"Not so happy back to school day... Aefia!" Merissa shouted excitedly while embracing her in a hug as her black school bag dangled from her hand and almost touching the ground.
"So... I asked my brother about the invitation you gave us to attend the courthouse on the trial day. He said it's alright as long as you will be there. And you will be there... Won't you?" She asked while stepping back, her ginger hair tied to the back, in the same ponytail style as her. But it was more curly then Aefia's.
"If I didn't go, I wouldn't have invited you, would I?" She smiled back while pulling her locker door open and stuffing her entire bag inside lazily. "I wish I could return to my usual late morning routine." With a sigh, she pushed close the door and looked sideways at her friend, looking radiant with the biggest smile she had seen since a long time now.
"Well guess what happened!" Her ginger hair moving with the way she moved her head, she excitedly spoke while grabbing onto her shoulders as if she had an intriguing thing to discuss about. "After this week... We are all going to a school trip! And it's not just a normal one you know. It's like... Literally to the mountain areas." She spoke with a very anticipating tone.
"Wait... That mountain peak?" A smile placed onto her smile as she observed her friend's blooming face.
"Well yes! And we are going for two days! And I definitely know that everyone is going. Anyone who doesn't want to go... Well... I guess you can say they are considered a little too depressive these days." Her friend spoke while suddenly pausing to look her friend from shoulder to toe. "Hold on... This is a little different from the last time I had seen you wear a red coat before... Only this time... You are wearing a black pinafore below it. The shirt is still white... And... Right... The shoes had taken a different turn... That's all."
In fact, she was wearing ankle height boots on heels and the soles the exact representation of red bottoms. "Yeah... I kind of got tired of white ruffled socks and short heels. So I decided to try ruffled socks and ankle height. Well is that supposed to be a fashion violation?" She asked while twisting her right leg to get a clearer view.
"Well no. If anything... It makes it look better." Merissa answered while clapping her hands. "Now anyway... Did you finish your homework in time?" Her expressions dropped and turned serious while she tapped her own shoes against the floor with the look of a strict mentor who just happened to come over and ask for school stuff to be handed in by time.
"I did... Don't worry about that. George had to shout the informations into both of our minds. It was hilarious... Because Lewis was stuck in the same question for almost an hour and no sort of help could get it into his brain." She answered with a mocking laugh as she placed a hand over her friend's shoulder as she lead her towards the garden, which was currently packed with kindergarten students right now. She could still get a visit to her younger brother with his friend, although he was in grade two, and after the finals, he would be in grade three.
"Then that's a relief as long as you know what to write on the exams." Merissa spoke while making a forehead wiping gesture in air as they walked through the hallway with almost no mind to how silent the entire hall was, and laughed out loud while cracking jokes. "Honestly... I need to break it to you... I haven't gotten myself any sort of study. I don't even know if I am about to fail or pass or do neither and just wait for the trip." She spoke while letting go of her friend's shoulder.
"You. Did. What...?!" Merissa's eyes turned widened as if she had turned into a ghost to spook the studying slumber out of her soul. "Girl I am going to slaughter you! You still have time you know! And you literally just dropped your bag back at your locker and want to walk towards the garden?!" She spoke while grabbing onto Aefia and staring at her face with the look of an asian mother who just heard about their child failing.
"Don't worry... I will pass." She spoke while holding out her hands in front of her, definitely traumatized by a girl who is obsessed with her school books. "Then that settles it. Alright... Now what were we just discussing about?" She spoke while tapping her chin and looking forward as if she didn't just turn into a monster for two seconds just now.
"Uh... The trip?" She slowly added while trying to cover her paranoid face from her friend's view. With a deep breathe, she looked up, only to be met with the most chilling sense that wiped away every colour in front of her.
What... Was... That... She slowly spoke into her mind as her hand shoke at her sides with a hint trauma, and the other to grip her hair at the side of her head.
"You alright? You don't seem to be feeling well. Did the summer flu catch up to you?" Her friend seemed concerned at the way she had gone bloodless and her pupils shrunk to a mere speck.
Just when, a figure brushed past her and pulled her backwards, "I will take her for a few minutes."
There was no sight of the pink gang, only Stephany walked towards her and pulled her away from her friend who stood shocked and worried at the same time, as the girl stopped to flash a reassuring smile at Merissa like she meant what she was saying. "Don't worry. I will be gentle this time. And don't let the others know. They are busy enjoying their time."
"Are you sure? You are fishy." Merissa interrogated while trying to stop her friend from being taken away.
"Yes sure, now go to the classroom and secure me a seat all the way back." Aefia spoke with a fragile smile as her head turned away and walked along with the girl's force dragging her. But deep within her mind, she was panicking to a point that she was screaming for help to herself. Adrenaline took over her as her eyes stayed scared and waiting for the worse to happen. Just when, strings pulled her back, but they weren't visible, they tried to pull her back from all the danger she could be facing.
And the further she got dragged away, her fingers trembled, she felt like trying to pull free from the girl's grasp and multiple things seemed to be trying to stop her. What do I do?! What is there I can do?! What reason is there?! What... Just what can I try to push the blame to?!
She internally cried to herself without knowing what solution there could be to this problem.
"Face it... Face it Aefia... You were destined to this after what you have done to those countless lives you have taken." Her mind echoed back, from nowhere.
