The days went by quickly in HERBERT WILBUR , though nothing felt normal for Elaine anymore,Each day seemed stranger than the last. She tried her best to avoid Dana, her new roommate, who often spoke in riddles and acted in ways that made no sense to her.
The weather had also changed, as though even nature was shifting with the school. Rain now fell more often, and the clouds seemed to linger long after the downpour. That night, Dana slept soundly, her breathing steady and unbothered, while Elaine tossed on her bed, no matter how tired she felt, sleep simply wouldn't come.
Her head throbbed, heavy and cold, as though ice water had been poured into her veins. She buried herself under the thick blanket, pulling it up until even her head was covered. Yet, no warmth reached her. The chill crawled straight through her skin, and she had to grit her teeth just to endure it. For what felt like hours, she lay frozen and restless until exhaustion finally pulled her into sleep.
And with it, into a dream.
Her bare feet padded softly across endless corridors. The echo of each step reminded her she was alone, though she couldn't explain where she was going. The hallways twisted and stretched until they she got outside, standing alone, in a vast, empty and clear space.
The night was darker than any she had ever seen. The sky was swallowed up by thick clouds, void of the moon and every star, the air was heavy, unmoving, as though the world itself held its breath, waiting and anticipating something dangerous and bone chilling. The silence was suffocating, the kind that made the hairs on her neck stand with fear.
She walked forward without knowing why, her instincts guiding her, then, a sharp sound overhead made her jerk her head upward.
She looked to see a small vibrant colored bird perched on the crooked branch of a dying tree. Its feathers shimmered with unnatural hues, like oil swirling on water. Her heart jumped, she recognized it. It was exactly like the one she'd seen before, the strange bird that carried the riddle tied to its foot.
The bird spread its wings and took flight, but it didn't dart away. It moved slowly and steady, deliberately, as if it wanted her to follow.
And she did.
The colors hypnotized her, each flap of its wings shimmered in the darkness, pulling her deeper and deeper into the night. She didn't know how long she walked until the levelled sud ground gave way to a narrow, deserted patch of land. There, the bird landed beneath a dead, twisted tree.
It began pecking its beak restlessly into the earth.
Elaine crouched down, confused, and hesitantly pushed away some of the damp soil with her fingers as if wanting to confirm whether that was what the bird wanted. The bird didn't stop, it kept digging with sharp, relentless motions, as though it had been waiting for this moment, together, they unearthed something.
Her hand brushed against metal. Carefully, she pulled it out of the earth. It was an old necklace, rusted and caked with dirt.
But when she dug deeper, her palm struck something harder larger. Roots of the dead tree wrapped tightly around it like chains, refusing to let go. She pressed harder, clawing through the soil, until at last, she wrenched the object free.
And screamed on the top of her lungs.
Her throat tore with the sound as she hurled it away, It hit the ground with a dull thud, and in the faint moonless light, she saw what it was. A skull!.
The hollow sockets stared at her from the soil, the earth clung to its teeth, and its jaw hung open as though mid-scream.
Her heart raced violently, Her breath came too fast, too sharp, as her legs trembled beneath her. Fear rooted her to the spot. She couldn't move neither could she turn away.
The bird flew to the skull and began pecking at it. Pecking, pecking, over and over until the sound dug into her ears like nails on glass. Then, right before her eyes, its feathers darkened, as if losing , leaving only a deep, pitch black.
The beautiful vibrant colored bird had become a crow.
Its eyes turned, too, pitch black, endless.
Elaine screamed, and like that, her eyes flew open.
She was back in her room, darkness surrounded her, the blanket clinging to her sweaty skin, her body shook violently, tears already streaming down her face before she realized she was crying. The sobs tore out of her chest uncontrollably.
"Elaine?" Dana's groggy voice drifted from the other bed. "What's wrong?"
Elaine pressed a hand over her mouth, but her muffled cries betrayed her.
"Are you alright?" Dana asked again, this time sitting up, though her tone remained neutral, not too concerned, neither too distant.
"I-I'm fine," Elaine croaked, her voice thick with tears.
"Then why are you crying?"
"It's nothing," she replied, wiping at her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I… I think I had a dream."
"Oh." That was all Dana said before lying back down, turning her face to the wall as though it wasn't worth pressing further.
Elaine leaned against the headboard, staring blankly at the shadows on the ceiling. Her chest still rose and fell too quickly, and she couldn't understand the reason for her tears. Was it fear? The dream? Or something else she couldn't name?
She tried to recall what she had seen, but the memory slipped away, growing blurry and faint, like sand slipping through her fingers. It was almost as if nothing had happened at all, it was almost similar to the time she had cried in the rain.
By morning, the world seemed to have shifted again.
The birds outside sang brightly, the sky stretched wide and clear, and the air felt new after the night rain. The school's alarm rang later than usual, it was Thursday.
Elaine left early for the bathhouse, her thoughts still tangled, leaving Dana alone in the room.
Dana rose slowly, her steps dragging until she reached Elaine's bed. Her gaze fell on the sheets, where a small stain of wet soil clung to the blanket. It was faint, barely noticeable but it was there.
She wore a poker expression on her face as she reached out and crumpled the sheets in her tight and merciless grip.