NOT TODAY
It was an early Monday morning, the sun had yet to rise and cover the side of Houghton Lake South of M-55 with rays of light. Fog had given the area a dreary look, as if the sudden November humidity pushed the soul of the ground into the air to walk among the living.
Students had begun to arrive at the small high school around 7:30am. Like usual, this in particular bus was the first to reach the end of its journey collecting the students of Houghton Lake and Prudenville alike. The doors opened with a screech, like nails on a chalk board, the first noise in the place signaling the start of the days routine events.
A medium sized girl was the first to step out of the old yellow faded bus. She wore a hoodie a couple sizes to big, it being boys sweater, her hair was down and straight, she sported the right amount of make-up to make her feel like she was acceptable, like every other girl she seemed to pass. But today, unlike the others, it was a little sloppy, her clothes had been thrown on, tighter then normal under that dark blue hoodie, and her head hung slightly lower, lingering under a pulled -up hood.
But the extremely diverse characteristic about this girl, on this particular morning, was her eyes. Hidden beneath the hood were those grey orbs, blurry behind semi-closed lids. When she wakes up they are normally like that, undefined edges from pupil to iris. But it usually defines itself after waking up and hurrying innocently to school, ready to enjoy her day with friends, a distinct boy, and all the pleasures she had with school. Today her usual spunk was drained, voluntarily she sauntered to get ready for school this morning, no smiles, no double checking like habitual practice.
Those eyes seemed to glare through the slightest slit that they could be seen, in the shadows they hid from the world, unwilling to except the cheerful humor of her bus companions. They giggled and laughed, like always. And our certain girl was not to thrilled to be on a bus this loud, her entire body was not ready for the racket and unsettling sway of the large contraption filled with screaming imbeciles. All she did the whole ride was hunch and close her eyes, still glaring through closed, timid lids.
When they reached their stop, the trail that led to the side doors of the school, the bus doors opened, her eyes slowly revealed to the lights on the ceiling of the bus. But her body stood with force, she was ready to get off of that crowded pushy bus. Unlike normal days when she was careful to avoid bumping into others, she jostled her way to the vehicle's entrance and went down the steps at a slower pace.
The trail from the bus to the school was first a part of the woods, she singled herself out and kept a safe distance from unwanted visitors. Her eyes settled on the ground watching the leaves, but not really focusing on anything. Not even her mind was processing anything, just letting the day fill its spot in the place of her forming memory, with slight holes in the files today out of the rest.
Everything today was registering in her mind, a little slower, lingering in a haze. Even her own body would not want to move on its own, as she willed it too. Now outside and walking and disturbing nature at he feet, she was beginning to smell the leaves, the fog covering the landscape. The trail came to an abrupt halt which lead a slightly downward hill, leading to a road cross where the students made their way onto school property. From her downward gaze she caught a glimpse of a colossal fog wave rove right over the entire school building. Any other day she would have thought it an extraordinary sight and smiled, other days she would have loved the smell of the warm leaves beneath her snug feet. Not today, today she kept moving, if at all even slowing down, the majesty of this day going unnoticed in her thoughts, devoid of any emotion.
Tessa Coviak was a Freshmen, class of 2014. She was vivacious on a regular basis, an obvious extrovert, and a socially excepted person. Not to many people had a problem with her, she was not the type who got in trouble or show no participation in any class. In short, she loved life.
However, today her opposite outlook reared its ugly head, nothing was the same. The way she walked, or glided across the floor of the hall-way like she had chains on her ankles far too long. How she stared off into the vastness of the space in front of her like she had no destination. Someone may have attempted conversation with her but she only went on walking, she didn't care if a person wanted to talk. Ignoring them, she walked to her locker, number 462. It took a moment for her to try to remember her combination, or even that she had to put one in at all. A couple of tries, each one bringing out more anger, and she knew it wasn't going to happen, her memory drew a blank.
With the locker situation bringing out emotions, she could think clearer, well.. Think. She sat down against her locker, set her bag with ironic, smiling faces on it down next to her, and leaned her head back, eyes open. She looked at the ceiling, all those splotches making it seem like a sponge, and an occasional stain from pipe leakage. It got more interesting the longer she watched, even though it seemed like forever that she would stare at those spots, until she was nudged into awareness. Her cousin, Madison Coviak, had a neighboring locker next to her and was quite startled by her normally vibrant family member, blatantly strewn over the wall of their lockers. This was very unusual, and she planned to find out what was out of order.
