Ch 1 How to Get Your Life Ruined In Two Minutes
It was the summer before I went into high school. I was on my computer at 9:30, in June, watching a movie when my mom walked in. This usually wouldn't bother me, but I'd been feeling really weird lately and my senses seemed amplified. Also I seemed even better at multitasking, and I'd been having weird dreams. All I'd told my mom was I'd had weird dreams, but I didn't specify. It was always the same. I was seeing a strange symbol. It looked like a cat's head, but in the center was a sun. My friend Sarrah told me to draw it up, so by now I had it memorized. The sad thing was I told her first. I had this weird instinct that I could only trust certain people. My friends had had similar issues so that made me feel slightly better. Sarrah recommended that I listen to my instincts, so I was also feeling guilty about lying to my mom every time she asked if I was ok. I could tell by her face that something was up when she came in my room.
"Okay," I sighed, jokingly. "Who invited us to a party that you insist will be fun, but I'll absolutely hate?" She didn't answer right away, so I was really nervous. "Mom?" She looked at me with this excited stare that made her look like a meat seller with a prime cut. Suddenly, she snapped back to reality.
"I signed you up for school." She told me calmly, "At the Lily Wilderness Academy." I felt like I'd gotten punched.
"WHAT!?" I screeched. "I have friends here, I know my way around the school, and I know who my teachers will be. Now you just want to pack up and move?"
She looked annoyed, "No, you are going to pack up and move to a boarding school where you will learn valuable skills. I will stay here and take care of your sister."
I looked at her, feeling betrayed, she'd promised to keep me in the same school! As she left, I logged into Facebook at rocket speed, calling up Sarrah, Leah, Autumn, and Lizzy. I started typing on Group Chat, and then couldn't help grinning. Our group thing was all caps, all the time.
Steph: MY MOM IS MAKING ME CHANGE SCHOOLS! WHAT THE HECK!
Sarrah: WHAT?!
Leah: WHERE IS SHE SENDING YOU?
Lizzy: YEAH WHERE?!
Steph: LILY WILDERNESS ACADEMY
Leah: OH MY GOSH MY MOM IS SENDING ME THERE TOO!
Autumn: SAME HERE!
Sarrah: HERE TOO!
Steph: WHAT!?
Lizzy: MY MOM SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THAT TO MY DAD.
Sarrah: LET ME GUESS, YOU WERE LISTENING THROUGH THE VENT AGAIN.
Lizzy: KINDA.
Steph: J
Sarrah: XD
Leah: LOL
Autumn: SERIOUSLY?
Steph: OK, SO IF ALL OUR PARENTS ARE SENDING US THERE, THEN THERE MUST BE A REASON. SARRAH, COULD YOU PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS PLACE? ANYONE ELSE, IF YOU THINK IT WOULD WORK, ASK.
Sarrah: ABSOLUTLY. GIVE ME FIVE MINUTES.
Lizzy: UH, MY PARENTS DON'T KNOW I KNOW ABOUT THIS. I'LL JUST WAIT.
Leah: GOT IT.
Autumn: I'LL WAIT.
While we waited, we got on different things. Then, suddenly the weird instinctive pull-there's no other way to say it-hit again. I took Sarrah's advice and listened to it. I shut my Group Chat off, noticing vaguely that all the others had done the same, turned off my computer, and slipped silently downstairs. I saw my sister, Kristin, but I didn't stop. I slipped out the dining room window, out onto the grass. As my eyes adjusted, I noticed that the bush was in sharper focus than it should be, but tried not to catalog that in my mind. I was terrified of the supernatural in general, so I tried to avoid it. I could hear our neighbor's dog, and didn't understand the slight nervousness I felt at the same time. At the same time, my brain seemed to be working a million miles an hour. I could see halfway down the block, I could hear a thousand things at once without the slightest confusion of what was what; suddenly I heard a mouse squeak. The pull or whatever you call it said 'hunt.' My disgust was strong enough to drown that out and I turned my attention to the direction of the pull. As soon as it lead me towards the mouse, I started ignoring it. I slipped back inside and logged back on to Group Chat just in time to see everyone freaking out.
Leah: OMGOSH WHAT WAS THAT? SARRAH, I'M GOING TO GET YOU!
Steph: WHOA THERE WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
Lizzy: SARRAH TOLD US TO LISTEN TO OUR INSTINCTS AND LEAH JUST ABOUT ATTACKED A DOG.
Autumn: PLEASE TELL ME YOU GUYS FELT THAT CREEPY THING TOO!
Lizzy: NO, LEAH'S FREAKING OUT BECAUSE THERE'S A GHOST IN HER BEDROOM! DUH!
Steph: OK CHILL OUT EVERYBODY! NOW!
Leah: HOW CAN YOU TELL ME TO CHILL OUT?! DID YOU JUST ABOUT ATTACK A DOG THAT WAS MINDING ITS OWN BUISNESS!?
Steph: NO I JUST ABOUT ATE A MOUSE! NOW EVERYONE BE QUIET AND STOP YELLING AT SARRAH!
Leah: WHAT?! I'D TAKE MINE OVER THAT!
Sarrah: IS IT SAFE TO RESPOND NOW?
Lizzy: I THINK SO, BUT DON'T COUNT ON THAT.
Autumn: I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN I STOP FEELING SICK.
Steph: OK IS EVERYONE CHILL NOW?
Lizzy: YEAH WE'RE GOOD.
Steph: OK NOW SARRAH WHAT DID YOU FIND?
Sarrah: NOTHING, THE SITE CRASHED AS SOON AS I FOUND IT.
Steph: NO ONE ELSE GOT ANYTHING?
Leah: SORRY, I WAS TOO BUSY FREAKING OUT.
Steph: OK, SO, WE'RE WALKING INTO THIS TOTALLY BLIND.
Lizzy: WHY DOES THAT SOUND SO OMINOUS?
Leah: WELL PROBABLY BECAUSE WE'VE ALL BEEN HAVING INSTINCTIVE FEELINGS ABOUT EVENTS AND YOUR INSTINCTIVE FEELING IS LIKE WHEN THEY WALK INTO A CREEPY-LOOKING HOUSE IN A HORROR MOVIE.
Steph: A REALLY LONG WAY OF SAYING WE'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WALKING INTO SOMETHING WE HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT.
Autumn: OK WELL I HAVE TO GET OFF.
Sarrah: ME TOO.
Lizzy: SAME
Leah: ME TOO
Steph: OK, WE'LL TALK TOMORROW. UNTIL THEN, WATCH YOUR BACKS AND DON'T ATTACK ANYONE OR ANYTHING.
Sarrah: LOL
Autumn: HAHA
Leah: I DON'T FIND THAT FUNNY.
Lizzy: THAT IS THE STRANGEST THING I HAVE EVER TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
Steph: BYE
As I logged off, I was in a better mood, but I was still scared. What we all felt wasn't just a coincidence, I was sure. What it was, I had no idea. I knew it wasn't normal, of course, but other than that, I was clueless. I hated the very thought of walking into this with no idea what to expect. My instincts were sharper and they hadn't been wrong yet. I just hoped my friends weren't aware of how terrified I really was. I tried to be the strong one of the five, but I was a total coward.