Nellie
The clock turned to 10:00 a.m. It was training session time. The three turtles entered the dojo. Master Splinter was waiting inside. After warming up for some minutes, Master Splinter told them today's training would be sparring each other.
"The firsts ones to spar will be Raphael and Leonardo. Donatello, you can sit down and wait."
The turtles obeyed. In no time, Raphael and Leonardo where standing in front of each other, ready to win the fight.
"Are you sure you want to fight me, Lame-o-nardo? I'll wipe the floor with your shell." Raphael presumed, spinning his two Sais on his hands.
"Well, don't be so sure Raph, you get distracted too easily. You can't win a fight if you don't focus and stop joking around." Leo responded, pulling out his two Katana swords.
"Me? Joke around? Let's see who's distracted…" Raph said, running to attack Leo, with a success.
Leo blocked some of the kicks and punches, but after a couple of minutes, Raph ended up throwing Leo to the floor and immobilizing him.
"Ya-me!" Master Splinter shouted. Then, the fight ended and Raph finally let Leo go.
"So yeah, Leo, as you can see, I joke around a lot and always lose focus…" Raph laughed with sarcasm.
Leo looked at him confused, then, after some thinking, he finally answered.
"Sorry, I must have been thinking of someone else."
"Someone else? Leo, is not like you know that much people." Donnie answered with a laugh.
"Yeah, I know…" Leo said pensively. "Anyway, let's keep sparring. Your turn Donnie."
Someone else. Raph's mind started spinning around. Someone else. He had been thinking no stop since he woke up that morning. He felt like if he had forgotten something very important. Maybe it was a someone… but it couldn't be. How could he forget a person he knows? It was impossible. Maybe he was just overthinking things. Even though he had a very strong feeling telling him that something wasn't right, everything seemed to be normal. Maybe he would just have to ignore it. Everything was fine. Suddenly, something broke his thoughts.
"Raphael, are you going to fight Donatello or not?" Splinter exclaimed.
"Sorry Sensei. I was just trying to remember something."
Meanwhile, April jut looked at the clock on the wall. It was just 10:07. Seven minutes since she last saw it. Without a doubt, Chemistry class was always the slowest class of the day. Even though she sometimes felt that the class was minutes away from ending, she would realize that the class had just started some minutes ago. She looked at Casey. Maybe talking to him would make the class go faster. Then, April saw that Casey, who was sitting behind her, was sleeping over his notebook. April rolled her eyes.
The class kept going on and on. After what seemed an eternity to April, the teacher finally started wrapping up the class.
"Finally, as you all know, tomorrow we will have our annual science fair and this year the school decided it was not mandatory to bring a project, but apparently a lot of you don't care much about science and we don't have enough projects, so I am willing to give extra credits to all of you who bring a project tomorrow. For those who want the extra credits, you can work in pairs or alone and I will be waiting a good project for tomorrow. With that said, you are free to go."
April began standing up and picking up her things, when the brunette girl that was sitting next to her talked.
"Hey April… uh, I know we don't talk a lot, but I could really use that extra credit and I was just wondering if you wanted to be my partner for the project."
April didn't know what to answer. She didn't want to be her partner, but she also knew that the girl had trouble making friends, just as she did. Maybe that was the reason why she asked her.
"Uh… Nellie, right? I don't know if I…"
Suddenly, out of nowhere, she felt an arm hugging her.
"Sorry Nellie, she's with me." Casey talked, still half asleep.
"Yeah, that's what I was going to say, but why don't you ask…" April looked around the classroom and tried to find someone as lonely as her.
"Don't worry." She interrupted her. "I'll work alone. I'll be at the library up late if you need any help." Nellie sighted as she walked away.
"So, what are we partners for?" Casey asked as April rolled her eyes and took his arm off her shoulder.
"A science fair project for extra credits. I didn't want to do it, but thinking again, I think that you do need those extra credits. After all, I don't have to see your grade to know that you failed today's test."
"Well, Chemistry is not for me. You know that yesterday we did spend all night studying."
"Not all night, remember? We ended up going with the turtles."
"Oh right… Why the hell did we go there?" Casey asked thoughtfully.
April was about to answer when she realized she didn't know either.
"I just remember Leo, Raph and I went searching something in an old house, but I don't remember what we were looking for… I mean, later we went to stop the Purple Dragons at the museum, but I think that was a whole different mission."
"Anyway, what are we doing for the science fair project, red?"
"Do you have anything in mind?"
"What about a volcano?"
"How original, Jones."
"Hey, I was just giving ideas." He laughed.
"So, I guess we will search something easy on internet, just like last year." April said, definitely not amused.