"Uhh, Tess! Tess!" Madison nudged her with her foot a couple times and after three consecutive nudges, she got Tessa to snap back to reality. Not completely grateful though, her eyes more open then earlier, set back into a glare, her eyebrows furrowed. "What do you want Mindy?" Their pet names for each other not being the norm for those titles but they liked to be different. "What's wrong? You look really strange, and it's kind of creepy."
Tessa stood, a little wobbly at first but caught herself on the black lockers, "I'm fine, maybe a little tired thought. Oh well, mind your own business." The sharp snap retort caught Madison off guard, something was off and her cousin wasn't in the mood to talk about it. "Well fine, if you're going to be like that, go." Madison, being the one with the ability to open her locker, did exactly that. She pulled it open with force, shoved her green and blue bag in the space provided, and shut it with equal amount of force. After that, she walked away in a heightened expression of anger on her face, obvious, and an agitation in every ferocious step.
Tessa just watched, still with pure belligerence, if she hadn't have been so drowsy she would have done more then just aggravate her. Now that emotions were stirring, and hatred was bubbling, she looked for somewhere to go lay down, she didn't care where, as long as no more idiots disturbed her. Perfect. Straight across from her row of lockers was an empty hall way, not very often was it used. Tessa grabbed her bag and slowly and stiflingly, she slid across the floors and around the corner of the hall. As she rounded the corner, she found hundreds of stands for the Band class and all of the uniforms hung up on large metal racks. It didn't matter to her, in-fact, they would just provide cover so that she wouldn't get disrupted by some nosey teacher or the wretched vice-principal, Mandel.
On a regular basis, the days mornings would be great. Tessa would get to school and walk around with friends or the one boy she could call her own, Spencer Davidson. Most days, she would spend every minute she could with him, he would even get there earlier just for her. But today, she didn't even check if he had gotten there already or not. It was a matter of were to sleep, and when to sleep, she still thought she could get to class and sleep there instead. It wasn't normal for her, but she didn't care anymore, about anything. No not today, why did life matter at all today? She could do whatever she wanted to do, and it's not gong to do anything to stop her from having fun. As long as she got to do what ever she wanted to do.
"Lets get it started in here, let…" Tessa woke up to the school's morning bell, a song that a certain part was now accustomed to the ears of all Houghton Lake students. Though, today it was different for Tessa, only her. There was no way she could, or even wanted to, find out what had changed but it had. It was unfamiliar, like it was just introduced and they were still getting the hang of it. She didn't like it, and not just because the noise lingered in her head and made it ache. Because it sounded to innocent and overrated, it's a school, not a radio station, Sheeeesh. Her spontaneous first real thoughts of the day went unnoticed and forgotten.
Tessa grabbed the bag she had been using to prop up her head as support and a replacement pillow. Climbed her way out from behind the Band equipment and around the corner, she tried to slide as fast as she could without really trying, only because she want to go back to sleep. And Algebra was the best place for some undeserved, failure inducing sleep. And sleep she did, all while warming up and taking notes, the teacher would shake her head, but gave up after the first couple attempts at waking the languid brunette.
Second hour went the same way, except the teacher would go over to Tessa every now and then and prod her until she lifted her head and looked at the work that had been handed out. Of course, like normal, Tessa and this teacher got along, but not today. Tessa smirked and laid her head down right there, confident that the teacher wouldn't do anything. It was completely out of the ordinary, thought that teacher, that Tessa would behave in such a vile way. Maybe if it continued, she would have a talk with her. But sense she was normally well behaved, she gets a day to be a deadbeat.
In Tessa's act of rebellion, she drifted off into a undisturbed sleep. Her second hour teacher was making a lecture, and the students were supposed to be taking notes. Lights were off for the projector, peers were calm and busy writing crucial notes for the upcoming exams, and the only ones to care just looked at her in disgust. No one liked the people who fell asleep in class, wasting away instead of learning and preparing.
