sleeper! If you’d just let me shake her, then she’ll wake up if no time.”
“She’s not like this when I wake her up.”
“Then you get your ass over here and wake her up!” Mallory remains stagnate in the doorframe.
“_______, it’s time to wa-“
“You see how talking isn’t working! Get over and shake since you don’t want me to!”
“You’re going to attack me when my back is turned!” Griffin growls then pulls you upright.
“I-I said not to touch her! I’m calling the police!”
“Wake up, girl, you’re going to get me in a lot of trouble.”
|??:??|
The house shakes once again, thankfully throwing Noah off you for a chance to escape. Standing only throws you off balance so you crawl your way to the living room.
“Griffin!” You scream his name in hopes he’ll hear you from this nightmare.
|6:41 AM|
“Huh?” Griffin supports you by holding you upright by your shoulders.
“Gri… fin…” you mumble out his name.
“That’s your name isn’t it!? Don’t worry, _______, I’ll inform the police!”
“Would you shut up! She’s having a dream!”
“Why would she have a dream about you!? Were you here last night too!? What did you do to her then!?”
|??:??|
“I knew there was something going on with you and him.” Noah stands above you, holding out against the shaking. With force he pulls you up and slams you onto the couch. His hands tighten around your neck. “I’ve been with you for years and you just open your doors to someone new. I’m doing this because I love you and I don’t want him to ruin you. I love you… so, so much.”
The house shakes once more giving you another opportunity to shake him off. You two roll onto the floor.
“Stop running… from my love!” As Noah reaches for you, a hole forms under you. Beneath your house is nothing but white emptiness. You fall through, a sense of relief bubbling within. Looking back at the house, it’s crumbling. Each piece that breaks off the house turns black then poofs into black smoke. Noah screams, but you cannot hear. Your vision whitens out.
|6:43 AM|
You wake up in a jolt.
“About time, tell your friend to chill the fuck out.”
“You don’t have to listen to him, _______, I’ll report him!”
“You’re not even giving her a chance to speak!”
“You probably tricked her mind to say things that’ll only make you look innocent!”
“How the hell would I be able to do that!?”
“Is Noah here?” The two stop their arguing and stare at you confusingly. “Is Noah… downstairs?”
“I would’ve seen him if he was. Wait, I want to take care of this burglar!”
“For the last time, how am I robbing houses in this!?” He gestures to the clothes he’s wearing.
“It’s okay, Mallory, Griff lives here.”
“W-what?! Don’t you remember who he is!?”
“I know, he’s from the festival, I talked to him already.” As you go to step out of bed, you cringe at a stabbing pain coming from your left abdomen.
“_______?! Are you okay?” Mallory rushes to your side; placing the knife on the floor. Griffin snatches it so it’s out of Mallory’s hands.
“I’m putting this back where it belongs.” Griffin descends downstairs as Mallory checks your waist.
“Anything there?” You ask fearing to look.
“There’s nothing here visually. You must’ve pulled your muscle or something in your sleep. Or did he do this!?”
“Griffin didn’t do anything, I probably pulled it in my sleep.”
“The pain is coming from the same place that panther scratched me. I hope it doesn’t get worse…”
Mallory picks up an outfit she put together and holds it out before you.
“I finished up breakfast so hurry up so you can eat. Otherwise that guy-” Mallory’s eyes look as though they’ll pop out as she sprints to the stairs. “Don’t you touch any of that food, thief! It’s for _______ only!”
You fight through the pain as you prepare for school.
“That dream with Noah… I wouldn’t think of him like that. Could it be a warning? Only one way to find out.”