The evening passed away. Casey and April found an easy and cheap project tutorial about magnetism on Youtube. Although it was a very simple project, they stayed at school doing it until the clock gave 10 o'clock. The school was mostly empty at that time and they were both alone in the chemistry classroom. Suddenly they heard footsteps outside, at the hallway. Then, they both saw their chemistry teacher, stopping outside of the classroom as he saw them.
"What are you doing here so late? Are you still working on the science fair project?"
"Yes Mr. White, but we're almost done." April smiled.
"Well, then you can finish it at home because it's late and soon there will be no one else here at school. Besides, it's Friday. Go hang out with your friends or hang out with each other or whatever."
April let out a small laugh while Casey just looked at Mr. White with a bored look.
"Alright Mr. White. See you tomorrow." April said.
Mr. White nodded and then left the classroom.
"Well, I guess we should listen to him, have some fun tonight and then finish it tomorrow." Casey talked.
"What do you mean with have some fun?" April asked while she kept her things on her backpack.
"Do you want to have dinner tonight? Or maybe we can go to the movies or something." He said with a naughty look as they started walking out of the classroom.
"Are you asking me on a date tonight?" She asked, raising a brow.
"Maybe."
"I'll tell you what. Why don't you ask the turtles if they have planned something interesting on tonight's patrol. If they say no, we go and have dinner."
"Fine." He said, reaching for his cellphone. "Oh no." He sighted.
"What?"
"I left my cellphone in the classroom." He said rolling his eyes. "Wait for me outside. I'll go get it."
With that said, Casey started walking to the classroom, while April just continued walking along the hallway. As she walked, she looked at a clock that was on a wall. She stopped walking. There was something weird. Was it ticking backwards? Finally, the clock stopped as the lights of the hallway went off. April looked around, finding strange the whole situation. She then, heard footsteps. The sound was very slow. She started breathing heavily and ran to hide in a classroom, closing the door silently.
As she hided, she started feeling an intense fear. It was odd. Normally, she wouldn't be so scared with that situation. It was maybe a teacher walking in the hallway but why did she felt so scared?
The steps started getting near, until she heard that whoever was walking outside was almost outside of the classroom she was hiding in. With a big sense of terror on her heart, she decided to look outside the little window the door had. She then saw it.
A very pale man with ripped clothes covered in blood was walking with a knife in the hallway. There was a big grin on his face. April's heart started beating faster as she hided again behind the door. She heard the man walking away. He hadn't saw her. Then, she remembered.
"Casey." She murmured.
She pulled out her cellphone as fast as she could and started writing a text to Casey.
There's a man with a knife walking in the hallway. Don't get out of the classroom.
She got herself together and prayed for Casey to see the text, but what if he didn't? She had to go find him. She had been training for almost two years now and she also had psychic powers. She could certainly defend herself. She could do it.
April heard and noticed that she couldn't listen to the footsteps anymore. She could get out and go find Casey. April opened the door slowly and silently. She then started walking fast to the chemistry classroom. The intense feeling of horror was inside her and even though she tried to calm down, she couldn't. She had never been so afraid in her whole life.
April then arrived to the chemistry classroom. The door was opened. Her heart started beating faster once more as she walked in slowly. No one was there. She felt someone's hand on her shoulder. She let out a scream and she turned quickly, punching whoever was behind her on the face. Then, she saw Casey, who let out a small whimper.
"Casey." She said surprised.
"What the hell?" He asked her, rubbing his check.
April pulled Casey inside the classroom and closed the door behind her
"Didn't you read my text?" She questioned, breathing heavily.
"Yes but, it was a prank, wasn't it?"
"No Casey." She said desperately. "There's someone out there with a knife and he is covered in blood. I freaking saw him." She spoke fast.
"Okay, calm down April. Did he saw you?"
"No."
"Fine, let's get out of here and call the cops then."
April nodded as she pulled out her cellphone and called the police station finally, they picked up the phone.
"Hello? Yes. I'd like to report an emergency." She talked fast with her voice shaking. "Yes. There's a man with his clothes covered in blood and porting a knife at Roosevelt High School." She looked at Casey as the cops responded. "Yes, okay. Thanks." She hung up.
"They're coming?"
"Yes. They said it would be better if we stayed here at the classroom while they come."
"Okay, then let's do that and calm down. They shouldn't take too long"
April thought about it. Then she talked altered.
"No, we can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Nellie."
"What's with her?"
"She said she would be at the library. She's probably there working on the project. We need to go get her."
"Fine. Let's go."
They both walked outside the classroom and started walking to the library silently.
"So, why do you think that this man is here at school?" Casey asked.