She didn't care, not about anything currently, not about her grades, future, reputation. Instead, she was hearing things in thoughts during a distinctive electrophysiological state of sleep. There was a slight wisp of air from behind her, but she could not see anything, she couldn't even move. The air wasn't cold, but it still gave her the deepest chills that sent shivers throughout her body. It wasn't wind on her neck, but the reproductions of speak, whispers maybe. Yes, someone was diffidently trying to tell her something, but what? First of all, she wanted to know why they were so close, and wouldn't come out from behind her. "Haaaahh…" A sudden burst of breath blew past her, her muscles tensed, she wanted to scream. To alert someone she needed to be saved, she could feel the goose bumps rapidly form all over her skin, her heart rate sky-rockets, and every cell and nerve in her wanted to run. Run far away screaming and flailing.
Even if she could react, she wouldn't have had the time too, not long after the initial exhale, the voice began to speak. "Teee.…ssssaaaa…"
It was undoubtedly her name being spoken so softly, almost inaudible. The voice faded in and out from her ears, the sex of the speaker was impossible to hear, it was quiet but filled her very soul with fear. The name rode on the wisps of the breath, intermingling the two into a mixture with both were equally entering Tessa's ear.
This process repeated itself for several minutes, but to Tessa it seemed like she was trapped in an eternal limbo. At least until her companion taped her shoulder, "Tessa, wake up!" And wake up she did, a gasp left her lips and her body started to tremble, or was it already? Her body had broke out into a cold, sticky sweat. Air left her lungs into the class-room in rapid motions. "Tessa! Calm down, what's wrong? You looked like you were sick and having a bad dream so I woke you up. You kept shaking and your face was pale and you look all moist, gross."
The fear she had been feeling moments ago felt like it was leaving her body as quick as the air and sweat escaping from her enclosed areas. Soon she began to steady her movements, she took a long breath, took off her jacket, and sprawled her legs out over the chair and into arms over her head. Whatever just happened was just a dream, nothing more.
The bell rang and the hour ended, nothing new learned and no regards for anyone, she shoved her way through insignificant people and through the door. Her bag lingered on her right shoulder, eyes a little wider but still droopy. Every other day, after second hour was spent drifting through the unbearably crowded hall way on the south side of the building. It was so crowded and packed with all kinds of various teens and an occasional faculty member, you had to be very careful and sly to make your way through as quickly as you want.
Not today, Tessa ripped the crowd apart. Using her forearms to either shove others out of her way or so that they would move in a quicker pace. That short journey consisted of a lot of "Watch it!" and "Hey!" In response, Tessa would just crinkle her nose and tell them to get over it or to move faster next time. During this passing time it had become regular routine that Tessa see Spencer in the halls and talk for a short period of time. Once Spencer reached her, he started to ask her questions, "Where were you this morning? I heard from Mindy that you were in a bad mood, but I couldn't find you."
His simple question was more then Tessa wanted to answer, she exhaled rather dramatically, "Well, I was sleeping. What's wrong with a little rest, I don't see why everyone is on my damn case so much. Back off!" The sharp tone in her voice both alerted and stunned Spencer. Now he was worried, he couldn't handle her like this, and this time was very inconvenient, he needed to get to class. Spencer took hold of Tessa's upper arm in a tight grip, not violently, but to show his worry through touch.
Spencer was certainly not weak, or indolent. His height was average, but what he lacked in vertical mass, he made up with build. He had thick burly arms, broad shoulders that descended into a slightly V shaped torso, ending at the hips and continued on down to muscular legs. His hair was short in mixture of light blonde and brown with a hint of red. His eyes were a dark, deep blue with lighter blue ridges that looked like mountains, ending with undefined, black pupils.
Tessa jerked once but it did nothing against Spencer's strong grip, all she could do was glare and frown at him, "What? You need to get to class and I want to go to lunch. Now let GO." Her head leaned in a little as she said the last of her sentence. Spencer was so confused, she would never act this way, to anyone. "Look, Tessa, I don't know what's the matter with you today. And we need to talk about it. I love you and I won't stop 'til I know how to fix you." He paused, blinked a couple times, and looked up into her eyes, still glaring at him. "This isn't you." He loosened his grip on the girl he was so proud only several minutes before, now he was so worried. If Tessa had been fully aware or even cared, she would have noticed the bottomless worry in his eyes, not to mention the thin layer of liquid collecting at the bottom of his eye-lid.
