Elaine sat on the floor of her room, trembling violently. Her breaths came shallow, ragged, as though the air itself had turned heavy. What was that? How is that even possible? she whispered hoarsely, her voice cracking as she tried to make sense of what she had seen.
Sweat trickled down her temples, dampening her hair as the walls of the room seemed to close in on her. Her heart wouldn't stop racing, her mind replaying the same horrific image again and again. Questions battered her relentlessly, but not a single answer surfaced.
The night dragged on mercilessly. By the time morning crept in, the alarm bell of the school tolled sharply through the halls, yet Elaine remained exactly where she had been, slumped on the floor, knees drawn close, staring at nothing. Her eyes were bloodshot and blurred from lack of sleep, her body exhausted but her mind unable to rest. The image of Horace, Gwen and Allan, twisted into something beyond human, carved itself into her memory, tormenting her until dawn. Fear gnawed at her chest, fear that someone, or something, might appear at any moment.
A sudden knock at the door made her flinch so hard her pulse spiked painfully. Her eyes darted toward the door, wide and unfocused.
"Elaine, are you in there?" June's voice came muffled but clear, followed by another soft knock.
Elaine pressed her lips together, forcing her lungs to draw in a shaky breath. "I'm coming…" she managed weakly.
When she opened the door, June's eyes widened in alarm. Elaine's face was pale, haggard, dark circles bruised the skin beneath her eyes, making her look years older overnight.
"What happened to you?" June gasped, stepping inside without hesitation. She peered closer, studying her friend's face with disbelief.
Elaine tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace. "I… I just didn't sleep much."
June frowned. "You look worse than stressed, Elaine."
"I'll be fine." She forced the words, though even her voice cracked.
"I came to call you so we could head to the bathhouse together," June said carefully, searching her expression.
"No… I don't think I'll be going to class today."
"Because you didn't get any sleep?"
Elaine nodded faintly, giving a tired, humorless smile.
But June wasn't satisfied. "Also… I haven't seen Gwen this morning," she added thoughtfully.
At that, Elaine's eyes flicked up, sharp with unease. "Last night…" she murmured, then stopped, lowering her gaze.
"What about last night?" June pressed, watching her intently.
Elaine hesitated, her throat tightening. "It's nothing. I'm just… worried too."
But deep down, her chest was constricted with the weight of what she had discovered: Gwen wasn't human. And the fact that she hadn't returned since the night before only deepened Elaine's dread.
"Elaine, are you sure you're okay?" June asked again, softer this time.
"Yes," Elaine whispered. "You should go before you're late."
June lingered, suspicion etched across her face, but eventually nodded. "I'll visit you during break."
When the door closed, Elaine collapsed back against it, sliding down until she hit the floor. Her hands gripped her knees tightly, her breath uneven.
" What if those creatures did something to Gwen?" she thought.
"But Allan was there too… and he and Gwen were close. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to her… right?"
Her chest heaved, "No, Allan saw me. He knew I witnessed something I wasn't meant to see, "will he try to harm me?"
Her mind spiraled, dragging her down until heat flushed through her body. Her temperature began rising, as her skin burned.
Hours slipped away in haze until another knock jolted her from her thoughts. She glanced at the clock, it was noon. June had come back, as promised. Elaine forced herself up, her body trembling with weakness, and opened the door.
"Elaine," June greeted, relief softening her face, but she quickly gasped. "You're burning up!"
Elaine frowned. "It's just a mild fever. It'll go away soon."
"You're sick. You should be in the sick bay, not here."
"I said I'm fine. I've got a strong immune system, I don't usually fall sick, and if I do, it never lasts more than a day."
But June crossed her arms, glaring. "I'm not buying that."
Before Elaine could resist, June grabbed her wrist. Elaine barely had the strength to struggle. Her protests faded, her voice thin and unconvincing, so she let June drag her down the hall.
Her silent prayers echoed in her heart: Please, don't let me run into them, but her prayers didn't reach the pathway of heaven to be answered.
As they rounded the corner, Allan appeared, walking with Horace, Elaine froze mid-step. Her stomach dropped, blood draining from her face making her as pale as a ghost as every nerve screamed at her to bolt out of there, be her body refused to move.
"Elaine? Are you okay?" June asked, tugging her arm gently.
But Elaine couldn't answer. Her gaze was locked on Allan and Horace, her heart pounding against her ribs, Allan's eyes flicked toward her for a brief moment, unreadable, then slid away as though she were beneath his notice.
June's voice rose, calling her name again. Elaine flinched, forcing herself to break eye contact. She lowered her head quickly, waiting until Allan and Horace disappeared from sight before moving again.
"S-sorry"
"You've been acting strange all morning. Did something happen?" June pressed, her tone hardening with suspicion.
Elaine shook her head quickly. "No… nothing. Let's just go."
At the infirmary, June wished her a quick recovery before hurrying off to class. Elaine offered a faint smile, her voice a whisper, "Thank you."
Inside, the nurse examined her briefly, took her temperature, and handed her some medication. "Rest until the fever breaks," she instructed.
Left alone, Elaine laid on her back on the narrow bed, staring at the ceiling, the sterile smell of medicine, the white cupboards, and the quietness of the place, oddly calmed her nerves an gave her a space to think properly.
And then, in that silence, a thought sparked, wild, desperate, yet strangely liberating.
"instead of hiding and reeling in fear, why not just leave?" a desperate smile found it's way to her dull face.
"If this school truly is what I think it is, then I won't stay to be devoured by it. I'll leave… as soon as I'm discharged"
The decision settled heavily in her chest, but for the first time since the night before, her heart felt calmer.
Elaine had made up her mind.