She didn't know... Whether it was death speaking into her mind... But for once, her steps matched Stephany's and her face turned expressionless like it were there for a long time now. While turning a corner, the girl in front of her, let go of her wrist. "It's still morning... No one should be able to catch us here. And you better not be screaming when you hear sounds... I know you might try... They all did the last time I did it."
Her platinum blonde hair sweeped back as she turned to stare at her with a smile she had never seen before coming from the person who bullied her the entire time she would stay at the campus.
"Aefia... I want you to do something... Can you be my friend for a short while... For a while long enough to make up for all those scars I have implanted at your left arm. But trust me... I won't use that curling iron anymore, I won't hurt you like that anymore." She spoke with a voice so low and sweet, it felt almost decieving. But maybe it was.
She didn't nod, she didn't respond, but just stood there, curious for what she might try. "My father... Has gone missing... For a month straight. And I am almost nothing to my sisters when he is not around. I can't face being so pulled down in reputation in front of people. I can't stand it." Stephany spoke with shadowed eyes and her hand placed onto the opposing person's shoulders with a friendly tone, then hardening.
"I need my anger to die down... And I need someone to keep this a secret... And I need someone who can listen to me before they die with the very thing they have heard about my life..." She added while looking up at her face with a smile.
"I am... Never sorry for this to anyone I do this too. So I will lessen your sufferings... Stay still... Don't flinch... If you want it to hurt less." She spoke while a light seemed to have returned to her eyes with a flick.
What do I do?! She said it! She just said it herself! She said the thing I had been suspicious about this whole time! This really was death's calling! I fell for it.
Her mind panicked as she heavily slammed against the locker behind her, the sound echoing back and forth in the empty hallway, only occupied with two people, one speaking absolute nonsense and the other stunted to paralysis. Why can't I move?! Why can't I move myself?!
"I have something for you..." Stephany spoke while pulling out a bouquet of Edelweisses and Cistuses. "I want you to do something... Turn them red."
As her fingers laced around the stem, she turned speechless for an entirely long time by now, only her mind filled with deep questions she couldn't answer.
But the flowers and the staining red theory felt strange to her. "I will say this again... Your mission and task is to stain these flowers red... So that I can put it on top of your grave. I hope you understand... My anger has exceeded every limits. Please help me with this small task. I know you can do that." The girl's voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned against her ear. "These Edelweisses and Cistuses... Matches your personality... The blood-stained leaving body... Who has never forgotten the colour of blood ever since they were born."
Her vision blurred before anything else could, and with a swift movement, a sharp sting erupted at her side with the feeling of a blade puncturing her organs, it was familiar, but this hurt worse then what she had experienced so many times before. "Aefia... Now stain these flowers." Stephany spoke while sending the blade into her organs.
The bouquet dropped from her hands as she seemed to place her own hands on top of the girl's with her breathe hitching with the pain. Blood spilt out of her mouth as she gritted her teeth and witnessed her own strength fail her. Tears fell from the corners of her eyes as she tried to fight the blade. "I said... Don't restrain!" Stephany shouted at her face while twisting the dagger sideways, causing blood to splat out in front of her.
Despite her blurry vision, she could see the white colour fade away from the flowers at her feet, staining it red a little by little, but it was too little and didn't satisfy Stephany's hunger for draining her blood. "I feel pitiful for you... You are one of the few who died by the Count's bloodline. Remember that... You were one of the chosen." The girl spoke with a smile.
"How are you so beautiful when you are dying? Way more attractive then usual, when you walk around with your pretty and naive friend. Too bad... Even she would be short-lived." Stephany spoke while pushing the blade deeper inside.
Then, onto her pale face, Aefia looked up with a smile that fooled with the girl's mindset. "If you want... Why not just get yourself to look better? Just leave the poor Merissa alone... Because I want you to live well... With your pathetically short-lived life too."
While pulling the blade out, she fell to the ground, making sure to push Stephany backwards before losing her balance. "Well... Looks like I am still strong while I am basically dying." Her fingers picked up the half-stained red flower bouquet. "These really are beautiful... You really have a taste." She spoke while sniffing the fragrance that got mixed with the smell of fresh blood.
"Wow you still have the courage despite dying." Stephany spoke while her smile dropped as soon as a new pair of steps were heard. Her immediate attempt of hiding her dagger, was a fail.
"Next what? Do I need to have a leash around you so you don't go out and try to kill yourself again?" Lewis spoke while rustling her hair, despite seeing her bleed. "And right in front of my locker... Do you take me for being as blood-thirsty as you? Little sister? Just this morning you had been bleeding from your left arm."
Aefia gritted her teeth at him. "Quit acting nonchalant and cool in front of me... I am literally being interrogated and murdered."
"By who? Your own demons?"
"Are you simply blind or are you currently siding with her?" She asked while standing to her feet and stepped back. She tossed the bouquet at his feet and then moved another step back.
His questioned gaze traveled towards where Stephany stood, before melting into a hostile expression. "Oh... So it's you again."
Stephany trembled in place, trying to process what had just happened within the past few seconds. "Look! She was the one trying to kill herself first!"
"Then why are you hiding that knife behind your feet?" Lewis asked back while dropping his bag to the ground. Then, he pulled out his own weapon from within the folds of his sleeves and pointed it at her direction.
"You know... Just this morning I was wondering why Aefia seemed so tired every morning. And now that I have seen enough with my own eyes... I can say that your 'friendly talk' is killing her inside-out."