His arm slowly unraveled and slid off her arm, then he turned slowly and walked down the almost empty hall. Before he could reach his class, the bell rang, but he continued to walk in the same unhurried pace. Tessa watched him for a little while, her glare gone, but an emotionless gaze followed his back, watching his shoulders sway and his fist drop at his side. Note books for his next class in the left hand, ready to rip from the vise grip his fingers held over them. His head did not look forward, but down at his shoes.
After a little while, Tessa turned around and walked down the rest of hallway to turn to hers, the side in which her locker was. When she reached it, it took a few minutes but this time she could remember her combination. She put her bag in there, and threw the jacket that was slung over should, on the bottom. The locker was shut with some force and she started to walk through the almost empty hall way to the lunch room, after second hour was first lunch. Good thing Spencer didn't have it too, she thought.
After scooping some kind of mystery meet onto her plate, from the Thanks Giving good special she headed over to the table she and her friends claimed as theirs. Lucky for them, there was a seat open, usually there wasn't and she was sure that she would have to through someone off a seat. But no, she sat at the round table at the empty seat right next to two of her most cherished companions, Kathy Silver and Michael Printen. The table sat approximately eight to a table, sometimes though, more because they would double-up on a single seat from desperation.
All the people that normal sat at the table were in the High School Band. Every now and then a visitor who was not, and there for not welcomed with open arms. The regular occupants were Tessa, Kathy Silver, Michael Printen, Madison Coviak, TJ Perriwinkle, Cameron Hitterson and his girl friend Lana Sidney, and Kami McConley. There were only a couple people who really mattered, there. But today no one really did, all her thoughts were the opposite of what she normally thought.
The two she was sitting by where the most important, aside from her cousin over by Lana. Michael and Kathy. Kathy had been the best friend to Tessa sense they were in the second grade. Michael on the other hand she had only known for a handful of months. But he was still important, of course he was Drum Major after all. But that's certainly no the only reason why he was important. Michael and Tessa like to talk on a regular basis about situations that were serious, and he often provided the answers she needed to hear, and he enjoyed giving them. Not to mention, he was as serious about Band as she was, and they just got along together wonderfully. It always put a frown on her face to remember that he was a Senior and he would be leaving at the end of the year.
Tj wasn't really a friend that she would personally talk to, in-fact, she would never talk to him outside of the lunch table and alone. He was just there to provide humor and conversation, him and Michael were two of the only upperclassmen that got stuck in first lunch so they became good friends. Tj had just moved here from a rival school not to far away, that no one liked or had the chance to like. That was the only reason Tj was here now, everyone liked him and he was to good for that school. That's the only statistic people would worry about.
Cameron was also one of the only important ones, he had recently became good friends with Tessa and they were imperative to each other. At the beginning of the year, Tessa and Cameron would talk very frequently and there was almost something more, but that never made it to real life. Instead, Cameron started to date Lana and that would end the almost special significance that never really existed, and almost ended their communication completely, until the last month. Cameron and Lana were having relationship problem and he came to Tessa for some help and comfort. She did help him and they became good friends again, but suddenly it was dieing away because Cameron and Lana were back together and attention was focused away from their friendship, even though they still talked and cared about one another.
Michael, Madison, Kathy and Cameron were the only ones that truly mattered to Tessa and effected her life. And she loved, that at lunch time, she could be with them all in one spot and talk and laugh, with the occasional serious discussion. When Tessa sat down, she put her plate in front of her and grabbed her chocolate milk, all she wanted, was a drink. Yes, she was a little hungry but food didn't sound appetizing at the moment.
She took a chug of her milk and went to throw it away, and she stumbled. Caught herself by quickly putting her had out on a nearby table, and barked at the people who giggled at her clumsiness. When she straightened up she had another moment of dizziness, her head was bobbing up and down and her world was spinning. She glimpsed a dark shadow skulking from behind the door to her right. It was lurking behind the open, blue door. The entity could not be made out as a human being, but something close. Its figure was not clear, for the whole creature was shrouded with an ominous black mist, which would fade once it was to far away from the lurking stature.
All of a sudden, she heard nothing. All that came to her ears was the hum of the of the black cloud in the hall. Why couldn't anyone else see it? She wondered to herself so frantically that her face crinkled up and she put her empty and full hands to the side of her head. Her eyes closed and she bared her teeth. Make It stop, make it go away, some help, help! Her pleading thoughts continued and then the humming dulled and other voices could be heard. "Tessa?" It was Michael, he had gotten up to go throw away some kind of wrapper and she was in his way.
