Another Chapter ONE

It was silent. Not a sound in the piercing cold air… the air that I slowly breathed in was the poison. My soul drowned within the darkness inside of me—drowning me slowly, taking in every spec of energy. Seth. I tried. I tried to say his name but my mouth wouldn't dare open. I felt like I was trapped in a bottomless abyss with no exit, no human or soul accompanying me.

Drip. Drop. Blood dripped down and slowly started luring my life out of me. I had never imagined this horrific scenario in my dreams, nor in my nightmares, but it did happen and it all started on December 29th…

I slowly walked towards the building. What stood before me was an enormous gate, which had eroded away through time; the thin rusted iron bars were swallowed by the diseased, dried up as if the roots were long skeleton fingers. While I was strolling to the damp humid building, I saw a dark figure trudging into the school. I followed it.

As I entered the school building there was a sudden change of atmosphere. I looked straight ahead and saw groups of people walk past me in my field of vision. I could see coloured lights dancing across the Christmas tree as I drew, my head bowed down in shame. Suddenly out of the corner of my eye, I saw the same dark clutched figure gliding down the hallways. I snapped myself out of my daydream and followed the figure. As soon as I turned to follow, it decamped.

As soon as the dark figure had disappeared, I remembered that I had to meet with zero but at the same time I wanted to go back...

Zero… Z-Zeros just turned up in front of me. I was so distracted thinking about that one person. I wanted to run but I couldn't and I couldn't hide it inside of me anymore. I couldn't just lock away the pain that I had endured for so long.

"Zero, tell me why did Alaric die?" I asked very quietly as I was scared to let those words come out my mouth.

"Urmmmm…. Well… Everyone seems to think that it is because of a car accident. But I don't believe that that's what actually happened."

"Then what do you think happened Zero?"

"Wait. Nobody's told you about the curse?"

'What. WHAT CURSE. TELL ME!" I asked desperately.

"Every year on the 12th month, people related to the number nine in anyway die at midnight everyday…"

The moment he said the number 9 I had realized why everyone in class was so worried and why they all thought we were in danger. It was because we were class 9. And it was December. 9, the devils number. 9 is hell.

For a second Zero and me stood there and stared at each other, we examined each other. And there and then, I saw the very same shadow run past as the dark figure did. I was completely frozen.

Why was he listening to us? Does he have something to do with all the deaths and the curse…?