The sky had completely darkened by the time they settled into the dorm room. Elaine watched quietly as Dana unpacked her things, arranging them neatly around the room.
"Do you need a hand?" Elaine asked politely, her gaze drifting to Dana's wrists, which were now bruised purple and black. The marks made her wonder just how tight Alan's grip had been. Dana flinched occasionally when bending her wrist, a subtle reminder of the pain she must have endured.
"No thanks, I can handle it myself," Dana replied in a dull tone, the polite warmth she had shown earlier fading slightly.
"Do you want to head to the sick bay? Your wrist doesn't look so good," Elaine offered, though she wanted to inquire from Dana on what had happened, as she hadn't seen Dana intentionally bump into Allan, but she decided not to raise the issue.
Dana slept on the bed opposite Elaine's, which hadn't been in use as Elaine was formerly the only occupant of the room. Sleep didn't come easily for her, the images from earlier Allan at the piano, his eyes empty yet piercing haunted her mind relentlessly. How could it feel so real when it wasn't happening? she wondered. Maybe the school's abnormality was affecting her perception, she concluded.
Or was it because she hadn't rested properly since yesterday? she thought. Confusion twisted inside her. The image of Allan playing the piano kept replaying, tugging at her heart with a strange mixture of awe and ache, there was no warmth in his eyes as he played, his beautiful features were marred and colored by a deep, heartbreaking sadness, a longing that seemed to echo through her very chest.
"What in the world could have made him so sad?" she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible. She remembered his warning about making her life a nightmare, and despite knowing she had done nothing, she felt the weight of fear pressing down on her. The day had worn her thin, turning toward her new roommate, she stared for a long moment before a sudden thought struck her.
"How did she know my name?" she asked herself, outside the admin building, Dana had called her by name, she hadn't mentioned it perhaps the principal had but Elaine chose not to dwell on it, her mind needed rest, not stress.
The next morning, the dorm was lively.
"I can't believe Elaine finally has a roommate," June said, her usual giddy smile plastered across her face. "What class are you in?"
"I'm in 13B," Dana answered.
"That's too bad, we're all in 13A," June said, feeling a twinge of sympathy for her Elaine's new roommate.
Dana replied with a simple "Oh," unsure what to say, As they parted ways, Gwen turned back, locking eyes with Dana, there was something unsettling about her gaze, an ominous energy that left Gwen uneasy, Dana only offered an unnerving smile to Gwen, one that held no good intention, before leaving.
Classes dragged on, but Elaine's mind remained clouded.
"Are you alright?" Kyle asked, his voice laced with genuine concern. She had lost count of how many times she had been asked that question.
"Yes, I'm fine," she replied with a tight smile. Suddenly, he placed his palm on her forehead, inspecting her as he spoke softly, "You're hot."
"W-well, that was yesterday. I'm fine now," she murmured, gently pulling his hand away as a gaze from behind made her heart skip a beat.
After classes were over for the day, Elaine walked alongside Dana toward the dorm as June and Gwen had stayed behind, giving the two some privacy. Elaine felt a quiet sense of relief at Dana's presence walking with her made the journey feel less lonely.
"How was your first class?" Elaine asked.
"Oh, it was nice and pretty easy," Dana replied, laughing softly. "I just had to make sure there was nothing important being taught."
Elaine frowned, needing clarification.
"what?"
"You have really pretty eyes," Dana said suddenly, catching her off guard, her smile becoming scary.
"What?" Elaine blinked, confused.
"Your eyes are really, really pretty. Can I have a closer look?" Dana asked, her voice dropping a few octaves as she stepped closer, staring directly into Elaine's eyes.
Elaine wanted to speak, but as their eyes locked, the world around her blurred. A strange, overwhelming sensation gripped her, as though she were caught in someone else's dream a tug-of-war between her conscious mind and another's influence. Her thoughts struggled to make sense, slipping in and out of clarity, she began feeling numb everywhere as her eyes began closing when suddenly, Elaine felt someone pull her swiftly, beaking her line of sight from her nee roommate, she felt her head resting against someone's chest as she struggled to calm down, her breathing shaky, her chest heaving as she tried to recognize her surrounding again, when she finally looked up, the comforting presence revealed itself, Allan was holding her securely, steadying her until the dizzying feeling passed.
Her eyes were on his chest that she didn't see the faltering smile on Dana's lips which held a mix of emotions, anger, joy and hatred, all aimed at her.