Tessa shook her head and chucked the bottled milk to the trash and went around Michael to get back to her spot at the table. No one was gong to hear about what really just happen, she brought her legs close together as were her arms and hunched her shoulders. Eyes wide, she stared at the table in front of her. Michael sat back down in the spot next to her and asked for an explanation to her moment. "Well, I umm. I had a dizzy spell and waited for the world to stop spinning." They were not aloud to know what she was seeing and hearing, they would think she was crazy. And who cares about what they think anyway, I don't need their stupid opinion. Her initial anger was gone, but her outlook on everything was still sour today.
"Hey! Tessa, sheesh calm down. What the hell is wrong with you today?" Kathy punched Tessa in the left shoulder and immediately after, shoved her almost out of her seat. This action put Tessa off balance and made her head start to spin again, the world was suddenly put into present tense and she groaned. It hurt, it hurt terribly, and Tessa was not going to let some one do that to her and get away with it. With a "Tch" from her mouth and lips and nose wrinkled to expose nearly straight teeth, with shiny metal brackets running across each tooth, she stood. Being a little taller then Kathy, Tessa towered over her when she stood and Kathy say, looking more intimidating then ever. "Hey, it was a joke. Cool it." Kathy always joked with Tessa and Tessa normally laughed and joked back, like normal teenage friends.
It wasn't a joke, not today. Tessa grabbed Kathy by the collar of her shirt and picked her up out of her seat, "Now listen here you, I don't appreciate the way you treat me. What the hell have I done to you?" Kathy was completely befuddled, her face as in complete disarray, her frown hung out from her mouth and her hands out to a shrugging gesture. "What the hell Tessa!" Tessa was a little confused herself, it was oddly a little strange. She never really wanted to hit someone like she did now, she never actually had. The new feeling was not a bad feeling either. "Humph," Tessa's grip on the shirt tightened and she threw Kathy the other direction. Stumbling backwards, Kathy didn't fall. She regained her composure and watched Tessa walk toward the door leading to the lobby of the school,
opposite of the door she had seen the creature.
The glass keeping the lobby and cafeteria apart revealed that everyone was confused, a couple neighboring tables started at the one Tessa had just left. Some people watched Tessa through the glass and as Tessa stared back she seen Cameron get up and walk out the door that the Lurker had appeared. Surprisingly, she was a little worried for him and started to walk in that direction. The lobby swung out to the South hall which was where the door opened into. Cameron was on his way over and met Tessa half way, "Tessa, do you mind coming with me for a second?" Worry forgotten, she agreed to go with Cameron.
Cameron led her down the hall way leading to the gym which was after the cafeteria door in the South hallway. Nothing was said until they got to the end of that hallway which led to the gym, instead of going in, they sat down and leaned up against the hall. This hall was smaller then the others and more desolate, few people would find them selves there.
Cameron and Tessa sat there for a few minutes staring at the ground before Cameron said something, "Who are you?" At least he didn't ask what was wrong like the others. "Cameron, are you completely screw in the head? I'm me, Tessa. Duh." Cameron sighed, bowed his head to rest it on his knees and looked back up at what only looked like the Tessa he knew. He looked into her eyes and what he seen was obvious, it was not her. Only the body of his beloved companion was at all similar, and even that had a slightly new process. The way she walked used to be normal, proud with a bounce in her step, always accompanied by a smile on her lips. Now the swing in her hips was gone, the bounce in her step eliminated to be replaced with a clumsy jerk, lazily following the slur of her steps.
"Tessa, listen. You don't understand, and you're not even trying to! I know you, better then you think, and the girl I know… is not here today." Tessa's blank gaze shifted away from Cameron's dark blue eyes, a bit of remorse may have flickered as she blinked, but it was gone quick. "Okay Cameron, what is wrong with you? I thought you were my friend, am I aloud to have fun every once in a while? Is that alright with anyone here? I used to think that pleasing everyone was something I enjoyed, now they can kiss my ass, all of them who don't understand me!"
Cameron's eyes got wide and he tried to put a soothing hand on her shoulder, before he could though, Tessa stood up with force and walked down the hallway to the door that lead to an off limits hall. Generally, some people would stroll through and not face consequences, it was not enforced very often as being off limits. If the door had the ability to be slammed it surely would have been, instead it floated along the floor back to its original place, leaving Cameron standing, hand stretched out and worried.
