Today, I woke up to my parents screaming at each other. Honestly, they yell so much that it's basically become my alarm every morning.
My name's Allen. No last name, I'm a 17-year-old with black hair, black eyes, and a below-average face.
I'm one of the smartest in school, but being smart never made me popular it just made me a target for bullies.
Heck, I don't have a single friend not even the nerds want anything to do with me.
My life at school and at home is terrible.
But the only thing that kept me from reality was novels.
Novels were the only thing keeping me alive. I read one every single day not just for the story but to escape reality itself. Sometimes, I'd pretend I was one of the characters, living their life instead of mine because theirs made sense. Theirs felt worth living.
Today was just another average day. Nothing special. I ate a sandwich and went to school.
I walked into the classroom and sat at my desk.
"Yo, bookworm," he said with a smirk.
Before I could speak, he slammed my head to the desk.
"Do my homework, okay?" he asked.
"O-Okay…..I'll do it," I replied.
I hate myself for not fighting back, but what can I do? I'm just not strong enough.
The class continued like any other day. The teacher stood at the front, explaining the lesson, while everyone else scribbled notes or pretended to listen.
But something felt off like someone was watching me. I looked around several times, but no one seemed to be looking my way.
After class ended, I rushed to the library. It's the only place the bullies would never go. I mean, what popular person actually hangs out in the library?
I sat down and read a few books, but one caught my eye.
The book was so old that a thick layer of dust had built up on its cover.
"Hmm, this book is interesting." I said.
The title of the book was What If Someone Planned Your Life Before You Did?
When I opened the book, every page was blank except for one in the middle, where something was written.
I was watching you. I will continue to watch you. I will see you grow stronger and stronger until we meet again, and your death shall be wonderful, my friend.
"What the...this is the most weird book I ever read." I said, confused.
Then the bell rang, and I made my way to the classroom.
"Hmm that's strange." I said.
By this time, a group of bullies would've already surrounded me, each taking turns beating me up like it was some twisted game but I'm not complaining.
The whole school day passed, but I still couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me.
"Today was weird," I said quietly.
As I was walking, I saw a kid standing in the middle of the road and a truck was speeding straight toward him.
Without thinking, I ran and shoved him out of the way only to get hit by the truck instead.
And everything went black.
I couldn't see anything, only darkness surrounded me. I felt alive, yet somehow dead, floating in the void between both worlds.
I wasn't sad that I died if I'm being honest, I felt….relieved and happy, I didn't have to keep living this miserable life, where no one loved me, no one even talked to me.
I'd rather die than keep living a life where I'm beaten at home and bullied at school.
I was still floating in the darkness when I saw a figure staring straight at me. Then, it flashed a smile twisted, unsettling, like it knew something I didn't.
Just as I was about to react, everything vanished and I jolted awake in a room I didn't recognize.