"Be quiet, he could hear us." April responded with a shaky voice.
They finally arrived to the library. Before they opened the door, April noted that the handle was covered in blood. She stood there, watching in fear as Casey sighted and opened the door. The library was even darker than the rest of the school because it didn't have any windows. As they walked inside, April heard something.
It was a continuous sound. Like if someone was hitting flesh repeatedly. April walked slowly, leaving Casey behind and following the sound and, behind s book shelf, she saw it. She froze.
Nellie was lying on the floor. Beneath her, there was a big pool of blood. Her glasses were broken and lying on the floor a few steps away from her. Her eyes were wide open and blood was also coming out from her mouth. On top of her, the pale bold man kept stabbing her again and again as blood kept spattering on his face every time he did. He was smiling with joy.
April couldn't even move, until the man turned his smiling her to her. He pulled the knife out of Nellie's chest and started standing up slowly.
"Casey! The man!" She yelled as she ran to where Casey was.
"Red! Where is him?" He asked, ready to fight.
"There!" April shouted and pointed as the man walked towards them, sopping in blood.
"Where?" Casey asked confused.
April breathed heavily. Couldn't Casey see him?
"In front of us!" She cried as the man kept walking.
"April, there's no one there." He said confused.
The man stopped walking and stood in front of them. The grin became a smile, showing his teeth covered in blood, then, he started running toward April, who scram in fear. The man then stabbed her. April Closed her eyes, then she felt nothing. He opened her eyes slowly, seeing the man in front of her and looking at her with a strange look. She hadn't died. Why wasn't she dead? The man inclined his head confused, but the grin was still in his face. He then vanished.
April was shocked while Casey looked at her confused.
"Red, what happened?"
April finally reacted. "The man stabbed me but nothing happened! Why am I not dead?! Didn't you freaking saw it?!" She yelled rapidly. She was completely freaking out.
"April, calm down." Casey was about to hug her, when she pushed Casey away and walked to where Nellie was. She then stood in shock once more. The floor was clean and there was no sign that a dead body was even there.
"April, what are you looking at?" He had no idea of what was happening.
"She was just there! She was lying on the floor and covered in blood and…!"
"Who? Who was there?" Casey asked raising his voice with desperation.
"Nellie!" She said altered.
"April, who the hell is Nellie?"
"Nellie! The girl in our chemistry class! She asked me today if I could do the project with her and you told her that I would work with you!"
"April, there's no Nellie on our chemistry class. We don't know any Nellie."
April looked shocked at Casey. She didn't know what to say. Before she could figure out what to respond, they heard the wound of the police cars outside the school.
"Come on, we should get outside and talk to the cops." Casey said, grabbing April's hand and pulling her out of the library. Before they went outside, April looked at the floor once more. Nothing there. How was that possible?
They finally got outside the school, that was surrounded with cops.
"Stop right where you are!" A policeman shouted at them, pointing them with a gun.
"We're just students. We were the ones who called you." Casey responded with his hands on the air.
The policeman lowered the gun.
"Come over here. More cops are already searching the high school."
Casey walked to where the cop was, pulling April with him.
"Can you tell me what happened?" The cop asked them.
"There was a man with a knife walking on the hallways and he murdered a girl named Nellie! Nellie Duncan! She was on our chemistry class! I saw him stabbing her!"
"Where did this happened?"
"At the library!"
"April, why don't you go and calm down? I've got this." Casey said.
April nodded while a female cop grabbed her hand and pulled her away.
"Look, I think this is all a misunderstanding. She was just very scared because the lights went off, but there is really nothing wrong in the school. I'm really sorry, but I think she just made the whole thing up."
"Yes, that's what I thought. Look kid, we'll check up the high school to see if we see something wrong besides that they may not be up to date on their light bills, just to make sure. Thanks for talking, but next time a friend of yours calls the cops, make sure it's really an emergency before you let them do the call. Now, go home boy and tell your friend to get some rest."
"Yes sir."
"And kid, just as a suggestion, tell your friend to wo and see a doctor. Just to make sure everything is good with her. She seems to be pretty upset."
"Yes, I will. Thanks." Casey sighted as he walked to where April was, sitting at the back seat of a police car with the door opened.
"We should go April."
April looked at him. After some seconds, she stood up. They started walking away.
"What did the police say?"
"They told me that they would search the school and make sure everything is fine."
"No, everything is not fine. There was a man…"
"Yes, I know. They will search for him, alright?"
April sighted.
"Red, why don't we go with the turtles. You need to relax and calm down."
"Okay." She murmured.