His face was arranged in total disbelief, lips parted slightly open, eyes widened with fear. The expression was left behind when he shook his face slightly, and tried not to sprint towards the hall. His sprint came to a halt as he reached the push-door and applied the effort necessary to open it. His vision was uncertain, the person he had set out for had disappeared. She was not in the small hallway that was adjacent to the one she had ran from moments ago. His pace slowed and he sauntered into the hall, looking around just incase she was hiding, from her appearance it looked like she could not get far quick.
But his hunch was erroneous, she must have fled out one of the nearby doors. He exited out of the nearest door, the one in which it was most likely that she had escaped from, the west-east door to his left leading into the lobby and the rest of the school.
The lobby of Houghton Lake High School, is one of the most popular areas to loiter and talk to friends with the same lunch hour, also a designated fighting arena. Though no fights were being held at the moment, the numerous students buzzed around the hall, gossiping, censuring, flirting, none really doing anything productive. The majority of them being the 8th grade invaders often criticized by upperclassmen, past 8th grade.
The crowds of people filled the wide hall, all of Cameron's hopes for finding Tessa were dwindling for every slumped girl he mistook for her. Her new look was not uncommon. Cameron scanned the halls until the bell tolled, which lead every student to exit the hall simultaneously, the roar of footsteps and still clamoring teenagers left the hall and Cameron to miss ever their presence. His eyes drooped, hopes lost, he walked to his locker, it was still far away and he could not skip his classes.
Nothing mattered to Tessa, not her friends, not being on time for third hour, not even staying awake in school. After finally making it to her third hour English class, she threw a single book to the floor, laid her arms on the slanted desk and almost instantly fell into sleep as her head hit the cloth of the borrowed hoodie. Though her slumber was interrupted a couple times by the teacher, she shrugged it off and slumped back down.
Her seat in English was at the front off the class room, third desk from the door. The door had a breeze entering from the hallway door open to the outside parking lot for teachers. This breeze interrupted Tessa and her deep sleep, or so she thought. Her mind was jolted back to reality, her ears were doing their normal task, she could feel the steady rise and fall of her chest against the desk and her sense of smell was to good. In-fact, when she got up, she planned to inform the girl sitting next to her about her urgent need for a shower and deodorant, though Tessa was being quite hypocritical.
There was one problem though, when she went to notify the person of their own stench, she could not move. At first she thought maybe she was lazier then she had thought, or possibly she was more tired. It took her a couple more tries until she realized her body was to blame. Her first reaction was to panic, her mind screamed over and over again, she yelled and pleaded for others to help her. It was then when she felt the tear roll down her cheek. It was slow, wet, and it tickled her senses. The tear gave her hope, it made her settle down emotionally a little and start to think before she went insane.
When she stopped the mental shouting she could here the voices of others all around her, they were listening to a recording of "To Kill a Mocking Bird," in earlier days, she had liked it, but now she wished for them to start listening to her. Every minute that passed seemed like an hour, her body was warm and her fears were increasing drastically. After what seemed to be days, she began to imagine herself outside of this state and in the world again, instead of her personal limbo.
Her imaginary eyes were wide, her body was so clammy that she could feel the real-life sweat trickle down her spine deliberately. Her breathing was labored, fast and deep. Taking in as much air as possible as if she new she was going to fall into a dark, murky and cold pool of water. Her head craned backwards and she placed her hands on her pale face, her fingers intertwined with the stray hairs obscuring her face. An unreal flow of tears shot from her sealed eye lids, she started to sputter questions, questions to which she would get no answer.
When Tessa's eyes opened, she noticed that she was in the classroom, standing right behind her own lifeless body. It was still blurry, but she knew who everyone was and could make out just about any object. She was still in breathing hard enough as to where it could have been considered hyperventilating. What's going on? She managed to get a few words out of her heavy lips. The words were high, like a crying child asking why they could not have something their own way. Am I dead? The same pitch and cracking voice echoed from her mouth, a question she feared to hear an answer to. Tessa gave up on the idea of a dream when she heard the voices of her neighbors and the narrator of their book being ignored.
It was obvious that none of her questions would not get answered, instead she dropped her arms to her sides and stood there. Water still seeped from her face, but she ignored it. For another couple of minutes, that seemed like hours, she blankly stared at the whiteboard in front of her lifeless body.
When her eyes fell to the body she used to inhabit, she stared at it for a moment, noticed how pale her hands were that stuck out from the sleeves of the hoodie. Tessa noticed everything about the way her body curved and her spine protruded from her back in her slump. She noticed the different shades of hair and skin color, and the lonely freckles she could find.
As she was trying to count how many spots of skin were darker then usual, she noticed a black smoke linger into her peripheral vision. The cloud was familiar, it did not take her brain long to acknowledge where she had seen it before. At lunch, the strange entity that lurked behind the door. At that moment, her eyes darted to the door of the classroom, this time it was too late. She did not need to go all the way to the door, the being had already entered the room.
Even though she could not save her body, her instincts told her to run, and never come back. Only, she couldn't. This body too was immobilized, shaking was the only movement her body could achieve. Tessa's only defense was to become as invisible as she could, though the black figure was a mere five feet directly in front of her, she held her breath and tried to still her quaking. Yet, she refrained from closing her eyes. Tessa tried to figure out what this thing was to the best of her ability. It was not even a solid object, it floated above the ground in wispy gusts of black smoke, very similar to the smoke of a cigarette. How the smoke lingers around in an obvious flow, like clouds that planes leave behind, except black. There was no head under the shroud and hood, only more darkness, only this time there was no smoke under the hood, just a blackness so endless it seemed like a black-hole. The only aspect of the figure that resembled a human were the bone-like arms protuberant from the black and skinny mist.
The abject feeling in Tessa's lack of emotions depend as she started running scenarios through her head of what it was going to do to her.
As one of the foggy limbs reached out for her, her heart sank. There were fingers attached to that arm, it was unclear whether or not there was a hand also. These fingers were large and had no bulk, they were meant to be this large, there was no skin, no fur, only mist. The fingers grew wider until the middle where they suddenly sharpened to a defined point. This edge was pointed at the ceiling as it stroked Tessa's face, going down as to make sure she was not scratched. Tessa could not help but shake, the figure was leaning over the lifeless body, which seemed pointless, part of its body seemed to vaporize into the desk as it came to close.
Teeessaaaaaaa… I have… miiissssed youuu…
The airy voice seemed to come from everywhere but the head, there were no lips moving, as if the air was the messenger. The message repeated itself in Tessa's head until she had the strength to answer, What the hell are you…. her voice was little more then a squeak, it came out slow, quit and pitiful, like defeat. Her voice was not only quaking but it was as if she was cold, and her voice was exhaling air as she spoke.
One final answer came from the creature, the last thing she would here from it. Don't you rememberrrr…. I am "The good stuff"…
As the last words seemed to drag out more then necessary, she slowly saw the world around her become blurry and her eyes fall to the lifeless body before her, when she felt her knees give out, her body fell almost in slow motion toward her body.
The next sound she heard was coming from above, it was a bell. To her, it was the most beautiful sound she ever heard. Her mouth let out a short gasp as she immediately stood from her seat, it felt good to use her own legs. It felt like she was gone for a long time and she was no coming back, back to the body she missed. Though it would not change a thing, she grabbed her single book from the floor and darted out the door. The lazy drop of her shoulders and sway of her body as she walked became even worse, she was tired, all her energy was gone. Her mind was full of thoughts going faster then should could keep track off, she wanted to get rid of these awful images and nightmares in broad daylight. She hit so many people as she almost ran down the narrow hallway as if she were actually trying to hit as many as she could.
When Tessa reached her locker, it was already open by Spencer. She did not take time to thank him sense she could not remember her combination anymore, instead, she threw the lone book into the open space, slammed the door and started walking away in a heightened pace. "Tessa! Hold on, I'm going to talk to you." Spencer reached out to grab hold of her had but she jerked away and fell into a dead sprint for the Band room doors. She did not know why she wanted to avoid all of her friends, probably because she couldn't speak, fear was stuck in her soul and that was all she felt. Tessa could not argue at the moment, she could not function at all.