They both walked to the sewers. Neither of them said a word to each other. They were too busy thinking about what had just happened. Casey was confused, but mostly, he was worried about April. She looked so scared and he had never saw her freaking out that way. April was worried too, but not about her. She was worried about the pale man. Who was him? Why would he go around killing people? Why wasn't she dead?
Finally, they arrived to the turtle's home. They saw the turtles at the living room, getting ready for the night patrol. The turtles looked up at them.
"Oh, hey guys." Raph greeted.
"Hey." Casey responded automatically. April remained silent.
"We were just getting ready for the night patrol, we though you weren't coming tonight." Leo talked.
"Are you guys alright?" Donnie asked, noting that Casey looked worried and that it was like if April wasn't even there.
"Guys, can we skip night patrol, just for tonight?" Casey asked.
"Why is that? What happened?" Leo questioned.
Casey looked around him before talking. "Where's Splinter?"
"At the kitchen. Why? What is wrong with you two?" Raph spoke up.
Casey walked to Donnie and left April standing there. She didn't move. She was still in shock.
"Donnie, can you give her a check-up? Just to know everything's fine with her." He murmured.
"Why? What happened?"
"She says she saw something very disturbing, but I think she might have hallucinated it."
"What did she saw?" Donnie asked preoccupied.
"She says that she saw a man killing a girl at the library, but there was nobody there. She says the girl took a class with us, but that girl doesn't even exists. She even called the cops and made lots of them to go to the school."
Donnie sighted worried.
"Sure, I'll give her a check-up while you tell Leo and Raph what happened."
"Thanks man."
Donnie walked to where April was and grabbed her by the shoulder, making April to have a little jump-scare.
"April, why don't you come with me to my lab so you can tell me what happened?"
She nodded and then, they both entered the lab.
April sat down on a chair while Donnie pulled out the stuff he needed.
"So, can you tell me what happened?" Donnie asked.
"Do you promise you'll believe me?"
"I don't see why not."
April began telling the whole story with all the details she could remembered while Donnie checked that everything was fine with her.
"When we entered the library, I heard the sound of a knife stabbing something repeatedly and then I found the pale man stabbing…"
Suddenly, April stopped.
"Stabbing what, April?" Donnie questioned as he stopped checking her pupils.
"I forgot." She said frustrated. "I mean, I know he was killing someone, but I don't know who was him. I don't even know if it was a boy or a girl." She said, starting to freak out once more.
"Okay April, relax. I'm sure you'll remember. What happened after that?"
"The man saw me and I ran to where Casey was, but he couldn't see the man. Then, the man stabbed me, but nothing happened to me. After that, he just banished. Am I going crazy? Why am I the only one who saw this? Why did I forgot?" She said with tears in her eyes.
"Look April, I just gave you a check-up and there's nothing wrong with you. Apparently, you are just under a lot of stress and you might just need some sleep. Maybe you imagined the whole thing. Why don't you stay here for tonight? You'll feel safer around us, right"
"How do you want me to sleep after this?" She cried.
"I'll give you something to help you sleep." Donnie sighted.
He then pulled out a syringe and some medicine from a drawer. He filled in the syringe and pulled out a cotton ball and alcohol. April just kept staring at the floor, trying to remember. Donnie approached to her and sat in front of her. He then grabbed her arm, pulled up her sleeve to uncover her forearm and injected the substance. April didn't even react.
"That'll do it." Donnie spoke, throwing away the syringe. "You can sleep at the couch."
April nodded and stood up. As they both walked out of the lab, Leo, Raph and Casey looked at her. She now looked tired.
"Guys, I think that you should take your conversation somewhere else and let April sleep."
"Uh, sure. I'll go get some blankets." Leo spoke, walking away.
April sat down on the couch. She was now feeling dizzy, but now, she had a weird and calm feeling.
Suddenly, as Leo was coming back, she saw Splinter coming out from the kitchen.
"Are you two staying here for the night?" He asked with a comforting smile.
"Oh, not me. Just April. She's been feeling a little upset lately." Casey responded.
"Well, we'll take care of her for the night."
Out of nowhere, someone else came out from the kitchen. She looked familiar to April.
"Oh, hi April, hi Casey." She said.
"Hello Tang Shen." Casey answered.
April just stared at her and didn't say a thing. Tang Shen. She was Splinter's wife. She had known her since she met the turtles. She had to, right? Why did something felt so off about her? Like if she wasn't supposed to be there. Like if she weren't real. Was she real?
Before April could say anything, the medicine kicked in and she fell to the couch, falling asleep instantly.
Finally, I decided to continue this story and write a second chapter. I lope you liked it and don't forget to leave a review with your opinion. I swear I will try to write the next chapter as soon as possible. Thanks.