When she entered the Band room, there was a small crowd that she easily shoved through, she new people would start and ask her questions because almost all of her friends were smart enough to take Band class. To avoid all of these people she grabbed the instrument she would normally play and set it on her chair. After that was done, she bolted for the back rooms normally used for practices. One was empty and unused, lights off and only one small window, she stood against the wall in the dark. Door closed and on the wall with the door just incase someone was searching for her, which she did not doubt.
The practice room was where she stayed for the next couple minutes, when she heard the whole Band warming up with scales, she exited the practice room slowly and ran out of the hall into the brightness of the Band and all of their glory. Tessa was to frantic to stop and notice the sounds of beauty they made, instead she skittered threw the rows of clarinets and reached the Saxophones, they were halfway down the second isle and she was almost in the center of the half circle where her chair was. When she reached it she removed the light brown damaged case and set it underneath her chair. It took her more then a few minutes to relax and start to breath normally again, she looked over her shoulder as she was nearing an almost reasonable amount of breathing to see if Kathy and Kiersten were looking her way. They took occasional moment to glance at her precariously.
She made her gaze come back to the empty space in front of her, where a piece of sheet music should have been. Instead, she cried. Neither Cable or Melissa bothered to stop playing and ask why there were streams of water going down her tensed face. Tessa was not making any noises except some muffled sniffles and cries. But even so, the magnificent sound of the Band was to overpowering, nothing would have been heard anyway.
Nearly fifteen minutes later, when all of the warm-ups were over and the Director, , was doing a routine speech on upcoming events, all sound was cut off. No one else seemed to have the problem, it was only Tessa. All that she could hear were the extremely slowed voices of muffled neighbors, whispering amongst themselves. Still, no matter how close a person was, she could not make out a single word.
Tessa craned her neck frantically, looking, hoping to see anyone who might be experiencing the same thing she was at the moment, everyone was normal. Her staggered breathing came back and accelerated, she began to blink hysterically, all she could hear was the unnatural sound that her heart made, pounding against her chest so hard it hurt. But Tessa didn't notice, every muscle in her body was tight, her hands grabbing at her shirt collar, 'til it was stretched and about to rip.
Then she found it, the smoke was coming in from the left side door of the Band room, there were two, one on either side. She stood with such ferocity that the chair beneath her flee backwards and hit one of the Trumpet section leaders Tommy Mininio. As soon as she was on two feet, they were running, as much energy that she could exert. The space in between the isles was to short for her to run, she leaped over an empty seat and through the rest of isle three.
The exit door of the room was right there so she hoped out of it and ran straight into the dimmed light of the empty hallway. Not a person could be seen in because there was no one to see. Everyone was in class, not even a lone student straggling behind to use the facilities. Black lockers passed by her one by one, like trees going down the highway.
Her foot came out from under her and she took a torso dive into the side of the hallway, sliding up against one of the still lockers. She back up as hard as she could to the locker behind her, it wasn't enough, her body curled up and her arms tightened around her face. Her scream was loud, it echoed through the whole school.
The shriek was cut off by a blur of blackness coming from the other end of the hall way that she just cam from. Tessa jumped to her feet, like she was struck by a bolt of power. Her feet carried her a little farther down, she took a right into a short hallway, the same one she had went in to sleep this morning. After the hallway separated she took another left that almost led outside, instead she found a door, only used for concerts and events that require the Auditorium. The long stretch of hallway was white, but dark because there were no lights. When she reached the end of the hallway, she was thrown into black curtains, ropes, and levers.
Tessa tried to steer clear of the obstacles as best as she could, but a large metal lever came out form her blind spot and hit her in her waist, accompanied by the sounds of shattering rib bones. The blow mad her stagger few a couple more steps of her run and plummet to the wooden stage at a fast rate. Her face hit the floor first, then her torso and then her lower body.
She lay there, blood trickled from the rims of her lips onto the dusty floor. One stage light on, covering half of her lifeless body. Her eyes seemed to struggle to open, they fluttered one last time before they shut. There was no more movement from Tessa.
Trooper Soomick walked to the policeman that was called by Houghton Lake High School not too long ago. Both didn't want to be there but it was their duty. The ambulance took Tessa away, but soon called the policeman Sergeant Dean to give him the report.
Trooper Soomick was not expecting much to happen on this calm November day, "What did the paramedics say about the student Dean?"
Dean took off the glassed from the rim of his nose, "A student died from an overdose."
By: Jessica H. Barth
(2011)